SPIRITUAL HOUSE IN THE HEAVENS

By Pastor Mike Taylor

5 "You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ... 

2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2^nd Peter 2:5-9)


I had a dear sister ask me what will we be (the saints borne of God) during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ ? She understood that we will be given duties by our Lord and Savior, but her question was “will we rule over the people still living after the tribulation? Besides what will we be and will there be mortals able to sin during this time?” Good set of questions and those that I feel need  further exploration by looking at scripture to get an idea of just what we will be and our task during this 1000 year reign after the rebellion during the great tribulation is put down by our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Let’s start in Romans on our journey to identify what and who we will be and our responsibilities that our Lord will impart to all that are found in Him at His coming. Paul speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit reveals what we will be:
8:17  "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Romans 8:17-19)

Can you fathom what these verses means? It is almost too glorious to ponder and beyond our immediate comprehension of its full implications.. It is a infinite promise of future glory of those found in Christ. Verse 17 says we will be “joint heirs” of our Savior Jesus Christ. Heirs of what? Simple answer is that all that He is in spiritual nature, in His glory, in the ability of our mind to comprehend as we will have the mind of Christ (1^st Corinthians 2:16), and in the inheritance that He, our Savior has, we will be given the same inheritance. For a lack of a better illustration, we will be adoped into the family of YAHWEH, Jehovah, God Almighty, God the Father. Jesus will be our “Big Brother” if we can even call Him that. He is our King, but He is our elder brother in a family type relationship. We will be adopted because Jesus will bring us into the family at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, when we are joined to Him, our bethrothed, our Groom spiritually, as a groom takes his wife and they become one.

I can't EVEN imagine it...my mind cannot wrap around such glory. Our God and our Savior will be the source of all of our glory and power upon this earth during a time when the earth is restored to its former glory as during the Garden of Eden. It will be a perfect environment with no war, no inclement weather, no disease, and no tempter of the nations. Satan will be given his Sabbath rest of 1000 years from being the source of all temptation and lies. But note, even though we will be on this earth during the Millennium, this planet is NOT our home, till God creates a New Heaven and new earth . Jesus told us where our home is and it's in 3^rd heaven with our God and Father..

2  “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

As we will see, we will come and go from the heavens, which is our home, to the earth in instant of time, according to the desires of our Father in Heaven.

Even though this earth will become a near perfect world, sin will still be around. We, His Saints, will be sinless, immortal and of the same new body that our Lord was resurrected with when He came out of the tomb and appeared to the living. He was able to walk through walls, but be handled and able to eat, but disappear at will. He had a new glorious body, and we will have the same body as He does. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus when he came to Him in the night: John chapter 3,
3:3  "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This totally confused Nicodemus as the following verses after this show that he did not understand what Jesus meant. Jesus went on to explain of being borne of the Spirit and of water (baptism that shows that a man or woman understands that they are buried with Jesus Christ and are dead to the world, but raised a new creature in Him, by obediently following His footsteps in our life) a man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God or enter therein unless he is born again. He then said something that many overlook what we will be when He changes us into His likeness:
3:7  "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:7-8)


Did you catch that? We will be as the wind. On earth, we now see the effects of the wind through the trees, but we cannot see the wind,, but its effects on the material world. Spiritual bodies will come and go much as the wind, but appear at will to whomever we decide to let see us. It’s the ultimate description (to illustrate something we can comprehend) of our bodies when Captain Kirk on Star Trek says “beam me up, Scotty.” Our bodies will move at lightning speed without aid of some transporter as on some popular outer space program. It is how we will come and go from the heavens and our heavely mansions to earth, in an instant.

HOW CAN THIS BE?

When Jesus comes for His saints, there will be an awards banquet in heaven. The Bible calls it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Here Jesus will impart to each of His saints a measure of ruler-ship by the deeds they have done for Him in this life. Paul speaks of the revealing of what we have done in the body in this life, and what we have done for Jesus Christ and  its eternal rewards: :
3:9  "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1^st Corinthians 3:9-15)

What we have done in this life for Jesus Christ will stand and for that we will receive a reward, much like the following parable given by Jesus.

