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For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12) |
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The above verse is one of those Bible passages (and there are several!) that we kind of block out mentally because of a sense of reverence or propriety, or whatever. However, God means what He says and it is not reverence or practicality on our part to view one of God's statements as a nice religious saying without any real meaning. Of course any interpretation we make must not conflict with any other part of the Scriptures. |
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The verse in question is saying that, like the human body, Christ is made up of many parts. The human being has a head and a body. Christ has a Head and a body. |
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What does the word Christ mean? It means "anointed with oil," signifying the Presence of the Holy Spirit on Jesus so He can serve as God's Deliverer, Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ is not Jesus' last name. His name is Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Bar Joseph. But Jesus Christ means Jesus the Anointed One of God. |
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Now, what do we mean when we say Christ is made up of many members like the human body? We are saying that the Anointed Deliverer from God is made up of many persons. This is what the Lord meant when He stated there are many rooms in His Father's house. |
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A note of warning here. The Lord Jesus is always eternal, always supreme, always Lord of all. Some have made the mistake of picturing Jesus as one part of a many-membered Christ. This is an error. God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, meaning He is exalted above the other sons of God. |
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Having received this warning and avoided this error, let us proceed with the truth of the Scripture. Let us fully accept what the Spirit said through Paul. |
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The Christian Church is the Body of the Christ. It is nothing less and nothing more than this. |
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Which church are we talking about, for there are a thousand competing denominations? We are speaking of each true Christian, each saint whom God has called from the foundation of the world to be a holy person unto Himself. |
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All true Christians are part of one Body. All true Christians are part of the great Lampstand of God, the light of the world. |
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Christ will not return alone. If He were to be the only room in the Father's house, the only dwelling place of the Father, He would have told us so. But Christ is going to return with His saints. The Lord and His saints will appear to the world as one great Divine Light. Because the members of the Body in that day will be one in the Son and the Father, the world will believe in Christ and everyone who believes in Him, calling on the name of the Lord, will be saved from destruction. |
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The meek of the earth are waiting for salvation to come at the hands of the sons of God—actually the Son in the sons. It is for this reason you are being tested and refined all the day long. |
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Do not grow impatient with the Divine training program. There are millions of people who are waiting for the blessing and the Presence of God to come to them. It is destined to come through you! |
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And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Revelation 11:7) |
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Before the Lord returns, the foulest, most hideous orgies of all time will take place in the nations of the world. Unbridled lust, murder, riotous living, covetousness, occult practices—all that a wicked person has ever desired—will be practiced without restraint on the earth. |
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It is this apostasy, this lawlessness, this wicked world spirit that will make it possible for a Satan-possessed human being finally to sit on the throne, on the Mercy Seat, in the Temple of God in Jerusalem. He will declare that he indeed is God and greater than all the other gods that have been worshiped by mankind. |
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If a person were to make such a statement today the Christian people, and the devout Jews as well, would rise up and pray and object until the pretender was overcome. The time is not here as yet but the drift toward lawlessness is preparing the way for the abomination that will bring unprecedented desolation to earth's cultures. |
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In those days (and perhaps they are near!) each believer in Christ must choose whether or not to follow the Lord. It will be easy and convenient to yield to Antichrist and worship in a lukewarm church. Antichrist at first will not appear as a monster but as a benefactor of all persons of good will. |
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But Antichrist insidiously will put pressure on the saints who are fervent and filled with God's Spirit. He will work until world opinion is against the saints. Economic stress will increase until God's people will find it increasingly difficult to provide for the needs of their families—just as is true in some countries today. |
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It will be much easier to agree and have fellowship with the lawless majority than to be a Spirit- filled saint of Christ and bear a true witness of Christ. |
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Woe! woe! woe to any believer who turns away from the love of Christ and permits his thinking and actions to be molded by the world spirit! He will lose his crown of life and suffer much torment. |
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Great glory and authority will be given to those who lead a life of victory in Christ during the rule of Antichrist. |
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He who endures to the end shall be saved. Many who live in the last days will be first in the Kingdom of God. The end-time will witness frightful scenes as the spirit of Satan expresses itself in the lives of men and women. But during that time the Glory of Christ will shine as never before in the hearts of those who are faithful to God. |
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Divine Virtue always shall triumph over wickedness, even in the dark days ahead. When spiritual darkness attains its fullness, covering earth's peoples, then the Light of God Almighty will suddenly shine through the saints and the end of sin and rebellion will be at hand. (from The Day of the Lord) |
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And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:15) |
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There is nothing wrong with dying, that is, if you are a conscientious disciple of the Lord Jesus. |
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Perhaps the greatest fear of man is death. Except for those who have a terminal illness that causes them to suffer continually, the average person panics at the thought of death. |
