Tuesday, August 4, 2020

MARRIAGE A SYMBOL OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH




by Pastor Mike Taylor


For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:31-32)

In keeping with the line of the “mysteries” that Paul revealed to us within his epistles, Paul showed us many revelations that were not revealed previously in any other passage of your bible. They were “hidden” from view and were not explained, until Paul was taught by the King of kings, Jesus Christ our Lord. Remember in past messages, Paul was taken into the Arabian desert for about 3 years and was given instructions and teaching of the meaning of passages found in your bible that no man had understood up until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. This chapter is but another clarification of what a man united to a woman in Holy Matrimony means to Almighty God and why that this union is most sacred. And for that reason, this nation and the world is in grave danger.

In chapter 5 of the book of Ephesians, Paul makes an astounding comparison that in reading this chapter, I had not previously understood myself what Paul was trying to explain:

6“ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7, Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9, (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) (Ephesians 5:6-9)

Thus Paul began to reveal the “mystery” that is found in the uniting of two people, one man to one woman in marriage. Paul begins to explain in detail further into this chapter found in Ephesians:

10“Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12, For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:10-12)

Paul begins to go into detail of things that are done in darkness and to stay away from, but come into the light

14, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”(Ephesians 5:14)

The point of the chapter is to explain sacred meaning of the institution of marriage and what God expects of those who belong to Him...

22, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23,  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24, Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”(Ephesians 5:22-26)

In a casual reading of this passage, you would think that Paul is speaking of the relationship between a man and a woman solely, but is that all Paul is trying to convey? Paul speaks of a “mystery” that is hidden from view and has not been understood previously. While pondering this and hearing a message by a dear brother in our church, I came to fully understand what Paul was driving at. Let us turn now to the Old Testament when God brought the institution of marriage into being.

21, “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
22, and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23, Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
24, Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.”( Genesis 2:21-24)

One thing is curious here if you think about it. Is not God able to make woman as He made man? Of course He can. Can God not take the dirt of the ground and make another human and breath the breath of life into her? Also, why did God have Adam fall into a “deep sleep” to take one of his ribs to make Eve? Isn't God able to do this without needing Adam to fall into a deep sleep? But think of what a “deep sleep” symbolizes in scripture. Death is often referred to as “sleep”...or sleeping in the dust as explained elsewhere in scripture.

Notice that God took a rib out of his side. Not from his foot or from his hand, or any other bone in his body...they were made to be one flesh...”flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone”. God brought Eve unto the “first Adam” and they became ONE. What, if anything is God trying to reveal to us here?, What is Paul revealing that is explained in Ephesians? Let us fast forward in time when Jesus was on the cross, some four thousand years into the future from the 1st Adam being given a “bride” to be by his side.

33, “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34, But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35, And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”( John 19: 33-35)

The Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Lord hung on a cross and died a horrible death, but to prove that He was actually dead, a Roman soldier took a spear and pierced His side. In His death, “His sleep” God took out of His side below His ribs, a coming bride. By the death of our Lord and the piercing of His side, the redemption of His bride that had been lost at the Garden of Eden, was sealed. Fifty days later from the time of His resurrection, the Church would be born at Pentecost and Jesus was to be betrothed to His bride.

2, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”( Acts 2:2-4)

Thus the bride of Christ was born...the Church of the Living God. Almighty God has been adding to His body for now nigh, 2000 years and has not taken her, as of yet, to be His bride, unlike when Eve was given to Adam and proclaimed her “flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone”.

Paul proclaimed in this fifth chapter of Ephesians what God has been doing the whole time in forming His bride, from the flesh of His flesh and from the bone of His bone,

27, “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29, For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30, For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”(Ephesians 5:27-32)

Do you see the parallel comparison of the Bride of Adam the First, and the Bride of the last Adam the Son of God, the second Adam that gave His life for a bride holy and unblemished by the sins of this world? It is why the institution of marriage is so sacred and holy in the eyes of God, as it symbolizes Christ, the head of the Church, or husband of the Church, and His body, the bride of Christ of one man, one woman, as created by God found in the 2nd chapter of Genesis.

Any other variation conceived by mortal man, God calls an ABOMINATION before Him, as it mocks His creative plan for the spotless bride that is betrothed to His Son, Jesus Christ. And God has prepared a bride for His Son, and when we see Him, we will be like He is..