Note the parable of the talents:
25:14  "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods"

Jesus is this man, who has gone to heaven and is sitting beside God the Father in Heaven and delivered unto us the servants, His goods. What goods? Let’s read on.
25:15  "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." (Matthew 25:14-15)


In ancient times, a talent was a measure of gold. It was the most precious of all possessions. I ask you, what is the most precious possession our God has given us? I tell you plainly, it’s HIS WORD! God doesn't need our gold, He already owns it all. He is giving us something much more valuable and He wants a return on imparting us with the responsibility of spreading His Word by personal witness. God's Word is His instructions for living, for His reaching us by His Holy Spirit unto repentance and using that same Word to reach others. That Word is our handbook for living this life, your Bible.
25:16  "Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two." (Matthew chp. 25)

Each of these servants added to what he was given, by sharing that Word with the world around him. And receive an increase by winning the lost to Christ. How much of an impact does that Word have on the world? We may never know fully till it be revealed to us at this Marriage Supper, but we are commanded to share it with all who will listen.
25:18  "But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
25:27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. This unfaithful and unprofitable servant hid His Masters goods, His Word, away and shared it not with those around him. Woe to those who fail to follow the command of our Lord Jesus.25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew chp. 25)

Did this man believe or just mouthed the words? Only God knows, but to hide away what we have been given determines our reward or our lack thereof. Each of these faithful servants were given a reward. They were made rulers over many things! Listen to what Jesus reveals to John the Beloved in Revelation:

» Revelation 2:7, 26; 3:21: "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. . . . I will give power over the nations. . . . I will grant to sit with Me on My throne."
» Revelation 5:9-10: . . . "You . . . have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."
» Revelation 21:7: "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."




Note that verse 9 of Revelation chapter 5 says we will be kings and priest before God on this earth. We have established that we will rule on this earth in the coming Kingdom of God according to our deeds done in this life for our Lord and Savior, but what about priest? What will be our duties as priest? Jesus Christ embodies all that is royal for a King, but is also our High Priest. He calls us kings and priests. If priest, then who will be minister to?

In ancient Israel, the priest were the ministers of God. They provided direction to the people and point them to God. They did the sacrifices given by the people for the atonement of their sins daily. Although the nation of Israel became blinded by the ceremonies of sacrifices in the Temple being a forerunner of the Supreme Sacrifice in the body of our Lord and Savior, they were the keepers of the oracles of God and were to be a priestly nation to shine before the Gentile world and lead them to God. We know that they failed miserably in their departure from following after God in spirit and in truth. They knew scripture inside and out, but failed to glean the central message when their Messiah was standing right before them.
PRIEST BEFORE GOD


There are four things that we can learn here about a priest, and actually three of them are spin-offs of the first one, which is this:

1. A priest has access to God  in Israel that other people did not have. Now because he had access to God, we therefore understand that the priest served God personally. Think of this in relation the life that’s coming, but do not detach it from today. Remember, you are a royal priesthood.
2. The priest ministers to others.
3. The priest was actually ministering to the average Israelite who came to him whenever he represented him before God. in the Old  Testament and we will minister to the mortals who need still a Savior.
4. He therefore had to have something to give. He had to have something to give to the Israelite, and he also had to have something to give to God. So it will be in the Millennium. You ask, "are mortals in the Millennium"? That was one of the questions needing to be answered.

During this time of blessed peace and security that comes upon the earth, men will enter into the Millennium as mortal men and women. The Bible speaks of them  in Isaiah,
65:20  "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
65:21  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
65:23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
65:24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." (Isaiah chp. 65)


Verse 20 speaks of the sinner? Yes, men will still have a mortal sin nature, but not to the extent as in our world now, as the tempter has been locked away for a 1000 years.  We will be the teachers of the ways of God as spoken in Isaiah:

Isaiah 30:21  "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. "

We, as priest, will teach them the Way of the Lord and point them to the cross.
Understand, Jesus will be known to all, as the sea covers the earth.
8:11  "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." (Hebrews 8:11)

All people on earth will be subject to the righteous rule of Jesus Christ as He sits on the Throne of David and all the earth will know Him…..in their mind they will know, but in their heart they still possess a sin nature. That’s where we come into our responsibility. As kings of the King of kings, our job, our commission is to be rulers, yes….priests to the people to point them to the Savior, most definitely. We are being instructed in righteousness right now, on this earth, in this time we have left.

9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”( 1^st Corinthians 6:9-11)

We were saved before the foundation of the world, in God's foreknowledge, He knew who would be in His Kingdom, but are not the elite of this world....not at all.
25  “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”(I Corinthians 1:25-31)

God has chosen the humble, not the proud. He has chosen the poor, not the rich. He has chosen the weak, not the noble or strong. He has chosen a select group of people of this earth that you would not consider leaders in this life, but by the Holy Spirit, as 1st Corinthians 6:11 states,

11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1^st Corinthians 6:11)

We are being changed into His likeness, one day at a time. We are being sanctified, as He also justified us by His blood. 
8:29  "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

JESUS WILL SHOUT, “COME UP HERE”.

