Surprise! Guess Who Gets To Be In The "Bride of Christ"?

Reasons for not writing

I have not written for some time now. I should probably use the blogger term "publish" because I have not posted any new blogs for the past several months, but I have written. I believe that the writing part has slowed down because I have not been sharing from the abundance of what the Lord is teaching me and my family. This is something I plan to correct.

At the start of this slow period, my thoughts were somewhat complicated and what I had written seemed confusing. Frankly, I did not know how to proceed or which order to place things in either. Perhaps I had to have some personal growth take place before I could arrange my thoughts and attitudes so my writing would not reflect bitterness at my past experiences. I also do not want to be too careful and picky-choosy in what I say or how I say it. I have dropped the ball UNlike the 3 Hebrew men in

Daniel 3:13-18

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
¹⁵ Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

If the Lord wants me to say something, then I better say it or else things will dry up and not move. All living water comes from God. I desire to have rivers of living water flowing out of my belly that can give life to others rather than try to stop what God is trying to say through me, or divert the flow to avoid blasting someone away. I would rather be gentle, but sometimes there is no gentle way and you gotta tell it like you see it.

In these next couple of blogs, I will be writing mainly to those who have the same common background and experience that I have, from the same group of people. I realize my blog readers from different backgrounds and different countries may have difficulty in understanding  these "types and shadows", thoughts and emotions, but the basic principles are still there, no matter what group you come from.

I share my "Bible Thoughts" from the abundance the Lord is teaching me and my family in the hopes that you can find some value in them. If you have questions, please post them in the comments section at the end and I will do my best to answer them. Click on some of the highlighted words and it will take you to more information.



Preface

I have been reading in Revelation 12 about “The Woman in the Wilderness”. I finally realized that it will be necessary to divide my thoughts into many bite-sized pieces, because, like the Energizer Bunny, the blog just keeps going and going…


I hope I can explain what I see in a way you can understand; things are so intertwined it may be difficult. Who knows, I may even learn to edit HTML and how to link to a paragraph or sentence within blogs. I can see how that would be helpful.

Here’s my attempt at getting it out. Remember, these are just my thoughts and they may be difficult to grasp. I am still trying to wrap my brain around these concepts. It is hard to change, but I want to please God. Please don't choke.


Before you go on, please read:
"A Warning - Straight From My Heart" if you haven't already.


Revelation 12

From a young age, I learned that the woman in the wilderness was a type and shadow of the church down through the ages, God’s chosen people, just one church.


"The Body of Christ" (my group) was not to be confused with every other church in the world calling themselves “The Body of Christ”. The difference is that other churches call themselves the "Body of Christ" without understanding the Bible the way my group did. Because of this, my group was exclusive; special; the “apple of God’s eye”. I was taught that those from my Exclusive Body of Christ, the "EBC" that reach perfection will be called the “Bride of Christ”.


The “Bride” is supposed to be caught up to God and to His throne where they will rule and reign with Him 1,000 years (or even perhaps for all eternity). In fact, some "Bride" members were “martyred out” and are already under the “golden altar” waiting for their remaining numbers to be martyred out to fill 144,000 individuals (or perhaps 144,000 churches).

Revelation 6:9-11

⁹ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
¹¹ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

"According to scripture", the remaining number of that 144,000 was supposed to be more special than the first.


Haggai 2:9

⁹ The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.


Revelation 12 gives us a history of the body of Christ, from the early church in the New Testament through the end days.

 

Questions

I have a lot of questions about Revelation 12, but the answers I am coming up with don’t fit what I learned. These are just my thoughts, but if I put them in modern day language, perhaps you can see my points.


The Bible speaks primarily of two women, a good one (an only daughter), and a bad one with many daughters.


I would venture to say that the woman in Revelation 12 is the good one because God took an interest in her and cared for her.


The bad one is called “the harlot”… “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Revelation 17:4-6.


Here are some hard questions: (You might want to pull out your Bible)


1. Who was this woman in Revelation 12? Evidently she is someone God cares enough about to protect. We know a "woman" in the Bible can represent a church. In this case, it could be the early church with a crown of 12 stars (12 apostles).


2. If this woman that God cared and provided for is NOT the harlot, she is pregnant. This was no accident. Who is her husband? My guess would be Jesus.


