Cities and God’s Government; John’s Question; John is the greatest; The Kingdom suffers violence?; Cities rebuked and sanctions placed on them in God’s government; Toleration at the judgment; Sodom will be restored; Response to the light; Eternal torment is a lie; What did God hide and to whom?; Does God hide the gracious message of life?; A message of comfort for Divinely chosen servants.
Can man kill a soul?; Joshua 11:11 vs Matthew 10:28 – Contradiction?; What is man?; Is death a new state?; Man’s judicial decision vs. God’s ultimate decision; Destroy means to loose out; God can put us back together; Loyalty tested during a crisis; First mention of a cross; Finding Soul vs. Losing Soul; To receive authorized Apostles was to receive God and Christ; Rewards.
“I have not spoken to these prophets, yet they ran.” Jeremiah 23:21.
“I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.” Jeremiah 23:25
God isn’t “speaking” to anyone today. Those who claim that “God spoke to them” are either deceived, deluded, or just plain liars. When God breaks silence we won’t require a special decipher to decode the message. When God speaks He makes it abundantly clear He is speaking. Those to whom He speaks are given special authority and authenticating signs. Nobody has this authority today, NOBODY.
During World War Two the Germans used a machine called the enigma to send coded messages. The Allies couldn’t figure out what the messages were. They finally cracked the code after stealing a machine. God doesn’t use enigma machines! He speaks and makes it abundantly clear He is speaking.
We have in our possession the results of authorized apostles and prophets – the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Until God breaks silence once again those Scriptures are sufficient for all things that pertain to life and godliness. That means anyone who claims to hear the voice of God is only stealing God’s word from those they are “ministering” to. For Jeremiah declares:
“Therefore, behold, I AM AGAINST the prophets, saith the LORD, that STEAL MY WORDS everyone from his neighbor.” Jeremiah 23:30
The result of forsaking the written word is as follows:
“Behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD….For ye have perverted the words of the living God…” Jeremiah 23:31,32,36
Lies, lightness, and perversion!
There are no Apostles or Prophets today. If there were we would know it. God is able to make Himself abundantly clear. We have the written word and God-given brains – let’s use them.
God delegates authority; Is Judas in orthodox hell?; In what way were the sheep “lost”?; Are “true believers” known today by who their favorite Bible teacher is?; Do any Bible teachers have Divine authority today?; Should we write off those who don’t believe our message?; Sodom and Gomorrah will be restored; Matthew 10 fulfilled in our Lord’s day; God’s Spirit isn’t speaking in anyone today; He that endures to the end shall be saved – what’s that mean?; Is the second coming anywhere in the context of Matthew 10?
Heals diseases and forgives iniquities; Grace for Tax-Collectors; Pharisees try to foment dissent; Our actions to conform to God’s timing; A woman with issues and a little girl meet the King; Something new in Israel’s history; God’s government and department of health; Compassion on the sheep. Ezekiel 34.
The Leper meets the King; The Centurion Meets the King; Peter’s Mother-In-Law Meets The King; All Who Are Sick Meet The King; Fake Servants Meet The King; A Storm Obeys The King; Demons Meet The King.
I’m right, everyone else is wrong; Ask and it shall be given; We shall know WHO by their works?; Depart from me; False Prophets; Teaching with authority.
God’s Touch-Stone – Read Matthew 8.
In this chapter the demons were worried that the Lord would “torment” them before the time. The Greek word for “torment” means “touch-stone.” It was a stone that was used to help determine the purity of gold and silver.
This process of trying gold and silver came to be used to describe going through hard times. I remember a navy seal telling me how his training was like “torture.” That’s the idea behind this Greek word – it’s a painful process of trial, but the goal is purification.
Colossians 1:15-21 tells us all creation will be reconciled to God. Some people and beings will get there through a painful process (no, not the fires of orthodox hell!), but they WILL get there!
Proclaim the gospel of life so that our friends and family will not have to go through judgment before the reconciliation.
Here’s a video about the ancient process of testing gold and silver. Enjoy!
Play acting; Sunday Church-Face; Should we save money and shop or let “God provide”?
When God governs there will be no need for oaths in a court of law, a simple yes or no will do; Turn the cheek or lock your doors?; There will still be some enemies around; Maturity; Sincere Alms and Prayer; Thy Kingdom Come!