We have an appointment with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, very soon. One of these days in the near future, Jesus will break out of eternity into our time and say “come up here.” And we will be changed in an instant in the twinkling of an eye.
15:49  "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (1st Corinthians 15:49-54)

If you're like me, before I became a follower of Jesus Christ, I wondered, “how can I become someone that Jesus trust so much that He gives me rulership of anything in His Kingdom. It is beyond my imagination. Yes, it will be glorious, and we can't grasp it right now, but to start your road on building a house, that is YOU, that is made without hands, becomes something anyone who says “yes, Lord, and believes on Him by faith. It’s so simple, that a child can do it. Want to know the secret to obtaining such a high honor of a king and a priest in God’s Kingdom?  It's not really a secret, but it escapes many on this earth.
6:28  "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:28-29)
That’s it in a nutshell. Believe with your heart and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, and by example, live as He lived, as  humanly possible.

Paul gave us a simple formula that it guarantees us to enter into the service of a Holy God,

8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:8-11)

 
We are being made a spiritual house, made without hands, and will begin our eternal destination of being kings and priest before our God, to lead other men who enter the Millennium to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We will rule righteously and give the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the living mortals who still have their free moral will to accept or reject the message. And we will serve God for all eternity in works we have no ability to comprehend.



“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1^st Corinthians 2:9)

We will not coerce anyone to believe and accept, but as Jesus does by His Holy Spirit now, we will point them to the same cross that we came to know, and the same perfect sacrifice that we accepted upon our own lives for the remission of sins by our God in Heaven. So come Lord Jesus, yes, Amen.  Come my Lord. We await our glorification of being kings and priest before You.  That is our glorious future of all who believe on His name, by faith and obedience to His call.

AND THE ETERNAL QUESTION

Will you be counted as being changed into the likeness of Almighty God and our Lord Jesus our Messiah? Or will your future be different, because you have rejected His call, rejected His payment for your sins in His own blood. Today, not tomorrow, is the time to make your futue sure and set in stone. In comes down to the object of the whole writing of Holy Writ, your bible, in this one verse:

"For God so  loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting (eternal) life." John 3:16.




This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying for your salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. If there be any need for prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, God .  bless you all

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

HELL AND A MERCIFUL GOD

by Jack Kinsella

The question has been asked so many times that has morphed from a question into a challenge; "How can a merciful and loving God condemn people to eternal torments in hell?"

The question is not just posed by atheists and skeptics, but also by some sincere, but woefully uneducated Christians.  The argument has some merit on the surface.  God is love. All men are created with a sin nature.

Since, by definition and design, all men are sinners and our Creator God is love, it logically follows that a loving God who created sinners would be unjust in condemning them to hell for being what they are. 

God is the Righteous Judge.  If He is so righteous, it seems logical that He would take into account the mitigating circumstances. 

Especially since the chief mitigation is the fact it was the Righteous Judge that created the unrighteous sinner and that unrighteousness is the default condition of man.  That cannot be stressed strongly enough. 

The default condition of mankind is that of utter depravity.  People are not born good and then learn bad things.  It is precisely the opposite. 

There is a common canard in our society that dictates that racism, for example, is learned behavior.  A 'learned behavior' is something that has been taught to someone, or a way of thinking that they did not come up with themselves. 

The prevailing worldview is that children who grow up to be racists are taught to be racist as a child.  In this view, unless a child is taught to be racist, he will grow up to be 'color-blind' so to speak. 

An article posted on the American Psychiatric Association's website attempted to argue against racism as a 'mental illness', claiming that racism "is mainly a product of learned behavior," and "a majority of explicitly racist persons do not have any psychopathology."

I don't know if racism is a mental illness, but I know that racism is not something that children are taught. It is something that they must be 'untaught'. 

Children are racist by nature.  Studies conducted that put one black pre-schooler into a classroom full of white pre-schoolers showed the white pre-schoolers abused, ostracized and teased the black kid corporately, that is to say, they did so as a group. 

Reversing the situation produced the same results; the black kids abused, ostracized and teased the white kid, again corporately.  Were all these pre-schoolers taught to be racists?

Moreover, who taught them to be abusive?  Who taught them the principles of boycott, or ostracization? 

These are fairly advanced principles for pre-schoolers -- it took Jesse Jackson a lifetime of effort to fine-tune them into the social weapons they are today.  Where did these kids learn to be racist? 

Any school teacher will confirm that children are not only racist, they are mean.  Kids are really small terrorists without advanced weaponry or a cause.  And we were all kids. 

If we reach back far enough into our memories, it is fairly obvious that the cruelest people we ever met were our own classmates. 

Everyone remembers that one kid who was taunted unmercifully, (maybe it was you) because of their skin color, their religion, their social status, or some other characteristic that made that kid different.  (I remember a kid we all teased because he was ugly.) 