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We are going along fine. Then we find a lump. Next is the biopsy and the miserable days before we hear the result. |
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Let's talk about those days in between the biopsy and the result of the test. |
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Will the results be positive or negative? Our week is ruined. Right? |
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Jesus Christ came to deliver us from the fear of death. By His death He made it possible for us to hope in a future life. Not a future life in a mansion in Heaven, as the present, impractical mythology sets forth. Who would want to live in a fancy house, wear golden slippers, and play a harp? If you are into harps, save up your money and buy one second hand. |
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Our heart will inform us that harps and slippers are at the bottom of the list. What we want is love, joy, and peace in an earth-like setting with none of the pains and problems of earth. If you are a sincere Christian, this is what you are going to get in the Day of the Lord. Paradise is to be restored to the earth. |
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But where will we be in the meantime—before the coming of the Lord? |
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You will be somewhere in the spirit realm. The Bible doesn't have much to say about this interim period except it will be a time of rest, and we will be gathered to our people. |
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But it is not the interim period of spirit existence that the Lord came to proclaim. It is real flesh-and-bone life in a real world on a real earth among people we know. The Presence of God will be everywhere. The children will be able to go swimming without drowning. Honest! I'm not kidding! This is what is coming up. |
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The person who turns away from God does not have this hope, unfortunately. Life after death for the wicked could be very bad indeed. Something like waiting for a court appearance in which the maximum penalty is eternal suffering. |
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People of today think that such a thing as eternal suffering is not possible. If it's all the same with everybody, I'd just as soon not wait to find out. |
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Go ahead and have your fun. But it is a fact of history that a man named Jesus of Nazareth came to earth. Read what He said and make up your own mind. I did, more than fifty years ago, and I'm here to tell you that nobody else on earth has got it right. And I wasn't raised in church. I'm just a dude like you and I've got better things to do than sit here writing lies to you. |
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The same may be said of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. |
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If you are serving God, God will take care of your loved ones better than you ever could. To you death means the end of paying taxes, tiredness, dread, and everything else that makes life unpleasant. |
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There is nothing to worry about while you're waiting for the results of the test (I keep telling myself). |
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Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.(Ephesians 4:25) |
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Nothing in America costs one hundred dollars. It may cost $99.99 but never one hundred dollars. Maybe this is true throughout the world. |
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No business would advertise an item at one hundred dollars because shoppers would drive across town in their Cadillac to get the same thing at $99.99. They are not willing to pay a hundred dollars but they will chip off $99.99. |
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Houses sell for $199,999.99 because a lot of people will not buy a house that costs $200,000. |
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The merchants are so caught up in their own deceit they state during a sale they will take $14.99 of an item. |
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Satan has injured the heel of people. We cannot stand upright. Everything is devious, slippery, a con. We used to talk of propaganda, and then image. Now it is spin. Put the right spin on it, never mind the facts. |
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Present the image. Keep people from seeing what is in front of them. |
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Aren't you sick of it? It is enough to make one vomit (Old English, puke). |
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Everything is image and spin. Banks are built to look rocklike, solid, eternal. But in my wife's geology class they taught that some rock is slippery and you shouldn't build on it. |
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"You deserve a vacation. We have designed this just for you. We love you." |
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A fool and his money are soon parted—they don't tell you that. |
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Most of the words that come to us though the media are intended to persuade, to alter our perception. It is one huge lie. The whole country is a bunch of liars. Even in the churches sometimes. |
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I don't fret myself about the lack of truth. We are commanded not to fret. One of the big problems of the endtime will be keeping our minds on the things that are pure and lovely. Fretting kills your relationship with Christ! |
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There is a Rock! His name is Jesus Christ. He not only tells the truth, He Himself is Truth. |
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Truth doesn't answer the question where is it, what does it look like, how much does it weigh, when did it happen. |
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Truth answers the question, What does it mean? You will get more truth on your knees in prayer than you ever will watching the television. If you want the eleven o'clock news pray at eleven o'clock. |
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Only Jesus Christ can tell us what a given thing or situation means. He Himself is the Rock of eternity and He isn't slippery. Do what He says and your house is on the Rock. |
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If it were not for Jesus Christ I would buy a cabin in the Canadian wilderness and hide there with my wife. At least the animals and fish tell the truth. Even there the satellites will find you and tell you it is only $99.99. But I still wouldn't fret about it. |
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Because of Jesus Christ, I can relate to God in truth. No con. |
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God is a fire. His eyes are fire. He burns away the chaff. He demands truth in the inward parts. You can't relate to God with theology but with fire and the blood of His Son. |
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Maybe you are going through a season of judgment at this time. Jacob will change to Israel if you don't let go of God. Stay with Him until He puts truth in you. Then stand up straight and tell the truth. It doesn't require many words. |