3. Congratulations, its a BOY! We have an entirely new entity separate from the church. Hmmmm???


4. It was the man child that was caught up to God and to His throne; not the woman. Kingship passes to a son.


5. How can a boy be a bride? How does this make sense naturally or physically, especially considering that God hates homosexuality? God will not mix genders, each has a very specific purpose.


6. Who is this boy? Why do we hear so little about him? This child has a specific purpose. The child was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.


7. It is NOT the church that is supposed to rule all nations with a rod of iron. The woman (the church) has the purpose of bearing, not becoming the "Man Child".


Lets take a look at how God sees marriage and pro-creation.



According to God, sex is marriage.

Genesis 4:1

4 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

Genesis 24:67

⁶⁷ And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Genesis 2:24

²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
 

In the Bible, a man and a woman became married by having sex. God interprets sex as marriage... in the intervening time since the Bible was written, do you think Jesus and His Father might have changed their mind about this? If so... why?

Hebrews 13:8

⁸ Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

The government and other people may ignore your sexual relations… God does not.

So how does this fit with Revelation 12?

Ephesians 5:30-32

³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Perhaps the mystery that Paul refers to is that Jesus got married and had a son.

 

The reason for marriage

The Bible tells us the reason for marriage is because the Lord wants a “godly seed”. With free-will, we may choose not to have children and not contribute to God’s plan for mankind, but do you think Jesus would? Wouldn't Jesus be interested in a godly seed? He always did the will of His Father.


Malachi 2:15

¹⁵ And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.


Sadly, the majority of our society has embraced a harlot’s perspective on families. Birth control, abortion and child care come from a harlot’s lifestyle, a lifestyle where a child is only in the way and hinders the woman from making money. This ruins the purpose a for which a woman was created. I feel sad for people when, based on the size of a family they ask, "Is this going to be your last child?" They do not realize where this perspective comes from.

How can a woman be a mother if you do not give her children to fulfill the purpose for which God made her? This is the treachery Malachi spoke about. This lifestyle thumbs its nose at God and exhibits blatant disregard for the Creator of the Universe. For those that are barren, adoption is a pleasing thing in God's sight.

Every living thing since the beginning of creation begets after its own kind. I tell my kids that when cats have babies, they produce cats; when dogs have babies, they produce dogs; when cows have babies, they produce cows, when people have babies, they produce people; when God has a baby... (you fill in the blank).


If Jesus had a child, wouldn't that child qualify as being a “godly seed”? In light of this information, Revelation 12:5 makes complete sense.

Revelation 12:5

⁵ And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.


I never considered... Do you think that Jesus himself would disobey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply? Would He not participate in God’s plan to have a godly seed?

Revelation 12:17

¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.


This seed is the reason for everything, the reason God created the universe, the reason for the Bible, the reason He sent Jesus to die on the cross.

8. If the man child is comprised of overcomers produced by the church, Jesus’ marriage consummation to the church must needs to have already happened. Why?

I'll answer that with a question: Do you think Jesus would want to produce an illegitimate child, or a bastard himself? This is not the kind of example Christian men are taught to follow according to the Bible. We are supposed to become like Jesus. Why would you think he had relations with a harlot?

If you think the Song of Solomon is a love story between Jesus and his church, then His beloved is but one. Jesus is not a pagan king that will lie with the harlot.

Song of Solomon 6:9

⁹ My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother...

Could this mean that God's group is much bigger than mine and I don't get to choose or insult another group by calling them the harlot? God knows who are His.

9. I’ve always heard that Jesus will claim his bride at the end of time. Doesn’t the existence of the man child tell us this has already happened?


Body vs Bride

A woman becomes bone of her husband’s bone, and flesh of his flesh; in essence they are one in God's eyes. Because of this, a woman’s body has become her husband's body in marriage; in the case of Christ, Jesus' church became the "body of Christ". The term shows ownership; her body became His body. This happened when they got married, when they became one flesh. At the same time, she also became the “bride of Christ”.

1 John 4:1-3

¹ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

² Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
³ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

This means my terminology has to change, and in essence, my definition. I see no difference between the “body of Christ” and the “bride of Christ” anymore. The terms are interchangeable. This may seem an earth shattering revelation, but "it is not the spoon that bends... that is impossible”, but only my perspective... and that changes a lot of things.




