Standing on Holy Ground

Geron Davis

Contact The Christian Answer Guide at opportunities@thechristiananswerguide.com

Spreading God's Holy Word with Churches and Disciples

across our Nation!

Our Purpose!

To Know Him

To Know Each Other

To Make Him Known

Say Yes to Jesus by

Praying the Lord's Prayer and by Placing your Name

to the left in The Shield of Faith Promise

“Follow me” was the simple call that Jesus made to all people when He walked on His earth, many years ago. Those that chose to do so found their lives were radically changed as Jesus taught them to love God, love each other, and love His world. That same Jesus is still calling people to follow Him today. At The Christian Answer we are passionate about answering that call and following Him to find how we can live out His gospel in every area of our lives. Why don’t you join us on the journey?

Go to the Faith Articles for more: 

Pastor’s Corner

To Know each Other

Rev. Ken Pritchard

Fayetteville Community Church

www.fcchurchweb.org

When we face Crisis with fears instead of Faith!

Things to Learn from David

1 Samuel Chapters 17-22

1 Samuel 21: 10-15

1 Samuel 22:

Psalms 34, 57, 142

1. Re-Focus: Look for the help and Blessings from the Lord!
2. God is our “Refuge!”
3. Relationship
4. Re-Examinant
5. In the Cave, God began to restore.
6. Rejoicing

Proclaiming a Christian Call to Prayer

Proclaiming the Truth in God’s Word

Proclaiming the Truth in the Body of Christ

Proclaiming Godly Leaders for our Nation

Proclaiming False Prophets in the Last Days

Proclaiming False Doctrines

Proclaiming The End of Times

Proclaiming True Disciples for God’s Calling

Proclaiming a Christian call to Prayer

The Christian Call to Prayer!

“The wisdom that saves, through faith and love.” It is pure, from the Father, a wellspring of love and life through faith in Jesus Christ our LORD! But this wisdom gives us much more! Its end is never ending, its fruit is bountiful, and its endurance is endless! It is unique, lovely, pure, hopeful, and in God himself. It is above the world and cannot be touched by it, but it can touch the world with hope! For in itself, it is hope, it is love, being found in the “love of the truth”, “the only begotten Son of The Father, Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory, and in those who are the children of the MOST HIGH through him who has saved us. This is true, for He is in us! ”

Prayer is an Encounter

Proclaiming the Truth in God’s Word

God's Word is Amazing and is Real

Extraordinary Claims Demand Extraordinary Evidence

The Story! See the Video below!

  The Bible: The Word of God? The Greatest Story ever Told!

It is a world of magic and mystery of deep darkness and flickering starlight. It is a world where terrible things happen and wonderful things. It is a world where goodness is pitted against evil, love against hate, order against evil, order against chaos, in a struggle where often it is hard to be sure who belongs to which side because appearances are endlessly deceptive. Yet for all its confusion and wildness, it is a world where the battle ultimately to the good, who live happily ever after, and where in the long run everybody, good and evil alike, becomes known by his true name. That is the fairy tale of the Gospel with, of course, one crucial difference from other fairy tales, which is that the claim made for it is that it is true, that it not only happen once upon a time but has kept on happening ever since and is happening still!

This is the gospel.

This is the Story we are living in.

May you play your part well.

The most powerful and most known verse in the Bible!

John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Proclaiming the Truth in the Body of Christ

The Day Jesus Visited the Church

How we do Church

Will the Real Christian Please Stand Up

Church and the nasty world

Signsofthe2ndComing

Take time to listen to these sermons, I'm sure you will receive a blessing from them and enjoy them! Praise God for Churches like this one! Brian is a very special friend of mine in Haw River, NC. He is just a good ole country boy and a trucker like myself that God got of hold of him and won’t let go of him!  www.thelambschapel.org

 This sermon below is not recommended for all to hear. It was delivered on July 8th, 1741 in New England by Jonathan Edwards. It was called "Sinners in the hands of a angry God" It was intended for the Christians that were not living a Christian Life!. It has been called the most famous sermon on America Soil. It was Stricken with Terror about the Wraft of God. It was a sermon that New England never forgave him

It did give a Great Awakening of a Spiritual Revival!

 Sinners_in_the_Hands

Life, For Most of Us, is like a Movie and

We’ve Arrived Forty Minutes Late!

We all have a story to tell!

Sure, good things happen, sometimes beautiful things. But tragic things happen too. What does it mean? We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, usually a confusing mixture of both, and we haven’t a clue how to make sense of it all. No wonder we keep losing heart. We need to know the rest of the story.

For when we were born, we were born into the midst of a great story begun before the dawn of time. A story of adventure, of risk and loss, heroism….and betrayal. A story where good is warring against evil, danger lurks around every corner, and glorious deeds wait to be done. Think of all those stories or movies you’re ever loved—there’s a reason they stirred your heart. They’ve been trying to tell you about the true Epic eer since you were young.

There is a Larger Story. And you have a crucial role to play.

1 Thessalonians 5:27 http://www.ransomedheart.com/ Get this Book Epic it is powerful!

Life can be like a train ride

The Train Ride

There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Psalms 133:1

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Churches should be the most beautiful Place in the World!

What not to look for in a Church!

1. To many Rules, (it should focus in the message in his word)!
2. Impressing other people!
3. Hurting people!
4. Mean to people!
5. Can’t get People to God with a Blind Guide!
6. Not Focusing on the Big Things (Helping people, going easy on people and helping people get to God)!
7. Serving yourself by using people!

 What a church should be!

• A House of Purity!
• A House of Prayer!
• A House that hears the voice of God!
• A House that God speaks to the people to comfort you with love, hope, encouragement and to cleanse you!
• A House that focuses on Justice (Helping others), Mercy
• ( going easy on others) and Faith (Helping them get to God)

A Christian Personality 

Galatians 5:22

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

James 1:23

23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror

To Know Him

"People who believe in God ' and they do ' who pray ' and they do ' are not secular, they are just unchurched. They've never been to church and, in many cases, their parents didn't go either."

"It's a clich' now to call institutional religion 'oppressive, patriarchal, out of date and out of touch.' So what else is new? I feel sorry for those people who don't think there's anything greater than themselves. It must feel like a lonely and frightening world for them. Lone-ranger spirituality is not conducive to taking us to the depths God designed us to go. It leaves out the communal dimension of faith. If you leave out the irritations, frustrations and joy that community entails, you miss something about God."

Introduction

We have seen that God has provided a marvellous salvation from all the consequences of man's rebellion. This salvation is to be received through repentance and faith. God expects us to change our allegiance. We must now love Him and serve Him - not our old selfish and corrupt desires. He wants to set us free from every oppression. But as well as this change of allegiance or repentance we need to believe God and His promises with a living faith. In this lesson we will consider what it means to have faith in God. 

What is Faith?

What Faith is not

Faith is not religion. Many times people say "We have our faith". What they mean is this: "We have our religious ideas and doctrines, our traditions, our ways of doing things passed down through the generations. Don't you try to change them." This is not the Biblical idea of faith.

Faith is not mental assent. It is not agreeing with your mind, "Yes, that is true." Many professing Christians believe mentally that the Bible is the Word of God, but this faith does not change the way they live. It is not a faith that can save. (James 2:14)

Even demons have that kind of faith. They know and believe that God exists (James 2:19) - and tremble. They have no loving confidence in God.

Faith is not a way to manipulate God. It is not a power by which we make God do what WE want when otherwise He would be unwilling to do that thing. It is not a kind of magic through which we make God into our servant!

Faith is not hope, nor positive desire. Hope is good, and relates to the future. Faith, however, takes the promise as done NOW. Many people have hope and are anxiously looking for results, but they lack the settled confidence and present assurance which faith has. 