I was teased unmercifully because I had no hand-to-eye coordination.  When we would choose up sides to play baseball, the two team captains would choose their players until they got to me.  Then they'd fight over who got 'stuck' with me -- as if I wasn't there. 

My nicknames were alternatively, "Easy Out" and "Butterfingers" -- two terms that make me cringe to this day. 

Children have to be taught not to hit each other, bite each other, they have to be taught not to steal, to show respect, not to lie, etc. 

Prisons are full of folks who blame their upbringing for their shortcomings.  That's a cop out. Children needn't be taught bad values because 'bad' is their default state. 

Prisons, as rehabilitation centers, attempt to teach 'good' values -- or the word 'rehabilitation' is meaningless. 

A long example to prove a short principle; We are born sinners.  Evil is our default condition.  It is goodness that is the learned behavior.

To return to our original premise, if a loving God created us without a spark of goodness, then how could He then condemn us to an eternity of torment for being what He made us to be -- and still call that 'perfect justice'? 

It is worth noting that the only inherently evil creation in the corporeal (physical) world is humanity.  Animals aren't evil by nature.  They do what comes naturally. 

Sin isn't a learned behavior.  It is something that must be unlearned.  The degree to which a human being 'unlearns' selfishness, cruelty and sadism becomes the measure of his goodness.  Provide the right set of circumstances, say, New Orleans after Katrina, and humanity reverts to type. 

Doctors murder patients to save themselves.  People with no criminal record become looters.  The strong prey on the weak.  Right and wrong, as social concepts, essentially evaporate. 

Man was created in God's image.  He was created with the ability to discern between right and wrong, and was also created with the ability to choose which path to take. 

This planet is the only place in God's creation where evil is permitted unfettered operation.  Theologians call it the 'cosmos diabolicus'.  It is enclosed by an atmosphere which keeps evil from escaping out into the universe. 

When Satan came to present himself before the Lord, "the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:7) 

It is Satan's domain. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he offered the Creator of the Universe a bargain:

"the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4:8-9)

Although Jesus is the Creator (and Satan knew it) the 'cosmos diabolicus' was Satan's to offer. 

So, again we return to the central question: "How could a loving God condemn us to eternal torment for being what He made us to be?" 

A lion who hunts down and kills an injured wildebeest that can't keep up with the herd isn't doing evil because he selected the weakest and most vulnerable prey.  That's what he was created to do.  He has no other choice. 

And THAT is where God's perfect justice comes in.  We DO have a choice.  We were created specifically to that single purpose.  So that, when given the choice, we could then choose God. 

God's perfect justice demands that there be some provision of salvation for those who choose Him -- or He could impose no penalty for those who choose to reject Him. 

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.  Therefore, man has a choice between 'good' (God) and man's default nature of evil (self).  Jesus Christ represents God's perfect justice. 

Having defeated the sin nature by living a perfect life, He was uniquely qualified to pay the penalty perfect justice demands, because no created being could earn the currency necessary to pay the price on their own behalf. 

Each of us is acutely aware of our sin nature.  We spend a lifetime seeking to overcome it, and in so doing, learn that it is impossible.  We then are confronted with a choice. 

We can choose Heaven by humbly accepting the offer of Pardon extended to us, knowing it is not something we earned, cannot earn, and cannot buy or steal. 

Or we can choose hell, the place prepared as the eternal repository for sin after this cosmos diabolicus is destroyed at the end of human history. 

The earth will have served its purpose as a confinement area for sin, and having served that purpose, "shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." (2nd Peter 3:12) 

After Satan is banished to hell and sin is contained, the cosmos diabolicus gives way to "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2nd Peter 3:13)

God doesn't condemn us to hell.  He condemns sin.  But in His mercy, He provides a way for us to shed our sin nature through the regeneration of salvation. 

But we are the ones who make the final choice.  It is indeed perfect justice that the condemned be given the choice -- while still in their sins -- of where they will spend eternity. 

Having expressly provided the choices to us, it would be utterly unjust of God to ignore the choice we make.

God is just, so He honors the choice we make.

FAITH IN SOMETHING

By Jack Kinsella

Faith, the Bible says, is the substance of things hoped for and the expectation of that not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) It is indeed a divine description (pun intended) of something all of us have but few of us can describe.

In saying all of 'us' having faith, I mean the entire human race. There is no person, lost or saved on this planet that doesn't have faith in something.

Consider an atheist with a job and a credit card. He goes to work on Monday because he expects to be paid on payday. Midweek and out of cash, he uses his credit card to pay for lunch, spending on Wednesday.

He works in exchange for the expectation of that not seen, (paycheck), his faith so strong that he spends some of it (the substance of things hoped for) on Wednesday, although he doesn't see it until Friday.

