Friday, April 29, 2011

Put Your Hope in God

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2

We should be so ready to to share the gospel with those who do not know it.  Still Paul here is not just speaking of those ignorant of the Good News.  He is reminding Timothy to keep those in the Body of Christ on alert as well.  How do we know that Paul is including those who have already been exposed to the Gospel Message?  We can look at the next verse which says:

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3

No longer means that they did listen to sound teaching at one point.  We can see this now with "prosperity preachers" or the "name it claim it crowd".  Paul said he knew how to be content no matter what his circumstances because he could do all things through Him who gave him strength.  Why wasn't he preaching that God wants you to prosper and have material wealth?  Well, probably because it wasn't part of the Good News!  Instead Paul warned:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 

Uncertain is right!  Here today, gone today.  If that is the sum and total of our lives then when we loose our possessions we may feel we have nothing to live for.  Now tornadoes, floods and other disasters have taken more than people's property.  It has cost hundreds of Americans their lives too.  Yahshua said seek first the Kingdom of God all these other things will be added to you as well.  Since he also said we can not serve both God and mammon or money at the same time, we have to make a choice as to what or who will have first place in our affections.  The greatest command is to love Yahweh our Elohim with all our heart, mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves.   

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Whom God Raised from the Dead

Paul said, "For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised," 1 Corinthians 15:16 

Just reading this verse will give us a lot of understanding.  Some people believe in myths such as the immortality of the human soul when the Bible flat out says "None can keep alive his own soul" (Psalm 22:29).  These stories were introduced by Greek philosophers who believed in other things the Jews did not such as multiple gods and their gods coming down in the form men.  Paul saw all of this for what it was, pagan belief.
So if inside we believe that the Messiah Yahshua raised himself up because he was really "God in human flesh", the above verse from Paul makes no sense.  The Bible clearly says over and over again that GOD raised Jesus from the dead.

"but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses." Acts 3:15

The apostles were witnesses to the fact that GOD raised Jesus from the dead, not that Jesus raised himself!  If we believe that Jesus is God and as such was able to raise himself from the dead by his own power, where does that leave us?  We are not God!  Paul was facing the same sort of pagan philosophies in his time hence his letter to the Corinthians.  Gnostics and other 1st century groups were saying that Jesus was really only a spirit (God) and not a flesh & blood man or human.  To these heretics, he only appeared to be human but did not sweat, urinate or perform any other normal bodily functions.  Some cults to this day believe that Jesus was originally an angel despite the first chapter of Hebrew's clear testimony to the contrary.  Paul stated:

"By this ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, is from God:"  1 John 4:2

In the Hebrew mind and religion, these is no such thing as pre-exisitance so when they speak of "come in the flesh" they are simply saying that Jesus was a flesh and blood man and not a spirit.  Remember that only God Almighty Yahweh is immortal meaning not subject to death.  If Yahshua was equally immortal, he could not have really died and been raised from the dead.  It follows that if this is the case, Paul says:


"And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless." 1 Corinthians 15:14

So it is very important to 1.) Test the spirits.  2.) Believe that Jesus was 100% human and truly died.  3.) Believe that God raised him from the dead as a reward for his faithfulness.  If we overlook these key points, our faith and preaching will likewise be in vain.