What Faith Is

In the general sense of the word, to have faith is to believe in something or someone, to fully trust, to be so confident that you base your actions on what you believe. To have faith is to be fully convinced of the truthfulness and reliability of that in which you believe.

Faith in God then, is having the kind of trust and confidence in God and in Christ that leads you to commit your whole soul to Him as Saviour (Justifier, Cleanser, Healer, Deliverer) and Lord (Master, King).

The NIV translation says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

The NKJV of the Bible says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith is a spiritual substance. When you have this spiritual substance in you, it communicates to you a certain inner knowing that the thing you are hoping for is certainly established, even before you see any material evidence that it has happened.

Faith is a spiritual force. Faith in God is a response to God's Word which moves God to act. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "For assuredly I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, 'Be removed and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that those things he SAYS will be done, he will HAVE whatever he SAYS." Words mixed with the real, pure faith can and will move mountains or any other problem that we face.

Faith in God must be from the heart. It is not merely intellectual. It is spiritual. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)

Faith causes you to know in your heart before you see with your eyes. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2Cor 5.7)

Some say, "Seeing is believing." Once you see the thing hoped for already existing in the natural order, you don't need faith.

Hope is a condition for faith. Hope is "a positive unwavering expectation of good". Hope is for the mind (1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:19), an anchor for the soul. It keeps us in the place where we can believe, but it is not in itself "faith". Yet, without hope there are no "things hoped for", and therefore there cannot be faith.

Through faith we can know we have the answer to our prayer before we see anything change in the natural order (1 John 5:14,15). Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mk 11:24). God expects us, even commands us, to believe that our petitions are answered by God AT THE MOMENT WE MAKE THEM. We must believe that the response is immediately sent WHEN we pray. Faith is like the confirmation slip in our hearts that the goods are on the way. We have that confirmation slip instantly from God. We sense it in our hearts. The manifestation of those goods, the answer received, comes later as long as we are patient and do not throw away our confidence. (Hebrews 10:35-39; Hebrews 6:12)

Faith is like a cheque. All you have to do is hold on to the cheque, go to the bank to present it and you can confidently expect the money to appear in your account after a certain time. If you throw the cheque away the money will not be put in your account. God is trustworthy and always has resources to back his promises.

Living faith always has corresponding actions. We talk what we really believe, and we act according to what we really believe. The heroes of faith like Abraham were considered men of faith because they acted on what God showed them. They acted on their faith. (Hebrews 11:17-38, James 2:21-23).

To live in faith means to do and say what you believe is right, without doubting.

Faith is a rest. It is compatible with inner peace. It is not "trying to believe". To say that you are "trying to believe" God is to say that you don't believe Him. The man who is "trying to believe" may be sincere, but he does not have faith in that area yet. 

Why We Must Believe God

Why must we believe God? Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

"Whatever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23) and God hates sin. When we don't believe God, we treat Him like He is a liar. Remember that He is everywhere and sees all things. He is hurt when we act like He doesn't exist, or that He will not do what He promised to do. Only when we have confidence in God and His Word can we please Him.

Lack of faith leads to lack of obedience. God's commands can only really be fulfilled through faith. Without confidence in God's promises a man will never really do what God says. Lack of obedience in God's eyes is rebellion. Such lack of obedience dishonors God and surely deserves to be punished.

"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). We must live by faith in order to be considered by God "right" and "correct". Otherwise we stand condemned.

Those who don't believe God inevitably believe in something else. Either religious tradition, or their understanding of science, or what the women's magazine says, or what their next door neighbour tells them, the education system, the mass-media or a combination of all these things. God is not impressed. "Professing to be wise, they became fools." (Romans 1:22) In fact, those who don't fully believing God end up believing the devil somewhere along the track. It is very possible to believe what the devil says without even believing that he exists! Satan is speaking through so many philosophies and religions without openly declaring himself. Not too many actually know they are trusting the words of satan and his demons.

God is therefore righteous in expecting us to believe in Him and what He says. Who is better qualified to tell us the truth and help us to find answers for life and eternity? 

Benefits of Faith.

The Bible teaches us that genuine faith is "more precious than gold that perishes" (1 Peter 1:7). Indeed such faith is going to be "tested by fire". You can expect difficulties and persecutions in your life of faith, as well as blessings. Therefore to encourage you to hold onto and develop your faith, we will consider some of the benefits of faith.

1. Faith brings salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9). Whosever believes in Him has eternal life. (John 3:16), and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24). The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)

2. Faith brings answers to prayer. "And whatever things you ask in prayer, really believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22). Since God tells us to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), faith is therefore a key to our material provision.

3. Faith brings all the benefits of salvation into our lives (Ephesians 2:8,9). This includes healing, prosperity, peace, love, joy (1 Peter 1:8), deliverance from demons and the curse, sanctification of the mind and emotions (the salvation of the soul) and any other benefit which the word of God promises to us.

4. Faith is a spiritual force through which our ministry for Christ becomes effective. (Mark 11:23; Matthew 17:19,20). Faith is a major key to ministry success. It brings to you what you need for your ministry, and by imparting it to others through your life and your ministry of God's Word, you enable them to receive the blessings of God's grace mentioned above.

5. In particular, faith is the major key for an effective healing and deliverance ministry. Jesus Christ "the same yesterday, today and forever" lives in the Christian (Hebrews 13:8, Galatians 2:20), and through the Christian wants to reveal the power of salvation to men in a way they can see and feel. In this way, our evangelism concerning the Kingdom of God will not be in talk, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20). 

How to Develop Faith

We see how important faith is. Yet some people despair here, thinking that they don't have faith. Yet faith comes (Romans 10:17), it can grow and develop. If you are not full of faith today, that doesn't mean you will be that way all your life. You can choose to be a person of faith!

A Song To Encourage Faith by Rick Bye "Everything is Possible" - Download Here - you will enjoy it! Included here by permission of the author.

Here are some keys to developing faith.

1. Listen to the Word of God as much as possible. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Constant attention to the Word of God produces faith, especially if we attend to it with an open heart and mind. The book of Proverbs encourages us to constantly keep the Word in our hearts and to keep our attention on it (Proverbs 4:20-22). Health is one of the benefits promised.

What we listen to affects what we believe. If we listen to the TV more than to the Word, we will believe the lies of the world more than we will believe what God says. Constant attention to lies produces deception. Eventually the mind will accept something if that thing is heard often enough and persuasively enough. That is why we should keep hearing the Word of God, through preaching, Christian tapes, confession of the Word, daily fellowship with godly Christians. This will cause us eventually to believe the truth from our hearts.

2. Realise that every believer has been given a measure of faith by God. (Romans 12:3). We just have to use and develop what God has given. We must put it into action.

3. Pray in tongues and be full of the Spirit (Jude 20). We will look at this later. If you have been baptised in the Spirit as the disciples were in the book of Acts, you should pray and praise in tongues often because through this you "edify yourself" (1 Corinthians 14:4) and "build yourself up in your most holy faith". Praying in tongues is a key to being full of the Spirit. Since faith is a fruit of the Spirit, all things things are related together.

4. Obey God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is as you walk that you gain strength. God will not reveal greater things to you until you are faithful in the things He is showing you NOW. Therefore obedience to the Spirit and what He is showing you through the Word or through your conscience is important in the development of your faith. You cannot have living faith without taking some practical steps of obedience. Act on what God is saying!

5. Give thanks. Give thanks for the results before you see. Don't complain - that shows you doubt God's love and God's answer to your situation. Give thanks in all situations (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

6. Develop a life of praise and worship. Praise drives the powers of darkness away and brings the throne of God into your circumstances. Praising God is an act of faith and helps your faith to grow. It is commanded (Hebrews 13:15). Worship is admiring God through the Spirit. If you can perceive who is God, His power, faithfulness and love your trust and faith in Him will grow.

7. Spend as much time as you can with people of faith. The spirit of faith on them will touch your life also (Proverbs 13:20).