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If we boycotted every store in the nation that uses the $.99 gimmick we would have to return to the barter system. Even then we would have to pay $9,999.99 income tax. |
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Get me my lantern! |
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Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. |
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(I Corinthians 3:21-23) |
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If the Divine redemption consisted primarily of escape to the spirit Paradise where we would live in a beautiful mansion with our loved ones, doing nothing of significance for eternity, then the program of salvation might focus on the blood of the Lord Jesus as our ticket that we present to Saint Peter upon our physical death. |
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The Divine redemption in actuality has to do with the restoration by force of their inheritance to the sons of God, an inheritance presently in the hands of Satan, a rebellious cherub. The Lord Jesus is not going to accomplish the redemption by Himself but rather will make it possible for the sons of God to drive Satan from their inheritance. |
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Because the Divine redemption has as its purpose the full restoration of our inheritance, the program of salvation only begins with our forgiveness through the atoning blood. After we are forgiven there is a lifetime of lessons, deliverances, tests, sufferings, ministries, discipline, obedience, patience, and sacrificial service, that must be endured. |
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He who endures to the end shall be saved. |
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The lukewarm believers, those who have neglected such a great salvation, will be vomited from the Lord's mouth. |
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If we would understand the Kingdom of God, we must define salvation as our transformation from the image of Satan into the image of Christ, and also our divorce from Satan and our self-will and our entrance into untroubled union with the Father through the Lord Jesus. |
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Image and union are what salvation is. A transformed personality and restful union in the Lord do not bring us to salvation, they themselves are the Christian salvation. |
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Salvation makes it possible for us to participate in the several roles and responsibilities desired for His sons by the Father in Heaven. In addition to serving as a member of the Bride of the Lamb we are to become a living stone in the eternal Temple of God. God has been revealed to His creatures through the Lord Jesus. Now God wants to greatly enlarge the revelation of Himself by forming a body for the Lord Jesus. |
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We cannot serve as a member of the Bride of the Lamb, as a living stone in the eternal Temple of God, or in any of the other roles and responsibilities assigned to the sons of God until we first have been fully redeemed; that is, until we have been transformed in personality and behavior into the image of Christ Jesus and have been brought fully into untroubled rest in the Father. |
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We are neither eligible nor competent to serve in God's Kingdom until we first have been saved according to the aforementioned standard. |
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This is not to say that people have to wait until they are perfect before they can serve God. It is our ministry of today that makes us and those who hear us perfect. The purpose of ministry is to bring us to the standard—the standard that is the fullness of Christ. Rather, when referring to eligibility and competence, we are speaking of our eternal service to God in the Kingdom that is coming to the earth. |
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All of this may sound new to our generation but it is old-fashioned Christianity. The purpose of salvation is to make us like Jesus and bring us to God. Until we are like Jesus and are walking with God we are of little use to God for His future Kingdom purposes. |
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Let us get with the program. (from The Day of Redemption) |
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And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12) |
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If you listen you can hear them, the drums of El Shaddai, the distant thunder of the hoofs, the trumpets. |
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The earth is shaking. The sky is trembling. The sun and the moon grow dark. The stars no longer are shining. It is as dark as the day of crucifixion. |
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On the distant horizon two huge banners appear. Light streams from them, the only light in an ocean of blackness. One portrays a lamb that had been slain. On the other is emblazoned a ramping lion. |
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The holy light glints from the tips of spears stretching for a hundred miles. The great shields cover the white robes of the riders. |
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The mighty war stallions move forward majestically, relentlessly. The horses and riders are one in concentrated purpose, in fury. The heavenly host is irresistible. |
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In the lead a tremendous warrior on a powerful white stallion. Fire flames from His eyes. His robe is blood-red. Power comes from His mouth as a palpable force. |
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These all are dead-living warriors having been crucified and raised again. They are terrible in Divine righteousness. They cannot be frightened or bribed. They are uncompromising! Untouchable! |
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The army of God flows into the dried-up bed of the Euphrates. Some follow the river bed to cut off Antichrist on the north. Several battalions come straight across the desert, spears down ready for the charge. |
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Christ and several of His captains split off and follow the valley opened up by the earthquake preventing Antichrist from moving south. |
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Antichrist has a sea of blood at his back. |
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Now the charge begins. Three platoons of psychics attempt to block the Lord's army with metaphysical power. Their curses turn into poisonous spiders that crawl into their eyes, their mouths, their ears. |
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Computer-guided artillery fire nuclear warheads point blank at the warriors. They hit an invisible shield and the radioactivity released is driven back on Antichrist and his army by a strong east wind. |
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Canisters of poison gas hit the same shield and the fumes are blown back on the forces of evil. |
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Atomic missiles dropped by planes, guided by satellite stations, turn and begin to seek their own planes. |
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More confusion! A force field begins to affect Antichrist's computerized systems. The planes and rockets are disoriented. Computer-operated steering mechanisms of armored vehicles become unreliable and the tanks and armored cars run over their own soldiers. Communication is impossible. The world television stations that had been covering Israel pick up meaningless signals. |
