The Signs of the Times

JONAH 3:1-10, "And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding gteat city of three days journey. And Jonah began to enter the city a day's journey, and he cried and said; 'yet forty days and Nineveh shall be over thrown.' So, the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even unto the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published by the king and his nobles, saying, Let niether man nor beast, herd nor flock, tast any thing: let them not feed nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightly unto the God: yea, let them every one turn from their evil ways, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?"

We haven't been sent a Jonah, but is that really necessary? God told Jonah that the Ninevites "didn't know their right hand from their left!"

We may think that of others, but surely not of ourselves? Why, aren't we the greatest Nation on the plant? Do we not have great wealth and might as a nation? Are we not technologically advanced be on than all other nations?

The Lord declares, "to whom much has been given, much will be required." The U.S., being founded upon Biblical/Christians precepts, has moved a long way from center. Do I need to enumerate how far the Christian fabric of this society has rotted?

Is national bankrupcey upon us? How is it that the Mega churches are primarily run by "self motivational" teachers, not to mention one scandle too many being seen in the Media among those who "name the name of the Lord?"

I have traveled this nation north to south/east to west. And with rare exceptions, have seen far to many churches that have departed from the purity of the Old Time Religon, as foretold by the Apostles.

Might that be why our prosperity is drying up? Or, is there no real need for concern? Jesus told the people of his day, "you can discern the weather by observing the sky, but how is it you cannot discern the "Signs of the Times?"

"...Men and brethren, what shall we do?
(The Advice of the Apostles)
Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Christ Jesus for the remission of sins..."
Acts 2: 37-38

God's Character

Jonah 4: 2, And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said while I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."

For all the judgement that is to be seen in the Word of God towards the ungodly; it has long been know that God's Nature is to do good, to bring forth hope and blessing to all people.

As the apostle told the Lyconians when he was introducing Jesus Christ to them:

"That He showed He was there by the good things He did. God sends rain from heaven and makes your crops grow. He gives food to you and makes your heart glad." (Acts 14:17)

The Lord does these things and more, even to a people who do not seek after Him.

He made a Covenant with Israel; that if they would obey all His Laws and keep all His statutes and ordinances and walk in His precepts; that, 'He would heal all their diseases, and cause them to prosper where ever they went and keep them from bondage from every other people!'

They would not remain faithful to their Covenant. All Covenants have Terms. They violated theirs, yet God was slow to anger with them, for He remembers we are but dust.

He sent many prophets to warn the people over an extended period of time. They would not listen to them. That is how people today also do not listen to God!

Finally, God has sent the Author of Eternal Salvation (Heb. 5:9) to us all. Let us keep our Covenant with Him and hear: "well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

A Prophet Without Honor

Micah 2:11; 3:6-7, The only prophet you want is a liar who will say, 'I prophesy that wine and liquor will flow for you.' ...That is why you will have nights without visions. You will have darkness without revelations. The sun will set on the prophets, and the day will turn dark for them. Seers will be put to shame. Those who practice witchcraft will be disgraced. All of them will cover their face because God won't answer them.

Are there a "religious people" today who have a similar M/O to the people in Micah's day? Lets consider that possibility: first, do you remember why God sent His prophets to the people of Israel?

Wasn't it to warn the people when they began to turn away from the Terms of their Covenant with the Lord? If we can agree on that, then we can more readily understand the primary roll of a prophet. Also, it explains the finality of the "70 weeks being determined for Daniel's people." If these things are not so, which prophets brought them news of "health and prosperity?"

While it is true God gave the Israelites the promise of "health and prosperity" if they would obey the Mosaic Covenant; it is also true He promised them "doom and gloom" if they broke their Covenant with Him! These things are self evident from the Word! And so, Jesus told that very religeous people "their house was left unto them desolate," and He was their last Prophet:

Micah 3:8-11, But I am filled with power of the LORD'S Spirit, with justice, and with strength. So I will tell the descendants of Jacob about their crimes and the nation of Israel about its sins. Listen to this, you rulers of the nation of Israel. You despise justice and pervert everything that is right. You build Zion on bloodshed and Jerusalem on wickedness. Your leaders exchange justice for bribes. Your priests teach for a price. Your prophets tell the future for money. But they rely on the LORD when they say, "After all, the LORD is with us. Nothing bad will happen to us."

Now, to return to the possibility that we have a similar scenario today: I talked to a representative of the A.G. denomination in the presence of others, about the meaning of the word Saint. I pointed out that the definition always has been defined as, "a morally perfect/blameless person," in other words, a saint really is holy! He told me there were no saints! I asked, "didn't Paul write to the saints at Ephesus, was he writing to cadavers?" He replied, "there are no saints today!" According to that reasoning, Jesus is coming back for non-saints!