When you get right down to it, that takes a lot of faith. But billions of us live that way, day after day, week after week, for our entire adult lives, and never really give it much thought.

One has faith in a spouse. By her presence, she is both the substance of things hoped for (a happy, lifelong marriage) and the expectation of things not yet seen.

I place my faith in the fact that Gayle wants the same thing and the two of us are working toward the same end to our mutual benefit. But the chief requirement for a happy marriage is mutual love, and that is where my faith is rooted. In her love. Without it, the rest would be impossible.

I am no different in that regard than anybody else, believer or unbeliever. It takes incredible faith and nobody gives it much thought.

Faith without trust is impossible. If I didn't trust that my employer would meet the payroll, I would be less inclined to stay on that job. Or even show up for work.

If I couldn't trust Gayle, there would be neither the substance of things hoped for nor the expectation of that not seen (a happy future together).

In the spiritual context, I believe in the promises of Scripture. The substance of things hoped for is my current relationship with Christ. It has substance because my faith has changed my life. I know what it was before Christ. I know what happened when I surrendered to Christ. I know how much different it is now.

There is evidence of things not seen.

But my relationship with Christ is not perfect. Not yet and not now. I remain a sinner, trapped in what Paul referred to as the 'body of this death.'

"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:25)

Paul speaks of the imperfect relationship with Christ thusly;

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1st Corinthians 13:12)

It is that second part of that verse that contains the substance that I hope for; when I see Him face to face.

For now, as Paul says, my relationship is like looking through a piece of smoked glass, I only know 'in part'. My sin nature keeps getting in the way, blocking my view, and obscuring the details.

It is that sin nature than caused Paul to echo my frustration and pain when he wrote:

"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. . . For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. . . “(Romans 7:7-25)

It takes a lot of faith to overcome that kind of spiritual conflict. I am saved, I am going to heaven, I will see Jesus face to face, and I am a habitual sinner.

I do what I hate, I want to do good and fail, I hate evil before I do it . . . if I were God I wouldn't wait for me to stand before the Judgment Seat, I'd just dissolve me into a pink mist and start over.

That is where 'trust' makes its appearance. The guy who doesn't trust his boss will meet payroll will quit and start looking for another job.

A marriage where one cannot trust one's spouse will end in divorce, and both sides will go out looking for somebody else to put their trust in. 'Faith' and 'trust' are two sides of the same coin, but they are not the same thing.

I trust that Jesus will do what I cannot.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

There are believers that believe in Jesus. They believe that He lived a sinless life. That He died for the sins of the world, and that He was Resurrected on the third day. They believe that He washed their sins away when they were saved.

But they don't trust Him. Having surrendered their lives to Him at salvation, they take back both control and responsibility the next day. They construct an artificial table of rules, and then despair when they still fall short.

There are some pretty famous atheists who proudly boast that they are former 'born again' Christians -- Ted Turner comes to mind, but there are others.

I often wondered how this could be. How someone could have expressed faith in Christ, only to divorce Him later? I have also heard of ex-preachers who lost their faith.

This also gave me pause. How could someone whose faith was so strong they became preachers of the Gospel just quit and start looking for another job?

Faith cannot exist without trust. As trust diminishes, so does faith. If I cannot trust that Jesus will sustain my relationship with Him, then how can I have faith that I will see Him face to face?

If I put my trust in my ability to meet His perfect standard, then my expectation of things hoped for is based on the substance of that which IS seen, i.e., my ability to conduct myself in a sinless manner. No wonder there are those who lose their faith! They put it in the wrong place.

James writes; "O vain man . . .faith without works is dead?" Those who have faith in God but trust in their own works to sustain their faith often point out James 2:20 as evidence that salvation is the product of faith AND works.

They miss the context of the next verse;

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” (James 2:21)

In context, James is speaking of trusting God, not doing good works. Trust me, if you kill your son on an altar, you won't be doing a 'good work'. Instead, James explains,

"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." (James 2:24)

Abraham 'believed God' -- he was willing to kill his son at God's command because he trusted God would not hold that sin to his charge. THAT is what God 'imputed unto him for righteousness'.

Trust. Not 'good works' as defined by a religious sect or church group. Trust. (Abraham was gonna cut his son's throat, for crying out loud.)

A young man asked Jesus what he lacked for salvation;

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:21-22)

Jesus was making the opposite point to what many Christians come away with.

Jesus KNEW what the young man would say. He put an impossibly high standard on salvation to make a point His disciples immediately picked up on.

"When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?"

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" . . . "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 11:6)

"Now unto Him THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, and to present you FAULTLESS before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH PLACED?