10. If Jesus has already married His church, when were they married?

The answer to this would be, “when He started planting seed”, when He began His ministry. It takes time for a baby to grow.

Who is in the “bride of Christ”?

What I have called “The body of Christ” fits more biblically as "The Church, Jesus’ bride", but which groups are in His church? Is it limited to my "EBC"?

Who are Jesus’ special ones, chosen to be His bride?

Are we the ones who decide?

Fortunately, God made the decision long ago. Left to our own perspective, we would probably leave someone out.


Jesus' bride is made up of those people that He paid the "bride price" for. God tells us who they are in John 3:16; they are those that believe in Him.

John 3:16

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

The Bride Price

It was common for a man to pay a "bride price" for his woman to show what she was worth. Jesus paid the ultimate bride price at the cross. The church belongs to Him and Him only.


You may argue that, “Jesus did not pay for her before he planted His seed”; neither did Jacob with Rachel. It was not uncommon to pay the bride price after the marriage. You can see this when Jacob worked 7 years more for Laban AFTER he married his beloved, Rachel.

Genesis 29:30

³⁰ And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.


Jesus gave us a great example of being a husband in that He gave His life for His woman. We should also give our lives for our wives every day by providing for them and keeping them safe.

11. So if I am already part of the bride, and the woman is not the one caught up to God and to His throne, should I strive to become part of the man child? The apostle Paul thought it was important that he not rest, but keep striving.

Philippians 3:14

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

12. A birth of the spirit took place on the day of Pentecost, they were already water baptized. Is this when the man child actually entered the kingdom of God?

John 3:5

⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

From this, I see something I never saw before. Here are 3 points:

 

• A man cannot look around and see God's kingdom. Until he is born again, everything is dark.

• Water and spirit are necessary for that birth. Water baptism and baptism of the holy ghost are necessary. Tongues are just evidence of what has already happened, not something to be used by man for division as a "Golden Wedge".

• God and His throne are in heaven. Since the woman is not caught up to God and to His throne, it is not necessary that the bride have the holy ghost; however, it is critical to the man child.

The apostle Paul tells us what will happen to tongues in

1 Corinthians 13:8

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

God is a creator and loves His creation

God's first commandment to every living thing on earth was to be fruitful and multiply. This command was also given to man before and after the flood just in case he forgot. It’s funny how man is the only creature that has a problem obeying it and treats it like a personal choice.


This command has never been rescinded; God never told us to stop. There must be a reason and a purpose...the godly seed. 


Celebrating Marriage

If you think about it, "legal" weddings, where the government gives you a “license” to do what God already commanded, are a recent construct. Man takes advantage of God’s command, requires you to seek his approval and charges you a tax for it. A basic "Justice of the Peace wedding" denies your friends a time of celebrating and rejoicing over your union. It recognizes a union that God commanded, but it does not celebrate the union.


In contrast to a “JP” wedding, it seems God is so happy about Jesus’ marriage, He's going to throw a party. I remember talk of a celebration, a "marriage supper of the Lamb". Nowadays, we call this “the reception”. It takes place after the wedding sometime. My wife and I had three separate receptions across the US and Canada because everybody wanted to be included in our celebration.

Revelation 19:9

⁹ And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

 

Let Nothing Separate Us From The Love of God

 

John 3:16

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

 

John 3:16 tells us that God gave Jesus to the whole world because of love. It tells us that God gave His son, Jesus to those that believe in Him so we would not perish. We are to become one with an eternal being so that we may gain immortality; this is the only way to keep from perishing.

 

John 17:23

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

 

 

When men attempt to choose between believers and label who are the "true people of God", the "true church", they are in flagrant disobedience of Matthew 19:6. They are committing a sin with a "Golden Wedge".  

 

 

God gave Jesus in marriage and we are to become one just as a husband and wife are to become one. We should not try and separate others from the love of God.

 

 

Matthew 19:6

⁶ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Romans 8:35-39

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Discovering that the body of Christ is also the bride of Christ makes me think twice about insulting Jesus by calling His bride a harlot.

A Christian's Perspective on Gun Control: The Tip of an Iceberg

One of the most controversial issues right now in the United States is about whether or not we should have "Gun Control" or retain our right to bear arms as put forth in the Second Ammendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. This ammendment states:

 

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

 

 

There are many interpretations of what this means, but since the beginning of this nation, the people's right to keep and bear arms for home protection was understood. That right is now under attack.