8. Speak the WORD. By saying with your mouth you exercise your faith, you hear the Word and you build it into your life. God's Word is anointed and has power when it is spoken to change the spiritual atmosphere (Joshua 1:8; Romans 10:10). Confession of God's Word (saying the same thing as God's word) brings you into the place where the Lord will move to fulfil it (Hebrews 3:1). The angels hearken to the voice of God's Word (Psalms 103:20)

9. Seek holiness, purity of heart. "Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14). It is with the heart that man believes (Romans 10:10). To the extent that the heart has uncleanness, unforgiveness and other bad conditions within, the man will lose the spiritual perception of the Lord which enables his heart to believe. Purity and faith feed each other.

10. Remember that faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). The centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) and the woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:21-28) were both motivated by their love for another in coming to Jesus. And both were described as having great faith. Let us believe God for others to be blessed, in a spirit of love, and as we give of our selves God will give blessings to us also (Luke 6:37). This is related to the idea of "seed-faith". Express your faith by planting a seed in terms of some form of giving. God will release a multiplied harvest in return if we endure and do not faint (Hebrews 10:36). 

Confession and the Power of Words

"With the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). Confessing Christ as your Living Lord and Saviour with your mouth releases God's salvation into your life. Since salvation includes many benefits and blessings our right mouth confession is a major key to receiving what God has provided for us by his grace.

We should realize that "Death and life is in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21). The power of the tongue is in the power of the words we speak. All our words have an effect on the spiritual atmosphere around us, either for good or bad. It is through words that covenants and promises are established. It is through words that our faith or our fears are expressed. Bad words open the door for bad spirits to work. Good words open the door for God and His angels to work.

Angels heed the VOICE of God's Word (Psalms 103:20). Words are spiritual seeds. Words of life produce life. Words of faith produce faith. Words of love produce love. Words of hope produce hope, and so on. Words of death attract spirits of death, words of doubt attract doubt, words of fear attract spirits of fear, and so on. Therefore we must guard carefully what we SAY. The Bible has much to say on this subject, especially in the Book of Proverbs (e.g. Proverbs 10:19, 20, 31, 32; 12:18, 22; 14:23, 33; 15:1, 4, 28). Jesus said, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. " (Matthew 12:36,37). Paul said, "And WHATEVER you do, IN WORD or deed, do ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17)

Confession (Gk: homologeo) means literally "to say the same thing". To confess the Word of God then means to say the same thing as God's Word says. When you say it, it tends to produce faith because in saying it you must also hear it from your own mouth, and hearing the Word causes faith to come (Romans 10:17). In saying the Word yourself, you identify YOURSELF with the truth of God's Word. It is one thing to hear someone else say something, another to say that thing yourself. The more you say God's Word, the more you will believe it, and the more you believe it, the more you will say it.

"A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled." (Proverbs 18:20, see Proverbs 12:14). This means that we feed on the words we speak. What we say comes back to affect our own heart and our own spiritual condition. That is another reason why confessing the Word and not negative things will greatly help our faith.

At times it is difficult to speak consistently with what the Bible says because our minds are not sufficiently renewed. We still have doubt in our souls. We must reprogram our subconscious minds to accept God's principles and God's promises without doubt (Romans 12:2). Meditation, repeated pondering, listening to good preaching, confession of the Scripture, as well as informed study will help here. The Word must enter deeply into us. This will change the way we are, the way we speak, the way we respond to difficulties and challenges. If it does not we have been too superficial in our treatment of the Word. We have substituted the mental knowledge and recognition of the words for real meditation and confession.

God talks in faith. God "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). Through faith-filled words, God created the universe (Hebrews 11:3). As sons of God we are called to be imitators of God, filled with God's Spirit (Eph 5:1,18). When we are in Christ and we have the promise of God, we have the right to speak about something God has promised as if it existed even before our natural senses are conscious of it. It is our faith that gives substance to this confession of things not seen. For example, if we have believed God for a car, we can talk about our car before we see it. We should realise that God has already "given us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) and all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). But the effective receiving depends on our faith. Faith is confident of the faithfulness of God in His declared promises and talks and acts so, even before the natural eye sees.

Acting in Faith

Real faith has corresponding actions. Looking at Hebrews 11:4-37 we see that all those who are commended for their faith did something as well. It is possible to have actions, even religious actions, without real faith - but these actions are dead works. Without faith you can't please God. (Hebrews 11:6).

Sometimes confusion arises in this matter of faith and works. There is a radical difference between works or actions that spring from real faith, and works which spring from SELF in an effort to earn God's approval. The former cannot be separated from real faith. The latter are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), and are wrong because the man occupied with them cannot understand or accept God's free grace - that it is by GRACE, by CHRIST that we are saved, and not by our own works.

Faith hears the word of God, the voice of God and acts in obedience with a trusting heart. God often speaks to us through our consciences by His Spirit, pressing us towards a particular kind of action which is based on God's Word. Real faith yields to God's suggestion and does it.

Jesus told the blind man to go to the pool to wash. The blind man, by acting in obedience to Jesus' words BEFORE he received healing, demonstrated the kind of faith which God required of him in that situation, and he was healed. (John 9:7). If he had not obeyed, he would not have been healed.

God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac up as a sacrifice. Abraham's obedience in this matter demonstrated the reality of his faith. (James 2:20-24). Even justifying faith is not passive. It does not rest in sin. Justifying faith works with repentance to open the door for the receiving of God's great salvation. 

Overcoming the Enemies of faith

In closing this lesson we will consider some of the main enemies of faith and how they can be overcome.

1. Ignorance. You cannot believe a promise until you hear it or find it. Much unbelief rises out of the fact that people just don't know what the Bible says. The cure for this is study, meditation and consideration of the Word.

2. Unbelief. This is the sinful choice to not believe God. It is usually motivated by pride, rebellion and ignorance. The cure for this is therefore to humble oneself, change one's mind, choose to believe. Fasting puts done the flesh and is often very effective in destroying the power of unbelief, because it aids in humbling ourselves and in removing fleshly distractions to the voice of God. If done correctly it can help us to focus on God and will make the spiritual things more intense to us, thereby destroying unbelief.

3. Fear. Negative fear is a negative emotion based on the real expectation of bad things to come. It is rooted in anxiety and a lack of trust in God's fatherly protection and love. Perfect love casts out fear. (1Jn 4:18). God is perfect love. Therefore by seeking God, His presence and the fullness of His Spirit we will be set free from fear. When we are conscious of God's power it is very easy to be courageous and bold. We expect success when we are consciously full of God and know that we are doing what He is telling us to do. To overcome fear we must look to God and not to natural considerations which could cause our failure if God were not with us. Peter, looking to the wind and the waves, was overcome by a fear which paralysed his faith and caused him to sink. He needed to keep looking to Jesus. God says, "Fear not, FOR I AM WITH YOU." (Is. 43:5). God gives us a reason not to fear, and a commandment. To fear anyone or anything except the Lord is a sin. We can overcome this sin by being full of God and looking to Him. Also we must forgive all men if we want to be delivered from this form of torment. (Mt 18:34, I Jn 4:18)

4. Doubt. Doubt is an enemy to faith because it speaks with a voice that challenges the truth or the reliability of what we should be believing. To overcome doubt we must fill ourselves with the Word of God, meditating deeply and repetitively on it. Doubt is the evidence of an unconsecrated heart and mind. It is the evidence of lack of devotion to God's Word. Doubt, like fear, torments. We must forgive others and give our whole hearts to God. We must stop listening to the voice of demons or the voice of our own carnal mind trained from early days to resist God. This is a decision. It helps to hear the testimonies of others to overcome doubt. However, doubt will never be fully overcome until we treat the Bible as God's voice TO US.

