For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:19-23
At present, we have only the earnest, the guarantee of salvation.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
- Earnest: Something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract
When you offer a bid on a house, it is often required that you provide earnest money, guaranteeing that you will not back out. If you do, you lose the earnest money. We are given the Holy Spirit as earnest that our salvation is sure: Once Saved, Always Saved.
As such, we are waiting for the fulfillment of the contract or covenant God has made with us, the day we receive our full salvation.
“waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Full salvation is when we receive our new bodies, putting on incorruption and immortality. we
1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
This day is the day the Lord returns to catch out His bride, the Chruch. It is the Rapture or Translation of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Articles such as: “Fundamentalist Christians Created Trump“, promote that President Trump’s policies are the cause of the current unrest in America. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The situation we are in was created by decades of control by the liberal, progressive, Marxist, Left promoting collectivism, which are attempting to tear our republic apart. They do not want equal rights; they want all the rights. Trump’s policies are the correct and necessary results needed to regain Constitutional sanity.
No country can survive open borders. If you pay attention to the news, most who have practiced open border policies are now tightening their immigration policies, experiencing the same problems and danger as the US and resorting to the necessity of deporting immigrants.
The Constitution does not safeguard illegal acts committed by those active in attempting mob rule. It was written to specifically prohibit such. There is no right to protest in the Constitution; the right is to be able to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Any assembly that impedes, interferes with, or blocks others from exercising their rights is not a”peaceful assembly”, nor Constitutional.
America is engaged in a civil war—not with guns, but ideas. One side clings to law, order, and duty. The other to civil disobedience, disruption, and entitlement. The former sees government as a necessary evil, rights coming from something bigger, like nature or God. The latter believes in doing whatever feels right, no strings, with government as the ultimate provider—handing out life, liberty, even defining them. One seeks to maintain the nation with order; the other demands change through anarchy. Both cannot coexist without tension. One leads to personal freedom and responsibility, the other to collectivism and tyranny. The progressive, Marxist left does not realize that if they win, they lose all.
“Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.”
Robert Charles Winthrop (1809-1894) Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
“Paradoxically enough, the release of initiative and enterprise made possible by popular self-government ultimately generates disintegrating forces from within. Again and again, after freedom has brought opportunity and some degree of plenty, the competent become selfish, luxury-loving and complacent, the incompetent and the unfortunate grow envious and covetous, and all three groups turn aside from the hard road of freedom to worship the Golden Calf of economic security. The historical cycle seems to be: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy; from apathy to dependency; and from dependency back to bondage once more.”
Henning W. Prentis, Jr (1903-1985) American businessman: “The Cult of Competency”
(delivered at the University of Pennsylvania’s Mid-Year Convocation in February 1943).
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
John Adams (1735-1826) 2nd President of the United States
The enemies of freedom and liberty have been attempting to destroy the government of the people, by the people, since the inception of the United States of America. Unfortunately, those who desire our republican form of government have not been as diligent in protecting and preserving it. Benjamin Franklin’s statement when asked what form of government the convention had created, “A republic, if you can keep it,” seems to be the question of the times.
Mark 16:9-20 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Mark 16:9-20
The debate over whether Mark 16 ends at verse 8 or continues through 9-20 is a question about whether the Bible is the preserved word of God. Either the Lord presented to the world a completed, corrected Bible for the last days, or we do not, nor can we ever have any assurance of any translation being the word of God. The same arguments made concerning one passage can be made about any passage of Scripture.
How can it be known whether, the first time the originals were copied, no errors were produced or no intentional changes were made? If the Lord did not preserve His word, then every word can be questioned; nothing is sure. This is the state that Satan wants the saints and world to be in. In this state, Satan can deceive without restraint.
Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Every year, two or three new translations are published. There are now over 450 English translations of the Bible. If God did not preserve His word, go ahead and point to it.
It does not take a genius to realize that Mark chapter 16 did not end at verse 8. The following is for those concerned to examine and decide.