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Antichrist tries to contact other nations for assistance but his message does not get through. |
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Antichrist's line of battle begins to waver. Then the men and women turn and flee in every direction in the darkness, throwing down their laser rifles. Antichrist and his officers curse their troops and kill some of them in an attempt to turn them around. But to no avail. The terror of God strikes the soldiers. Giant hailstones fall on them from the sky. |
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Now the first wave of cavalry hits the fleeing soldiers. Soon the field is covered with corpses heaped on corpses. Blood rises as a dark river. In a matter of hours there is no army remaining. The air is filled with birds coming to the carrion banquet. |
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The gentle Jesus would never do this? Read your Bible. |
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Now the Lord's army returns to Jerusalem. Amid the shouts of His captains and soldiers the Lord Jesus goes up to the Temple Mount and ascends the throne of David. There King David himself places the crown of all authority on the head of his greater Son. |
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As we see the wicked vaunting themselves in the earth, we know that the Day of the Lord is not far off. Where will you be then? |
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I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: (Revelation 2:2) |
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(The following account is fictitious. If any ministry is offering blue miracle ties—I know of none—I apologize for the coincidental resemblance.) |
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"All you dear people, listen to me. Jesus loves you. I want to tell you how to get your miracle tie. |
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"I have prepared a million genuine silk blue neckties with hand-sewn white crosses and my name on them. I had you in mind because I want to meet your needs. |
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"I and each member of my staff have anguished in prayer over each one of these neckties and laid hands on them. I want you to have one so God can bless you. |
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"If you have cancer, no problem. Just a touch from one of these silk neckties and the cancer is gone. Arthritis leaves immediately. Skin problems disappear. Forget about the flu. A broken bone? Just one touch from your miracle tie and the bone will set perfectly. |
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"Do you have a loved one or friend having marital problems? Call them up and hold your miracle tie up to the phone. They will call back within an hour, every problem solved, their children have come back off the street and are preparing to go to college. |
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"Financial problems? Just send an extra donation when you order your tie and God will send you ten thousand dollars within the month. |
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"Having problems in school? Wear your miracle tie when you take your next test and you will be able to answer every question. |
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"If you live in the cold country, just lay the tie on the hood of your car and the engine will start immediately. Say the name of Jesus and your car will never need a tuneup. Think of the money you'll save. |
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"Put one of these ties on your dog or cat and they'll never have a flea again. |
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"You can have one of these miracle neckties for a donation of just $99.99. Three ties for $299.99 to show you how much God loves you. All major credit cards accepted. |
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"I don't want you to go one day longer without your miracle tie." |
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Barnum said there is one born every minute. He was talking about suckers. God's people are suckers. They send their money to con artists. |
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Some poor widow signs her Social Security check over to the evangelist who wears five hundred dollar suits and drives an eighty thousand dollar sports car. She and her cat share a can of cat food for supper. |
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As soon as she sends her check an agent of the evangelist comes to her home to see if she has a will and coerces her to change the beneficiary to the evangelist. |
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With smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple. |
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The Book of Revelation commends the Ephesian saints for putting the so-called apostles to the test. Today we have Christian leaders, men who are supposed to know God and have integrity, telling us that if we question these hustlers or their "revival" we are on a "witch-hunt" or "laying our hands on God's anointed." |
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If I'm a "witch- hunter" I think I've found some. |
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We should be praying for these deceived preachers that God will bring them to repentance, and at the same time warning the sheep of the danger. |
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Whenever you feel uncomfortable with a preacher or a revival, your discomfort probably is coming from the Holy Spirit. Honor that first impression. Don't ever be afraid to question a preacher, a doctrine, or a revival. Always test the spirits. You are obligated to do so. If there is questionable moral behavior or doctrine, keep away from it until you know what you are doing. |
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Again, whenever there seems to be some aspects of a movement that are edifying and of God but there also is a questionable area, leave it alone. One of Satan's devices in the last days will be to present spiritual movements that are eighty percent correct and twenty percent error, so to speak. This will greatly confuse God's people. Flee from all programs that teach or demonstrate error even though there are parts that are commendable. The bad part will cause problems down the road. |
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There is no bad part in any revival that comes from Jesus. |
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Preachers are not perfect. But they must have integrity, be absolutely truthful, and be morally straight to be accepted of the Lord. |
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Support your local church with your money and quit throwing it around the countryside to the numerous money-beggars that call themselves ministers. |
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Don't you understand, you're being fleeced! |
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God is moving in the land today. Get with the Divine flow. Seek God, read your Bible, assemble with people of integrity. Leave the flashy evangelists to the Lord. He will deal with them soon enough. |
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"Depart from me you miracle-workers. I never knew you!" |
