God’s Soon-To-Be Repeated Pattern: The Disappearance, The Sign, The Warning, and The Destruction

The Holy Bible gives us more than our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Holy Bible gives us picture-perfect patterns that prove to us that whatever God has promised will happen, definitely will come to pass. In other words, once we realize that a spiritual truth stated in one part of the Holy Bible has been repeated in a similar fashion in another portion of the Holy Bible, then we truly can take what God says to the bank because we recognize the process in the biblical pattern!

For example, from one specific biblical pattern we learn that Noah’s generation and our generation have something in common: an Age that ends in a catastrophic global destruction! That is right! The Holy Bible makes it clear that the Age of Conscience, in which we find Noah’s generation, and the Age of Grace, in which we find our generation, both have this biblical pattern in common:  disappearance, sign, warning, and global destruction.

Thus, where we modern-day believers are concerned, since God has taken the time to say something twice, this means that He wants us to take careful note of what He is saying. That is why this repeated biblical pattern, which is first found in Genesis, is of the utmost importance to us, because it teaches us that God’s dealings with us (or His methods used to test us) have a perfect order. This pattern also is of the utmost importance to us because it helps us understand what is currently happening to us, as well as what is going to happen to us.

For these reasons, when we examine the major events that take place near the end of the Age of Conscience—the era when God tests mankind’s moral responsibility to do good and avoid evil—we find that the disappearance, the sign, the warning, and the judgment/destruction process pattern in the Old Testament repeats itself again in the New Testament, in the exact same order.

This particular biblical pattern is said to be one that God reveals, in part, to the first Adam. According to a Jewish tradition, God tells Adam about the impending Flood and Fire destructions.

Apparently, Adam not only has foreknowledge of the Flood and Fire destructions of the Ages, but also Jewish tradition claims that God promises Adam that he would have a sign that would let him know when the water destruction is near. Methuselah is that sign God promises Adam! Additionally, this foreknowledge is supposed to have been etched on antediluvian tablets and passed on to Adam’s descendants, from generation to generation, beginning with the line of Seth.

Methuselah is in the line of Seth, and Seth is Adam and Eve’s third son. The Sethite genealogy, up until the Flood, is as follows: Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah (cf. Genesis 5:4-32).

As earlier mentioned, the end of an Age biblical pattern that will be repeated in our generation is the one found in Genesis, specifically Genesis 5:21-32, and Genesis 6:5 through 7:10. The first rule of this pattern is: God raptures faithful people right before He pours out His wrath/judgment upon the Earth.

With Enoch, the sixth in descent from Adam and the son of Jared, we see how God illustrates a picture-perfect image of the Rapture. Enoch, whose name comes from the verb hanak (Strong’s 693) and means “to dedicate,” “begin,” and “to wet the palate,” is an Old Testament man of faith who is translated (raptured) and is seen no more.

Believers need to take note of this truth, which is that before God destroys the Earth with the Flood He has a disappearance. Now, the first Adam is still alive when Enoch is translated (raptured), and yet God does not translate the first man who walked with Him in the Garden of Eden. God also does not translate any of Adam’s other living descendants. Thus, here is where a parallel can be drawn between Enoch’s disappearance and the Apostle Paul’s depiction of the great disappearance—the Rapture of the CHURCH (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Just like Enoch symbolizes the Old Testament’s dedicated, sanctified human beings who faithfully walk with God during a time when the wickedness of mankind is abounding, the truly Christ-like CHURCH symbolizes the New Testament’s righteous and sanctified people who faithfully walk with God at a time when global wickedness once again is increasing. Likewise, just as Enoch’s genuine faith walk is the reason why this righteous man is translated (raptured) out of this world before mankind’s wickedness becomes so bad that humans’ thoughts are consistently evil, modern-day believers’ genuine faith walk will be the reason why they will be raptured out of this Earth before God’s promised second judgment comes upon the Earth during the Tribulation Period, which is the time when the never-seen-before satanic evilness will exist. Lastly, just as Enoch never experienced a physical death, the last days’ righteous CHURCH, because of the Rapture, also will not experience a physical death!

The Scriptures also say this about Enoch: “…after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:22, NIV). Thus, the parallels between Enoch and the Body of Christ also include this spiritual truth: just like it takes the fulfillment of a prophecy (the birth of Methuselah)—the prophesied sign that lets Adam know God’s Flood judgment is near—to encourage Enoch’s walk with the Lord, it takes the life and death of the promised Messiah—Jesus the Christ—to encourage centuries of believers to walk with God. This spiritual truth is why the collective raptured CHURCH is like a second Enoch and why Enoch’s life after the birth of Methuselah completes the disappearance rule of the previously mentioned biblical process pattern.

Thus, it is no coincidence that the disappearance rule of this biblical process pattern is followed by this rule of the pattern, which is: God ALWAYS provides a sign that lets people know that His wrath/judgment is near. As mentioned earlier, Methuselah is the promised sign that would let Adam know the Flood is near, so Methuselah’s life and death fulfill the sign rule of the pattern in question.

Methuselah is Enoch’s son, and Methuselah’s name means “when he dies, it will come.”  Additionally, the “selah” in Methuselah’s name is an obvious reference to a large “pool of water.”

Now, Methuselah is 187 years old when he has Lamech, and Lamech is 182 years old when he has Noah, and Noah is 600 years old when the Flood comes; furthermore, 187 + 182 + 600 = 969, or the age of Methuselah when he dies! Thus, to the world’s surprise, the “it” that is sent forth, or comes upon the Earth, after Methuselah dies is the foretold Flood—a sure enough HUGE pool of water that God uses to destroy every human and every animal living outside of the Ark, which Noah enters seven days before the actual Flood starts (cf. Genesis 7:6-11).

The Scriptures say that Adam lives for a total of 930 years (cf. Genesis 5:3-5). According to Adam’s genealogy listed in Genesis 5, Adam is 874 years old when Methuselah is born, and Adam dies 126 years before Lamech is born. Lamech is Methuselah’s son and Noah’s father. Thus, Adam’s longevity leaves no doubt that up until the time Adam dies he more than likely retells God’s world-destruction prophecy to his descendants, perhaps even emphasizes the meaning of Methuselah’s name as a confirmation of that prophecy. After Adam’s death, Methuselah probably reiterates this prophecy to his descendants, as Lamech and Noah probably do with their offspring. Moreover, the fact that Enoch doesn’t walk with God until after Methuselah is born confirms that Adam and his offspring are aware of God’s Flood judgment.

However, since no one from Adam to Noah had ever seen rain before, only water that came up out of the ground (cf. Genesis 2:5-6, Genesis 7:11-12), then it would have to take God’s declaration to Noah about covering the Earth with water (cf. Genesis 6:17) to strengthen Noah’s faith and remind him that his grandfather is the sign that will send forth the first-ever rain that debuts as the Flood: “when he dies it will come.”

The clear parallel to the Age of Grace’s sign portion of this pattern is this spiritual truth: the Earth and everyone living on it have been judged once before.  Now, God has given us more than one sign that lets us know that God’s promised Fire destruction is near. However, the most important last day’s sign is revealed to us in Jesus the Christ’s own words. He says:

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:38-39, KJV)

The writer of Genesis (Moses) says the following about Noah’s generation: “… The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5, NLT). Thus, their total evilness is why God lets the underground waters burst forth, and why He opens Heaven’s floodgates so that the rain would fall like mighty torrents upon the Earth.

A point of clarification, the “Noe” in the Matthew 24:38 verse is Noah, and to Noah’s foully wicked generation’s chagrin, the rains finally do come. Needless to say, they are shocked. The Flood catches the majority of Noah’s unprepared generation by surprise. As a result, only a handful of humans get to enter the Ark where they are safe from the Flood, (exactly eight people … cf. 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5, KJV)—a TRUE remnant!

Likewise, to the Age of Grace’s foully wicked generation’s chagrin, the Rapture soon will come. Needless to say, the people who are living the same licentious (without moral discipline), lascivious (lecherous), violent, arrogant, and rebellious lifestyles, like the people in Noah’s generation, they also will be shocked. The Rapture will catch the majority of this unprepared populace by surprise—a great many of them will be surprised to find that they have been left behind!

The Rapture, thus, is a kind of Ark, in the sense that the Rapture is the way that the true CHURCH/Bride of Christ (another remnant) is transported to Heaven where the Lord keeps Her safe from the Tribulation Period. Everyone who is left behind will experience the wrath of God that is poured out upon the Earth in the form of the Tribulation Period!

The third rule of the end of the Age pattern is: God ALWAYS gives fair warning before He sends His wrath. In Noah’s day, God’s fair warning is Noah’s righteousness preaching. In our Age of Grace, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers broadcast God’s fair warning in similar manner. The only difference is our ministers are preaching the same Salvation or the Gospel of Jesus Christ message that has been preached since the first century until our twenty-first century.

God’s Word says that “…Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God” (Genesis 6:9, NLT). Thus, when Noah was 500 years old, God intimates to him that He would send a Flood that will destroy every living thing in that corrupt Age, except for Noah, his offspring, his son’s wives, some animals, and some birds (cf. Genesis 6:13, 17-20).

According to Jewish traditions, it is both before and during the time of the building of the Ark, or only while the Ark is being built, that Noah takes on the role of a righteousness preacher and preaches to the masses about living a righteous and sanctified life. His repentance message is God’s fair warning that soon a Flood (God’s wrath/judgment) will come and destroy everyone who continues with life as usual.