2  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”( 1st John 3:2-3)

 LGBTQ MOVEMENT, AN ABOMINATION BEFORE GOD

Satan relishes the ability to deceive mortal man, as he knows that man without God is prone to sins of the flesh and the pride of life. His sole purpose is to distort and twist God's Word to make man an unclean thing in God's sight.

15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,
17, And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”(1
st John 2:15-17)


Jeremiah wrote under Holy Spirit direction what Satan is counting on:


17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10, I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
11, As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”(Jeremiah 17:9-11)

AS IT WERE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

There was another time, that what is happening in our generation, happened even then, and what did God do to them? Jesus proclaimed in Matthew chapter 24 what our generation would look like:

24:37, But as the days of Noah 
were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38, For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”(Matthew 24:37-39)


This was a time of unmentionable evil that God regretted even making mankind, as their hearts were given to evil continuously. God destroyed the earth with water and wiped the earth clean of mankind that He had made, all except for 8 souls that found favor in God's eyes. God destroyed all mankind save for those who found refuge in the ark God commanded Noah and his sons to build...Next time, it wont be by water that God destroys mankind who rebel against Him, but by Holy Fire that will again, wipe this planet clean.

God condemns sins of the flesh, and for that matter any sin that goes against His written Laws of human conduct toward God and mankind. God hates sin, as it cannot be in God's heaven. But the one sin that He calls an abomination must stink in His nostrils like no other.

22 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”( Leviticus 18:22)

Why? Because it is a mockery, a perversion, and a sin so great, that God will not allow those who commit such evil into the Kingdom of God coming. But abomination is just a word, until you look at the deep meaning of what God is saying here...From Wikipedia, this definition and explanation is given:
Abomination (from Latin abominare, "to deprecate as an ill omen") is an English term used to translate the Biblical Hebrew terms shiqquwts ("shiqqûts") and sheqets. An abomination in English is that which is exceptionally loathsome, hatefulsinfulwicked, or vile.

ROMANS CHAPTER ONE CONDEMNS LBGTQ PRACTICES

Paul addresses the subject in Romans and cannot be more clear that God hates such sin with a everlasting hate and will not allow those who partake of this vice into His presence.

20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
 
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
 
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”(Romans 1:20-28)


Here God condemns homosexuality, being gay, Lesbian, bisexual, or transgender as an abomination unto His Holy Name. God tells those who partake of this evil what their end will be:

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, (which includes all LGBTQ transgressors of God's natural order) brackets my emphasis.)

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”(1st Corinthians 6: 9-10)

SINS OF THE FLESH HAVE BEEN WITH MAN SINCE CREATION

This is not a new occurrence, as man in his ability to do wicked deeds, sins against his own flesh by being joined to the same gender as himself/herself and defiles themselves with what God has defined as gross sin. It has occurred all through the history of evil men, as even the Old Testament, not just the New Testament gives cases that God brought judgment and swift retribution for their crime against a Holy God and His laws.


In each of the three instances in the Old Testament where homosexuality is shown in society, destruction immediately follows. The city of Sodom gave its name to this vile practice and has served as the preeminent example of God's displeasure: see (
Genesis 18:20-2119:1-29). Two lesser-known cases also show that a rise in homosexuality signals a quick decline and fall. Such was the case of the tribe of Benjamin that was nearly destroyed because of homosexuality found in Judges chapters 19-21. And in 1st Kings in the reign of Rehoboam of Judah, the Bible records,

"And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel" (I Kings 14:24).

"Perverted persons" is a translation of the Hebrew qedeshim, meaning "those practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals". The next verses reveal the result of their sin: Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt marched against Judah and conquered Jerusalem, carrying away all the treasures of the Temple and the royal house (verses 25-26).


History also records the debauchery of the Roman Empire and it's citizens using roman baths to commit heinous acts of homosexuality and the moral conduct of the empire contributed to their eventual downfall.


Those who commit such acts, God says He will not allow them into His presence and they will be separated from Him for all eternity, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some call it HELL, or the Lake of Fire.

DO WE TURN A BLIND EYE?