IT'S TIME TO TAKE SHELTER

By Tim Cameron -

"A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished" (Proverbs 22:3).

One stormy spring night at 2:30 a.m. in the Ozarks of Missouri, I was stirred awake by a loud crack of thunder. Looking out from the bedroom window; I could see the rain was moving sideways. I ran and turned on the TV to see that our area was under a tornado warning. My heart raced realizing that I had slept through any warnings that might have been given.

The next morning talking with other local friends we all asked the same question, "Did you hear the sirens?"

In the Ozarks, in tornado alley, we take tornado season seriously.

Six years ago this May, Joplin Missouri was hit with the deadliest tornado to hit the USA since 1947; 158 people died in the EF-5 Multiple Vortex Tornado.

On May 22, 2011, I stood outside getting ready to go to a friend's house for dinner and said, "I better call my parents and ask if it's okay for the kids to stay at their house, just in case."

The reason? My parents have a storm shelter and the clouds in the sky to the west of us looked very OMINOUS. It was 4:30 in the afternoon when  my wife and I dropped off our three kids and headed to a friend's house.

We were all eating and talking when I quickly glanced at the radar on my phone and my friend saw my countenance. "Is something wrong?"

"You should see the radar," I replied. "It looks TERRIBLE, and man, it's right on top of Joplin!"

My friends' wife hurried and turned on the TV in the other room, and all of our phones were buzzing with texts: "Home Depot in Joplin got hit, Walmart too!" It was very sobering and all of our "watching and praying" eyes were lifted-up. We all prayed and then my wife and I made a mad dash to my parent's house to be with our kids.

In the next few hours after having watched the storm lift and pass over our area we would learn that one of the deadliest storms in recent American history had just taken place. Many lives were lost and countless others would NEVER be the same.

Many stories came forth from those who heard the warnings and believed them, and ran for shelter. But at the same time we heard stories of those who turned a deaf ear, "Heard them all my life," they said and just kept grilling burgers. "I heard the sirens, but they go off a lot around here this time of year."

And of course we also heard the devastating stories of those who had heard the warnings but were not in a safe place to weather the storm, and lost their lives. Some were even snatched out of loved ones arms. It was gut wrenching and I pray as you continue to read, that this disaster can be used as a major wake-up call to those who have been blinded to something coming that is much more ominous.

You see, many people died, but some were prepared to die. They had taken shelter from  an eternal storm by placing their faith in Jesus Christ, and even though their physical bodies perished, they did NOT truly die. For in an instant, the moment their bodies were struck by that devastating F-5 tornado, because they belonged to God, their souls were transported into His very presence to their eternal home, which they would in no way would want to leave.

On the other hand, there are those who were not prepared for that tornado. More important, they were not prepared for that which would come after that storm. The Bible says it is appointed unto all people once to die and then later, at the Great White Throne judgment, they will stand before God as Judge.

During this horrendous tornado, a local doctor reported hearing people "wail and scream" inside the twister and how it haunted him. But what is even more daunting is that there are those who are even now wailing and screaming from a storm that will NEVER STOP because after being propelled through that tornado, out of a Home Depot or Walmart they arrived in hell.

After the 1000-year Millennium they will stand in God's courtroom, stand before Him because they refused to believe in Him and refused to take shelter in Him. They will hear a terrible decree, "Depart from Me I know You Not."

Those who died and had rejected the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ are now in HELL with NO HOPE, no chance to escape. When they stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne judgment they will be sentenced to an eternity in the lake of fire.

But if you are reading this you still have hope.

Here is the deal: There is a storm brewing of biblical proportions and it's even at the door. You have to have eyes to see and ears to hear.

The radar is screaming for you to PLEASE TAKE SHELTER.

In God's Word He foretold of a time such as this, and said when you see certain things, to "take shelter!" What are those certain things? Here are just a few:

Israel is being pressured on every side to "divide her land."

When love waxes cold, when the love of pleasure (self gratification) is greater than love for God.

There will be wars and rumors of wars.

When global economies shake; when knowledge increases and people travel rapidly "to and fro."

Okay, everyone would surely concede that there has been a significant increase in "wars and rumors of wars," right? (North Korea, Syria, Russia, China, the USA, Iran in recent days and weeks are taking significant steps showing a war footing.)

Would everyone also agree, that Israel's existence and its claim upon a certain parcel of land as its capital (Jerusalem) is growing in prominence as a global talking point?

Would anyone disagree that debt is a global epidemic that continues to spiral out of control? The USA's debt alone is swiftly approaching 20 TRILLION DOLLARS.

Anyone over the age of 40 can argue that homosexuality was in the closet for most of your life. NOW it is in our faces demanding not only be accepted, but normalized, and that those who oppose it should be marginalized.