There are those individuals who maintain that Noah NEVER warns anyone. However, it was a commonly held Jewish tradition that Noah preaches repentance to his generation. The Jewish historian Josephus records:

But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land. (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 1, Chapter 3.1)

It is obvious that Noah must have warned his generation, because the fact that NO ONE had ever seen a flood before, let alone rain, makes Jesus the Christ’s Matthew 24:39 statement about Noah’s generation not understanding what he was talking about (NAS) clear evidence of Noah’s repentance preaching. The Lord’s statement clearly implies that the masses were too consumed in their wicked ways to take the time to pay attention to Noah’s warnings, for they simply continued about their affairs in a kind of blissful ignorance.

Nevertheless, Noah’s preaching is God’s fair warning, and Noah’s generation ignores this fair warning. As a result, when Noah is 600 years old, the Flood comes and wipes out that generation—ALL human and animal life.

As mentioned earlier, our generation also has preachers who have been spreading the Salvation or Gospel of Jesus the Christ message about repenting and accepting Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior so that the Holy Spirit can sanctify us and eventually conform us to the image of the Lord. These preachers, like Noah, are uneasy with the unholy and unrighteous way people are living.

Because of the preached Salvation or Gospel of Jesus the Christ message, we are aware of this fulfilled prophecy: our generation is full of scoffers! Knowing this fact should help us to realize that the Rapture, the first event in the closing out of the Age of Grace, is right around the corner, because all that needed to happen before the Rapture could take place was the manifestation of an abundance of scoffers, mocking Jesus the Christ and Christians’ belief in the Second Coming of Christ.

Therefore, we need to heed our preachers’ warnings, for collectively they are God’s fair warning to us that His wrath/judgment is imminent. If we continue to ignore God’s fair warning, by refusing to repent our sins and accept Jesus the Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Rapture will come and we will be left behind to experience the horrors of the Tribulation Period, most of which end with the left-behinders experiencing a physical death.

The last rule of the biblical process pattern that happens during the closing out of an Age—the Age of Conscience and the Age of Grace—is: God ALWAYS pours out His wrath/judgment when He is finished dealing with or testing mankind. However, of the seven or so dispensations, only the Age of Conscience and the Age of Grace’s individuals receive a GLOBAL destruction as punishment (God’s wrath/judgment) for the sins they committed.

In the case of the end of the Age of Conscience, God’s GLOBAL destruction (wrath/judgment) is the Flood. In the case of the end of the Age of Grace, God’s GLOBAL destruction (wrath/judgment) is the seven-year Tribulation Period, which is full of different forms of Fire.

It should be noted here that God’s final GLOBAL wrath/judgment will culminate on the Day of Judgment, when all of the centuries of rebellious people—the world’s sinfully wicked people from EVERY century—will have to stand before the Great White Throne of God. There they are judged unworthy to receive an eternal life in the presence of God, after which they are thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The first global destruction—the Flood—happens because the people in Noah’s generation were corrupted by the “sons of God” who married human women, had intercourse with them, and produced GIANTS in size and in evilness (cf. Genesis 6:2). The people in Noah’s generation also were corrupted by their intense worldliness—their eating, drinking, planting, building, marrying, and giving in marriage, which became hedonistic in nature.

Their high degree of overindulgence and their perverted appetite for more evilness cause them to no longer think logically and to no longer care about the health of their soul. Indeed, the Scriptures confirm that the people in Noah’s generation became violent and immoral individuals who ONLY followed the imagination of their own hearts. The end result was unrestrained crime and uninhibited wickedness (cf. Genesis 6:11).

The second global destruction—the Tribulation Period—happens because, by the end of the Age of Grace, many people in our generation will choose to be willingly ignorant. Many of us will deliberately choose to not believe:

(1) that God created the world, which at first was cool (that is, it was covered with water);

(2) that God once judged this world with a disastrous global Flood that often is called Noah’s Flood; and

(3) that Jesus the Christ is coming back near the end of the Tribulation Period, which is God’s disastrous global Fire destruction. (cf. 2 Peter 3:5-7; Revelation 8:7-11, 16:8-9; and Revelation 20:10, 14-15)

These three rejected Divine Truths will result in left-behinders, people who miss the Rapture because they have not repented their sins and accepted Jesus the Christ as their Savior, or they are not prepared, genuine believers. In the case of the former, they also are guilty of following the imagination of their own hearts, the result of which is that they commit unrestrained crimes and wickedness.

As in the days of Noah, today, increasing by leaps and bounds, are numbers of people who have chosen the broad road to death, because the pathway of life is just too narrow for them to walk on while they carry their dishonesty, avarice, pride, and habitual sins. Moreover, similar to Noah’s generation, who thought God could not destroy the world with a flood, people today think God cannot destroy the world with Fire, because if He did that would prove that God is not a loving God.

Additionally, not only will many people of today’s generation mock the Gospel message of love, grace, mercy and Salvation, but also those individuals who are in possession of Divine/spiritual Truths will refuse to live  by them! As Jesus the Christ explains, in the last days, there will be many people who will be given the opportunity to develop a relationship with God and the Lord, as well as given the opportunity to spend time fellowshipping with God and His Son, but many of these individuals will ignore the call—the invitation—and turn aside, one person to his field, another to his business (cf. Matthew 22:4-5).

In other words, our generation will have countless people who will have a field mentality, which is symbolic of selfish interests, and a buying and selling mentality, which is symbolic of the false ideas and false perspectives that self-interest generates in order for that selfish person to be able to financially support him or herself. This is why masses of people in our generation will pay little or no attention to God’s invitation to the Great Wedding Feast, which really is Him “calling” (asking), even the ones whom He knows will make light of His invitation,  to accept His Plan of Salvation—regeneration, repentance, confession, Salvation, transformation, and glorification.

The point here is that God wants us to put a higher priority on our spiritual life than we do on our natural life so that we can gain a deeper understanding of the Divine/spiritual Truths we already possess (cf. Matthew 22:4-5). Those of us who continue to make light of God’s invitation will be those believers who eventually choose to be willingly ignorant. Moreover, those of us who deliberately decide to reject portions or all of the Gospel’s Divine Truths will be the people who get left behind!

Looking once again at the parallels between the Age of Conscience and the Age of Grace, we see that the similarities are astonishing, primarily because of the biblical process pattern of disappearance, sign, warning, and global destruction. We also see that God’s pattern has a clear order, and we absolutely have learned what will happen to us in our generation from examining the events that took place near the end of the Age of Conscience. Those events, once more, are: Enoch’s disappearance (translation or rapture); a child being born whose name means “when he dies, it will come,” and when Methuselah’s death happens the prophesied sign that would indicate that a Flood destruction would happen soon is fulfilled; the imminent Flood warning Noah more than likely preached about to his willfully ignorant and foully wicked generation; and the actual Flood, that catastrophic global destruction that comes at the end of the Age of Conscience.

What we can take to the bank is that, as the end of the Age of Grace draws near and God’s wrath becomes ever-so imminent to us, we will know that, just as God promises, the true CHURCH, as a whole, will experience a disappearance (called the Rapture); there will be many signs, but the definitive sign will be our generation behaving just like Noah’s generation behaved; a Salvation Gospel message will be preached, as God’s fair warning about how critical it is for us to turn away from our sinful wicked ways, right NOW, and move toward the Light of Jesus the Christ; and a global Fire destruction.

Lastly, as mentioned in the opening paragraph, the Holy Bible gives us more than our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Holy Bible gives us picture-perfect patterns that prove to us that whatever God has promised will happen, definitely will come to pass. Therefore, this Rhema word to the wise should be sufficient!

Peace out!!!!

For Richer or Poorer…For Better or Worse

Anyone one who has been a member of a wedding party in which conventional vows are exchanged, or anyone who has been a wedding guest at a traditional marriage ceremony is no doubt familiar with the time-honored promises a man and a woman make to each other. Even though marriage is an institution ordained by God, and even though marriage should not be entered into lightly or in jest, in many cases, soon after men and women have spoken their wedding vows these promises are broken by people who would rather move on to someone else instead of staying married to  their current spouse.

In this 21^st century, married couples have easily and swiftly broken their promises to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, and for better or worse. As a result, especially where Christians are concerned, divorce has become widely accepted by the institutional church as a godly way to deal with marital problems.

The truth of the matter is many Christians divorce for unbiblical reasons. Here are some of the most common unbiblical reasons (or excuses) believers use to justify getting a divorce: (1) My spouse committed mental adultery; (2) My spouse is abusive; (3) Divorce is no worse than other sins; (4) Making people stay in a ‘bad’ marriage is legalistic; (5) We serve a forgiving God who will forgive me, because He knows my heart; (6) My spouse would be happier without me; (7) I don’t have peace; (8) My spouse is a leech, draining me financially; (9) My spouse is not saved; (10) My spouse is not a good Christian; (11) We are incompatible; (12) We have grown apart; (13) My mate doesn’t love me; (14) I don’t love my mate; (15) I’ve fallen out of love; (16) I love someone else; (17) God wants me to be happy; (18) I married the wrong person; and (19) I need a drama-free marriage.

Yes, there are scriptural exceptions to God’s command to stay married. They are: (1) Matthew 19:9, sexual immorality (physical adultery); and (2) 1 Corinthians 7:15, abandonment, deserted by an unbelieving spouse. Nevertheless, even with these two scriptural exceptions, God makes it clear that He hates divorce (cf. Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:11-12; 1 Corinthians 7:12-13). Furthermore, the fact that God would rather that His children work on their marriage instead of getting a divorce, for whatever reason(s), is made clear in 1 Peter 3:1-6.

Once more, the divine truth is that God hates divorce! This biblical truth should be very important to believers, especially since today’s believers and non-believers, when facing difficult or tumultuous marital circumstances, are not only too eager to dump their spouses but also too eager to feel that their divorce is justified. Believers, thus, need to know that, even though many of them will be tempted to divorce their other half for one, or several of the reasons previously mentioned, they must not rebel against God’s commands pertaining to the institution of marriage. If they do rebel, especially in this Rapture season, they very well could end up also walking away from their own salvation (that is to say, they will be divorcing God).