5. Discouragement. Sometimes we feel discouraged because of physical or emotional weakness or tiredness. We may be disappointed by the behavior of other Christians. We may be discouraged by the persecution of others, even of our families. Perhaps we have waited for what may or may not be God's promise to us, and we grow impatient. Many Christians at some time in their life become disappointed with God. Satan uses discouragement to weaken and if possible destroy our faith. To overcome discouragement we must make a decision to be strong (Hebrews 12:12; Ephesians 6:10) in the Lord. We must want to be strong and stop making excuses for our weakness and failure. We must consider God's faithfulness to us in the past, even through difficulties (Hebrews 10:32-34). We must rededicate ourselves to God's Word, to thankfulness, to prayer and to the voice of the Spirit. We need to learn to obey the Spirit in small things. Sometimes even great men of God like Elijah were discouraged. At one time, even after a great victory, he ran away from Jezebel, the witch. God restored Elijah through the ministry of angels, through his voice, and by getting him occupied in new missions for God full of the promise of hope.

5. The Love of Praise. When you are more interested in what people - even Christian people - think of you, more than what God thinks of you, according to Jesus, you won’t be able to truly believe in Him. Why? Because God’s priorities and man’s are different. Jesus said, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44)

To overcome this, you must cultivate a personal relationship with God through prayer and obedience. You must allow your old nature to be weakened as you say yes to God and no to these desires for seeking praise and recognition. 

God is calling all of us to put our faith in action in many ways. Many of the following lessons relate to practical areas which as a Christian we must put into practice. True faith will lead us to church commitment, to pray, to be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit and to tell others about Christ.

The Grace of God

This study seeks to present a Biblical teaching of how we can keep on receiving God's grace, life and power in our lives, so that we can be what we ought to be as Christians, both in the church and in the world. We will examine the subject of what God's grace is, and how it can be received and applied in our lives. This will help us to avoid the cycle of failure, resolutions, repeated failure, frustration and condemnation which is a common problem amongst those wishing to please God.

The Problem

The problem that we have as Christians armed with lots of theory about what God has done, and what we should be doing, is that we can still find ourselves falling desperately short of our own ideals, principles, convictions and hopes. Sometimes the power to make the Christian life and ministry practical and real seems to be sadly lacking. It is possible to talk about love and yet find oneself bound by selfishness and irritation. It is possible to talk about God's power and compassion in healing and yet be unable to demonstrate it or testify about how He has helped you personally.

This is due in part to a misunderstanding and neglect concerning God's grace - which is the working of His life in us. God has not simply left us commandments and principles to follow, without giving us the ability to live out what He is talking about. Let us see what the Bible says on this point in 2 Peter 1:2-4.

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Grace is not a cover for rebellion and wilful disobedience

Grace is not given to us so that we can indulge in sin without any serious consequences, as some have taught. It is given that we might escape sin's grip and fully do the will of God. It is given that we might escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Without doing the will of God, no one will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21). Grace does not guarantee eternal salvation to someone who knew God but then was overcome again by the corruptions of the world again and would not repent (2 Peter 2:20), nor does it guarantee eternal peace with God to those who never escape the fundamental slavery to sin and rebellion that is characteristic of unregenerate people. What DOES cover the failings of one who has truly committed his whole life to Christ, who has renounced the lordship over his own life and defers to Christ is MERCY obtained through the blood of Christ, not GRACE. God does more than "cover" - He cleanses. The Bible says if we confess our sins he will CLEANSE us and FORGIVE us. This is MERCY, and should not be confused with GRACE, which is empowerment to do God's will. But those who imagine themselves secure and "saved by grace" while continuing in wilful sin and rebellion against God are "turning the grace of God into lewdness" (Jude 4) and are in for a horrible shock unless they repent. There has been a lot of false teaching on grace in the last 100 years and a careful honest look at the Scriptures will refute it.

Grace gives the power to say 'No' to sin, and deny self for the one who is convicted of his need and humbles himself recognizing his need to change. Grace is needed because even the person who totally commits to Christ is powerless to honor this commitment or have a change of heart or nature without God's working in his or her heart.

God has already given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has already given us everything we need to live out everything that forms part of the Biblical plan for our lives as His followers. Where is the problem then? The problem lies with our failure to receive and take hold of the grace and power of God in our daily lives. The provision of power for holy living, for gracious living, for supernatural strength and anointing is there for us. Jesus is willing to share all He is with us, so that we can be like Him - not so much outwardly, but especially inwardly - in our thoughts, our attitudes, our love, faith and purity. He is also willing to share a measure of His power with us so that we can continue His mission of destroying the works of the devil and setting others free from Satan's destructive grasp. The question then becomes, "How do we then receive all that Jesus is wanting to offer to us of Himself?" We will consider this issue more later in this study.

It is a mistake to try to earn merit with God by our own religious activities. We cannot earn God's supernatural blessing on our lives through religious activity, sacrifice or anything else.

It is also an error to suppose that simply taking part in some of the ordinances of the Christian church will give us all that we need. Being baptized in water, or receiving regularly the Lord's Supper, or even having hands laid on us in the name of the Lord in themselves will not guarantee our receiving of the favour, power or grace of God so as to make a serious difference for our lives. Multitudes who have at some time received some or all of these ministrations and have been told to be good have found themselves nevertheless powerless to overcome sin within and temptation without. It is a mistake to assume that the power of the Lord is always going to work in us if we outwardly keep certain rituals and practices - even if they are Biblical!

What is Grace?

Grace (Grec.: charis) has been defined in many ways at many times. The Bible, especially the New Testament speaks much of grace. It is important to know what it really means.

Grace has been defined as the unearned, unmerited favour of God, but really this is a very inadequate definition. All grace is favour, but not all unearned favour is grace. This definition does helps us to see that it is something good that comes from God, which we don't deserve. It is a gift. "The Lord will give grace and glory" (Psalm 84:11). "God .. gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6).

Two important things to realise about grace is the totally undeserving nature of the recipient (us), and the totally generous nature of the giver (God).

It is important to realize that God may give grace as He pleases. He can set conditions, or waive them. No one can demand grace from God based on what they have done. Grace is something you cannot earn by good works or even by suffering. No amount of religious activity - Bible study, prayer, obedience to church leaders, fasting, church programmes gives you the right to expect God to bless you or help you in any way. Giving money to the poor or to the church does not earn us any right to God's favour or blessings. Your struggle to obey God's commandments does not earn you God's grace either. Nothing you do can make God owe you grace. "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt." (Romans 4:4). The things we do for God or others - our works - if they earned favour with God, this favour would not be grace, but rather something that God owes us according to the principle of what is just and fair. "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." (Romans 11:6)

The fact that grace is unearned and unmerited does not tell us everything about grace, because it does not tell us what grace does. A more practical definition of grace could be "God's life, power and righteousness coming to us, the undeserving, as a gift." It is through grace that God works effective change in our hearts and lives. God's laws in themselves do not have the power to make us what we should be. It takes God Himself, working in the human life, to make us what we ought to be. At every step, we are dependent on God's life and power to come to us and work within our hearts, if we want to be what God wants and do what He wants.

It follows therefore that we cannot say that our life and power, independent of God, is sufficient to fulfil God's plan. No, every proud religious effort to keep a set of rules, even Biblical rules, is doomed to failure. To live under the law in this way is to be separated from Christ and to be fallen from grace. Paul wrote to some people who had come to fall exactly in this trap. He writes, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified [made right] by law [rules]; you have fallen from grace!" (Galatians 5:4).

So then, grace is God's life, power and righteousness coming to us, the undeserving as a gift.

Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven. Grace also transforms our thinking, resulting in the renewal of the mind. Through grace we are sanctified and made holy. Grace enables us to live the kind of generous, carefree life of service and joy that God would like every one of His children to experience.

We will now consider more in detail what the grace of God does.