What about the prophesied increase of travel and knowledge by the prophet Daniel?

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4)

For thousands of years, mankind traveled by horse but in the last century we've seen travel go to where you can ship anything worldwide in three days (Federal Express). You can talk instantaneously to others anywhere via text, instant messenger, and email.

Just as Daniel forewarned: When you see these things, it's like an ominous storm warning shouting something very terrifying: "The Day of the Lord is at hand."

"Look! The Lord's anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this very clearly" (Jeremiah 23:19-20).

We are approaching a time of God's undeniable wrath being poured out upon this place we've called home. He, in His mercy is warning all who will listen.

Look with open eyes and pay attention. Governments are advocating the killing of babies that survive abortion, after they are ripped out of their mother's wombs. Now that is criminal enough in light of the fact that it pulls our heartstrings with, "That is a baby!" But also remember that those helpless little lives are God's intricate handiwork being destroyed-murdered. He authored those lives. To kill those babies is to point a self-righteous finger at God's saying, "Not your will God, but ours be done."

I suggest that everyone should read the book of Habakkuk and realize that God is no respecter of persons, and the very thing He allowed to happen to Israel is playing out right before our eyes-as evil and wicked people are reaping a perilous harvest. I tremble at what I'm seeing take place and how rapidly it's all happening.

Do you not pay attention to those who are planning YOUR VERY OWN DESTRUCTION?

The Jihadists-including the Muslim Brotherhood are screaming, "Americans MUST die." Even now these enemies are working around the clock to see that this is accomplished through their planning of tremendous violence, and demanding Sharia law (slavery).

We have entire nations to reference for what looks like the ravages of radical Islamists, demanding submission as they train little kids to strap bombs to themselves and walk into crowds and blow themselves up. Even now they are planning massive attacks on the place we have called home (USA). They do this believing they are under a "divine" mandate to usher in their "messiah" by way of horror and chaos.

These radicals have erected training facilities all over the United States and yet most people are sleeping right through it, "Eating, drinking and being merry..."

People are NOT paying attention to the fact that governments are enabling this terrorist ascension by providing billions of dollars, F16s and high-powered weapons. The U.S. government has been handing out visas and free entrance into this country via special exemptions, often with no background checks required.

In relation to a stormy night, your TV should be blaring with this warning:

BREAKING ALERT. As it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Lot so shall it be.

And what about gay "Christians?"

The kicker of these so-called gay "Christians" is that they are the only group claiming to follow Christ and continue to hang onto, and love their sin. There is no other group or individual that claims so proudly to be sinful; not an adulterous Christian, a fornicating Christian, a lying Christian, a gambling Christian or a murdering Christian. They all would add the word "repentant." A "repentant" adulterer, a "repentant" fornicator, etc.

Every true born-again believer does wrestle with their carnal sin-nature having to take up his or her own cross dying daily and die to self, but would never subscribe to hanging onto sin-which caused Jesus to die on the cross.

If the Holy Spirit is living inside a person, that person will be at war with the sin nature. The Spirit of God would be pruning, rooting out and tearing down everything exalting itself against the knowledge of God. Christian means to be "Christ-like".

To say being gay is "Christ-like" is tragically trendy and becoming politically correct. BUT the Bible is the only true measure of truth and it says that it is an abomination (perversion) to the very purpose for which mankind was created. We were ALL born wrong the first time, we all have a sin nature and that is why Jesus said we must be "born-again."

Yet, godless lawlessness is screaming: "TURN OFF THE LIGHT!"

There is a STORM WARNING, but they are having a picnic anyway.

So many pastors stand at their pulpits presenting ear-tickling sermons, at a time when preachers should be in the deepest travail crying out for people to: "Make ready!"

To me, it would be like a group of people watching the news and hearing that an F5 Tornado, hurricane, volcano or earthquake is about to happen. Instead of crying out for safety these clueless people go into denial planning a picnic.

Seriously, get a picture of this: You are sitting in your house, the TV blares the sound of a siren with this banner running across the screen:

A SEVERE WEATHER REPORT WARNING

You would now know that a tornado has been spotted on the ground and it's headed right toward your town, but at the same time you're getting a call from a local pastor or church member talking about having a picnic as if all is well-when you know its not.

The prophet Jeremiah showed us that there is a dividing line drawn-that God becomes very angry with those who claim to speak for Him and yet aren't sharing the truth of what He would be saying:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The Lord has said, "You shall have peace"; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, "No evil shall come upon you." (Jeremiah 23:16-17)

This type of chicanery is happening all over this planet. And it's being done "in Jesus' name." Pastors in pulpits are using the spotlight NOT to point to the only hope for such a stormy time, but rather they use Jesus' name to shine a spotlight upon themselves-to make money, build buildings,  grow "feel good" ministries (that are  all going to be consumed by fire).