As the world’s false labor pains (Braxton Hick’s contractions) continue to increase in intensity and frequency (e.g., with catastrophes and hardships like the recent 2010 deadly Haitian earthquake or the 2009 global economic crises), it becomes more and more possible that many believers will be tempted to turn away from God, especially when He doesn’t answer their prayers the way they want. For this reason, married Christians, especially, must remember that not only are they wedded to an earthly spouse but also they are “betrothed,” spiritually speaking, to Jesus the Christ.

According to Jewish traditions, the bride and bridegroom are married during the betrothal period, but they do not live together or have sexual intercourse. To become “betrothed,” the bride (wife) must enter into a legally binding contract, which happens the very moment she accepts the bridegroom’s (husband’s) full marriage contract—his written marriage agreement, his cup of wine, and his bride price. The bride (wife) then waits at her parents’ home until her bridegroom (husband) finishes building the place where they are to live.

After the bridegroom (husband) returns from His father’s house, where he has been building the wedding chamber for his bride (wife), he gets his bride (who has remained faithful to him in his absence) and takes her home with him. Once there, they consummate their marriage and remain in their wedding chamber for seven days. When they leave their wedding chamber, they go to the banquet hall where they celebrate their marriage with invited wedding guests.

For sure, the fidelity vow between the Jewish bride (wife) and her bridegroom (husband) is just as important for today’s supernatural Bride of Christ as it was in the ancient Jewish culture. Indeed, in the past, if the “betrothed” woman broke her vows, like Mary the Mother of Jesus had been accused of doing, her fair punishment would be stoning! Even though believers are under Grace, the divine truth is that Jesus the Christ is ONLY coming back for those believers who are without spot or blemish—those believers whose WHOLE souls, spirits, and bodies have been fully sanctified (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23). The remaining believers, along with non-believers, will have to face the wrath of God, which is the Day of the Lord or Tribulation Period.

Since the Holy Spirit’s sanctification process is progressive, then believers cannot afford to divorce God (cannot afford to not cooperate with God’s Holy Spirit by choosing to walk away from God). Believers cannot refuse to let the Holy Spirit complete His sanctification process, because if believers choose to walk away from God (divorce God) during this Rapture season, it is quiet possible that at the very moment many of them obtain their spiritual divorce the Lord might come for His Bride.

Contrary to opinions, the Parable of the Ten Virgins does illustrate what will happen to believers if they are like the foolish five virgins who do not get raptured. It should be noted here that the English word “virgins,” as used in the King James’ version of the Holy Bible, is an English translation of the Greek word parqevnoß transliterated as “parthenos.” Since “parthenos” means marriageable maidens who have never had sexual intercourse with a man, then the ten virgins (symbolic of 5 wise plus 5 foolish Christians) collectively represent the Bride of Christ. Without a doubt, the Bridegroom (Jesus the Christ) is coming back for His Bride (wise Christians who have NO spot, wrinkle, or blemish), for the Apostle Paul says that Ephesians 5:25-31 are verses that pertain specifically to a “…great mystery,” adding that this great mystery is “…an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one” (Ephesians 5:32, NLT).

Therefore, it is that supernatural or mysterious oneness, that marriage union between Jesus the Christ and His Bride that is being symbolized in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Those believers who are not ready to be counted as wise virgins, as believers who have been completely sanctified—glorified or changed into the  image of Jesus the Christ—are like the five virgins who are left behind.

When Jesus the Christ leaves five virgins behind, when He shuts the door to Heaven (cf. Matthew 25:8-10; John 14:6; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 3:16, 20), He is thereby letting these five left-behind believers face the Tribulation Period! Definitely there will not be any EXCUSES that the Lord will accept from unprepared and careless believers who have divorced themselves from God by not allowing His Holy Spirit (represented by the “oil” in the aforesaid parable) to fill them so that they will have the strength and power to endure ALL circumstances, even marital situations, until Jesus the Christ comes in the clouds to rapture them.

For these reasons, Jesus the Christ (Bridegroom) is saying to believers (Bride): “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return” (Matthew 25:13, NLT). Since Creator God is believer’s Husband, Protector, and Redeemer (cf. Isaiah 54:5), they must be watchful, prepared, holy and righteous believers who remain surrendered to His beloved Son’s Lordship, in spite of whatever sickness, poverty, marital situations, or evil act they might experience.

For sure, once believers accept Jesus the Christ’s marriage contract—God’s saving grace; the Lord’s cup of blood; and His Bride’s price, which is salvation by faith in the crucified but resurrected Jesus the Christ—believers (Bride) must stay faithful to the Lord. They must keep themselves only unto Jesus the Christ for as long as they both might live, and that is eternally.

Believers (Bride) ONLY are faithful to the Lord when they are loyal to their wedding vows. Entering into a marriage contract with the Lord without seriously counting up the cost could mean that this person, or persons, might end up in a hasty divorce that has eternal implications!

See my Word Press blog entry: The Bridegroom is Coming: God’s Ultimate Marriage Story

Ready or Not, It’s Rapture Season

The Raptured Bride of Christ by unknown artist

The most popular argument that people worldwide use when they discuss the rapture topic is that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. The second most popular argument is that no one knows exactly when the “rapture” will happen.

Yes, the ACTUAL word “rapture” is not in, for example, the well-liked King James Version of the Holy Bible. However, there are other English words, which English-speaking believers all over the world use, that are not in the English translations of the Holy Bible, and two of the most familiar terms are Bible and Trinity.

Where the word “rapture” and the Scriptures that pertain to believers being “caught up” or “snatched away” are concerned, the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts used the word transliterated as harpazo, and the Latin Vulgate version of the Holy Bible, or Vulgate as it is called, used the word transliterated as rapturo. Produced by Jerome in the early 5th century, the Vulgate is a revised translation of the older Latin versions, and for many years the Vulgate was the source text used for many vernacular languages. In fact, many Latin words used in the English language have come from the Vulgate, with no change (or little change) in meaning or spelling. For example, the English language uses variations of the words apostolus, ecclesia, evangelium, angelus, creatio, salvatio, justificatio, testamentum, sanctificatio, regeneratio, and raptura (from the noun form of the verb rapiemur, which is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Then there is the no one knows exactly when the “rapture” will happen argument, which also is true. Indeed, Jesus the Christ says to: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42, KJV). The Scriptures also say that He will come LIKE a thief in the night; that is, the Lord will come for His CHURCH without giving a warning. As a result, unprepared individuals will not have any time to get ready for the Lord’s sudden arrival (cf. Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Revelation 3:3 and Revelation 16:15).

Now, even though NO ONE, not even Jesus the Christ Himself, knows when God will send the Lord back to Earth for the “catching up” or “snatching away” of those individuals who have a personal relationship with Jesus the Christ, the Lord Himself says that there will be signs of the times. Some of those definitive signs are the literal and figurative fig tree’s budding and blossoming, the symbolic lifestyles of the people living in Noah’s days, and the symbolic lifestyles of the people living in Sodom and Gomorrah during Abraham’s days. These declared signs let the prepared and watchful believers know that the Rapture season is upon them.

When eager holiday lovers prepare for the Christmas season, they do so by dutifully putting up seasonal decorations weeks in advance, or by cheerfully buying seasonal gifts way ahead of time, or by gladly purchasing seasonal food and drinks before Christmas day arrives. Then too, when enthusiastic sports fans prepare for the professional football or basketball season, they do so by loyally securing season tickets in advance, or by faithfully following the current season’s statistics on their favorite team(s), or by devotedly buying their favorite team’s paraphernalia. Likewise, believers also must prepare for the Rapture season!

In Matthew 24:40-42, it is evident that Jesus the Christ is talking about the “rapture,” and in verse 43 it is obvious that He is alluding to the Rapture season by describing the actions a knowledgeable, watchful homeowner would take. Furthermore, from these previously mentioned verses, it is clear that the Lord wants to develop an analogy through which He can compare the natural diligence and vigilance that surely would come from a well-informed homeowner to the supernatural awareness and alertness of spiritually mature and fruitfully productive believers. Jesus the Christ is saying that once the homeowner knows when a burglar is going to break into his house, this “goodman” carefully and attentively waits for the expected hour the burglar is to show up, hopeful that he will be able to stop the intruder from breaking into his home.

Conversely, the Lord is saying that even though Christians do not know exactly when the Lord will come back to “rapture” them, the Holy Spirit has made them spiritually wise, knowledgeable, and faithful Temples of the Lord who can discern the signs of the times. As such, like the natural homeowner, believers must be careful to use all of the spiritual information available to them so that they too can be incessantly diligent and vigilant individuals who are “…also ready: for in such an hour as [they] think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Believers not only must be ready for their Lord who is coming LIKE a thief in the night but also they must be looking forward to His soon-to-come arrival, hopeful that they will be able to stop Satan from shaking up their faith!

Finally, because there is NO biblical prophecy that needs to be fulfilled; that is, there is no major spiritual event that MUST happen before the “rapture” takes place, it is crucial for believers to know and to be looking for the signs of the times. It also is imperative for believing men and women to make sure that they are living a hopeful life—living like they are expecting their Lord to come at any moment to “catch up” His CHURCH (to return on a cloud to “rapture” them).

How Rich Are You In GOOD Works?

Many pastors and other spiritual leaders in today’s institutional church mistakenly think that they can be everything to everyone. The real truth is that it takes more than one person to meet the needs of every deprived church member. It also takes more than one person to meet the needs of the disadvantaged people in any community, any work environment, and so forth.