Some will say that we must be tolerant. We must love others as ourselves, just as the past “idiot in chief” tried to use the “Golden Rule” as his support for allowing all things gay into this culture. In the last 50 years, the LGBTQ community has made steady inroads into this nation, and with the election of the past POTUS, (I won't use his name, as it is loathsome to me) he promoted all things gay and even made a executive order that June of the year is LGBTQ pride month. This for a minority community that has had the same rights that every American has always had, but they want special treatment.


Not only is homosexuality out of the closet in America, it is entirely out in the open and militantly demanding its recognition and acceptance. With political power far exceeding their numbers, homosexuals now feel greatly empowered when they had an openly supportive President in the White House. Whoever thinks this nation is still many years from collapse needs to think again.


The DOMA act (Defense of Marriage Act) was abandoned because the “idiot in chief” would not support it. Then the Supreme Court in all their arrogance went against God and gave legitimacy to the “union” (sic) of same sex individuals that must be recognized in every state. That “Idiot in chief”...let me rephrase that, YOUR IDIOT IN CHIEF, as he is not mine, had promoted all things gay and been at the front of blurring the lines between the sexes by letting transgender men or women use whatever public bathroom that fits their emotional stance at the present time. Of course, one cannot prevent perverts and pedophiles from taking advantage of this and preying on your daughter, young son or wife while behind closed doors.


The LGBTQ adherents have taken the sacred institution of marriage and common decency and thrown it to the ground and stomped all over it...and the present government allows it, endorses it, and promotes it and for that, God will surely judge, if it has not already begun against this nation for the evil that we have done in the name of “political correctness”. Not only is this nation condemning itself to eventual destruction, but every man, woman, and yes, even children that partake in this sin, or any sin of the flesh and does not turn away from their evil conduct by seeking forgiveness from Almighty God, dooms themselves to an everlasting judgment from God, into outer darkness, where “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched”. (Mark 9:44)


You who practice such evil, do you see yourselves in this message? I pray it puts a burr under your saddle and God's Holy Spirit convicts you, until you can't be still but must confess your sins before a Holy God and beg forgiveness and cleansing from One Person who can take away the sins of the flesh you have committed, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.


You that have turned a blind eye, and taken the stance of live and let live and ignore what is happening all around you, or until you face it squarely when your wife or daughter is defiled, what will you do? You can't do it alone my friend. No one can do it alone. The forces of evil are building exponentially as we approach the end of days....we were warned in God's Word:


12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high 
places.”(Ephesians 6:12,)

This world is quickly coming to an end. The climax of the rule of mankind is closing in on the last 7 years of his governance in which he has done a thoroughly terrible job, according to what is righteous and good in the sight of God. Soon the coming time known as Jacob's troubles will be upon the earth. It may come sooner than anyone of us, Christian or otherwise, even thinks or imagines. My spirit bears witness with the Spirit of God, that this will not go on much longer.

WHAT MUST YOU DO?

We who are alive and fighting this battle against the rulers of the darkness of this world, must take on the whole armor of God, if we are even able to stand against the onslaught that has come and only will get exponentially worse.


13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”(Ephesians 6:13-18)


Think you can stand by yourself? Think again. You don't have the power or the strength to stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan will have you for lunch and you will likely succumb to the darkness that will overtake this world. I have preached till I'm nearly blue in the face as Tribulation is coming and the time grows short where a woman/man can be found in Jesus Christ and be removed from the coming wrath of God. Make no mistake, friend, wrath is coming and if you think it's bad now, you haven't seen anything yet, and frankly, you don't want to...as calculating the death toll of this planet during this awful time, will be upwards of 80% of all humankind to the order of almost 6 billion people in 7 short years....there will not be enough people to bury the dead, and bodies will be lying around, decaying or being eaten by wild animals who are looking for food....and the SMELL!!....it will be a time of the most horrific and ghastly in all of the generations of mankind.



This ABOMINATION that is the LGBT “movement” is only the tip of the iceberg that will bring the wrath of God, much like it did in Noah's day when men were constantly doing evil. God has designed the coming tribulation for two things and I've said this time and time again. First is the complete annihilation of ALL rebellion on this earth by fire and Divine judgment and wrath. Second is the coming acceptance of Israel of their Messiah that they rejected 2000 years ago. God has warned through Jesus Christ while on earth:


19 “For 
in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Mark 13:19-20)


Do you get the gravity of that statement by our Lord? No flesh will be saved, if the events were allowed to play to it's conclusion. Only those who accepted their Messiah, will be supernaturally protected and go into the Millennium as mortal men and women. Everyone else, “those that dwell upon the earth” will die horrible deaths by whatever means known to man either natural or supernatural.