Some of you may wonder what position I hold on this issue. Let me start out by saying that coming from a military background I have always been a strong advocate for gun control. That may sound strange coming from a military man.


When I look in the Bible, I find a lot of things that seem contradictory, but that depends on my perspective. If I have a perspective lined up with the way God sees things, all those contradictions go away.

* When a word has a different color than the surrounding text, it is usually a link to more information. Click on the word(s) to follow it. (My wife says I should put in this explanation)

I think we all would agree that when it comes to gun control, responsibility is the key, but is that enough? What does that mean anyway?

 

 

To some Christians, this issue is a dilemma, after all, we are supposed to be concerned with what comes after this life... heaven and all. This is not our permanent home and we should be concerned with heavenly things, not earthly things. Render unto Caesar and all... obey those that have the rule over you. Yet we instinctively know we should stand up for what we feel is right and responsible.


Where is the dividing line? What stance should I take? Should I just let the government take my guns and trust in God when government's only declaration of trust in God stands uncertainly on it's swiftly devaluating currency?


What answers can we glean from the Bible? What answers can we glean from looking back at history? My opinions and thoughts on this topic will not please everyone, but I hope they will open your mind to the possibility that God may see this issue differently, and that it is just the tip of an iceberg concerning things you probably never thought about.

 Before you go on, please read:
"A Warning - Straight From My Heart" if you haven't already.

 

 

As I have mentioned before, history repeats itself because our gracious Lord is patient with us and wants us to learn from it. He keeps giving us chances to make good, quality and long-lasting decisions, but one of our reasons for failure is that we do not respect the age and experience of others. We do not give our ancestors and predecessors the credit they deserve by learning from the results of their decisions, or by seriously contemplating what their lives have taught us. Each new generation is self-centered to the point of being reckless and irresponsible.
 
 
I like my blogs to be interractive; in this way, I can pull from the experiences and viewpoints of others and not have to explain things in such detail. Having to explain things in detail in my own words would be a waste of time and a dishonor to the testimony given by others with firsthand experience. I do have comments that will come after these links.
 
This first is to a link to the testimony of a lady who experienced gun control firsthand.
 
 
Australia is just beginning their ordeal with gun control.
 
 
 
It seems to me that a Biblical precedent has already been set on this issue way back in Esther's day when God's people were allowed to defend themselves. They were facing laws against their freedoms and rights as well.


Being a Christian and having a gun for protection is just as lawful to God as having a sword in Bible times, just the technology has changed. It is not a decision whether we trust in ourselves or whether we trust in God. It is not as some scorners put it, "trusting in a gun or trusting in God", it is a matter of responsibility. 


Having a strong military acts as a deterrent for war and keeps bad guys in check. Our streets and homes are a microcosm of the world, just having a gun deters bad guys and can save lives even if it is never fired. 


A gun is just an inanimate tool. I can be used for evil or for a deterrent and protection against evil. God does not give us the spirit of fear, but man can and does. The Bible specifically states we are to equip ourselves against evil for reasons I will cover shortly.
 
 
 

What happens if I choose not to equip myself, but decide to lay down my life?

 
 
 
 
This may be a difficult concept to grasp, but laying down my own life is not what Jesus wants. He says that if we lay down our life for a friend, this is the "greatest love", but jeopardizing or laying down the lives of others in my care and responsibility is "NOT the greatest love". It is murder.
 
 
We should not seek to save our own lives, but give them freely to others. We are supposed to LIVE for others, not die for them, Jesus took care of the dying part. What good are you dead? Who can you protect or provide for if you do not struggle to stay alive to provide life for others. Is it love if you willingly give your life, "Hey, kill me instead of them", when you know they will continue killing after they dispatch you? Or should you use all the tools at your command to defend yourself so you can protect and defend others? Jesus said in
 
 

John 10:10

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

 
 
Why do Christians think He came just to die and not for the purpose of giving life? He gave His LIFE that we might live. Not His death (only in a roundabout way). All most Christians seem to concentrate on is His death on the cross which we are very thankful, but Christ Himself did not concentrate on death. He was all about life. Notice He didn't stay dead very long? His death was just a tool and He wants to move on with life, the important part. There is much more to the Christian life than Jesus death. So let's move on.
 