God teaches us in His Word that every believer must work together with other believers so that the needs of each person can be met. Notice what Hezekiah Walker’s choir sings in “I Need You To Survive.” They sing:

I need you; you need me.  We’re all a part of God’s Body. Stand with me; agree with me.  We’re all a part of God’s Body. It is His Will that every need be supplied. You are important to me.  I need you to survive.

Tragically, even though there are believers who spend time with other Christians, their conversations and behaviors usually don’t reflect an interest in spiritual matters. Consequently, most of these believers rarely focus on their mutual accountability, which primarily is their responsibility to one another—the biblical interdependency that exists within the Body of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:20-21, 26). This mutual accountability is why it also is heartbreaking that, despite the fact that most Christians attend worship services or Bible studies on a weekly basis, far too many of these believers contribute very little, or nothing at all, toward the relief of the poor.

It is upsetting to see Christians turning to the world to have their needs met, instead of seeking help from Jesus the Christ’s CHURCH. However, the truth of the matter is that most needy people feel more comfortable approaching non-Christians because many non-Christians do not tend to make those in need feel poor, worthless, or lazy.

Even sadder still is it to see Christians drifting away from depending on the Holy Spirit to direct their steps. Still, although many believers know that the Holy Spirit is the One who ministers through them, where helping the needy is concerned, there are materialistically, financially, and/or spiritually “rich” believers who ignore the Holy Spirit’s “provoking,” especially when His “provoking” pertains to His accountability ministries. These “wealthy” believers conveniently decide to forget that they must be good stewards of ALL of the resources that God has given them.

Nevertheless, God’s requirement still stands. Believers, especially wealthy believers, are to do the GOOD works Jesus the Christ expects from them, which includes honoring their responsibility to help those in need. To fulfill their responsibilities, believers must use ALL of the resources that God has given them. Believers also must be careful to give abundantly out of their abundance; they must be careful to share inclusively, never overlooking anyone who is in need; and they must be careful to invest wholeheartedly not only in their own but also in other believers’ spiritual maturity and their heavenly home. These mutually shared Christian responsibilities, thus, are why the Apostle Paul specifically gives instructions to the materialistically, financially, and/or spiritually “rich” believers in the Ephesian church.

The Ephesian church consisted primarily of members from the upper-lower class to the lower-middle class, with a few lower-lower class (destitute, homeless, permanently unemployed) and upper-upper class (high society) members in the mix. The Ephesian well-to-do women and homeowners were considered the “rich church people.” Since the Apostle Paul was concerned about the spiritual state of the Ephesians who were wealthy believers, he instructs these Christians to not put their hope in this world’s wealth, because putting their trust in the world’s wealth will cause them to rely more on their own riches and accomplishments instead of relying on their God.

Indeed, Jesus the Christ makes it clear that no one can serve two masters at the same time, a saying which means that no one could serve money and God simultaneously (cf. Matthew 6:24). The Lord also implies that the security of money in the economy of His day, and in today’s economy, is uncertain. For sure, events and catastrophes, then and now, can take away a person’s worldly wealth in the amount of time that it takes the heart to beat a single heartbeat.

The inability for people to serve two masters and the uncertainty related to money, material goods, and/or worldly status are also why the Apostle Paul warns the Ephesian Christians about relying on their worldly riches and worldly status. He reminds them that their true source of life and wealth is in God and in Him alone. This divine truth is why the apostle warns the “rich” Ephesians that their reliance on their wealth and material possessions, or worldly status, is antithetical to their reliance on God.

Now, monetary gains and material wealth do have their own place in believers’ lives. It even is okay for Christians to strive for money and material possessions, but only so that they can use their wealth and worldly possessions for doing good works! In other words, believers’ Christian living must include practical expressions of generosity, as well as a willingness to share!

Therefore, because the Apostle Paul wants the “rich” Ephesians to have the right perspective on worldly wealth, he tells them that they must use their money and material possessions responsibly, explaining to them that their responsible use of their riches and worldly possessions will earn them spiritual benefits from the treasure that they “lay up” for themselves in Heaven. That is to say, their altruistic sharing and giving will prove that they have a genuine faith in God—prove that they rely on/trust in God. As a result, their generosity and willingness to share will build for them a firm foundation in the Age that is to come.

In 1 Timothy 6:19, the Apostle Paul, then, is building on Jesus the Christ’s teaching about the riches on Earth being nothing in comparison to the riches in heaven. The apostle is telling the “rich” Ephesian Christians that in order for them to be able to claim their spiritual benefits they first must form a healthy attitude of detachment toward their money, material possessions, and worldly status! Apostle Paul makes it clear that until these wealthy believers exchange their worldly riches for spiritual wealth, they will not have any practical evidence (no sharing or giving) that proves they have a new life in Jesus the Christ. Only the believers who fulfill their commitment to a mutual accountability in a caring church will demonstrate the kind of responsible behavior (the building of a firm spiritual foundation) that is representative of their unshakeable certainty in God’s divine promise that their Christian hope for an eternal life is secure.

Because much wealth has been given to just a few people, much is required of them. Moreover, where wealthy believers are concerned, God not only has given them riches but also He has provided many opportunities for these believers to do good works—opportunities that other believers will never have. For sure, it is wealthy Christians’ generosity that God uses the most when He is supplying money, goods, and other blessings to those individuals who have needs. Ultimately, when rich Christians are living a life of righteousness, patience, and love, these believers not only will recognize that they have a responsibility to stewardship but also they will be generous givers.

How rich are you in GOOD works?  Are you laying up any spiritual treasure for the Age that is to come?  Are you being a good steward who responsibly administers the world’s wealth that God has blessed you to have? AMEN.

“Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:19, KJV).

Holding Tightly To The Hope We Say We Have

Christmas is that time of the year when family and friends come together with plans to give the Gift of life and gifts of love. Indeed, there are many gifts that are given on Christmas day, and throughout the holiday season.  However, there is only one Gift that keeps on giving, and that Gift is Jesus the Christ—the everlasting Gift of life—for He is always there for us by way of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Now, even though the Word of God and the indwelling/infilling of the Holy Spirit are more than enough to sustain every believer, we are not here on this Earth just to satisfy our own physical and spiritual needs.  As long as sin is in the world, there will be believers who need to be encouraged, enlightened, empowered, and strengthened in their faith and their walk with the Lord—not to mention the countless number of unsaved individuals who must be evangelized.

Therefore, we must know that our Practical Sanctification means that the Holy Spirit is moving us to do useful acts of love that demonstrate who we are in the Lord. To this end, God uses all of His believers to encourage one another toward making better use of the Holy Spirit’s resources that are available for believers. Consequently, it should stand to reason that we must be in fellowship with other Christians, and that before we can minister effectively to others’ needs and before we can motivate them to make better use of their God-given resources we also must have spiritual mentors in our lives.

Since our MAIN goal in uniting with other believers is to encourage one another toward spiritual maturity and toward using our spiritual resources, then Holy Spirit-led believers also should use their church’s fellowship periods specifically for ministering to congregants’ natural and spiritual needs. However, before believers can motivate others to love and to do good deeds, they must make certain that they are faithfully consistent in their own spiritual lives!

Therefore, our spiritual growth, which our Practical Sanctification achieves, must not be hindered by our individual soul’s deficiencies. In other words, before we can minister effectively to others (Christians and unbelievers), we first must be able to demonstrate the moral fiber that is in agreement with Jesus the Christ’s characteristics! If we are faithful believers who truly have Christ-like characteristics that we steadily manifest, then we will be able to provide  honest answers to the following questions:

Are you holding tightly to the hope that you claim to have, without wavering? Is your hope in Jesus the Christ? Are you growing in God’s Holy Spirit? Are you uniting with other believers?  Are you ministering to other believers? AMEN.

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope that we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works” (Hebrews 10:23-24, NLT).

Merry Christmas 2009 & Happy New Year 2010

Give Me That Church And Mega-size It, Please

Building Project for First Baptist Dallas

More bang for the buck is the global shopper’s mantra of the century. That is why, even though it isn’t healthy to do so, many people still are “supersizing” their fast-food value meals. Many also are visiting king-size theme parks for more spectacular attractions and superb entertainment, and they are shopping at various membership warehouse club stores for bulk packages of food and drink, and household goods.

As a result, fast-food restaurants that are not supersizing their meals might find it hard to compete with a McDonald’s or a Burger King that is. Then too, the local amusement places, those that do not have hundreds of acres of breathtaking attractions and extraordinary entertainment, also might find it hard to compete with a Disneyland or a Six Flags Over Los Angeles (a.k.a. Magic Mountain) that does have the acreage, attractions, and entertainment. Last, it is obvious that ordinary grocery stores cannot compete with the bulk sizes found in a Costco or a Sam’s Club.

In fact, it is because of our love for bigger and so-called better things that many of us have a difficult time being happy with anything that is the “regular” size. This love for bigger and so-called better things also is the reason why, even though we might not be able to fulfill our dreams, we still long to live in homes as enormous as castles, or long to drive fully loaded full-size cars, or long to be members of mega-churches that offer us all of the amenities found in shopping malls (like banks, coffee shops, bookstores, spas, weight rooms, and so forth).

Concerning our churches, many pastors have adopted a Field of Dreams philosophy—if we build it, they will come. My, my, my, how twisted we have gotten the Great Commission. Instead of The CHURCH going into the world and turning it upside down, the world has come into our institutional church and turned it inside out, which is why many of our churches are now nothing more than a branded product. In these branded churches, we are marketing and selling the Gospel and, by extension, Jesus the Christ, and our consumers (Christian members) are expecting our churches to promote, sell, and distribute our goods and services (the Gospel and, by extension, Jesus the Christ, as consumer options) just like we would promote, sell, and distribute an amusement park, something that entertains, a car, house, food, and so forth!