GOD WILL COME OUT OF HIS PLACE TO END REBELLION


God has said in His Word in Isaiah 66:

“For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”(Isaiah 66:15-16)

To further give you the gravity of the coming wrath of God, Zephaniah wrote in 1:17- 18:

17 “And I will bring distress on men, so that they shall walk as the blind because they have sinned against the LORD. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.
18, Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He shall make even a full end, yea, a terrible end of all who dwell upon the earth.”(Zephaniah 1:17-18)

Again in Isaiah 26:

17" Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isaiah 26:17-21)


But to those who call upon the name of the Lord, God has promised:

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.,” (1st Thessalonians 5:8-11)


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;
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.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:8-13)
.”


“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”. ( John 3:16-20)

 How do you believe? Believe that Jesus died for your sins and mine, that God the Father raised Him on the 3rd day according to the scriptures, and stands at the right hand of God, as His only Son...the Son of God....repent of your sins that He has already paid for by faith believing, and thou shalt be saved! Leave your sins of LBGTQ practices and repent before Almighty God and He will receive you. ...Because the End of the Age is at Hand and your chance at entering into the Kingdom of God grows shorter by the day.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you find my Lord Jesus before the coming Tribulation begins as sin in this world is growing exponentially and it can't be much longer..so come Lord Jesus. . If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, . God bless you all till we hopefully , 

MEET AT JESUS FEET

Thursday, July 30, 2020

DOES GOD CARE?

 Nathele Graham -


Does God really care? – walklikejesus
We live in very trying times. I admit that sometimes I get overwhelmed by what I see and hear on the news. Everything is bad and nothing is good. Doom and gloom. The hearts of men have grown cold, violence is everywhere, and evil is made to seem good. Many people blame God for all of this and question if He even cares. Does He care? The answer is in Scripture. Yes. God cares more than we can even imagine. Christians just might see God's love clearly if we stop focusing on the mega-media, left-wing lies and start looking at Scripture. How did people like Noah cope? He lived at a time when pure evil was all around, but instead of focusing on that evil he obeyed God and built the Ark. Because he was obedient to God, he and his family were protected through God's judgment. We can also look to the many prophets who lived in violent times but obediently served God and spoke His truth even if it caused them to suffer. Those brave and God-fearing men didn't have CNN or MS-NBC to tell them what to think, so it was easier to hear God's voice. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of some facts. God saw the future and gave prophecy so we can understand what's happening. Man's sin and Satan's lies cause the evil, but God's love brings forgiveness. If we look to Him, we will find peace. God created everything, and all of creation is evidence of His love.

 "[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." Psalm 19:1. 

King David is an example of a man who saw God's glory and praised Him instead of seeing the troubles around and becoming discouraged.
When David was young, he spent many hours tending sheep. This gave him time to observe God's creation. David was overwhelmed that God created such magnificent beauty. Try to imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing the stars twinkling. There was no light pollution nor air pollution to hide their brilliance as David looked into the heavens. The fresh light of dawn was glorious without chem-trails covering the glow and the setting sun had its own beauty. He praised God for His creation. David had a gift of song and he wrote of the beauty he saw. 

"[[To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.]] O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1.

 English translations of Hebrew words don't always make the meaning clear. The word LORD is from the Hebrew word "Yehovah" and means "the existing One". It's considered the proper name of God Almighty. The second word translated Lord, is 'adown and can mean a strong master or king, but we know refers to God because it follows Yehovah. Essentially, David is saying "Yehovah our Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". If we would be mindful of His glory which can be seen everywhere, we would understand how much He cares.
David recognized that it isn't always the big, mighty people who make grand declarations of God, but even a child can bring us strength in the face of adversity. 

"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Psalm 8:2.