I discussed the Biblical meaning of the term "Saved" with a Mission pastor for two hours. He (and many others) believe: "saved" means from hell and guilt, not from the acts of sin: he told me, "if a person was ever "saved" and he died, even as a practicing pedophile, he would still go to heaven!" Then he told me he preaches holiness. So I asked him, "do you tell the people holiness is mandatory?" He said, "No, I do not use that word." Then I told him, "You do not then preach holiness at all, if it is optional!" (See: Heb. 12:14)

I visited a Lutheran priest to discuss the Biblical Gospel with him. He told me, "the Bible teaches a believer 'can sin.'" I replied, "indeed it does. But it also teaches a believer 'may not sin!" Then I told him, "putting the emphasis on a 'believer sinning' in order to perpetuate "absolution by a priest" is putting the back seat up front and the front seat in the back!"

Most Televangelists tell the people they can go to Heaven in their sin, "they will be made holy when they see Jesus!" This is a lie, according to Heb. 12:14 and I Cor. 15:34. Who cares?

The summation of what has been said is this: Your priests teach for a price. Your prophets tell the future for money." "If the righteous are scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

The Spirit's Impressions

The Holy Spirit is given us for a guide. With respect to our conduct and our duty, we often feel the impressions of the Spirit. The Word of God tells us to give of our goods as the Lord has prospered us, but the Spirit may often impress us as to where to give.

We feel impressed by the Spirit to give, we feel impressed to go to a certain place, we feel impressed to pray for such a one, we feel impressed to fast and pray, etc. Many a precious soul that once was full of joy and fatness is today in unrest and leanness because these impressions have been resisted. But are there not impressions given by an evil spirit? Most certainly, and these impressions have led many an honest soul into the wildest of fanaticism. Thank God, by living very humble, with all our motives very pure, and by acquaintance with the Word of God, we may know the voice of the Spirit of God and that of the evil spirit. I have known people to receive and obey impressions to fast and pray that were given by Satan. God’s Word and God’s Spirit favor fasting and praying, but both are bounded by sound judgment; and in such matters we should not follow a spirit beyond what common sense would approve.

It is blessed and beautiful to be led by the Spirit of God. If its impressions are not resisted, but encouraged by cheerful obedience, they will lead us into a blessed felicity with God and a deep acquaintance with him. An evil spirit’s whisperings can be very easily detected by one who has much communion with the Lord. Recently while standing on a steamer’s deck it was whispered to me that the steamer was an ill-fated vessel, and that I never should see home again. At first I did not know but that it was the voice of God, but soon I felt attempts being made to cast over me a tormenting fear; this aroused my suspicion that it was not God speaking, and to be convinced I allowed the spirit to talk on. For a while it tried to torment me with fears that I should never see the dear ones at home again, and then said, "You may as well cast yourself overboard into the deep." Ah! now I knew the Satanic spirit and I rebuked it in Jesus’ name. I reached my home in safety. Praise the Lord! Try the spirits by the Word; Satan will soon expose himself.

Fragrance

Every saintly life on earth is a sweet fragrance unto God, and every sinful life is a stench in his nostrils. As the rose scents the evening air, so a pure life scatters a sweet Christian influence and a knowledge of God throughout the world. The literal translation of 2 Cor. 2: 14 reads thus: "But thanks be to God, who leads me on from place to place in the train of his triumph, to celebrate his victory over the enemies of Christ, and by me sends forth the knowledge of him, a stream of fragrant incense,, throughout the world." A saintly life diffuses a sweet, heavenly fragrance throughout the world, and brings a knowledge of God and the nature of his salvation to the minds of men. Let me exhort you, therefore, to a pure life, a life full of devotion and reverence to God. You can make your life, by God’s grace, a constant, flowing stream of fragrant incense, whose sweetness will linger long on the air after you have passed to higher realms.

What Is The Law to Us?

The RESURRECTION...

"Teacher, what shall I Do to inherit eternal life?" Luke 10: 26-28, He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

There are many who believe the Law has no application to them at all. Can this be true? Is it the Law and the Prophets that were nailed to the Cross or was it only "commandments contained in ordinances?" (Eph. 2:15)

Heb. 10:15-18, And the Holy Spirit witnesses to us also. For after having said before, "This is the Covenant which I will covenant to them after those days, says the Lord: Giving My Laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds;" also He adds, "I will not at all still remember their sins and their lawlessnesses. (Jer. 31: 33-34). But where remission of these is, there is no longer offering concerning sins. (LITV)

There are some of that same many that teaches this section of Hebrews is refering to a Jewish Millenial Age still to come. Let us briefly look at each red lettered statement by Jesus and see if these Zionists are correct:

1.) "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." Keeping in mind that these claims are relative to the Law mentioned above having no application to the Church! In other words, they are claimed only to pertain to National Israel before the Cross- and after the Church's Premillenial Rapture.