As Tyler Wigg-Stevenson writes in the article “Jesus Is Not A Brand”:

In other words, people who respond to church marketing approach Jesus as another consumer option. This is first and foremost a problem because it is blasphemy: We are talking about the incarnate Logos, not a logo. Additionally (in case blasphemy isn’t bad enough), this should concern us because of the problems it creates for discipleship. Consumerism isn’t just a social phenomenon—it’s a spirituality. And it comes with spiritual habits and disciplines that conflict with the particular practices of the Christian life. (p. 4)

It is no wonder then that this view of salvation—marketing for selling and distributing—has contributed to why we now are more concerned with building mega-churches that have evangelistic windows than concerned with ministering to people’s spiritual needs by first winning them over with the Good News about Jesus the Christ, and then infecting them with our love for God and our zeal to glorify Him in the world. How foolish it is for anyone to think that church windows can do the Great Commission work that has been assigned to every believer!

While it is true that the Lord can have the rocks cry out His name and/or worship Him, God does not want this scenario to be the norm. Thus, creating windows that have an evangelistic effect—that say to people “come and see” what we have in our church—is not what we are called to do. We ALL are called to be evangelists (preachers and/or teachers of the Gospel) who then make disciples of the saved ones. We must “go and make” disciples of mankind rather than sit and wait for our evangelistic windows to draw into our mega-church buildings those who are on the outside looking inside!

Jesus the Christ says: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20a, NLT). How, then, do we justify using sky-high amounts of money for building mammoth churches? Why are we not putting the millions of dollars earmarked for church building projects toward the advancement of the Kingdom of God on Earth? Are we not supposed to be about our Father’s business? Isn’t God’s business about influencing the people we meet for Jesus the Christ, and about making an impact upon our surroundings, the community in which we live, so that we fulfill our part in the salvation of lost souls and the spiritual growth/maturity of the saved?

When our Lord commands us “to occupy” until He returns, He certainly doesn’t mean for us to be so busy building bigger churches, only for members to sit in during Saturday or Sunday worship services and weekday Bible studies, or just so members can use their own banks, spas, weight rooms, coffee shops, and bookstores, that we merely produce a small fraction of our mega-church members who actually fulfill their evangelistic and disciple-making responsibilities! If this is what the building of bigger churches has come to, then clearly we will have some explaining to do!

For more of “Jesus Is Not A Brand,” please read Tyler Wigg-Stevenson’s January 2009 Christianity Today article in full. Also read Jared Wilson’s “Six Flags Over Jesus” entry on his The Gospel-Driven Church blog, and please read Michael Craven’s May 2009 article, “‘If You Build It, They Will Come’ Ecclesiology,” on Crosswalk.com.

It Is Quite Possible For Us To Misuse Our Spiritual Gifts

We are living in a time when it is obvious that many of the people who should be respected for their integrity and sincerity often are criticized for not having any integrity at all, and they are criticized too for not being serious enough! Perhaps these condemnations are why it is increasingly harder for us to place our total trust in our teachers or professors, lawyers, doctors, police officers, firefighters, military personnel, government officials, journalists, and our ministers and Christian friends.

Where today’s institutional “church” is concerned, too many of the Christians who function as the spiritual/religious leaders who also teach the Word of God are the people who frequently are criticized for their lack of integrity (character/honesty) and sincerity. It is apparent that the Apostle Paul must have seen this lack of integrity and sincerity in the first-century “church,” because in Titus 2:7 he warns those who teach the Word of God this way: “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching” (NLT).

In spite of this warning, there are 21^st century Christian spiritual/religious leaders, functioning as Bible teachers, who speak ungodly thoughts and do ungodly acts, and many of these Christian spiritual/religious leaders often use this disclaimer: “The Lord knows my heart.” To them, this disclaimer is supposed to imply that they are not responsible for any bad outcomes, because they only had “good intentions” in mind, despite the fact that their words and/or actions resulted in something contrary to “good works.” The truth is that even though these Christian spiritual/religious leaders claim to be moral and/or religious people, their character and earnestness often prove them to be otherwise.

Furthermore, just like we know that there are Christian believers who speak ungodly thoughts and do ungodly acts, we also know that there are unbelievers who say these words: Jesus is Lord. Since there are many moral and/or religious unbelievers who sincerely say that they believe Jesus is Lord, then what makes them unbelievers is something other than their character and sincerity. For sure, Jesus the Christ declares that there will be MANY who call Him Lord, Lord who will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but He does not use their lack of character and sincerity as the reasons why. The Lord, however, does tactfully reference their obedience, desires, and determination, for it is their obedience to God’s Word and their godly desires (righteous motives) and determination to do the Will of the Father that cause our Lord to recognize those moral and spiritual individuals who get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:21-23 ).

Thus, whether or not a 1^st or 21^st-century person is a born-again believer or a devoted unbeliever, this much is true: A distorted point of view of what it means to be spiritual is not new.  Moreover, our trusted “spiritual/religious leaders” are guilty of teaching their distorted perspective to many people, and their skewed  point of view has done more to hinder these individuals’ spiritual growth than to facilitate it.

From the time of the Scribes and Pharisees, when our Lord preached and taught, until our time of televised spiritual/religious leaders, spirituality continues to be measured by external appearances rather than by the motives of the human spirit. In His day, by teaching the Scribes and the Pharisees that spirituality goes beyond the letter of the Law (that spirituality reaches into the spirit of the matter), our Lord turned the Jewish religious leaders’ definition of spirituality inside out and the Jewish religious system upside down.

Knowing that we would have spiritual/religious leaders who would not agree on what spirituality really means is probably why God not only has Jesus the Christ’s Sermon on the Mount preachings and teachings included in the Holy Bible but also why He inspired the Apostle Paul to teach the Corinthians about spirituality, as spirituality pertains to having and using spiritual gifts (those spiritual ‘things’ that come from the spirit realm of the Holy Spirit).

In 1 Corinthians 12:1-3, the apostle writes:

Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. (NLT)

From these verses we understand that the Apostle Paul believes there are two kinds of spirituality: (1) False Spirituality that comes into our spiritually dead, unclean spirits by way of Satan’s deceptive and demonic spirits, and these deceptive and demonic spirits are those that lead us astray—lead us away from worshipping a living, speaking God to worshipping speechless idols; and (2) True Spirituality that comes into our born again, saved, righteous spirits by way of God’s truthful and Divine Holy Spirit, and God’s truthful and Divine Holy Spirit is the One who leads us toward God and toward an intimate relationship with a living, speaking God, instead of away from Him.

For sure, the Scriptures make it clear that true spirituality involves using our Holy Spirit given spiritual gifts, power, and authority to glorify God by the love that we show to Him and to our fellow human beings, by the camaraderie, unity (harmony), and shared goals we have with one another, by the fulfillment of our evangelistic and discipleship responsibilities, and by the sacrificial, unselfish lives that we live that are pleasing to God and our Lord, Jesus the Christ. However, as mentioned earlier, spiritual/religious leaders distort this definition of spirituality. Indeed, when spiritual/religious leaders teach that a benchmark of superior spirituality is the spiritual gifts people not only have but also use, then they have distorted the definition of what God means by spirituality. For these church and ministry leaders, any believer who does not have, or does not use, any of the spiritual gifts, specifically those listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, this believer has an inferior spirituality. Moreover, any person who is thought to have an inferior spirituality cannot be a pastor, trustee, deacon, Sunday School teacher, choir member, and so forth, in these spiritual/religious leaders’ churches and/or ministries.

Without a doubt, their superior/inferior spirituality is nothing more than the Scribes and Pharisees’ old external appearance standard that Jesus the Christ teaches is wrong to use, especially when this standard is used to judge a person’s spirituality. The truth of the matter is that spiritual gifts are neither the standard for judging spirituality nor the yardstick for measuring the rank/position a person can hold in the institutional church.

Not using spiritual gifts as a way to judge someone’s spirituality is the reason why, for example, when the Corinthians begin to misuse their spiritual gifts, power, and authority in conjunction with creating divisions and cliques, and when they begin to abuse their liberties and begin to allow carnality to outweigh spirituality, the Apostle Paul writes his two letters to them to warn them about their superior spirituality attitudes. The apostle  makes it clear to these Corinthians that true spirituality DOES NOT motivate people to judge individuals’ positions or importance in the local church or the Body of Christ by the spiritual gifts, power, and authority these individuals have and use. He also makes it clear that true spirituality DOES NOT motivate people to use their spiritual gifts, power, and authority to cause divisions and cliques within the local church or the Body of Christ. The Apostle makes it clear that true spirituality DOES NOT motivate people to pursue personal glory, to promote themselves, or to make themselves prosperous.

This same apostle also gives quite the opposite definition of spirituality than the one that spiritual/religious leaders have distorted. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that true spirituality ONLY motivates individuals to use their spiritual gifts, power, and authority sacrificially. He adds that true spirituality motivates people to make sure that “others” receive the help and edification they need, first! Lastly, where spirituality is concerned, the apostle makes it clear that the Corinthian church members who have chosen him as their spiritual leader must know that his actual preaching and teaching demonstrates the power of the Gospel only because he relies on the power of the Holy Spirit!

Therefore, when Apostle Paul says “So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3, NLT), he is making it clear that the Holy Spirit ONLY can influence people to speak the truth about Jesus the Christ. Thus, if believers say that Jesus is accursed (v. 3a), then it is evident that these believers have misused their spiritual gifts, especially those spiritual gifts that involve speaking a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, prophesying, speaking in many tongues, and  interpreting tongues (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10)!