 Babies are the epitome of innocence and weakness. We are like those "babes and sucklings" when it comes to the spiritual battle against our adversary...Satan. With Christ we are able to stand against that evil with no fear. We need to understand that. When fear threatens to take our joy away, if we just take time to see God's glory in everything, our spirit will be strengthened, and joy of the Lord will be restored. God cares enough to be our strength and shield.
With all the evidence of God's might and majesty to be seen in the heavens and the earth, it's a bit intimidating to think that He also created man. Adam was created in God's own image. 

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." Psalm 8:3-5. 

We read the creation account in Genesis, and it seems as if it took very little effort to create the splendor we see today. 

"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Genesis 1:16. 

Almost as an afterthought it's mentioned that He made the stars! Scientists are just recently discovering how many stars and galaxies there are. Although David couldn't see as far as the Hubble Telescope can, he was overwhelmed by the beauty he could see. No wonder David felt insignificant and wondered how God could even be mindful of sinners such as we humans. Even more amazing is that God did visit us in the form of Jesus Christ.

 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. 

If God didn't care He would have left us to our sin, but He chose to humbly dwell among us and show us the way to salvation. He chose to sacrifice His life to purchase our salvation. He is the only way to eternal life.
Not only does God care about mankind, but He has entrusted us with the care of His creation.

 "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:6-8. 

We are to care for the environment and the animals, but we aren't to worship the creation. We are only to worship God Almighty. The troubles in this world happen because people have stopped worshiping and honoring the Creator and worship the creation instead. That leads to unbounded sin. We see that sin unfolding today. Brothers and sisters, don't be led astray by what you see on the news. Every life matters to God and He gave His life for every person who has ever lived. Bow before Him only. 

"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11. 

Paul quoted that from Isaiah 45:23 and it's still true today. Humbly bow before the Lord God Almighty, the Creator and Saviour. He cares about you and me and is worthy of all our praise.
David ends this Psalm of wonder and praise by once again focusing upon God and who He is.
 "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:9. "Yehovah our Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". 

We need to have reverence for Jesus and marvel at the wonders He made. More than that, we need to marvel at the salvation He offers. He humbled Himself and left the Heavenly realm to enter this fallen world. Why? To save mankind from certain eternal death. Faith in Him is the only way to gain eternal life.

 "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11.

 God cares about you. He cares more than any human can fully understand. God Himself humbled Himself to become human and He sacrificed His life on the cross. That's more than caring, that's pure and perfect love.
Yes, God does care. When Adam sinned, there was a vast gulf created between God and humans. God had a plan to bridge that gulf.

 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Do you believe in Him? If not, why? He loves you and gave His life to purchase your salvation. Without faith in Him now, there will be no eternal life for you when you die. Prophecy tells us that life as we know it is about to come to an end. Christians will soon be Raptured and after that there will be hatred and violence on earth like never seen before. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will allow you to escape that final seven-year time period. If you haven't accepted His free gift of salvation, then you need to do that today. If you have, then you need to care enough about Him to live your life to honor Him.
Instead of letting fear guide you and cause you to be angry with God because you think He doesn't care, think again. God cares....do you?
God bless you all,

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

God's Revelation of Judgment: The Great White Throne

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 - By Ron Ferguson -

 
[A]. THE PERSON AND THE BOOKS -
 
Rev 20:11-12 "I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds."
 
THE VISION - The vision came of a great white throne occupied by a figure, so awesome and so terrifying that it can only spell an awful judgment from the King of the Universe, and the ruling is against the unsaved of all ages, from Cain to the end of the Millennium. The reason for the throne is because the King sits in judgment like the eastern potentates did on rulings that they would deliver for their subjects who came before the throne. Here we have the Judge, which the Apostles' Creed would identify as the Lord Jesus Christ who "comes to judge the living and the dead." Let us just say that God the Son as the eternal Judge will occupy this throne.
 
John 5:22-23 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
 
It is God the Father who directs all judgment in that day into the hand of the Son of God.
 
John 5:27-29 "And He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth - those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, and those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."
 
(This is not contemporaneous - not at the same time. "God created the universe and created in me a new life." Not contemporaneous.)
 
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE THRONE - The resurrection of the ones to life has already happened at the Rapture that will end this Church age. That would have been over 1,007 years earlier. The throne is considered great, and that is because of the greatness of the event it presides over, and also because of the greatness of the One who sits upon it. The throne is white, and the types speak to us here. White is purity and cleanness, which is applicable to the One there. It can also speak of the absence of blood for redemption, for there is none, sadly, at that judgment.
 