WHAT GRACE DOES

Grace saves us

"For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast". (Eph 2:8,9).

It is important to see here that by God's grace we have been saved. It is not by works. Salvation is all that God does in taking a fallen man and making him into a son of God - righteous, holy and glorified. Legally it all belongs to us now. God's grace works to make it a reality in our being. First God saves our spirits, making us born again. Then in this life He saves our souls - our minds, emotions and wills, as the process of sanctification in this life unfolds. He also saves our bodies - firstly in part through divine healing and health, and then eternally through the resurrection and redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). All this, and anything else which God does in salvation, is strictly on the basis of God's grace. God's gift, not our works, made it all possible.

Grace justifies us"...

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). See also Titus 3:7.

We may be considered to be right by God only because of the grace of Jesus Christ, which is available to us because Jesus willingly layed down His life for us - paying the price we deserved for our rebellion against God. Our justification is not something we receive because of good works, but because of the payment Jesus paid for us at the cross when he suffered and died.

Grace santifies us

Indeed, not only our right standing with God, but also our right living depends on grace. God does not leave us to struggle in our own power to think, speak and act correctly. He gives grace after grace. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16). We need to "continue in God's grace" (Acts 13:43) in order to go on with God. The Word of God's Grace "builds us up and gives us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). As we hear about all that God's grace does for us, our faith grows and we can then receive the actual grace to make all this a possibility.

The work of sanctification and perfection belongs firstly to God, not to us. This is why it says, "But may the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you." (1 Peter 5:10). It is as the "God of all grace" that the Lord "perfects, establishes and strengthens us."

Grace gives us the power to conduct ourselves correctly in the world. "For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in all simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you." (2 Corinthians 1:12). It is only by God's grace, and the graciousness He puts in us, that we can conduct ourselves simply and with godly sincerity in the world.

By Grace We Have Strength to Stand Against Opposition

A Christian must stand in the grace of God (Romans 5:2). He must be strong in the grace of God. "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1). The Scripture says plainly that is is "good that the heart be strengthened [or established] with grace" (Hebrews 13:9). "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10,11). All the armour of God is received by the grace of God. We did not pay for the "breastplate of righteousness" or "the shield of faith" or any other parts of that armour. It is therefore by drawing on the grace of God that we are going to be able to resist temptation and stand against all the temptations and trials that Satan wants to discourage us with and make us fall, if possible.

Under Grace we are not ruled by the Power of Sin

Some imagine that the correct understanding of grace frees the believer to do whatever he wants - to sin against his conscience, against others, against the Word and against God. However, this cannot be correct, since the Scripture says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14). Paul asks, "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?" His response is clear. "Certainly not!" (Romans 6:15). Grace is not a license to commit sin. It is a force that both pardons us and empowers us to live right, without falling into temptation.

Grace Teaches Us Godliness

Rather than teaching us to sin freely, grace is "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11,12). Here we see how closely related is the concept of grace with the working of the Holy Spirit. For it is the Holy Spirit Himself who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7). It is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:13). It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that "teaches us concerning all things" as we learn to abide in Jesus (1 John 2:27). All these things: the anointing, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God, are closely related. We can say that the anointing itself is a very special and important expression of the grace of God.

When we sin, it is the Holy Spirit who makes us feel this personally. He gives us an opportunity to repent. When we sin, He helps us to feel that something is wrong. He does not do it by condemning us (telling us that we are now condemned), but by convicting us (showing us where we are wrong), and by removing the fulness of peace and joy from our lives. We should let the peace of God rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). If not, we will sense something is wrong. All this is an expression of God's grace. God wants to lead us to repentance, so that we will neither suffer loss, nor be destroyed.

Grace makes us what we are in God

"But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10) What we are in Christ is because of God's life and power which has been at work in us. No one can make himself a great man of God. Even the callings to be this or to do that in God's Kingdom are by grace (Galatians 1:6). Paul said that God called Him by His grace from His mother's womb (Galatians 1:15). This means that it was God, not Paul, who initiated Paul's being chosen for apostolic ministry. In a similar way, Jeremiah was called from His mother's womb to be a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). We cannot become special ministers of God without His calling. We can only be what God gives us grace to be. If through His grace we fulfil a special function in God's Kingdom, then it was not on the basis of our merit and work, but rather, because of God's grace - God's gift, God's favour.

Does this leave us without responsibility before God? No, it is very important for us to take hold of the grace of God, so that we can be what God intends us to be. We will see more on this in a later section.

God's Grace Empowers Us for Service

As we have stated before, the anointing for service is a part of God's grace. The ability to exercise a gift or ministry from God comes from God! This can be seen in the following Scriptures:

"From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed" (Acts 14:26). The early church recognised that these apostles needed God's grace in order that the work they were supposed to do be accomplished.

"Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name" (Romans 1:5). It was by the grace of God that Paul was able to get so many Gentiles in different lands to believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation." (1 Corinthians 3:10). Paul was able to do his work of laying the foundation in the Corinthian church only by the grace of God. This grace was for Paul the ability to do his work as an apostle.

"For I say, through the grace of God given to me, to everyone who is among you..." (Romans 12:3). It was God's grace that gave Paul the power and authority to say to the church at Rome and to us as well what he had from God to say. A similar idea can is expressed in Romans 15:15, 16. "Nevertheless, brethren, I have written to you more boldly on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles." Here we can also see that it was the grace of God which gave Paul the power to be a minister of the gospel.

"... I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:7,8). We can see hear that the ability to be a minister, to preach the gospel among the peoples of the world comes through the grace of God.

"Having then gifts that differ according to the grace that is given to us: let us use them." (Romans 12:6). The receiving and operation of the gifts we have from God depends upon the grace that is given to us. Therefore it is through grace that we have certain gifts and ministries of the Spirit among us.

"Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia" (2 Corinthians 8:1). In the context we see that this grace mentioned was grace that made them to operate powerfully in the ministry of giving, even beyond their natural ability (2 Corinthians 8:3).

"But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Ephesians 4:7). This verse makes it clear that grace has been given to each one of us believers that we might be able to serve with the gifts that God gives us.

In conclusion we see that God's grace empowers us for the service of God in three ways. Firstly, by making us a minister or servant of Christ. Secondly, by giving us gifts and ministry abilities necessary. And thirdly, by giving us power and authority to operate those gifts and ministries. It is God's grace that gives us the right words and the right way to communicate those words. It is God's grace that actually spreads through us to work in those that are hearing and receiving the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:15).

God would like us to be so full of His grace in our lives that we can say with Paul the apostle: "His grace towards me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10). The grace of God is not received by works, but it produces work done in God. Grace, which is God's life, comes into us and begins to live in us. And God is working even now (John 5:17). In the same way, His grace is to work in us and through us so that we can be all and do all that He wants.

God's Grace Enables Us to Reign

God's Word says, "much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17). We have been made kings and priests to our God (Revelation 1:5). Grace is necessary to rule and reign in life. Grace is necessary to exercise authority in the way that God desires. God rules, but not harshly. He rules in grace, justice, mercy and truth. In order to exercise authority over the situations that we are in, we need to receive more and more of God's grace. This grace gives us power not only to use authority over the demons behind many of the negative situations in life, but also to lead and direct people in a way that will build them up and not destroy them.

WHAT WE MUST DO IN RELATION TO GRACE

1. Believe. The Scripture tells us that Apollos helped those who had "believed through grace" (Acts 18:27). Even the faith which saves us comes through God's grace. We don't produce faith - we receive it as a gift from God. "For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that [faith] not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8).

Nevertheless, we must choose to exercise the faith which God has given us (Romans 12:3). God has given us the grace to believe. We need to use that grace in whatever measure we have received it until now.

By the grace we have, we must believe God - His Word, His promises, His commandments, His judgments.

2. Receive. God's Word says, "much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17). Paul says in Romans 1:5, "We have received grace and apostleship." God may give grace, but we must also be willing to receive it.