OK, Jesus claimed, if we "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and our neighbor as ourselves," we will live! Or, is the "we" only refering to them? and we Gentiles get saved some other way? I answer, Rms. 2:6-7, "He will give to each according to his works: everlasting life truly to those who with patience in good work seeking glory and honor and incorruptibility;"

Now, the "do this" in: "you will live," directly relates to the same act of obedience in the passage to the Gentiles of Romans Two: Loving God and our Neighbor! Also, Paul said, Rms. 13:10, "Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law." So, we can see that our salvation and theirs is accomplished by the same "DO THIS, and you will live."

2.) "Giving My Laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds;" is refering, according to Heb. 10:5-9, to Christ coming into the world, which is when the New Covenant spoken of in Jer. 31: 33&34, are being referenced to in the Heb. 10:15-18 portion!

It cannot, therefore, be refering to a Jewish Millenial Age yet to come! The reason is plain from the rest of the Hebrew passage, which differentiates between the blood of bulls and goats under the Old Covenant and Christ's blood under the New Covenant!

Let us get this clear in our minds, in order that we not become inticed or given over to "Jewish myths." The idea that the Jer. 31 passage has to be a reference to physical Israel, is based on the heretical teaching of, NOT BEING ABLE TO BE WITHOUT SIN UNTIL WE SEE JESUS! I will now address this from the passage above, below: 3.) He adds, "I will not at all still remember their sins" and their lawlessnesses. (Jer. 31: 33,34. But where remission of these is, there is no longer offering concerning sins." (LITV)

We have now arrived at the most critical proof of the Gospel as protrayed in the New Covenant: THE REMISSION OF SIN

For you who do not know Church History, I need to digress somewhat so that you may have a better understanding of this matter and be edified in our Faith. What follows will be Part Two of this discourse and will address the Remission of Sin as found in the RESURECTION.

THE RESURECTION OF CHRIST AND THE CHRISTIAN

Roms. 6: 3-4, Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life.

It has been said correctly that, "If Christ Jesus be not raised from the dead, we are of all people, most miserable...if Christ be not raised then we are still in our sins...and without hope!"

The world calls it Easter, but we are to know it as remembering our newness of life that can only come to those who have died with Christ to sin, and thusly, "Risen with Him to newness of life."

This is the "first ressurection" for the believer, and the Corner Stone of our Faith, being, Christ Jesus Risen! This is the true Resurrection!

This newness of life is to be signified by dying with Jesus to sin according to Rms. 6:3. This IS called BAPTISM, the second word of the gospel (Acts 2:48). Baptized into His death is how "our sins are put into remission."

The first five centuries of Christianity taught NO SIN AFTER BAPTISM. How so?

Romans Chapter Six is totally addressed to baptism and in its content we see the release of sin to be found there! Col. 2: 11-12 also shows the inactivity of sin being accomplished in Christian Baptism.

I Pt. 3: 18-4:2 also portray this death to sin as being accomplished in baptism and he likens it to a "suffering," which "ceasing from sin" entails (4:

1) and is accomplished by the suffering of dying to it! It is painful to refrain from sin! It is painful to resist the devil! It is painful to die to the world! However, that is what the Early Church by the Apostle's own writing defined as "dying to sin." Thusly, the first five centuries of Christianity taught--no sin after baptism!

This was changed at the Ephesus Council, 431 A.D. This change came about because of the Lapsi, as they were called: those who denied Christ because of Roman persecution of Christians. Those who would deny Christ were often not put to death. (They forgot Jesus' words: to be saved one had to remain faithful unto death). Unto death, was understood then to mean all sin died to in baptism included: "the good fight and a good confession."

So, after an era of Roman persecution of the Christians stopped, certain ones that had denied Christ wanted to come back into the Church. The Overseer's did not want to let them back in, but the ones who did not deny Christ prevailed and let them back in (they, as king Saul, gave way to the people instead of holding to Jesus' words, "unto death"). This Word in Matt. 10:22 and else where was thereby rendered arbitrary! It also brought in "due penance."

Apostacy broadened "Narrow is the Way," and made it wide! Keep in mind that there were notable men of the Faith who did not go along with the changes of that Council: such as, Nestorius, who warned the other Overseers it 'would pollute the Gentiles!' Earlier, men like Polycarp and Justin Myartr died for their "no sin stand." Later, John Crysostom still taught "the power of sin being broken" in the waters of baptism! Apostacy is not leaving the church, rather, it is a departure from the truth! And so, we come to a lost meaning of the "remission of sin,"

Acts 3:26, Having raised up His son Jesus, God sent Him to you first, to bless you in turning everyone of you away from his iniquities.

