Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.
Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word
Before we begin, only if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.
1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? REBOUND
If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.
John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV
Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.
John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV
Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:
Study to show yourself approved to God!
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Why Is The Person of The Holy Spirit A Divine Person?
Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
STUDY TITLE:
Miracles of Heaven are not Problem Solving Devices.
In our study of miracles, we noted that miracles are not Problem-Solving Devices (PSD’s) nor are they a part of living the spiritual life.
For the believer there are solutions to the problems of life: They are the 10 PSD’s. Miracles are not designed to solve your problems.
Example – Paul prayed for a miracle three times to have his thorn in the flesh removed and the answer was “No” “No” “No”.
Let me give you an example of what the Apostle Paul said as he was being attacked by false apostles and false doctrine. The Apostle Paul was being attacked by Satan and the Kingdom of Darkness. They said he had never really been a true Apostle but, that was a lie. The Apostle Paul told us that this type of teaching and attacks would come our way.
2Co 12:1, Paul writes and tells us that Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Paul had more mystery doctrine more than any of the other apostles whether they were real or false. Paul is addressing those believers and unbelievers who were saying that his accomplishments were not as great as theirs so he is forced to tells us the truth by boasting about his experiences. He was being forced to brag about His accomplishments because false apostles were continually bragging about how much they have been doing to glorify the LORD.
2Co 11:13, For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Notice that they have been glorifying themselves and not the LORD. He had experiences beyond what they had in the spiritual realm.
In 2Co 12:1, Paul writes and tells us that boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the LORD.
2Co 12:2, Paul begins to tell us about some type of apostles who had a unique calling upon themselves. Paul is saying that he has been forced to be proud and arrogant by their pride and arrogance.
2Co 12:2, I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows such a man was caught up to the third heaven. Whether in the physical body that I do not know, or out of the physical body I do not know, God knows such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
This was a real experience, but he just doesn’t know exactly how it happened. We do know that he really knew this man, because he was the man.
Notice the phrase “third heaven” which is not the first time it was used. Remember the different Heavens that are mentioned in the Scripture:
The First Heaven is the atmosphere above.
The Second Heaven is where the Steller universe abides.
The Third Heaven is where the believers reside.
When Christians die, angels will carry us through the first heaven and the second heaven to the third heaven – the home of GOD.
2Co 12:3, And I know how such a man whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows.
He is bragging about who he was and where he was from.
The apostle Paul is saying that his experience was to reveal the future of the three heavens. Paul goes on to say:
2Co 12:4-5, this man was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not even permitted to speak. On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to {my} weaknesses.
The apostle Paul is saying that he knew that his experience was real but he was not sure that he was in his physical body when it took place or whether or not he was out of his physical body – only GOD knows.
Therefore, Paul says in 2Co 12:6, For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth but even I refrain {from this,} so that no one may credit me with more than he sees {in} me or hears from me.
The Paul talks about the real spiritual life in 2Co 12:7.
2Co 12:7, And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me to keep me from exalting myself!
We would be tested by the LORD either way, either through the miracles of our LORD, – or through some form of doctrinal attacks that come our way. Paul could have been under the physical attacks that come against the physical body habitually. We must deal habitually both physically and mentally in the physical problems there will be different attacks that came from the different physical realms and the spiritual realm. We know that our LORD was tested constantly dealing with false liars and teachers as a part of his physical testing.
2Co 12:8, Concerning this [his suffering] I entreated or begged the Lord three times that it [the suffering] might depart from me.
Many believers have gone through this type of suffering throughout the Church-age and some have gone through this the suffering without ever knowing what it truly was.
Suffering was always there. Paul did not know what type of suffering it was. Therefore, his conclusion is given in 2Co 12:9, And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
This means that they could handle it because of all the Spiritual resources they have. And this resulted in the power of the Holy Spirit with the type of power needed to pass any of the tests GOD brings our way, 2Co 12:10, Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
However, for the believer there is no solution to the problems of life through miracles. Miracles are even used by GOD for Divine discipline, so they are not PSD’s.
The strategy of Satan was to use a false, compromising, spurious miracles to destroy both kenosis and the spiritual life.
What is kenosis?
Kenosis means that the LORD denied Himself His right to choose whatever nature that HE decided to. This is one of the reasons Satan tempted Jesus Christ to operate independently of Bible doctrine and to try to get Him to reject the PSD’s.
The temptation was to do a right thing, but in a wrong way. Satan tempted the human nature of Christ to use His divine nature to turn the stones of the desert into bread and to perform a miracle to do so.
One of the most powerful principles of miracles in the spiritual life is that Bible Doctrine and the miracles of GOD working together is one of least of all publicized priorities in this world, because this is the devil’s world.
To blind the minds of both believers and unbelievers from the glory of Christ is the single most deceptive device of Satan. Counterfeit miracles are everywhere because they are used by Satan to deceive as many people as possible.
To blind the minds of both believers and unbelievers concerning the reason why they were created and why our Lord was put on planet earth Is the great deception of Satan.