Grace must be received as grace. It cannot be received as payment for good behaviour or good works. If we are thinking to receive grace from God on the basis of our good behaviour or good works, we will not be able to receive it as grace. We will therefore not be able to receive it at all. This is why God many times seems to greatly bless a sinner recently turned to him and gives them a great ministry, while seemingly ignoring many "good church people" who have been struggling faithfully for years - but with a wrong mentality concerning grace.

3. Continue in It. "Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (Acts 13:43). It is vitally important that all of us, especially those who have recently turned to God and trusted in His grace, continue in the grace of God. We need to allow God to keep guiding our hearts to the place where He can continue to work in us by His grace. In the moment when we cease to allow God's grace to work in us, in the moment when we no longer abide in Christ through disobedience; in that moment we start to dry up as Christians and that life of God in us begins to lose its effectiveness. God will not force us to remain in His grace. It is something He gives us the power to do, but we must choose to go on. Don't give up!

4. Use and Manage it. "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10). Every born-again Christian has received a spiritual gift, and should use it. We have all been given grace to serve somewhere. God's grace takes many forms. There are many different anointings. A steward or manager must use what has been entrusted to him and multiply it. Otherwise, he is not being a good and faithful steward.

This means that whatever gifts and abilities God has given us by His grace, we should use them for His glory. God's grace and blessings were not given simply for us to sit in church and feel good. Rather, they were given that we might not only be blessed, but also be a blessing.

5. Spread It. "For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 4:15). Grace and peace will multiply as more and more people spread it. We can spread God's grace through giving, through preaching the gospel, and by "speaking such a word as is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29). It is the privilege and responsibility of every true Christian, and not just of a special few, to spread God's grace to as many as possible. When we to this, more and more people will give thanks to God, and so pleasure will come to the heart of God.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GRACE

In the light of all that we have seen so far it is clear that it would be difficult to over-estimate the importance of God's grace as far as our lives are concerned. Without grace we would not only be useless as Christians in God's sight - we would also be lost. There is no work that man can do to make him "good enough for God". Everything that we do outside of God's grace is worthless. Everything good that comes in us and through us is only by the grace of God.

It is therefore very important that we respect God's grace and follow the Scriptural warnings not to sin against the grace of God. To sin against the grace of God has serious consequences. If we wilfully go on sinning against God in this way, we "insult the Spirit of Grace" and "no sacrifice for sins remains" (Hebrews 10:26,29).

It is good to see the whole Bible in the light of grace, and not of law. If we read the Bible only in the light of law, it will condemn us, but never set us free to please God. By reading and interpreting the Bible in the light of grace, we may have hope for this life and for eternity - because we see the reality of forgiveness and blessing in Christ. At the same time, if we properly understand grace, it will lead us to God and away from sin. To see grace as an enouragement for sin is to "turn the grace of God into lasciviousness". This false understanding of grace is very dangerous.

We therefore see that it is good for us to study, understand, receive and apply the grace of God to every aspect of our lives.

SINNING AGAINST THE GRACE OF GOD

There are a number of different sins against the grace of God mentioned in the Scriptures.

1. Setting Aside the Grace of God (Galatians 2:21)

This is teaching that efforts to adhere to moral laws are all that is required for us to please God. It is a denial of our need for God's partnership in our transformation.

2. Receiving God's grace in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1)

This implies it is possible to actually receive God's grace, and yet fail to take hold of it and flow with it in such a way as to allow any good fruit to result.

3. Turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness (Jude 4)

This is teaching that we can sin sexually, live to please our flesh or commit other sins and somehow the grace of God makes it so that we are still right with God while we go on like this.

4. Falling from Grace (Galatians 5:4)

This is to reject Christ after you have known Him, and turn back either to a system of rule-keeping and self effort, or to slide into sinful and rebellious ways, hardening the heart to God.

5. Falling Short of the Grace of God (Hebrews 12:15)

This is to fail to come up to the mark God has enabled you to attain by His grace.

6. Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)

This is to speak against God, His ways, His system of salvation through the cross and the Holy Spirit.

7. Turning Aside from Grace (not continuing in it)

This is to get our eyes off God and go after other things.

  Proclaiming Godly Leaders for our Nation

 God has lifted the Hedge in our Nation

see faith and unity articles 

9/11 Tragedy Tribute from President Bush and Billy Graham 

Click on Image 

There has always been a true elite of God’s leaders. They are the meek who inherit the earth (Mat. 5:5). They weep and pray in secret, and defy earth and hell in public. They tremble when faced with danger, but die in their tracks sooner than turn back. They are like a shepherd defending his sheep or a mother protecting her young. They sacrifice without grumbling, give without calculation, suffer without groaning. To those in their charge they say, ‘We live well if you do well." Their price is above riches. They are the salt of the earth. For the cause of the kingdom, we need more of them."

Matthew 5:5 NIV Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

A Godly leader ... finds strength by realizing his weakness
finds authority by being under authority
finds direction by laying down his plans
finds vision by seeing the needs of others
finds credibility by being an example
finds loyalty by expressing compassion
finds honor by being faithful
finds greatness by being a servant
[Roy Lessin]

For a Judge - Judicial Branch
"Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee" (Ex. 18:21-22).

"So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes" (Dt. 1:15).

For a King - Executive Branch
"When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose:  one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel" (Dt. 17:14-20).

Israel's legislative branch of government was governed by the Levites who also had to be holy in all conduct.  "This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified" (Lev. 10:3).  This branch of government was not open to elections because it followed the Levitical and Aaronic bloodlines.  No new law could be written because each statute was given by God.

As of the time of this writing, the 2008 Republican line up of candidates is still broad because no single candidate offers a complete package.  One is loved for economic skill, another for military strength, one for crisis-proven leadership, another for strict constitutionalism, and finally one for biblical social convictions.  Like many of you, I wish that I could pick and choose their qualities and bundle them into one superman. 

Regrettably, few of our governmental leaders are men who possess sound, godly wisdom.  Most will not dare offend the Christian voting block by openly mocking our faith, but they are not among us "[h]olding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience" (1Ti. 3:9).  They give lip-service to appease the religious-right, just as people did to Jesus when His precious feet graced our sin-cursed ground.  "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Mt. 15:8).

Beyond the practical prerequisite of being "able men," the above verses from Exodus and Deuteronomy required the men of Israel to elect governmental leaders who

• feared God,
• were men of truth,
• who hated covetousness,
• possessed godly wisdom, and
• were willing to read God's Word all of their days.

Some believers today will read that list and wonder if it applies to us in America today.  Others saints will relegate these faith-related character qualities and spiritual attributes to the status of being beneficial and desirable, but nonessential.  Let me respond to such doubts with a question.  Can a Christian arrogantly assume that he has the ability to edit this divinely given list to compose a wiser set of requirements that are superior to what was given by "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God" (1Ti. 1:17)?  Absurd!  God alone knows the human heart and the nature of power and which men are most qualified to hold office.   

God's evaluation of civil magistrates is quite different than what most people prize.  People focus on physical stature, as was true of King Saul.  Does he "look presidential?"  However, "the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1Sa. 16:7).  Our Savior teaches us to consider questions of character first.

If a man does not receive nor fear God's holy Word, the politician may be worldly wise (as were the "wise men of" Persia, Egypt, Tyrus, Babylonia, Edom, etc. [Est. 1:13; Isa. 19:12; Eze. 27:8; Da. 2:12; Ob. 8]), but is a fool in the eyes of God.  "The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken:  lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?"

(Jer. 8:9).  

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn" (Pr. 29:2).  We must not forget the lesson repeated time and again in Scripture

(for Israel and other nations):  God blesses a nation or curses a nation based upon the righteousness or wickedness of their national leadership.I pray the LORD will have mercy upon our nation by providentially directing our hearts towards the best choice for each elected office, especially the presidency. 