- https://av1611.com/kjbp/faq/holland_joh7_53-8_11.html
- https://biblescienceforum.com/2015/02/03/why-are-mark-169-20-missing-in-most-modern-bible-translations/
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
1 John 5:7
To be honest, I have no idea why this verse is called the Johannine Comma. In my opinion, the evidence is overwhelming in support of it. I can only list for your consideration a couple of the articles I have read concerning it. Personally, I do not see a reason for the fight. It changes nothing whether it is there or not. No doctrine is changed either way. The Trinity is biblical, with or without it; it does support and makes a clear statement concerning it.
I can only recommed that time is alotted to examine the debate.
- https://av1611.com/kjbp/faq/holland_1jo5_7.html
- https://www.bereanpatriot.com/the-johannine-comma-of-1-john-57-8-added-or-removed/
Far from challenging the textual reliability of Scripture, the Johannine Comma’s debate has shown how careful historical scrutiny (analysis of Greek manuscripts, translations, and patristic quotations) ultimately reinforces confidence in the text. When a later scribal addition is identified, it does not discredit the entire Bible but instead showcases the earnestness of scholarly and ecclesiastical communities in preserving and recovering what the original authors wrote.
https://biblehub.com/q/does_the_’johannine_comma’_affect_bible_consistency.htm
A young man who is not a liberal has no heart,
and an old man who is not a conservative has no brain.”
Winston Churchill
Progressive Christianity as progressive politics are both products of the socialistic mentality, Marxism. It is the infusion of Marxist ideals into the Church. They deny the divinity of the Scriptures, ascribing them to merely a collection of ancient writings, shaped by flawed people, riddled with cultural bias, and open to re-interpretation.
- In Progressive Christianity, Jesus is often reduced to a moral example. He is downgraded to a revolutionary who showed love, acceptance, and inclusion rather than His true divine nature. His miracles, resurrection, and divinity are sometimes treated as symbolic stories rather than historical facts.
- Progressive Christianity teaches that salvation is about becoming one’s authentic self, making the world a better place, and/or recognizing the divine spark within oneself. Many even teach Universalism, the belief that all paths lead to God and no one is truly lost.
- Progressive Christianity redefines the Gospel through inclusion, affirmation, and social activism.
- Progressive Christianity promises freedom but delivers confusion, and although it may sound compassionate, it actually replaces God’s truth with human opinion. It offers a false gospel that cannot save.
Patheos: “Progressive Christianity: What the Bible Really Says”
The majority of blood bought saints have been deceived out of being steadfast in the faith, being led away from the word of God and its truths. Due to the failure of the majority of saints, the true Church is weak and a laughingstock in the world. There are three classes of saints: cold, lukewarm, or hot. If you are cold, you do not count. If you are lukewarm, you are a hindrance to the hot and the truth. The choice was made to live comfortably in the world.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
If they had a social gospel in the days of the prodigal son, somebody would have given him a bed and a sandwich, and he never would have gone home.
Vance Havner (1901-1986) Baptist Preacher
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psalms 22:1
The Son of God, The Son of Man, what is the correct biblical relationship between God and Christ Jesus? A discussion of this relationship would include the Trinity and Christ Jesus’ part in it, during His earthly ministry and now in eternity.
The Trinity is the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
The Word became flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This is the meaning of the mystery of godliness.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
The Word needed a body of flesh to put Himself into.
Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Conclusion:
The Son of God was the person born of Mary. The Word put Himself into that body. No different than the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer. Jesus was truly God’s Son, and by virtue of the Word dwelling within him, God manifested in the flesh.
Furthermore, Jesus was born to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. The Word was given a body made to die.
Hebrews 2:9 KJV But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Jesus could not die while being indwelt with the Word. The Word left him on the cross, and Jesus had to bear the punishment for the sins of the world on his own.
Matthew 27:46 KJV … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Psalms 22 is Christ Jesus on the Cross up to verse 21, the rest is future to that event.
After His resurrection, being permanently indwelt by the Word, He became part of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This interpretation explains much and does not cause the Scriptures to contradict as others provided are wont to do.