As mentioned earlier, just as some unbelievers can speak Gospel truths, like saying, “Jesus is Lord,” believers can speak ungodly thoughts or do ungodly acts. In the Corinthians’ case, the Apostle Paul knows that many of the Corinthians he is addressing have done just that—spoken ungodly thoughts and/or done ungodly acts—while claiming to have spirituality. The spirituality that many  Corinthians have, however, is representative of their present evil age. From this last statement, we can draw this conclusion: Just like the Corinthians’ Greek wisdom is not Almighty God’s wisdom (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:4-8), the spirituality  that Corinthian church members have claimed after they have said that Jesus is accursed (an anathema) is not from God either (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3a)!

That is why Apostle Paul warns the  Corinthians, especially those Corinthians who have the God-kind of spirituality, about their need to be careful not to allow themselves to be led astray, once again, by the same deceitful and demonic spirits who, while they were yet unbelievers, led them astray to worship speechless idols. If they let demonic spirits lead them astray this time, now that they have accepted Jesus the Christ as their Savior, they will end up speaking lies about the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:2-3a).

Since there are some Christian Corinthians who have called the Lord an anathema, the Apostle Paul teaches them in 1 Corinthians 12:3a that only demonic spirits can influence these believers to speak lies about Jesus the Christ. Therefore, if only demonic spirits can influence believers to speak lies about Jesus the Christ, then it must be true that only demonic spirits can influence believers to do evil deeds.

On the other hand, God’s Holy Spirit influences believers to view their spirituality, spiritual gifts, power, and authority in light of the Cross so that they will come to understand the reasons why God has allowed His Holy Spirit to give believers these special abilities. Believers are given their spiritual gifts, power and authority so that they might interpret the spiritual (deeper things) of God by the spiritual words the Holy Spirit gives them to speak. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the One who influences believers to use their spiritual gifts, power, and authority with integrity and sincerity, according to the degree that the Holy Spirit works in them (cf. Ephesians 3:16-20).

Knowing, however, that believers often will display improper Christian ethical behaviors (that they might say ungodly things and do ungodly acts) is why the Apostle John tells believers that they must try EVERY spirit so that they might know which spirit is from God and which spirit is from the Devil (cf. 1 John 4:1). Since this battle between good and evil involves whether or not we are able to discern, spiritually speaking, which spirit is influencing our thoughts and actions, then this battle definitely is NOT just in our minds! Contrary to what some of the most renowned televised apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are preaching, teaching, or writing about that concerns the battle against good and evil being in our minds, God and the Devil are not just battling for control of our minds but rather for control of our souls! Since each human soul is made up of the mind, will (determination), desires, and emotions, in essence, every individual’s unique personality, then it shouldn’t be hard to comprehend why both God and the Devil are battling for the control of EVERYTHING that makes us a living soul!

Given that the Holy Spirit is the One who is the breath of life in us, then we need to know what are His other functions. One of the Holy Spirit’s functions in this world is to glorify Jesus the Christ by revealing His majesty and glory, which are in God’s Word. Other Holy Spirit functions are for Him to reveal all of God’s Divine Truths and “deeper things”; for Him to convict people of their sins; for Him to influence people to accept Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior; for Him to fill believers with passion, power, and authority; for Him to endow believers with spiritual gifts; and for Him to produce in believers a Christ-centered life. While fulfilling His earthly assignments, the Holy Spirit ONLY can proclaim and bear witness to Jesus the Christ’s Lordship, and He does so because God sent the Holy Spirit to us: (1) to enable us to see Jesus the Christ’s glory, majesty, power and authority so that we will decide to submit to God’s Will and to Jesus the Christ’s Lordship; and (2) to enable us to see Jesus the Christ’s purity and righteousness so that we will pattern our lives after our Lord and Savior’s life.

Therefore, God’s love and grace provide the Holy Spirit for us so that He will be the ONLY One who not only influences our dead spirits to receive by faith the preached Word pertaining to our need to be born again, but also so that He will be the ONLY One who influences our regenerated spirits to confess and repent ours sins, and the ONLY One who influences our regenerated spirits to accept Jesus the Christ as our Lord and Savior. Likewise, when Jesus the Christ returns to this Earth, the Holy Spirit will be the ONLY One who convicts EVERY tongue to confess that Jesus the Christ is Lord, even though many who confess this Divine Truth at that time will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matthew 7:21-23)!

The Apostle John also says:

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God (1 John 4:13-15, NLT).

This same apostle also says that if we say that we love God but hate some of our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, then we are liars, because we cannot say that we love God, whom we cannot see, and with the same mouth say that we hate some of our fellow Christians! This voiced hatred is a clear contradiction of God’s Word. God commands those of us who say that we love Him to love our Christian sisters and brothers (cf. 1 John 4:20-21).

In some other Scriptures, the Apostle John declares:

So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7, NLT).

Similarly, the Apostle Paul tells the “spiritual” Corinthians that, when the Holy Spirit speaks through them, He ONLY can give them Divine Truths to speak. Therefore, if there are “spiritual” Corinthians using their spiritual gifts (their word of wisdom, word of knowledge, different languages, discernment of spirits, prophecy, interpretation of languages, and so forth) to curse Jesus the Christ (to say that our Lord is an anathema; to claim that He is cursed or damned, and, thus, cannot be redeemed), and then they support what they claim by declaring that the Holy Spirit gave them what to say, then these people are liars!

So when the Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Holy Spirit could NEVER say that Jesus is an anathema, he is both calling these “spiritual” Christians a liar and correcting these liars. In essence, the apostle is making it clear that God’s Holy Spirit could NEVER lie on or about Jesus the Christ by leading believers to say that Jesus the Christ is an anathema, because to do so would mean that the Holy Spirit is calling God the Father a liar. Certainly, there are Scriptures that tell us that God neither is like humans who tell lies, nor like humans who change their minds (cf. Numbers 23:19).

Now, while there are some 21^st-century Christians who believe that a person cannot be spiritual (have spirituality, spiritual gifts, power, and authority) and speak lies against Jesus the Christ, this belief is not biblically sound. The Corinthian believers in Apostle Paul’s day are proof that believers can have true spiritual yet lack the proper discipline that keeps their sinful habits in check.

According to Apostle Paul, these Corinthian believers are spiritual, for they have received the Holy Spirit who has revealed to them some spiritual truths that ONLY the God-kind of spiritual people can understand (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14), but because they used to be very immature, spiritually speaking, they were living in such a way that they demonstrated a depressing deficiency in their spiritual perspective.  As a consequence, since they had not grown to the level of spirituality that the Apostle Paul believed they should have been, the apostle says that he only could talk to them like they were babies (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

This child-like level of true spirituality is where many of us live, move, and have our being. That is why spiritually mature Christians constantly must remind themselves that NOBODY becomes morally perfect at the moment he or she becomes saved. Moreover, spiritually mature believers must remind themselves that every believer will not take the same amount of time to reach a mature level of spirituality. Spiritually mature believers also must keep in mind that the Scriptures warn them that in the last days, even God’s very elect (His chosen; those who have received salvation) can be deceived and end up turning away from their faith (cf. Matthew 24:24). These truths are why the Christians who have true spirituality must be careful not to allow themselves to be influenced by demonic forces whose goal not only is to lead these believers to say and/or do things that are ungodly but also their goal is to get believers to think about their guilt and then feel so guilty about their sins that they turn away from the Gospel’s  Truth!

For sure, until we are glorified, we will continue to do and say things that neither glorify nor please God. However, when we know who we are in Jesus the Christ (know that our identity has changed and that we are justified, are declared righteous in the eyes of God), then we also will know how to correct our sinful and morally unethical behaviors.

In other words, we believers still sin; however,  we DO NOT practice sinning. This last statement means that although we still can sin, after we have been saved, we cannot make a habit of sinning, like the Devil does, and like we did when we were unregenerate and unsaved sinners, because  the Holy Spirit in us disciplines us and influences our immediate repentance of the sins we have committed (cf. 1 John 1:8-10;  2:1-2; 3:8-9; and 5:18).  Furthermore, even though we still sin, we ARE spiritual and have the God-kind of spirituality simply because we have the Holy Spirit in us. This last statement also is true of the spiritual Corinthians. They too have true spirituality because they have the Holy Spirit in them.  The Holy Spirit, thus, not only is inside ALL of us who believe in Jesus the Christ so that He can convict us of our sins, but also He is inside us so that He can help us by teaching us how to grow up, spiritually speaking!

Then too, there are other modern-day Christians who believe that God’s Holy Spirit ONLY speaks through born again, saved Christians.  However, this belief is not biblically sound, either. The Apostle Paul also uses the Corinthian church members to confirm to these Corinthians, and to today’s believers, that it is possible for God’s Spirit to give believers and unbelievers the ability to confess that Jesus as Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3). Indeed, we who are now saved are nothing more than sinners saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus the Christ, which the mighty workings of the HOLY SPIRIT make possible, starting when He, while we are still habitual sinners, first convinces us that we need to be born again, and continuing His influence until we are reconciled and restored back to our right standing in God (cf. Romans 5:8-11). After we are justified, through the Holy Spirit’s process of sanctification, the process of taking us from one level of glory to the next level of glory, we ultimately receive our glorified bodies (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18)!