God Bless America

Celine Dion

Proclaiming False Prophets in the Last Days

Proclaiming False Doctrines

Proclaiming The End of Times

The Truth located in the Unity and Nation Articles

Will the Church go

through the great tribulation?
What the bible teaches

Artwork byDuncan Long

Contents:

Introduction

The great tribulation of Rev 7:14

The great distress of Mat 24:21

The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

What about the reign of the beast in Rev 13?

Tribulation in General:

Suffering (thlipsis) in Revelation:

Some arguments used why the church will not go through the great tribulation.

Wrath in Revelation

Links and books:

Introduction

It is important to know whether the church will go through the great tribulation so that we can be prepared for it. The idea that the church will be raptured at the start of the great tribulation is a popular one, but is it biblical? If it is false, then it induces a false sense of security among believers and when trouble and persecution do come, which eventually they will, many people will quickly fall away because they have no root (Mat 13:20-21).

(Mat 13:21 NIV) But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble (thlipsis) or persecution (diogmos) comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

Jesus warns us that before he comes again many will turn away from the faith in a time of persecution.

(Mat 24:9-13 NIV) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted (thlipsis) and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. {10} At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, {11} and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. {12} Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, {13} but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Shortly before his death Jesus warns his disciples about coming persecution.

(John 16:1-4 NIV) "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. {2} They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. {3} They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. {4} I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

Of course it is true that the church has always gone through persecution from the time of the early church onwards (Acts 8:1) until our day. Voice of the Martyrs Christians in the West are in an unusual position in that they are not, in general, going through persecution.

TheGreat tribulation of Rev 7:14

The great tribulation comes from Rev 7:14 (in Greek great tribulation is megas thlipsis) and we should note that a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev 7:9) had come out of the great tribulation. The great tribulation is clearly world-wide and involves a huge number of people. This great multitude are clearly Christians because they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Unfortunately the Rev 7:14 passage offers few clues to when this event happens.

(Rev 7:14 NIV) I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis); they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The great distress of Mat 24:21

The same phrase Greek phrase for 'great tribulation' (megas thlipsis) is also used in Mat 24:21 where we should note that the elect are also mentioned (Mat 24:22).

(Mat 24:21-22 NIV) For then there will be great distress (megas thlipsis), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. {22} If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

This is perhaps the scripture that most of us think about when we consider the great tribulation. We usually link it to the Second Coming because of Mat 24:29-30 (quoted below).

(Mat 24:29-30 NIV) "Immediately after the distress (thlipsis) of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' {30} "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

We should note that phrase "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken" in Mat 24:29 is an old testament quote from Isa 13:10 which refers to the destruction of Babylon.

(Isa 13:10 NIV) The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The great distress of Matthew 24:21 was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Although the period of great distress in Mat 24:21 is usually thought to be world-wide and to occur at the end of the world a closer look demonstrates otherwise.

• Jesus was answering a question about the destruction of Herod's temple, see Mat 24:1-3, which occurred in AD 70.
• Luke's parallel account (21:20-24) clearly shows that Mat 24:21 refers to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
• The great distress is localised to the Judea region - it is not world-wide, because those in Judea are told to flee to the mountains in all three parallel accounts (Mat 24:16, Mark 13:14, Luke 21:21).
• The fact that Jesus says that it is "never to be equaled again" should indicate to us that it does not occur at the end of the world.
• Both Mat 23:36 and 24:34 say that this will happen in the generation alive when Jesus spoke.

It is helpful to view the parallel account to Mat 24:15-22 in Luke 21:20-24 in order to throw more light on the passage. Matthew was writing to the Jews and Luke to the Gentiles and therefore Luke uses language more suited to the Gentiles. Luke's version makes it clear that Matthew is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Jesus also makes other prophecies about Jerusalem in Luke 11:49-51, 19:41-44, 23:28-31, Mat 12:43-45, 21:33-45, 23:34-36

(Luke 19:41-44 NIV) As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it {42} and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. {43} The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. {44} They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

What about the reign of the beast in Rev 13?

The beast out of the earth in Rev 13:1-10 is often thought to be the Antichrist. If we look we can see from Rev 13:7 that he has 'authority over every tribe, people, language and nation', which indicates that he has a world-wide reign. We can see from 13:2 that his authority comes from the devil (dragon). And in 13:7 we can see that he 'was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.' In 13:10 we can see how he conquers the saints, by imprisoning them and killing them.

(Rev 13:7-10 NIV) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. {8} All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. {9} He who has an ear, let him hear. {10} If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Tribulation in General:

The new testament is full of warnings that we will have to go through tribulation and persecution in this life. While this cannot be used to prove that we will go through 'The Great Tribulation' we should at least note that God does not promise to prevent us going through troubles and persecution. Rather we are to endure to the end (Mat 10:22) and he promises us great reward in the next life if we are persecuted (Mat 5:12).

Jesus warns his disciples that in the world they will have trouble.

(John 16:33 NIV) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (thlipsis). But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Paul and Barnabas warned the new converts that they must go through many hardships

(Acts 14:22 NIV) strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships (thlipsis ) to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

The New Testament attitude to suffering is somewhat different to ours

(Rom 5:3 NIV) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings (thlipsis), because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

(Rom 8:35-37 NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble (thlipsis) or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? {36} As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." {37} No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

(Rom 12:12 NIV) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction (thlipsis), faithful in prayer.

(2 Cor 4:17 NIV) For our light and momentary troubles (thlipsis) are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Suffering (thlipsis) in Revelation:

There are many examples of suffering and persecution of Christians in the book of Revelation.

The Apostle John:

(Rev 1:9 NIV) I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering (thlipsis) and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

The church in Smyrna

(Rev 2:9-10 NIV) I know your afflictions (thlipsis) and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. {10} Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution (thlipsis) for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Those in the church at Thyatira who commit adultery with Jezebel

(Rev 2:22 NIV) So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer (thlipsis) intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

The great tribulation

(Rev 7:14 NIV) I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis); they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Patient endurance (hupomone) while under persecution in Revelation

The bible clearly teaches that we need the quality of endurance or perseverance while under persecution. Unless we have this we will quickly fall away as the parable of the sower warns.

John on Patmos

(Rev 1:9 NIV) I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance (hupomone) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

The church in Ephesus

(Rev 2:2-3 NIV) I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance (hupomone). I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. {3} You have persevered (hupomone) and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

The church in Thyatira

(Rev 2:19 NIV) I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance (hupomone), and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

The church in Philadelphia

(Rev 3:10 NIV) Since you have kept my command to endure patiently (hupomone), I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

During the reign of the beast

(Rev 13:10 NIV) If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance (hupomone) and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Those who refuse to worship the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand (they get killed by the beast out of the earth Rev 13:15). The price for remaining faithful to Jesus is death and its reward is eternal life.

(Rev 14:12 NIV) This calls for patient endurance (hupomone) on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

Some arguments used why the church will not go through the great tribulation.

Wrath or tribulation?

Some argue that since we will not go through wrath then we will not go through the tribulation. In the tribulation of Mat 24 which occurred in AD 70 most Christians had already left Jerusalem because of persecution by the Jews (Acts 8:1) and any remaining Christian were warned to flee when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20-21). The bible consistently teaches that the church (or saints) will not suffer God's wrath but will suffer tribulation. A study of the word wrath (orge) indicates that it usually refers to the day of God's wrath (Rom 2:5, Rev 6:17). The day of God's wrath will occur when Jesus comes again (see 1 Thess 1:10, 5:1-11). There is little evidence that the saints in Revelation will go through God's wrath, but they will suffer under man's or Satan's wrath.

(1 Th 5:9 NIV) For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus comes again we will be rescued from God's wrath which will be poured out on the ungodly instead.