The question of suffering is incredibly important for saints to understand, and difficult for many to do so.
Many of the promises of blessings and glory that the Lord has given us are to be fulfilled in the future, upon His return. Our immediate concern is to give ourselves to Christ as He gave Himself for us, regardless of the suffering brought upon us. A Christian’s life is one of Service, Sacrifice, and Suffering. We are to serve, making whatever sacrifice needed to do so, and to suffer whatever consequences that service brings upon us.
Job points out the first cause of suffering, because it serves God’s purpose. He made us; He can do whatever He wants with us. Sometimes we are just cannon fodder in the heavenly war. To glorify God is such a case is to remain faithful. Albeit, do not fear, we do not suffer in vain. The saints who suffer such will be well rewarded.
Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Correction is the next cause of suffering. When suffering falls upon you, the first thing to do is examine yourself, see if there is anything God might be pointing out that you need to correct in your life. This is what Job did first and found nothing he did or did not do to be the cause. What is harder to grasp is that someone else may have to suffer for God to get your attention.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
To teach a lesson is one other reason. God puts us through things, many times sufferings, to teach us to be faithful and help us grow in understanding and wisdom. At times, it is so we can serve others going through the same.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Another reason is evangelistic. A saint may have to suffer to reach one the Lord seeks to present with the gospel. It is hard to believe that so few saints understand and fail in their duty to witness the saving grace of God to others. This means that the saints who do have to suffer all the more to be put in a position to witness to one who is seeking the Lord.
This can be a simple inconvenience as breaking down on the side of the road to witness to those who help you in fixing the problem, and reaches to major illnesses or even death to reach those the Lord wants reached.
A natural condition is also a reason for suffering. Being genetically predisposed to an illness is simply the product of time and chance. Your unique DNA, which genes or mutations become dominant, is just the way things go. You cannot blame God. It is man’s sins that cause the mutations we inherit. Mutations may be inherited from ancestors so far back that no one has ever heard of them, and they just surfaced with you. Science is discovering that many things can affect a mutation in our DNA.
God is not to blame for this. He created the perfect system of procreation, and man’s fall and subsequent sins perverted it. We shall, as death, be redeemed from its curse at the Lord’s return.
A saint must never use one reason to hide from the true reason. It should be reasoned by all saints that knowing God’s word is the surest way of resolving the question of why.
Whatever the reason, faithfulness is required to glorify God and His word.
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
The year and day of the crucifixion are debated, as is everything else. The year ranges for 25 to 34 AD. Many claim that Christ Jesus died on a Friday. They add, diminish, and wrest the Scriptures to get three days and nights, which is impossible. It had to be on a Wednesday to get the three days and nights.
Hence, we are looking for a year in which the Passover fell on a Wednesday. There is much debate and confusion over the day. Many try to make it Friday to match their unbiblical doctrines of Good Friday, etc. But it was a Wednesday. Check out the link to a chart below. Note that April 1, 33 AD is a Wednesday and is the date corresponding to the Passover that year.
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=33&country=23
Part of the debate is over which calendar to use. The Gregorian Calendar is not accurate. The Julian Calendar provides the correct date to fit the Scriptures. This would make the Gregorian calendar off by 33 years. Furthering the debate is how one determines the phases of the moon. You are on your own with that.
The most biblical date is Wednesday, April 1, 33 AD. 33 AD to 2026 + 7 years 2033, exactly two thousand years. This matches the thousand years is a day to the Lord. If you are looking for the Lord’s return to translate (Rapture) the body of Christ, this year (2026) is looking good, it is seven years from 2033, Just a thought. The 15th of AV would be the perfect day.
The 15th of AV is known as the Jewish St. Valentine’s Day. It is the evening when the virgins dance in the orchards, and the men caught them out a wife. This is what the Lord is going to do: catch out His bride.
Personally, this is enough to make me hope.