 
This may sound funny, but I am dead serious... Only life begets life, death cannot produce life, so our goal is not to be dead. It is a simple fact, but we must be alive to continue God's purpose for mankind.
 
 
Jesus' death was a necessary sacrifice to attone for our sin and restore the fellowship between man and God, but the reason He came was not to die, but that others might have life and have it more abundantly. In other words, he does not intend for others to die, that was for a specific purpose. He wants them to live.
 
 
We have a figure of speech when we say that we "die daily to self-interest", but natural dying is not where our focus should be. It should be on continuing life, natural living with quality. Your natural death doesn't do anyone any good.
 
 
 
My wife, Julie wrote a good article about this. Check it out here.
 
 
God is all about balance... light and dark, sea and dry land, male and female, etc...  There is also the matter of hijacking the God given jurisdiction of another person or entity.

 

A man's natural jurisdiction is the protection of those under his care even to his death. A woman was made and purposed to help create and nurture life; this is her jurisdiction. The two may seem opposed, but they have the same goal in mind, to create and protect a godly seed for The Lord; it is the reason a man and a woman are to become one flesh. You cannot produce a godly seed by spirit only, flesh is necessary. Flesh enables us take action that spirit directs.

 

Malachi 2:15

And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

 

If you are not protecting your wife and family, you are dealing treacherously with them. If you let someone come in and do harm to your wife and children right in front of you, you are betraying their trust and the responsibility God gave you when He gave you a wife.  If we let evil conquer us, what will become of the godly seed in the following scripture?

 

Revelation 12:17 

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

With parallel purpose, but somewhat different tasks, a man and woman's jurisdiction can sometimes be questioned. Strong emotions can be on both sides. With the balance God created, one's spouse can pull the other back from the brink of overstepping their jurisdiction, this is part of the process of becoming one with your spouse.  Paul shows this in 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 when he talks about how women should be silent and how Paul does not suffer a woman to teach. Here is what my wife says about that.
 

 

Just as balance is important in a marriage, so is balance in the three branches of our government. We have three branches of government that should balance each other. Our nation was designed to have government OF the people, BY the people and FOR the people. A three legged stool does not wobble, but it will fall if an outside influence (emotion and hype without truth...like the media) helps one leg take out another leg. 

 

Our government is out of balance and should be brought back to the purpose for which it was designed. But with what I see happening, I have little hope. Perhaps God is using this to further His purpose and bring about the end times. Who am I to criticize God? I do however think that He wants me to stand up for what I believe in, and be responsible to live the kind of life He would be pleased with, rather than give that up because He is making something else happen for a purpose. Remember God is a God of balance. As society gets darker, His people shine brighter.

 
Going back to gun control...
 

Just now we find out that an assault rifle was NOT used in the school shootings in Connecticut, but that hype and emotion was the driving force used to inflame the public on the topic of gun control and slant public opinion in a certain direction. After directing public emotion toward a "logical" decision (to ban assault rifles) there was only one report that sought to counterract this baseless course of action and provide balance. You can find it here.
 
 

 

Just as this old military man mentioned a few days ago in an online Bible discussion, handguns were used to create a greater number of casualties, but they say an assault rifle is to blame. Gun control is just a continuing step of the government taking away the God given jurisdiction of a man to provide and protect for his family. 

 

The breakdown of the family always leads to the failure of a country, and ours is on the fast track. Just today for the first time in history, the ban was completely lifted on women in combat roles. This will further weaken our country because it trains a man to ignore his natural instinct and nature to protect a woman; considering her as "just one of the guys" that must hold up her end and do a man's job. When he returns home, what happens then?
 
 
 
As I implied before, a woman's jurisdiction is protection and nurturing. Something war is not. War has a much higher chance of destroying a woman emotionally than a man, leaving her an emotional cripple. She must go against her nature to go into combat. It weakens both the man and the woman from the purpose God designed them for, so I believe that lifting the ban on women in combat roles is the wrong path. It is another piece of evidence of a Godless society.