Is it any wonder why we are told in Rev 12:9 that “Satan deceives the whole world;”
Therefore, because he is the God of this world, Bible doctrine is the least publicized of priorities in this world. And, if you are a born-again believer and doctrine is not your number one priority, you have a very serious problem. It’s a problem that only you can solve through your own personal volition!
There’s a word used in the Bible by the apostle Paul that is very much misunderstood in our day an age. We live in the most intensified stage of the angelic conflict, because this is a time of invisible warfare. We really and truly cannot see our real enemy. They are invisible!
During this period of time called the Church-age, the Pastor who stands behind the pulpit is to teach the mystery doctrine of why we are really here. The pastor-teacher must be gifted, prepared, qualified and filled with the Spirit. The pastor-teacher along with God the Holy Spirit who is able to take the information understood is what makes a prepared believer.
And I say prepared meaning the believer must be filled with the Spirit or under the control of God the Holy Spirit through rebound! Remember that in the angelic conflict, Satan tries to convince people that God is unfair, unjust and a God who is not merciful and gracious.
And therefore, in this dispensation of grace, the Church-age, God demonstrates the fallacy of the satanic lie through people who are graced-out totally. The present dispensation is called the power experiment from God. No time in human history has this much power ever been released toward merit-less objects for the fulfillment of the plan of God. It is a time of the total grace. There’s an infinite gap between divine perfection and human imperfection and grace is the infinite filler that fills the gap. Only grace, the grace of God toward man!
So, Eph 3:2 calls this “the dispensation of the total grace-out.” And this means that there’s nothing you can do in human effort or human merit or human energy or power in the spiritual life. You have more opportunity, more power, more capacity and more assets from God to glorify God than any other Abraham had, Moses had, anyone in the Church-age. David had, Sarah had, Deborah had, or Rahab had or any of the greats listed in Heb 11 in God’s hall of fame.
All of us are ordinary believers but we have the grace and power offered to us to become extraordinary invisible heroes. Invisible heroes are found in 2Co 6:9, the apostle Paul speaking of invisible heroes said, 2Co 6:9, we are unknown yet well known,
Invisible heroes, like Bible doctrine, are the least publicized of heroes. There are not written up in the history books. They are usually marked and considered the last! But always remember, the last, one day, will be first. Invisible heroes are born again believers who execute the plan of God and who recognize that they are a vital part of the angelic conflict in human history and avoid all the distractions of legalism, etc.
They are unknown in terms of human history but are well-known in terms of the angelic community who are watching them! And just like Bible doctrine and like invisible heroes, the trial called the angelic conflict is the least publicized of all trials. Bible doctrine is the least publicized priorities in this world because this is the devil’s world. Invisible heroes are the least publicized of heroes. And the angelic conflict is the least publicized of all trials. And that which is the least publicized is that which I must major in as a preacher or a communicator of Bible doctrine.
That’s why you should always be in prayer for communicators of Bible doctrine in Eph 6:18-20, that they may “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, and speak boldly, as they ought to speak.”
They are charged with the communication of the very message that billions of angelic beings in the atmosphere are charged to squelch and smash and hide.
That why in 2TIi 4:2, the P-T [pastor-teacher] is charged to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
And today, the kingdom of darkness is succeeding in blinding arrogant young men behind pulpits who are more interested in getting numbers and huge crowds with their dog and pony show than to teach Bible doctrine and let the chips fall where they may! The kingdom of darkness is also succeeding in the life of believers who become distracted by the details of life and spend hundreds of hours considering nonsensical things in life. And then try to squeeze in a minute or two of a devotion for the day.
And then they will face certain adversities that are unknown to those who do not communicate doctrine and unknown to most of their congregation as the Apostle Paul refers to in this passage in Eph 3:13, where he says, therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
This is why so many things happened to Paul in terms of adversity. He was committed with the message that meant the undoing and the unraveling of the whole cosmic system.
Imagine the hatred and the enmity and the fact that Paul was made an object and a target from the principalities and powers and by evil and religious individuals including the majority of believers who were alive at the time.
Paul became the target of hostile pursuit by both humanity and evil angels because he was carrying and communicating and heralding and teaching the very doctrines that would reveal the destruction of the evil angels and the angelic conflict. So much so that he even had an angel from Satan who was assigned to him every single place that he went.
2Co 12:7 he was called an angel from Satan to buffet me [kolaphizo- to maltreat with violence and rude language]
Any communicator of doctrine who especially is exposing the strategies and the schemes of the devil and is doing what Eph 5:11 says exposing the unfruitful deeds of darkness. Because of that they are going to have adversities and tribulations. And don’t feel bad for them, that is their job!
As our LORD said when he was living in GOD’s plan for his life and going through sufferings and adversities, Lk 23:28, “Stop weeping for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”
Now, it is God’s intention that every believer recognizes this mystery of why they are here in relationship to glorifying God in the angelic conflict. In fact, it is God’s intention that every single believer masters this information concerning the angelic conflict and why they are here.
The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.
No comments:
Post a Comment