Man is not very good at putting first things first; they are wont to put the cart before the horse. As an example, we throw out the first commandment, love God, and make the second (the Royal Law) the Golden Rule, love your neighbor. We fail to put first things first.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Here in lies the error in thinking, in putting the last first and the first last, or eliminating the first, all is lost.
This post was inspired by this article: https://medium.com/backyard-theology/if-jesus-did-not-save-us-from-our-sins-what-then-was-his-mission-3aa6a3322d36. In which, it is supposed that Christ did not make a substitutionary atonement for sin, but came only to bring us into the kingdom with all its benefits. Denying Christ Jesus’ payment for sin is typical of many heretical teachings. However, all blessings flow out from the substitutionary atonement for sins. The first thing needs to be first.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Before entering into the kingdom, you must put first things first, be redeemed from the debt owed to the law.
Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
All the blessings spoken of in that article are due to and follow after the substitutionary atonement for sin.
Sins must be washed away first to make us clean to be able to enter the kingdom.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Entrance into the kingdom of God is obtained by being washed in Christ Jesus’ blood and indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit could not indwell you until the atonement for sins was accomplished.
John 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Yes, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, joy, love, and all that spoken of in that article, but it comes with the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. To be in the Holy Ghost, the Spirit must be in you.
Romans 8:9-10 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Our righteousness will not allow us to enter the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Our iniquities must be paid for and cleansed away before we can receive the righteousness that will allow our entry: God’s righteousness.
Romans 10:2-3 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
All the blessings spoken of in that article flow out from putting our faith in the substitutionary atonement
for sin made by the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
To be a citizen of an eternal kingdom, you must have eternal life.
1 John 5:10-12 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
There is a caveat. Faith cannot be put in Christ Jesus if it is not in the whole of God’s word, not understanding it all, but believing it all.
Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Acts 24:14 Butthis I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Entrance into the Kingdom of God comes after faith in Christ Jesus as the Savior of the world.
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 5:24-29
The two references are prophecies foretelling two resurrections: one to life only and another, a general resurrection of both to life and to damnation. The second, general, resurrection awaits its hour; it is future. The first resurrection is for the saved, and the hour is not only coming but now is; it spans from Christ Jesus’ resurrection to the resurrection at the end of the Tribulation.
The Book of Revelation also shows the two resurrections.
Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Verse 4 represents the last part of the first resurrection, those who did not take the mark or worship the Beast. The first resurrection ends before the millennial reign of Christ on earth; the second takes place at the end of the millennial reign.
The first resurrection began with the resurrection of Christ Jesus himself.
Acts 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The first resurrection began with Jesus Christ, the first to be resurrected unto eternal life. There were other resurrections, but they were not unto eternal life; they died again. The second part of the first resurrection is the pre-tribulation Translation of the Church, or the Rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The last part of the first resurrection is at the end of the Tribulation, those who did not take the mark, Revelation 20:4-6 above. The second resurrection is the Great White Throne Judgment at the completion of the millennial reign of Christ Jesus.
Revelation 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
It must be remembered that during the millennial reign and beyond, there is no salvation by faith in Christ Jesus; He is sitting on the throne in Jerusalem, ruling the world; salvation is now based on works. Whether those works are based on the content of your heart’s desire would be a salient question.
The Electoral College is probably the most misunderstood and falsely maligned safeguard within our Constitution left to us today, without which our nation would not have lasted fifty years and will not if we are deceived into repealing it. The process was designed to prevent a few large-population states from controlling the Presidency. The argument is that a pure popular vote should elect the President; one person, one vote. If our forefathers had been that naive, we would not have had a nation to begin with. Let me state at the start that it is perfectly possible to have a popular vote with the Electoral College, and its demise is not needed unless you wish to aid in the destruction of our nation.
In Article II, section one of the Constitution it states:
2. Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector
This simply means that each state gets several electoral votes for President equal to the number of Congressional districts plus two, one for each Senator. How the states elect and operate under this system is up to them to decide. When we go to the polls and vote for President, we are actually voting a person into the Electoral College, a representative of the candidate, who has sworn to vote for your choice as a member of the College. Most states, if not all, are operating under a winner-take-all system. That is, whichever candidate received the most popular votes at the polls is awarded all the Electoral College slots, to be filled by those sworn to vote for him. It does not have to be this way; it is the State’s choice. This is where the detractors of this system have a legitimate argument and also where they fail to see Colleges necessity.