The point that we must not forget, however, is that demonic spirits can influence believers as well as unbelievers!  This truth is why the apostles Paul and John warn us to be careful about which spirit(s) we are allowing to influence us. If the Holy Spirit is not influencing and leading us, then it is Satan’s demonic spirits who are influencing and leading us. The battle is indeed not with flesh and blood beings, but rather with those spirits who exist in the spirit realm (cf.  Ephesians 6:12), which is why, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, we must pull down every wicked imagination that raises its ugly head up against the Divine knowledge about God and Jesus the Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

When all is said and done, we must use our spirituality, spiritual gifts, power, and authority ONLY to reflect the Truth about God’s Divine Light, instead of using  our spiritual abilities to spread Satan’s lies about this world’s darkness! Therefore, just like the Corinthian church members are not being led by God’s Holy Spirit to use their spiritual gifts of discernment, prophecy, wise advice (word of wisdom), special knowledge (word of knowledge), and so forth, when they call our Lord an anathema, today’s believers also are NOT being led by the Holy Spirit when they use their spiritual gifts to speak this same lie! Both the 1^st century and 21^st-century believers, the ones who use their spiritual gifts to spread lies about Jesus the Christ, are misusing their spiritual gifts.

Thankfully, God allows the Holy Spirit to speak through today’s willing and obedient spiritual leaders who are eager to teach us about the kinds of spiritual abuses that were happening in the Corinthian church and are still going on in today’s churches. Spiritual leaders like these are the believers  who, having the God-kind of righteous motives, are doing the Will of Father God who wants them, and us, to live and walk in the Holy Spirit  24/7 (cf. Galatians 5:25-26).

Believers’ true spirituality, spiritual gifts, power, and authority are the works of the Holy Spirit, and these works are supernatural because they involve God’s spirit realm. However, false spirituality also involves the spirit realm, but it is Satan’s spirit realm. At the end of each day, the difference between true and false spirituality, then, will be in knowing which spirit is leading us—the difference between true and false spirituality will be in knowing whether we are being led by the Holy Spirit of God, or whether we are being led by Satan’s demonic spirits! This knowledge also will help us to resolve our problems with dishonesty and hypocrisy, which we display every time we teach distorted views of God’s Truths, and every time we misuse the spiritual gifts God has given to us through His Holy Spirit.

An Invitation To The Walking Dead: Come Alive Through The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit!

There are many Christians who are alcoholics, workaholics, shop-a-holics, smoke-a-holics, lie-a-holics, sex-a-holics, and so forth, and they are hurting people seeking to ease their pains of life with habits and activities that they believe will feed their individual “hunger” spirit. They are addicted to habits and activities that, on the surface, appear to enliven them, when, in actuality, these Christian addicts are nothing more than the walking dead—their spirits are alive but their bodies and minds are still enslaved by the world’s systems. They, thus, are dead to a Holy Spirit-filled life, which is a life in which believers not only are living in close fellowship with God but also are living as overcomers with Christ Jesus, while trusting God for more supernatural endowments (gifts) and a deeper empowerment than most believers ever experience.

Then there are many Christians who live miserable, defeated and/or walking dead lives, all because they stray off the path that leads to righteousness and do not return to the Lord’s way. Furthermore, while traveling down the wrong path, most of them become utterly deceived. Their ignorance about what truly is in the Holy Bible also causes them to operate/function outside of the full power of God. Because they put their faith in their own strength, intelligence, wisdom, fame, money, and/or possessions, instead of living a Christ-centered life that yields to (submits to) the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit, these believers, like the abovementioned Christian addicts, end up trying to ease their hurts and pains with their own methods, which are in accordance with their own understandings.

Jesus the Christ wants hurting, addicted, and defeated people, non-Christians and believers, to live lives that are in harmony with His Word. However, before they can live the God-kind of Christian lifestyle, these hurting, addicted, and defeated people first must realize that Jesus the Christ is the ONLY ONE in this world who can provide them with the proper healing method.

Living a life without having Jesus the Christ as the source of their help and healing, especially in these times of need, will cause these hurting, addicted, and defeated individuals to continue to be the walking dead. The Lord, however, wants their lives to be LIVING testimonies of the goodness, mercy, grace, and love of God. For this reason, these walking dead also must give Jesus the Christ all of their hurts and pains so that He can let the Holy Spirit give them the peace of God.

Christ invites every hurting, addicted, and/or defeated person to come alive in the Holy Spirit—to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and to be baptized in fire (cf. Matthew 3:11, KJV). Both baptisms refer to making a permanent change. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is being filled or flooded with the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit also means being saturated with zeal, fired up for Jesus the Christ and the sake of the Gospel (change number 1). Being baptized in fire is becoming sanctified—becoming a spiritually mature fruit producer (change number 2).

The Holy Spirit is God’s fiery Spirit who baptizes, floods/fills, God’s children by endowing and empowering them so that they fervently can work as One Body in Christ toward fulfilling the purpose  of making disciples of mankind (the Great Commission). He also fills their hearts/spirits with the LIGHT of Jesus the Christ so that they can shine in this dark world. Next, the Holy Spirit fire baptizes God’s children by thoroughly cleansing (burning off the impurities of sin) so as to make God’s children holy/pure. Baptism in fire, thus, symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit’s sanctification actions. Therefore, both baptisms are needed in the sanctification process, for they work together to shine/burn in humans, to fuse believers into one Body in Christ, to lead, to guide, to teach, to reveal, to heal, to mature, to make spiritually productive, and to refine or purify the body and soul/mind so that they (the body and soul) can be glorified.

The bottom line is that it is not enough to have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of believers.  Every justified believer receives (possesses) the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Bible has Scriptures that prove that  the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate event. Therefore, the Holy Spirit also must fill/flood and fire-purify believers so that He can transform them into the image of Jesus the Christ! AMEN.

“God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32b, KJV).

Name-Calling Insults The Creator And His Creations

There are so many Americans, Christians and non-Christians, who DAILY have been voicing their opinions about President Obama and his administration. While American people are “free” to speak what is on their minds, when their thoughts become venomous fault-finding criticisms that are nothing more than name-calling insults, this kind of attack on President Obama is both unjustifiable and unholy! In cases like this one, these name callers will need to undergo an attitudinal change (experience an internal transformation) before these hecklers, hissers, mockers, scoffers, and deriders even would want to or are able to reconcile with their president!

Jesus the Christ sharply rebukes a biblical group of name callers. This group of hecklers, hissers, mockers, scoffers, and deriders is the Pharisees. The Lord harshly criticizes the Pharisees for their dogmatic conservative beliefs in the Law, because their beliefs have caused them to have ONLY an outward conformity to the commands of God. In other words, the Pharisees understand the LETTER OF THE LAW, for they keep it outwardly, but they do not comprehend the SPIRITUAL INTENT OF THE LAW, which is why they cannot keep the Law inwardly (in their hearts/spirits), for they have no internal spirituality.

Contrary to the Pharisees’ understanding of and opinions about the Law, Jesus the Christ says that true obedience to the Law is inextricably connected to their inner attitudes. This Divine Truth is why the Lord begins His Sermon on the Mount with the BE-ATTITUDES (the attitudes that must be in their inward parts—in their hearts/human spirits—because it is their inner attitudes that control what they think, say, and do). This Divine Truth also is why Jesus Christ teaches about His interpretations of the Law, which are diametrically opposed to the Pharisees’ outward display of hypocritical righteousness.

In a series of contrasts given in Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus the Christ teaches about murder and hatred; adultery and lust; divorce and marriage; oaths and retaliation; and love and hatred toward enemies, stressing that our sins involve our thoughts as well as our actual deeds. For instance, murdering someone is not limited to taking someone’s physical life. We also can show contempt for someone’s life through our name-calling, which not only insults the person but also insults the Creator God who made mankind in His image! That’s why the Lord tells the Pharisees that they will be in danger of God’s wrath when they are angry with their brothers without any reasons, and then proceed to call them names. Name-calling, thus, makes these Pharisees just as much a murderer as the person who commits the physical act of murder!

Under the Law, if the Pharisees called their Jewish brothers “Raca” (meaning: empty-headed one; vain; worthless; good-for-nothing), they would be in danger of being censured by their Sanhedrin Council.  However, they could be in danger of God’s Lake of Fire judgment if they say “thou fool” (meaning: idiot; hopeless person). These judgments are God’s stiff punishments to name callers, because name callers are guilty of letting the anger in their hearts/spirits control the words that come out of their mouths, or they are guilty of letting the anger in their hearts/spirits control the thoughts they write or the deadly physical actions they carry out.

For these reasons, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus the Christ instructs the name-calling Pharisees to reconcile immediately with their brothers who have made them angry, and to do so before ever attempting to leave an offering on God’s altar. If they don’t reconcile their acrimonious relationships, they will suffer the consequences, which could include facing the charges their brethren could bring against them for the reproachful and vitriolic words these Pharisees have spoken or written against them. If found guilty, for example, by the Sanhedrin Council, these name-calling Pharisees could end up owing much more than an apology and a petition for forgiveness!

Thus, just as these Pharisees needed to change their inner attitudes before they truly could say they were keeping God’s Law, the same is true for today’s Christians! Believers cannot say that they are keeping God’s commandments when they publicly and/or privately are vilifying and/or murdering people (President Obama included) with their scathing name-calling. For sure, today’s believers who are name callers also will need to change their inner attitudes (develop righteous attitudes in their hearts/spirits) before they truthfully could say that they are being obedient to the Word of God—being holy and righteous doers of the Word instead of being just hearers or readers of the Word!  AMEN.

“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled with thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:22-24, KJV).

Easier for Camel to Pass Through Eye of Needle Hyperbole

Camel Through the Eye of a Needle Hyperbole

There are different discussions about this statement: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24; see parallel Scriptures Mark 10:25 and  Luke 18:25). The differences in what is discussed have to do with whether or not Jesus the Christ actually uses the word “camel” in these aforementioned verses, or if He uses the word “rope.” Other differences involve whether or not the “eye of the needle” pertains to an ancient trade gate to Jerusalem, used after hours for trade caravans; an ancient mountain pass that was difficult for caravans to get through without losing everything to robbers; an ancient low gate to inns; a sewing needle; or a surgeon’s needle.