 

It is also not the jurisdiction of the government to get involved in my family and take my place as protector or provider for my family. Over the last several years, government has modified its role from "protector" of its citizens to include the role of "provider" and has usurped and weakened the man as the head of the family. Men are "only good for procreation" when the government will provide for and protect the family. This re-defines what a family unit is and destroys the morality of society further.  Government has overstepped its jurisdiction to gain power and control over the people from which its power is derived. It is out of order, it has come between the man and the woman. It is a direct violation of Jesus' command in

 

Matthew 19:6

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

 

Our elected leaders have opened the door to selective abuse of personal freedoms and tyranny of the people. They have decided what is good for us and for everyone. They have decided what is "socially acceptable" and "politically correct"; they have discovered Socialism. 

 

Do you understand why Christians should be more vocal on the issue of gun control? To the ungodly, gun control seems perfectly reasonable, to a Christian it is just the tip of an iceberg that threatens our families, our way of life, the continuation of the United States and the Kingdom of God.

 

We pray to God that we do not have to use our weapons to combat evil, but at present, they are a very effective deterrent. Ephesians 6 tells us MEN (not women) we must be equipped with armor. It is OUR job to go to war and we should be prepared; that armor includes a sword. This is not a woman's jurisdiction, but our wives do lend balance and insight.

 

There are two fronts to this battle. One of the spirit, but also one of the flesh.

 

Ephesians 6:12 says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places". This is what is happening right now in the United States. How long that will take place is unknown.

 

The other side to that balance is that we may be called on to wrestle in the flesh as well, because only in the preservation of fleshly bodies can we ensure a godly seed.
 
 
Do I believe in gun control? Absolutely! Guns should always be in control. They should stay in control of the responsible citizen.


Here is a ray of light in this very dark topic. 

A Little Child Shall Lead Them

My son, Bryan

Last night I woke at 3:00 AM with an overwhelming desire to read the last few chapters of Revelation. I had this crazy need to know and understand what that obscure book had to say and how it applies to what is happening today. It seems nobody understands it. Why should it be any different for me? All I could do is pray that if God had something to show me, and it was time, that I might understand.

I think there are times or seasons of revelation and I think we are in one now. I don’t know exactly where we are in God’s timeline, but I do think the “seals” that were opened at different times, correspond to the times of revelation from God down through history. He does not open a seal until it is time for man to understand what God wants him to.

I found some very interesting things that I will share with you in future blogs, but that is not what this blog is about.

A very odd and exciting thing happened today when I came home from work. My wife and I had spoken this morning about what I discovered in the book of Revelation, and because we were excited about what the Lord was showing us, we also called each other on the phone several times during the day. When I got home, I was very relaxed and asked Julie to sit on the couch beside me and talk about what we were learning. Our six children were all clustered around hanging off the sides and back of the love seat, eating pretzels and enjoying our conversation when Julie got up to go do something.

Bryan, my 15 month old baby boy in just a diaper and a dirty face plunked himself down where Julie had been sitting, grinned at me and said “Ehhh!”. (He only says 2 real words we know for sure he understands; “hot” and “nanna” {banana}.) He then reached over and grabbed Julie's Bible. Since I didn’t want him to rip it, I reached over, put it on his lap and started flipping pages to show him it didn’t have pictures. He didn't mind, he was fascinated. I think he felt special from the attention I was giving him.

After about five or six random page flips, he laughed and pointed to the beginning of a chapter. So, like a good daddy, I started reading it for him where he put his finger. That’s when I realized what it was.

It was Joshua 6, where God explained the plan to defeat Jericho,

the stronghold of the Amorite!

That wasn’t coincidence, that was a confirmation. Its time. Time for

The First Battle for Our Promised Land

My mind instantly thought of the promises in Isaiah 11 of which verse 6 is a part.

… and a little child shall lead them.

Standing Firm in What We Believe

Story

Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch in the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.

Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”

“Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out.

Lookout replied, “Steady captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.

The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you to change course 20 degrees.”

Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.”

The captain said, “Send: I’m captain, change course 20 degrees.”

“I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.”

By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send: I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.”

Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.”

We changed course.

Let us earnestly seek God’s perspective in all things.

He is our Lighthouse.

Story from The Principle of a Lighthouse, Standing Firm ! ~ Frank Koch in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Shaking of the Body of Christ

 Before you go on, please read:
"A Warning - Straight From My Heart" if you haven't already.