Our Electoral College system ensures that the various interests of the nation as a whole geographically are considered and prevents the control of the presidency by a small minority of heavily populated areas. The presidency is not supposed to be won by one national popular vote, but by a majority of State popular votes reflecting the nation’s diverse interests. The Electoral College is a system designed to meet the needs of all. It is heavily weighted toward a national popular election by virtue of the number of Electors being determined by population, while it affords the less populated states with less divergent interests to band together their Electoral votes and have, if not an equal, a greater say in Presidential politics. At the same time, it affords the more densely populated states the ability to divide their numerous Electoral votes and render a strict popular vote. Under a pure national popular vote for President, he would be elected by half the East Coast and California. The interests of the least populated states would be of no concern to anyone running for the office. States that have more than twenty Electoral votes should consider dropping their winner-take-all system and split them among the top two or three candidates with the highest votes. The pundits say that this will erode our two-party system by allowing greater access to smaller fringe parties. Well, our system was not specifically designed to be a two-party system; with a greater chance to win, one or two of those fringe parties may just turn out to be more mainstream than they appear.
The Electoral College is a balance between the voice of the people of the less populated states and the voice of the people in states with larger populations.
Mark 4:37-39
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Psalms 107:25-30
25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
As you can see from the above, the event of the storm was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Luke 24:44 KJV And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Hosea 14:2
The Bible, especially the Minor Prophets, use quite a bit of symbolism, such as the phrase in question here, “the calves of our lips”. To those who have not spent a significant amount of time in the KJV, much of the symbolism can be confusing. The greater the familiarity with the Bible, the greater the understanding. Seeing that the Bible contains everything God has, is, and will do within the seven thousand years allotted to the reconciliation, much of what the Bible says is not only current descriptions but symbolic of other or more expanded events to be able to contain such vast amounts of information in the form of the Bible.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
Sticking with the KJV it is not difficult to render the correct interpretation of the phrase “calves of our lips”. A few modern translations get the general idea, but there is no reason to seek outside God’s word.
The context is Israel returning unto the Lord, praising Him. The Hebrew word translated calves here is mainly translated as “bullock”, a young bull. The blood of bullocks was a premier item of sacrifice.
Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Leviticus 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
Numbers 8:8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Ezekiel 43:19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
These are but a few of the references to sacrificing a young bullock. A young bullock would be a yearling.
Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
With this we understand that the phrase in question is speaking of offering a sacrifice as a calf as being representative of offering with our lips. The following images give us the realization of what a yearling calf is.
What we say with our lips can seal our fate.
Deuteronomy 23:23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
Psalms 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Psalms 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
In our verse, Hosea 14:2 it is speaking of prasing the Lord with the sacrifice of our lips.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Does this give more understanding than just running to a modern translation that may or may not interpret correctly.
Hosea 14:2 NET Return to the LORD and repent! Say to him: “Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls.
Hosea 14:2 UASV Take words with you and return to Jehovah; say to him, “Take away all error; accept what is good, and we will offer with bulls the praise of our lips.
Hosea 14:2 WEB Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.
Hosea 14:2 ASV Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips.
Hosea 14:2 CEV Return to the LORD and say, “Please forgive our sins. Accept our good sacrifices of praise instead of bulls.
Hosea 14:2 CEV Return to the LORD and say, “Please forgive our sins. Accept our good sacrifices of praise instead of bulls.
Are these modern translations helpful in understanding?
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2 Timothy 2:24-26
A Christian street evangelist was demonstrating outside a city amphitheater. He was part of a group of individuals heckling concertgoers through a megaphone, calling them “whores,” “sissies,” and “Jezebels.”
Taking the above into consideration, it does not appear that the two quotes are compatible by any rational standard.