I'm convinced there would be a tremendous harvest in churches if pastors would repent and start preaching the true gospel to their "seeker friendly" attendees who've been falsely led through a "repeat after me" mantra instead of being told they need to "repent or perish."

But sadly, they parrot words from the latest trendy "best seller" to fleece their way up the blasphemous chain of "churchianity," instead of getting on their faces before a Holy God and asking, "What do You want to say today?"

That should be a warning to us all, to be about our Father's business. Not to earn salvation but because of what Jesus already accomplished on our behalf to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Hatred is boiling. True born-again Christians are becoming the scourge of the earth.

You can plan for your best life now if you want to, but based on God's Holy Word I've read that this planet is much more like the Titanic, and we are admonished to get people to life boats-not to build a better earthly world; but help rescue those who  are His.

We have heard this many times but I will say it again, "As it was in the days of Noah." Noah did NOT change his world. He didn't win his culture's favor and he didn't try to be culturally relevant. He just faithfully believed God and built an ark for the saving of souls.

Please hear the heart of this message.

It is not to condemn, but to stir an urgency to sound the alarm to your friends and family while there is still time.

I tell you, the storm clouds are ominous.

Are you prepared? Have you taken shelter with Jesus?

Hate has replaced love. The love of self has replaced God. "Whatever makes you feel good, just do it." Run up credit cards, who cares that the debtor is enslaved to the lender? Even now our nation in America is selling its individual citizens into debt slavery by destroying our national sovereignty through spending not billions-but trillions, and yet the masses of kool-aid drinkers are trusting that these blind "leaders" know where they are going.

We have a man named Pope Francis who has been lobbying Israel to give up land for peace, referring to the 1967 borders as the starting point of negotiations striving for a "Two-State Solution." The Pope is asking for all faiths to unite so we can all COEXIST. That is ominous I tell you!

PLEASE TAKE SHELTER.

In Joplin, the warnings went out and many heard and believed. They ran and hid in safe places. That is what I'm about to ask you to do.

You see, you can scoff at what I'm saying and say, "I've heard this all my life," and as one lady testified in Joplin, "I've heard tornado warnings all my life."

They mocked Noah in his day...

Thousands of people mocked Noah to the very end, and you can too. You can mock the warnings of this time. You can say, "Ah, the government will 'fix it' or 'we've seen this before.'"

OR you can take a serious and sober look at the many things that have taken place in recent days, months and years and say, "Maybe I need to wake-up to what is really happening and TAKE SHELTER."

Did you know the great damage a tsunami can do before the Asian Pacific Tsunami that struck ten years ago? Over 250,000 people died. That storm will pale in comparison to a time that the Bible warns, "Unless God shortens the days no flesh will survive."

What must you do to be safe from the wrath to come? What is the wrath to come? That is the time of the seven-year Tribulation when God pours out his judgment (wrath) upon an unbelieving world.

In a storm warning for that time, if we turned on our televisions there would  be a scrolling message telling us what to expect:

Strong winds in excess of 100 mph, golf ball sized hail, dangerous lightning.

Ninety to one-hundred pound hailstones (Revelation 16:16-20).

A great earthquake, leaving NO ISLANDS on earth, also taking down every mountain on earth.

One-third of the earth will be burned up, one-third of trees and all the grass (Revelation 8:7).

One-third of the sea will be turned into blood (Revelation 8:8-9).

The abyss (bottomless pit) will open and locust-like scorpion creatures will arise (Revelation  9:2-3).

Evil angels will be released to kill one-third of mankind (Revelation 9).

Painful sores will break out on people that have taken the mark of the beast (Revelation 16).

The sun will scorch people with fire (Revelation 16).

And even worse: Lost souls who die without Christ will be cast into hell, and later into the lake of fire for all eternity.

Stop and think. Please!

Knowing the terror of the Lord, I beg of you to hear this warning.

Right now if a tornado warning was sounding and you "believed it" you would run to find shelter. How can we do that in relation to the choices we must make in this life: We either repent or perish.

Repentance is simply a change of mind; it is to "stop and think" differently than you are now. In its simplest application...in order for one to be saved, he or she must BELIEVE upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Get on your knees and humbly place your faith/trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Believe that He is your only hope, that He is your Lord and Savior and that He is your Storm Shelter and He will be your Refuge. If you do that, I have great news: You will NOT die but you will have everlasting life.

Will you hurry up and take shelter with the Lord. Don't you hear the warning?

Tim Cameron

timcameron@centurytel.net