Brother Sowders’ Dream

Brother Sowders, a man of God from the 1930's, once had a dream of a tree being shaken and all sorts of nasty unclean creatures fell out. The fellowship took this to mean that it would be shaken as a group… and it was. A lot of bad things happened and a lot of nasty people left. But the tree was shaken a second time in the dream and out fell a “silver rain”, the "latter rain movement, promised by God”.

Here’s a question. What was important, the tree or the silver rain? Think about it…

something is falling out.

The “Body of Christ” is currently being shaken again. In fact all over the world, people are leaving religion like never before. God is doing the shaking but these people are not losing out with God. They are quality people that love God and show love and forgiveness to others.

John 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.


Our English is so pitiful, at times I have questions whether statements like this are self-explanatory. See if you can follow my train of thought; this is how a lot of people act.


Question 1: To be one of Jesus' disciples, I need to love Jesus' disciples, who are Jesus disciples?

Answer: Those that I love and who love me. 
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.



Question 2: What happens if I don't love you, but I love someone else?

Answer: Then those in my group are disciples and yours aren't. Because I love my group and my group loves me, we are disciples, but there is no love between you and me.



Question 3: What happens if I love you, but you don't love me?


Answer: Then I am a disciple, but you aren't.  Because a disciple must have love to another, and since you don't love me, and I do...




Conclusion: So, I know I am a disciple and you are not following God because I love my group and you aren't part of my group.



What would be unique about that? Even animals love and prefer others of their own kind. Being exclusive does not mean you are special. Having God's perspective is essential.


If we are to line up with God's perspective, we must consider all definitions of a word and try to select the one that would fit Him and what we know of His nature. 



John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.



One definition I have not considered until now is when the word, "another" is used as a pronoun, it means, "a person other than oneself or the one specified. Example: He told her he loved another." Somebody different.




Having an additional definition for the word gives it a whole new meaning.


John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
(i.e. someone outside my group... somebody different than)


This now means to be Jesus disciple, I must become like God and love not only my own group, but others outside my group. I think this meaning aligns my thinking better to what I know of God, because I know He hates pride.


What makes God so special is that He is inclusive, not exclusive. He loved the whole world. (See John 3:16)  We are supposed to be like Him.




What happens if we stop treating our brothers with love? Do you think that would please God? Can we withold our love from our brothers and call it "tough love" even when we see the Lord does not withold His love? Do we think we know how to love better than God does? 



God's love is an ACTIVE thing. There is no such thing as PASSIVE love. Was Jesus' death on the cross passive? Perhaps it would have been if He had stood back 'from a distance' and never came to earth. If love is not active, is it love? Does it have any value?



When we decide who to love and who not to love, we are separating people with a golden wedge. The gold (the good word of God) is shaped by the hand of man into our own purposes and traditions; mutating what God intended.

Mark 7:13

¹³ Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Last time I checked, dividing was God's domain, not man's. See Division and Unity

The Latter Reign

Going back to the dream of the tree being shaken, I do see a number of scriptures talking about the early and latter rain, but pride and arrogance have changed “rain” to “reign”. Try googling “latter reign” and you will see what I mean; the terms are almost interchangeble and in some places people don't seem to know the difference.


My question is, "Which group is doing the reigning?"  I see former and latter house, but I do not see the concept of a latter reign by itself as Biblical.  Many of those in Revelation 20:4 that live and reign with Christ a thousand years were resurrected in Matthew 27:52-54; in other words, they were part of the early rain church; not the latter rain.

Ruling And Reigning A Thousand Years

“We shall rule and reign with Him a thousand years” just ain’t in the Bible, but I don't know how many times I have heard it in church. The phrase was probably created to add numbers to the Church, alluring those with an Amorite spirit. See The First Battle For Our Promised Land (Part One). 


'Ruling and reigning' has been perpetuated by church leaders that wish to 'practice their ruling and reigning' before they get down to the real thing.


Promising an Amorite the desires of his heart is the wrong way to build God's church; it's just like giving free heroin to druggies that do your bidding. You have to give them just enough recognition to keep them happy. That's how unqualified church leaders are created that don't meet up with all of the requirements in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus chapters 1 & 2.


Talking about ruling and reigning, if God didn't promise it, then what do you think His perspective on this practice is?



Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.