The altar was the place of judgment in the Old Testament, and it was associated with the red of sacrifice. Here the judgment will be in association with white because there is no red of sacrifice to atone for the ones who are going to be judged here. This is serious business when the whole of the unsaved earth from the beginning of creation till the entry of this throne will stand in condemnation.
 
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE IS NOT FOR CHRISTIANS - Then John sees the dead standing before God, a whole multitude of all ages and cultures, all in dread fear, for there is no solid standing for them because their sins are condemning them. We cannot ever imagine what this will be like, for God has ordained that His children will never be brought into judgment, or undergo the wrath of God, which is why the Church could never be in the Tribulation. Condemnation judgment will never touch us.
 
Jesus was the one who stood in the place where sin was condemning Him, stood as it were before Jehovah's awful throne with the sentence of death because He was the guilty One, and condemnation was His to encounter and to be forsaken by God. He would encounter the wrath of God, and His face would be so contorted that He was unrecognizable as a son of man. All this was done for you and for me. We should have been before the great white throne, each of us, but our Lord took our place, and therefore suffered what we will never suffer. For that reason, our Substitute made sure we would never be before the great white throne.
 
CHRIST'S BRIDE IS WITH HIM - We may be behind the throne as His Bride, for we will be with our Lord and sharing the judgment He makes. The following verses could indicate that - 1 Cor 6:2-3 "Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?" Christ comes for the judgment of the nations at the Second Coming of the Lord as explained here, and His Church comes with Him, for His Bride will be with Him forever.
 
Matt. 25:31-33 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left."
 
THE THRONES - There are three thrones that will operate after the Rapture of the Church. The first of these is the judgment seat of Christ. Technically, a seat is not a throne, but I think we can say Christ's seat is a throne, for the King occupies it. It is the Bema I will do later. The second throne is the one on which the Lord sits to judge the nations (above) after the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, which is the end of the age. And the third is the great white throne of Rev 20. I think it is probable the Church will have association with all three thrones.
 
THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE THE THRONE - An interesting expression used in verse 12 is "the dead, the great and the small." In the use of language, we normally say "the small and the great," working upwards. God chooses the other way, "the great and the small." Why, I wonder? Well, in this world, the "great" are often those with power and influence who have risen over others and dictate what they want for themselves. We have judges, presidents, prime ministers, rulers, dictators, professors, CEOs, world sports heroes, celebrities, politicians, etc. They live privileged lives and glory often in their high and proud position. Now they all stand at the great white throne along with the peasants, the poor, the criminals, the bikers, the underprivileged, Mr. and Mrs. Ordinary Person, and those they lorded it over. Here they will have no position of privilege, but rather, will have the greater judgment.
 
This throne is so fearful and awesome and so dreadful that human discriminations, class, position, and power will be leveled under the immense weight of sin and the fear that hangs over the heads of the billions who are there. We cannot describe the misery, the horror and the hopelessness of that situation, and all there will have no affinity with each other, for all will be isolated because of their open sins and detached from "friends" of common destiny. The notion of the evil ones in hell having companions there and living it up in sin with the devil in control is totally erroneous and has been developed through the distortion and excesses of the Middle Ages. And so they stood before the throne, lost and despairing.
 
THE BOOKS - The books were opened, we are told. What are these books? Frankly, we do not know, but they have to do with the judgment, so I believe them to be a record of every individual life of every individual who is unsaved. It would seem that the deeds of every one is on account, and all the sins will be on record, all sins great and small. This will be awful, for the whole life of open and hidden sins will be openly declared to each one, one by one. They will stand condemned, for there is no remedy, no possibility of forgiveness; they will be as guilty as Adam, who hid himself from the presence of God, only that these people will not be able to hide from the presence of God. Just one sin will condemn them, for the sin stands in stark contrast to the righteousness of God, who is the Judge on this throne. These books will contain it all.
 
There is a television show called "This Is Your Life," which is positive highlighting of good things in someone's life. The great white throne will highlight everything, and all will stand fearful and undone and ashamed. However, here there is no hope for any of the multitude assembled. That is the part so sad.
 