Luke 9:54-56 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
There is a contingent of Christians, at least in name, who have arrived at a biblically skewed conclusion that the ministry of the Gospel of Christ Jesus includes harassing, denigrating, insulting, and otherwise badgering the lost. This attitude could not be further from our biblical calling. It is a far cry from the gentleness, patience, and meekness we are instructed as servants of the Lord to walk in.
Matthew 12:17-21 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
The Bible provides precise instructions to the servant of the Lord on how to conduct ourselves when occupied in the ministry of the Gospel of Christ Jesus: preaching, witnessing, and otherwise engaging with the lost. None of which includes calling them “whores,” “sissies,” and “Jezebels.” Those actions hinder the furtherance of the Gospel and are derived straight from Satan’s playbook and are the method of choice for those who refuse to read and diligently study and apply the precepts of the word of God to all aspects of their lives.
Now is not the time to judge others, but to sacrifice ourselves on behalf of Christ Jesus, who sacrificed Himself for all. The biblical calling to those who have trusted in the Lord can be described using three S’s.
- Service
- Sacrifice
- Suffering
The saints (those that trust that Christ Jesus was the virgin-born Son of God, that He died for the sins of the world (our sins), was buried, and rose again the third day) are called to serve in the Gospel, to make whatever sacrifices needed to do so, and to suffer any consequences of that service may bring upon us.
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
The saints may not be in bondage to the letter of the law, but neither does that grant them divine liberty to do as they please. We will be judged by the law of liberty.
James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
The most difficult aspect of the life of a Christian is personal liberty. Liberty requires individual decision, individual action, individual responsibility, and most frightening of all, individual cost. Choosing to do good over evil, right over wrong, can cost one their family, friends, jobs, associations, and even life itself. Many live their lives in a lie because they are afraid of liberty, acting on what they believe is right, for fear of the cost. They follow the crowd. Exercising personal liberty, stepping forward alone, is a fearful thing for many. The Christian will be judged on the use of their liberty.
1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
The actions of the street preachers described above are malicious, incurring shame and derision upon the name of our Lord, and can bring grave consequences on individual saints.
2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
We, as the saints of the Lord, are engaged in a deadly conflict, a war over the souls of men. It is a matter of life or death to all those within our sphere of influence. To fail to follow the instructions given in the Scriptures weakens our abilities in the battle. The battleground is the hearts of men. Not all things are expedient to our purpose of winning those hearts.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
The servant of the Lord must:
- Not Strive
- Be Gentle
- Be Apt to Teach
- Be Patient
- In Meekness Instructing
Titus 3:2-3 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Would you have received the Gospel being harassed, denigrated, insulted, and badgered? It is reminiscent of the Inquisition, not the love and grace of God.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
The Lord is calling each and every one of His to enter into the harvest and gather in the wheat. The purging and cleaning of the wheat begins after it is in the Lord’s barn.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
The Lord chastens us so that we will walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Does that sound like the fruit of those described above?
Satan desires to take souls captive, the Christian should be winning souls by their godly, Spiritual, behavior.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Colossians 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
The liberty we have is freedom from the condemnation of the law. Being dead to the law in Christ, it has no more power to condemn and damn us. We are no longer in bondage to the law.
The OT represents the letter of the law, the NT the spirit of the law. God’s law remains God’s law, but we are not bound to the letter. We are given the two precepts that support all the law: love God, love others as yourself. God is not looking for automatons, but self-thinking individuals who will apply these two precepts in guiding their lives.
Your list of freedoms would seem to come under this. This does not preclude the saints from judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
We shall be rewarded or suffer the loss of rewards, but all will be saved, as there is no condemnation in Christ.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Being dead to the law, all things would be lawful, as the law cannot condemn us. However, we are not running around doing what is right in our own eyes, but being led by the Spirit and precepts of God. All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient to our purpose, nor do they edify.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
We are not supposed to be children having everything spelled out for us, enforced by threat. As mature, we are to align our lives to the glory of God, which is our purpose.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.