(I now send you to the Gentiles, {vr. 17}) Acts 26:18, in order to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, so that they may recieve remission of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.

The Modern Translations often substituted the word "forgiveness" for the earlier held word "remission." What difference does it make? I answer: (Away from iniquities and turn from darkness as found in Acts 3:26 & 26:18, plainly show that to recieve "remission of sins" cannot properly be translated "forgiveness!" We don't recieve 'forgiveness of sins' in the "waters of baptism." Forgiveness comes from REPENTENCE! Imagine a Doctor telling a cancer patient his cancer is "forgiven," instead of "your cancer is in remission). Observe:

Acts 22:16, and now what are you waiting for? Arise and be baptized, washed fully of your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

{Arise: Have yourself baptized and be washed fully of your sins, (are in the permissive middle imperatives). This is something you must allow to be done to you!}

We can only allow this full remitting of our sins by "dying to them," as opposed to agreeing that they are "forgiven." Confessed and forsaken sin is indeed forgiven! But for all sin to be "fully washed" we must die to them! That is being baptized into Christ's death! This understanding that the Early Church possessed, brought them their "fiery trial," known as the "Baptism of Fire!" "All who would live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

This is why Peter said, "...he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin!" Do you believe this? You must! It is an imperative, which is mandatory!

"IF WE DIED WITH HIM WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM"

That is the true meaning of RESURRECTION.

The Personal Touch

"I will come to you"

Without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let (hindered) hitherto,) Romans 1: 9 - 11, 13 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,. . . . Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. Romans 15: 14 -21 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain Romans 15:28

Paul writes lovingly and encouragingly to the people of God in Rome and from the first to the last he says "I will come to you". Why does he have this desire and make this promise? He could just as easily have carried out his ministry by letter. After all he had communicated in some way, because in the beginning of the letter he speaks of wanting to see them.

Why was Paul so intent upon going to see the people of God in person? Possibly because he realized the value of a personal witness and personal contact. From our own experience we understand how much more impact a man's words carry when we hear them spoken directly to us. We may write letters to our friends, speak to family members by telephone, but there is simply something more intimate about that contact from a face to face visit that we are more able to assess the truth of the person's word and evaluate his conviction and judge his commitments when we are talking directly.

There is much opportunity today for spreading the gospel by various media. And that is well and good if used properly. But then I have to wonder just a little about the ultimate value of this as opposed to personal witness. Consider, every week on TV we see romance that we know is pretend, we see men murdered, large sums of money stolen, people kidnapped and mysteries solved. A great amount of time and money is spent by Hollywood producers making these events seem real. And even while we are watching Gil Grissom solve his cases we know that they are just fictional portrayals.

The pretend awareness carries over to other things. We must consciously recognize that documentaries are portraying reality and vice versa. Then sometimes fiction gets mixed in with what we perceive as reality.

This situation also exists with television "evangelism." A great deal of money and time and effort is spent making the 'service' and the message entertaining and motivating. The performers are practiced and polished and seem so very spiritual for the brief time they are on camera. But we never know what is reality and what is merely fiction. When the lights go out and the audience is gone, many times the ministers and singers remain just "performers"-- like Gill Grissom, the product of a skilled actor. There is no on-going witness of their 'spirituality.' Indeed, so many have been proven false that much of the public has lost confidence in the messages displayed on TV.

Paul knew the value of face to face witness and preaching. The man who lives next door, who shops at Krogers with us and whose wife goes to PTO faces a closer scrutiny than the man on TV that we only see for an hour or so each week. The Christian next door faces us constantly. He lives his life before us either bearing witness to the words he speaks or belying them. We know if he has the 'goods' and whether we can put our trust in him or not. His witness is more direct than the televangelist's. He has a greater impact on us in his witness. And so do we when the situation is reversed have a greater impact for the Lord when our witness is close, personal and constant. People can see the power of our Salvation lived out before them continually. This is why Paul was so burdened to go to the Romans. He desired that face to face witness.

As we live our lives, let's be aware of Paul's desire to lend a personal touch to his ministry. Each of us is called to be a witness of the power of God. Let's live our lives in honesty and sincerity before God and man. That way we create a personal relationship demonstrating the power of God to those who come in contact with us daily, We want our words and our lives to be to glorify God and win others to him. May we let our lives be an open book, as Paul said an "epistle known and read of men" II Corinthians 3:2

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