THE JUDGEMENT DEEDS - When I was in Prep 3 or something like that at school (in those days we had the Preparatory years before the Grades), I can clearly remember one teacher telling us at school a story that for every good thing we did, a nail would be hit into a board (God's doing), and for every bad thing, a nail was removed. At the end, God would put us in heaven if there were nails in the board. In other words, if the account was on the good side. I went home that day as a 5 or 6- year-old and tried to do good things! What this teacher was ascribing to were good works and the good outweighing the bad. This is not God's way. There is no other way of salvation except through the shed blood of Christ, through repentance and acceptance of His personal redeeming sacrifice.
 
The dead, those not in Christ, will stand before the throne, and they will be judged according to the things written in the books. It is interesting that the expression "books" (plural) is used, and there must be lots of them. I do not know what is on record, except the account of sins will be the Prosecutor's brief and will form the evidence of condemnation. They will be judged from what is written in the books.
 
THE BOOK OF LIFE - We are told another book was opened, the Book of Life, and this will be used also in the judgment of these lost souls. But what is the Book of Life? And why might this book be used for this group, which is already condemned? To answer these questions, we must first try to determine what is the Book of Life, and I think it is fair to say that we cannot be sure of this one. As far as I can ascertain, there are two main views on this book, which are these:
 
(1). It is a book kept in the heavens where the names of all the redeemed are entered when they come into faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or when declared righteous through faith and obedience as with the Old Testament saints. This would then make the book, a book of redemption or eternal life, and I think this has been the more common view.
 
(2). The Book of Life contains the names (or identities) of all ever born on the face of the earth, which makes it a book of the living, or even a book of the conceived, even though the problem arises with the stillborn and even the aborted ones after conception; but this is a whole new and ethically complex subject, raising the question of when conception might lead to the soul and spirit making up a triune person. In this second view, it is thought that, for the unsaved, upon death or rejection of eternal life through unrepentance or disbelief, a person's name is removed from that book, leaving only the redeemed on the pages. This book is used as a final proof for these unsaved and condemned, in that they have no claim to God's presence and that The Lord upon the throne is just and righteous.
 
DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT - I now want to touch on a subject that has been occupying my mind for some time, and I hasten to say this is totally my idea. I have no evidence for it, but I shall present my thoughts on it. Before I do so, I will list a number of passages; and as we read them, I want you to see in them degrees of punishment.
 
Luke 12:46-48 "The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."
 
Matt 10:14-15 "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."
 
Matt 11:20-24 "Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."
 
Matt 12:36-37 "I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."
 
Matt 12:41 "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."
 
Rom 2:4-8 "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation."
 
[B]. GOD IS JUST AND RIGHTEOUS - Throughout the Old Testament, God is seen as merciful, and His judgments dispensed according to the crimes and faithlessness of His people. Once they gained the promised land, when they sinned, He brought against them the Philistines. But when their sin became gross and so severe, He brought them into captivity by Assyria and Babylon with judgments so severe. In my current understanding, God's penalty is commensurate with the crime. Do you see that in the passages above?
 
I think it is important to recognize in God, a just penalty in judgment where sins are dealt with accordingly. The question is sometimes asked, "What about the heathen who have never heard of salvation in Jesus Christ and who died in the millennia past - are they in hell or what, and is this fair?" Then again, "What about the good person, the really lovely good person who has spent a life in going good for people?" These questions are very valid, but we must also mention that the following considerations apply:
 
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one. All have turned aside. Together they have become useless. There is none who does good. There is not even one'" (Rom 3:10-12).
 
Now we must try to balance all this against the great white throne judgment. It is not easy, and I don't have a perfect, satisfying solution. God is just and does it correctly.
 
NONE WILL HAVE AN EXCUSE - The Bible tells us in Romans 1 that the heathen world is without excuse, having the ability to see and claim God in creation. Romans also tells us that no one is really good, and goodness is measured by the standard of God Himself. No one reaches that standard; therefore, no one is good.
 
That being said, we know God is a just God and that He punishes according to the crime and the responsibility and accountability. For that reason, I believe the books that are opened at the great white throne will expose all the sins of those present, and they are judged according to their sins. And God, being fair, will take into account the sinfulness of each sin to pronounce a penalty worthy of that sin. Therefore, I believe that the horrendous crimes will suffer a greater punishment than the less horrendous sins. We know all unsaved end in the lake of fire, but in that place, I expect there to be degrees of punishment.
 