Phillipians 2:7 tells us that Jesus "took upon him the form of a servant" not that of someone that wants to rule over others.


 Even John (the person God showed the vision to in Revelation 20:4) had the humility to use the word "they" and not "we".

Revelation 20:4

⁴ 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.

Attitude is important. What is yours? Will you serve God if you are just a remnant like in Revelation 12:17, or do you want to be paid for your work like a hireling?

Revelation 12:17

¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Man Takes Control

Man was never given dominion over his brother until the Curse of Cain. (see The Curse of Cain in What Happens When You Decide To Follow God Instead Of Men?) Wives are supposed to be subject to (under the dominion of) their own husbands (because of the curse of Eve), but the pastor or church leadership is not the husband of the church. Jesus is. When a preacher puts himself in the position of husband of the church, and the church accepts him and allows him to plant his own ideas or seed instead of Jesus’, there is a name for that.

Sustaining Excitement Through Fear 

In religion, everyone must think that the end times are just about upon us. A high level of excitement is how religious systems maintain their power. To believe anything else would “cause people to lose hope”. Leadership must maintain a high level of excitement about progress; the next meeting will be “the best one ever”; “the brethren will see more eye-to-eye than they ever have before”; "the next meeting may be the one that will bring in the latter reign"; "the next service may be the key to whether you reach perfection or not (so you better be there)". People are scared they might miss out. Putting fear into the hearts of those who wish to “be on the right side when things go down” keeps people subject to and under the dominion of the fear-giver if they allow it.


But fear is not of God. Fear is of man.


 2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

This high level of excitement has proven to be unsustainable throughout history and is one of the reasons for revivals. Perhaps this is also the reason for so many meetings and conventions…


Yes, I believe there are definite moves of God and good things do come from revivals, but when people become revival junkies, I wonder why their everyday life with God does not sustain them?  What are they drinking?  Carbonated beverages (fizzy lifting drinks) or the Water of Life? Jesus told the woman at the well that if He gave her living water, she would never thirst again. John 4:14. 


Let's get real, there should be no doubt or question in your mind. If out of your belly came a river of living water, do you think you would ever be thirsty? Do you think the people around you would ever be thirsty?

Living Water

Why is it that what we perceive as the water of life is always leaking out or losing its fizz?  Is something broken? Perhaps it is not the real living water, water for everyday living?  Is not God’s Holy Spirit sufficient to sustain us each and every day?  Are we missing something? Has something been withheld from us?

Water is a blessing, it IS life and can be stored up. Without it, people and other living things die. In fact there are a few places in the Bible that God withholds rain as punishment.

Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

What a weird saying!

thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed

Revelation 17:5 talks about what was written on a whore's  forehead because she had taken men to bed that were not her husband.

Revelation 17:5

⁵ And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

I think that God would have forgiven Israel in Jeremiah 3:3 but for the last part; "thou refusedst to be ashamed". 



In contrast, there was a woman in the same predicament that was ashamed. Jesus forgave her.

The Samaritan woman at the well who was offered living water by Jesus was so ashamed at not having the "right covering", she didn't even mention the man who took the liberty, she just said she wasn't married. Up until that time, she had been accepting seed from, and was dominated by men who were not her husband.

 Even though the two women were both harlots, the difference is important!


First, the Samaritan woman had to be ashamed, she showed it by not mentioning the man. But even then, Jesus would NOT give her living water without her having the right order as specified in


1 Corinthians 11:3

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.


He asked her to go get her husband but already knew she didn't have one. As a single mature woman she had to recognize and accept Jesus as the authority in her life and not a man pretending to be her husband.



It wasn't until she confessed that she was out of order and recognized Jesus as her head (and not the other men) did He share the water of life with her.



John 4:15-19

¹⁵ The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

¹⁶ Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

¹⁷ The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

¹⁸ For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

¹⁹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

But why FIVE husbands? What is Jesus trying to tell this woman? What is God trying to tell His Church? Numbers in the Bible are significant, not random. What does the number five mean to you? This is what the number five means to me...

1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Evangelists
4. Pastors
5. Teachers

"and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband"

 1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

In our efforts to become spiritual Israel, let us not be so intense as to duplicate her failures. Treat Jesus as your head and a pastor as your brother.

People, we are getting another chance. Let's not blow it.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.