(1 Th 1:10 NIV) and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

(Rev 11:18 NIV) The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

Persecution by the Antichrist

Some people confuse persecution of God's people by the beast (or Antichrist) with God's wrath. However this is not God's wrath - the saints are called upon to exercise patient endurance and faithfulness during this period. Knowing that even if they die that they will inherit eternal life (Rev 2:10, 12:11, Mat 24:9, Rom 8:36-39).

(Rev 11:7 NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

(Rev 13:7-10 NIV) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. {8} All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. {9} He who has an ear, let him hear. {10} If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Smyrna

Smyrna would be persecuted even to the point of death, but in dying they gained eternal life. We should note that the persecution comes from the devil, not God (see also Rev 12:17, 13:7).

(Rev 2:9-10 NIV) I know your afflictions (thlipsis) and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. {10} Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution (thlipsis) for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

(Rev 12:17 NIV) Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

(Rev 13:7 NIV) He (the beast) was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

Philadelphia would be kept from the hour of trial

The Lords words to the church at Philadelphia are sometimes used to argue that the church will not go through the great tribulation because of the phrase 'I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth' Rev 3:10. The promise to the church in Philadelphia is made because they have faithfully kept God's command to endure patiently. Why should we take the promise made to Philadelphia and apply it to the Church in the West who is not undergoing persecution? For those who think that the seven churches represent phases of church history we should note that Philadelphia is not the last church, it is the sixth. The lukewarm Laodicea is the last (which perhaps is more appropriate to the church in the West). We should also note that this promise was made to the church of the first century and does not make much sense if it refers to a tribulation two thousand years later. In the next verse Christ tells them to 'hold on to what you have' which does not imply that they would be raptured during the hour of testing.

(Rev 3:10-11 NIV) Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. {11} I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

In the great commission of Mat 28 Jesus promises to be with the disciples until the very end of the age. Not just before the end of the age.

(Mat 28:19-20 NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The absence of the word 'Church' after Rev 3:22

It is sometimes said that because the word 'Church' is absent after Rev 3:22 that the church was raptured in 4:1 and therefore it is not present during seven seals, trumpets and bowls. The word church does not occur in 2 Tim, Titus, 2 Pet, 1 and 2 John and Jude but that does not mean that the church is not present. In Rev 4:1 it is clearly John who is told to 'Come up here' not the church. The next occurrence of the word 'church' occurs in Rev 22:16 (pleural), however the word 'saints' occurs 12 times, and 'servants' occurs 11 times after Rev 3:22. There is also a rapture event in 11:12 when the two witnesses are told to 'come up here'. The majority of commentaries on Revelation do indeed find the church after Rev 3:22, apart from dispensational commentaries.

Wrath in Revelation

We need to distinguish between tribulation which Christians will experience, and God's wrath which Christians will not. Rom 5:9, 1 Thess 1:10 and 5:9 all tell us that Christians will not go through God's wrath. The saints are affected by the first five seals, the first five trumpets, by the beast in Chapter 11, Satan in chapter 12 and the beast in chapter in chapter 13, they are persecuted by the prostitute in chapter 17. However none of this is God's wrath - it is man's or Satan's wrath, but not God's wrath.

There are a number of passages in Revelation where the wrath of God or of the Lamb is mentioned. These are primarily connected with the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet, the seven bowls, the second harvest (the first being that of the saints - the firstfruits) and the second coming. These do not affect the saints.

The sixth seal

(Rev 6:12-17 NIV) I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, {13} and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. {14} The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. {15} Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. {16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! {17} For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

This event was fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Luke 21:20-28, 23:28-30, Mat 24:29) but it also foreshadows the judgement seat of God Rev 20:11. It should be noted that Christians did not perish at the fall of Jerusalem because they were scattered by persecution or those in Judea fled to the mountains as warned by Christ (Mat 24:16, Mark 13:16, Luke 21:21). The question 'who can stand' in 6:17 is answered in Rev 7:9 by the great multitude standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14).

The seventh trumpet

(Rev 11:18 NIV) The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

At the seventh and last trumpet (1 Cor 15:52 ) we find the time of judgement and rewards for the saints, clearly no wrath for the saints here.

Those who worship the beast

(Rev 14:9-12 NIV) A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, {10} he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. {11} And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." {12} This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

In this passage Gods wrath is reserved for those who worship the beast and his image, the passage seems to here refer to hell. Patient endurance on the part of the saints is required because those who do not worship the beast and his image will be killed (Rev 13:7-10, 15)

The second harvest

(Rev 14:18-20 NIV) Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." {19} The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. {20} They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

The first harvest is of the saints (the firstfruits) Rev 14:14-16. They are not touched by the second harvest.

The seven bowls of God's wrath

(Rev 15:1 NIV) I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because with them God's wrath is completed.

In 15:2 we find those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name.

(Rev 16:1 NIV) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

This bowl only affects the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image (16:2).

Significantly after the sixth bowl Christ gives a warning about coming like a thief

(Rev 16:15 NIV) "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

At the seventh bowl God remembered Babylon

(Rev 16:19 NIV) The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.

At the second coming

(Rev 19:11-15 NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. {12} His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. {13} He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. {14} The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. {15} Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

Since he comes with his saints (the armies of heaven 17:14) they are clearly not affected by the wrath of God at the Second Coming.

Proclaiming True Disciples for God’s calling

Matthew 22:14

 14"For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matthew 4:17-18

 17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

The Calling of the First Disciples

 18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

The cost of disciples is different than the cost of salvation. Salvation is a free gift to those who believe!

John 3:16

 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. However, True discipleship has a option,

Luke 14:26 

26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

Consider the Cost before you decide to confront the inevitable battles and overwhelming odds you will face.

Luke 14:27-28 

27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Luke 14:31-33 (New International Version)

 31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he cannot be my disciple.

The decision is about absolute surrender to the will of God the Father, the decision to submit to the process of abandoning our selfish and demanding spirits. Discipleship is an unconditional surrender to God, even unto death. One of our brothers who finished well, the apostle Paul, said that he “faced death daily” 1 Cor. 15:31 This difficult journey is the “narrow road”, and few” will take it Matthew 7-14 Some responses to God’s call may be, “Yes Lord, I will follow you, but….

Luke 9:61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

There is no plan B! We men or women are being called to make a daily and eternal commitment. This covenant is only between you and God. This is an individual decision, no one else can make it for you and no one else can carry the burdens that you will be asked to bear,

God is in the process of raising up an Army, those people pledging their allegiance to Him, “no matter the cost” There is no commitment that takes greater courage. For what will our

God ask of us?

When we are experiencing the cost of sanctification, of course we will pray to God and “beg” Him to remove our thorns. But we may hear in response, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness. 2 Cor. 12:8-9. God will not ask us to carry any more of a burden than is necessary for us to live out the purpose for which we were created. And there is no need to fear because our Link promises us that He will give us His “gracious favor” when needed. He also promises that we will never be alone: “And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”! Matthew 28:20 With such power by our side, what enemy can stop this army? For “all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19 We must trust God that He really does our best interests at heart, that He is Good! The scars that we receive in these battles will not be in vain, and the rewards of receiving the keys to the Kingdom of heaven will be eternal.

Once we have made the decision to say “Yes” to the call of the King, we then are commanded by Him to engage in the battle

side-by-side with other men of God – other brothers of Christ! Our King sends his disciples out in “pairs” But few men or women in our generation have real and authentic, Jonathan/David type relationships with other men or women. Most men or women walk alone and carry hidden shame. Do you have another man or woman in your life who knows your complete, unfiltered and uncensored story? When you fall to intentional sin, do you have a man or woman in your life to whom you always confess your sins?

Luke 10:1

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy two

 1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. If you fill God is calling you for discipleship and have a income issues or questions, please contact me at: prayer@thechristiananswer.com