Hitler and Stalin and various popes, and especially the greatest murderer of all in history, Mao Zedong, will have the severest of penalties. Those of Tyre and Sidon and Sodom will be less penalized than the people who saw and heard Jesus' ministry, yet rejected it. It will all lie in God's hands; He is the Judge, and Abraham's prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah sets it out correctly - Gen. 18:25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" We must leave this matter there for now, leave it in the hands of the Lord.
 
We then have a verse which explains this scene in a little more detail, and it is this one:
 
DEATH AND HELL EMPTIED - Rev 20:13 "The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds."
 
The people standing before the great white throne have come from the sea and death and hades. This is not difficult, for it includes all who have died through the ages, and all these had their abode in death, having died on the land or in the sea, even in space in our generation. They all were in hell, which is "sheol" in Hebrew or "hades" in Greek. Same place. The grave, death, hell, sheol, and hades are all the same. Hell used to be in two sections, hell and paradise, but no longer.
 
The unsaved dead of all generations will be resurrected for the great white throne; therefore, we assume they will have some type of body (though maybe not necessary) as they stand there en masse waiting their turn. For it says, "every one of them." The resurrection of verse 13 is the resurrection of the unsaved because all those in Christ Jesus are resurrected at the Rapture, and the murdered saints of the Tribulation are raised before the 1,000 years begins. Rev 20:4-6, the First Resurrection.
 
This same verse in Rev 20:13 says all these will be judged according to their deeds. God has a record of them, and only one sin is enough to condemn a man, as seen with Adam who was banished from the garden through one act of disobedience, and who died that day according to the promise of God; but it also began the path of physical death. These evil deeds that belong to the condemned at the judgment throne will be under consideration, and they will suffer the penalty, but the very fact that deeds are mentioned again makes me think there are degrees of punishment resulting from this judgment.
 
[C]. THE FINAL JUDGEMENT - Rev. 20:13-15 "The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
 
The judgment is concluded; the sentences have been passed; the condemned stand forlornly because nothing remains for them except for an eternal separation from all that is good, yea, from God Himself. Then we progress to the ultimate act of eternal death, the verdict of punishment when all those standing there, and death itself, along with Hades (the grave/hell), are cast into the lake of fire. This is eternal, but can we comprehend eternity? Can we grasp eternal death? Or, for that matter, can mortal human beings even grasp the concept of eternal life? We are mortals in time, and heirs of eternity, but our destiny is concluded in time.
 
WHAT IS THE LAKE OF FIRE? - But what is the lake of fire, and what is its purpose? We shall answer the second part first. This place and term are only contained in Revelation, though the idea is known to Isaiah. The first usage is Rev 19:20, where the world leader/Antichrist (beast) and the false prophet were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. The next, in Rev 20:10, is where Satan is thrown in there to join the duo of evil already there. Maybe these three are the only ones at that stage in this lake. The other references to the lake of fire are in the remainder of chapter 20, applying to the great white throne judgment. When you think into it, the Antichrist and False Prophet will be the only sentient human beings ever not to appear before either the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne.
 
We have many shortened references to the lake of fire in the gospels and even in the Old Testament, such as "eternal punishment" (Matt 25:46), "forever and forever" (Rev 14:11), "the eternal fire" Matt 18:8), "the furnace of fire" (Matt 13:42), "unquenchable fire" (Mark 9:43).
 
Mark speaks of it in a statement - "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). Isaiah used this term - Isa 66:24 "Then they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind."
 
The purpose of the lake of fire is clear from this verse - Matt. 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" It was God's eternal intention that the lake of fire was to be the abode of Satan and the fallen angels, and that is why it was created. The outcome of that is that those who follow Satan will share that place also. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should repent, but failure to do so means eternity will be spent in the same abode as Satan.
 
To answer the next thought, "What is the lake of fire?" is more difficult. The lake is not hell; it's not Hades. We know it is literal and horrible, has a purpose, and is eternal. The biblical descriptions of it are all similar and use words such as these - "burning, fire and brimstone, eternal, smoke, furnace." I would leave it at that and would not get entangled about that most somber matter. "Depart from Me." It is not pleasing to write on this subject because of the seriousness of it. It is so sad.