For the purpose of this piece, this writer is going with the oldest nearly complete Greek manuscripts, like the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Ephraemi Codices, because scholars agree that these manuscripts are unanimous in using the Greek word kamelos, which translates as the English word “camel” in Matthew 19:24. Also, for the purpose of this piece, this writer is going with Strong’s Greek Lexicon number 5169 (truvphma, meaning “hole”). This Greek word, truvphma, is transliterated as trupema, from which comes the term “eye” that is used in the King James’ English translation of the New Testament. Likewise, for the purpose of this piece, this writer is going with Strong’s Greek Lexicon number 4476 (rJafiv, meaning “a needle”). This Greek word, rJafiv, is transliterated as rhaphis, from which comes the word “needle” that is used in the King James’ English translation of the New Testament.

In spite of the different discussions, the fact still remains that the original Greek words, those that originally mean camel, hole and needle, make it impossible for any other interpretation other than the “literal” camel passing through a “literal” sewing needle interpretation. Moreover, for the purpose of this article, the focus will be on the fact that Jesus the Christ is using this literal interpretation to drive home the idea of impossibility.

This camel passing through the eye of a needle is a hyperbole, and just like the Jewish Talmudic literature uses the “…nor an elephant going through the eye of a needle” aphorism (a brief saying embodying a moral, principle, or precept), which implies the unlikely, Jesus the Christ is using a figure of speech in the Greek New Testament literature that also express impossibility. Now, for believers, this last point is important because the impossibility the Lord is referring to in His hyperbole pertains to the impossibility of any kind of human activity ever substituting for the divine grace that is necessary for salvation to take place.

In the New Testament, there are many times when Jesus the Christ teaches with parables. Along with using parables to teach about divine truths, the Lord also uses hyperboles. The hyperbole is a grossly exaggerated description or statement. In literature, the hyperbole/exaggeration is used for emphasis or vivid descriptions.

One of the emphatic and imagistic exaggerations the Lord uses in the New Testament is seen when He speaks about the spiritually blind Pharisees who “…strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24, KJV). Then again, when the Lord addresses the Pharisees’ hypocritical righteousness in Luke 6:41, Jesus the Christ uses another hyperbole. He is using a grossly exaggerated description when He asks the Pharisees why they are more concerned with the “…mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye” (KJV).

Now, these aforesaid exaggerations are very effective ways of explaining why human activity and divine grace are dissimilar—why mankind’s ways to purchase or earn salvation and God’s plan to give salvation by grace are as different as night and day! It, therefore, is the Lord’s intent to explain to His disciples just how impossible it is for humans to achieve salvation through their own merits, and He achieves this goal by stating His Matthew 19:24 hyperbole. Once again, Jesus the Christ says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Since it is evident that the Lord is suggesting that entering the Kingdom of Heaven (or Kingdom of God) and “being saved” are synonymous, then His camel exaggeration is His way of effectively describing for His disciples why it is more than difficult, nay, impossible for people to buy their way into Heaven—to use their money to purchase their salvation. The main problem with thinking that salvation could be bought with money is that no one knows how much money it would take to make such a purchase.

The Lord’s hyperbole also effectively describes for His disciples why it is more than difficult, nay, impossible for people to use their own ‘good’ works to save themselves—to do the amount of righteous deeds that could earn their salvation and a place in Heaven. The main problem with this thinking is that no one knows how many ‘good’ deeds it would take to be sure a person’s salvation is secure!

The good news is: “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27, KJV). Moreover, God not only makes salvation possible, but also He offers it as a free gift. Humans do not need any money or any works to pay for their salvation. That salvation is a free gift is the primary reason why human activity and divine grace are absolutely dissimilar!

The Lord, in another related passage, speaks again about the dissimilarity of human activity and divine grace. For example, His camel hyperbole becomes literally and symbolically analogous to the humans being pressed like grapes simile, as ‘being pressed like grapes’ is a symbolic meaning for the word “narrow” that is used in Matthew 7:14. Thus, while Matthew 19:24 literally means that it is unlikely that a camel could squeeze through the eye of a needle and virtually impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,  when the symbolic interpretation of Matthew 7:14 is applied, the camel hyperbole gains a symbolic understanding. Now, the notion/myth of it being possible for camels to squeeze through an “eye of the needle” trade gate, but only after they have become unburdened from carrying the tradesmen’s wares, has some weight. Likewise, the notion/myth of camels squeezing through a mountain pass called the “eye of the needle,” but only after their owners suffer loss—only after they lose all of their goods to the robbers who controlled this mountain pass—also sounds believable.

In both of these scenarios, these just-made-it-through camels can be compared to “redeemed” believers who squeeze through the Kingdom of Heaven’s gate. The former scenario pertains to  the 11^th-hour believers who receive salvation just before they die.  They have unburdened  their heavy loads by rolling their cares over onto the Lord, but they do not have any treasures stored up in Heaven because all of their works from this life are consumed by the Holy Spirit’s fire. The latter scenario refers to redeemed believers who live Christian lives that tend to be more selfish than self-sacrificing. In the end, they make it into the Kingdom of Heaven but only after they too have suffered much loss—have many or ALL of the works they did in this life burn up because these works were not of the quality of gold, silver, and precious gemstone (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

In the Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus the Christ says:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV)

Like it is impossible for the rich man in Matthew 19:24 to enter into the Kingdom of God, yet possible though a bit difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle that is a mountain pass or a trade gate, it also is very impossible for ANYONE, rich or poor, to enter into eternal life without the Lord, yet possible though a bit difficult for some people to squeak through the Kingdom of Heaven’s gate, but only if they have been redeemed by the Lord. The point here is that even with the Lord, many people still will think that “the way” into the Kingdom of Heaven is very difficult even impossible to achieve, because the “strait gate” they MUST go through is very small or little, just like the literal “eye of the needle.”

Additionally, because this life is full of so many afflictions, trials, and tribulations that press humans like grapes, and because so many people choose to obey their carnal urges rather than allow the Holy Spirit to lead and teach them so that they will desire to surrender to Jesus the Christ’s Lordship, humans (believers and non-believers) often believe that Christ’s “Way” is not only difficult/almost impossible but also very unpleasant. As a result, these people often feel just like the young rich man in Matthew 19:21-22—they, too, feel like they have to give up too much to follow the Lord.

Consequently, most of these people will end up choosing to enter through large gates (wide gates) that lead to destruction (no salvation), because these are the roads most traveled. The people who take these roads know pretty much what to expect while they make their journey through this life. Not knowing what to expect in the afterlife, however, is one of the reasons why ONLY a few people will choose the “strait gate” and “narrow…way.” The sad thing about these facts is that only a few people will reap Jesus the Christ’s FULL abundance of heavenly rewards for having chosen His “strait gate” and “narrow…way” and stayed on that path, come hell or high water.

To be sure, too many people, believers included, are not the come hell or high water faithful, perhaps because they also are not that confident that their eternal-life rewards will far exceed any earthly riches they might obtain in this life. Yet, to this unfaithful pursuit of eternal life Jesus declares: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul” (Mark 8:36)?

In the case of the rich man who turned and walked away from Jesus the Christ (cf. Matthew 19:21-22), the Lord’s response to His disciples’ question about who could be saved speaks to the foolishness of humans who place ALL of their trust in their worldly assets, particularly money. The Lord actually is portraying wealth as a hindrance to salvation. Jesus the Christ knows that His rich man, like so many of today’s individuals, will become slaves to money, material possessions, fame, and reputation.

Because it truly is so easy for so many people to allow their souls to be controlled/consumed by their lusts for worldly possessions, these individuals end up forfeiting their own salvation and/or their own heavenly rewards for the love of wealth/riches, materialism, notoriety, and/or an excellent repute. For this reason, the Apostle John gives this timeless warning:

Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17, NLT)

Finally, the Lord’s words in Matthew 19:24 more than adequately explain the dissimilarity between human involvement in the salvation process and God’s gift of salvation via His grace, the power of His Holy Spirit, His Faith, and Jesus the Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The Lord makes it emphatically clear that humans who put their trust in what this world offers, as opposed to trusting God’s salvation gift, will neither see nor enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, the Lord wants believers to accept the literal interpretation of Matthew 19:24, which is it not only is unlikely for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye, but also it is impossible for a rich man to see or enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The rich man’s actions in Matthew 19:21-22 support this literal interpretation of Matthew 19:24. Indeed, when wealthy persons are weighed down with their riches and the cares of this world to the point that they abuse the power and enormous responsibility they have been given to do good, it not only will be difficult but also virtually impossible for these rich people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is sad to say, but there are, and always will be, too many ultra rich people—people with net assets of more than $1 million (excluding their primary home and everyday possessions)—who are unwilling to meet the Christian goals of bountiful giving and earnest fellowship, which ironically are met by realizing that God never intends for them to remain ultra rich. God blesses people to have an abundance so that they will share their abundance with those in need. This sharing, however, is just as hard for many of today’s ultra rich to do as it was difficult for Jesus the Christ’s rich man to do.

Be that as it may, when humans approach God’s throne of grace, they do so bringing NOTHING with them that could pay for or earn their salvation. There is NOTHING humans can give or do to obtain eternal life, because God by His divine grace predetermined that He would grant the gift of salvation to this entire world. God also preordained that Jesus the Christ would be the ONE person who would pay the price for ALL.  As a result, EVERY person owes ALL of him or herself to Jesus the Christ.

Furthermore, EVERY person who accepts Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior not only is redeemed (bought with a price) but also is allowed to live eternally. Lastly, because of Jesus the Christ’s self-sacrifice, EVERY believer who remains faithful to the command to enter the difficult yet possible to travel ONE and ONLY path also will be guaranteed entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven!