A Challenge

A CHALLENGE

I would like to issue a challenge to those believers in Jesus who have been taught that the return of Jesus to earth to receive His Church/Bride could happen at "any moment". This is a very popular belief that is known as the Pretribulation Rapture Theory, which had its roots back in 1832, when what has been often referred to as the "secret rapture" teaching began. This teaching was made popular by John Darby a popular Bible teacher, and later when Dr C.I.Scofield brought out his popular reference Bible in the early 1900's which declared that all of history could be divided into seven dispensations, then when the secret rapture teaching was combined with Dr Scofield's dispensational teaching, apparently the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine was born. So with that brief background, which can be checked out in church history records, here is my challenge. I hereby challenge you to check out three scripture passages, and study them carefully without depending on your preconceived ideas about when the timing of the rapture might be.

1/ (Matt 24:1-36) these were words spoken by Jesus to His disciples, in which He answered two questions they had put to Him. Pay special attention to "time words" like "then", "Immediately after" etc. which helps to follow the sequence. Remember these are the reported words of Jesus, which are definitely true!

2/ (2 Thess 2:1-17) these are words written by the apostle Paul to this church he had planted several years earlier. And like all scripture it is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16). Notice how clearly he declares that Jesus can't return until after the "man of lawlessness" (the antichrist) makes his appearance!

3/ (Rev 13:1-10) these words are part of the description of the "antichrist" who will arise at some future date, given by Jesus to John in a vision. Notice some of the expressions he uses about this man being given "authority" to do the things he will do to God's "holy people", often referred to as "saints", or the "Elect". Who gives him this authority? We know from Jesus' statement recorded in (Matt 28:18) "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth". Could it be that Jesus will give him this authority in order to purify His Church, to make her ready for the rapture? This is the conclusion I have come to after many years of studying these and many other scriptures. What conclusion have you come to?

Sincerely submitted

Dave Jamer                                               25/04/12                                                                                         

A Cornerstone

A CORNERSTONE

 

A common practice in past centuries when constructing a public building like a city hall or library was to have a special stone carved from a permanent type of stone like marble or granite, to build in at the most prominent corner of the building. It was meant to be seen by all who visited that building. There was always a special celebration for the "cornerstone laying ceremony", involving city and political officials. There was always a special metal box containing items of interest of the day that they wanted preserved as a memorial that was built in the wall behind the cornerstone. In Paul's second letter to Timothy in (2 Tim 2:19) we read in the NLT "But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription 'the Lord knows those who are His', and 'All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil'". As you know a cornerstone has two sides exposed so it can be seen from both directions as long as the building stands! I consider that this simple statement by Paul should be given close attention by all followers of Jesus in our 21^st century. We know that "God's Truth" is a person, His only begotten Son Jesus, made clear by the apostle John in

(John 14:6), a scripture that we should all be aware of.

 

The critical question for us as followers of Jesus is simply how well are we showing forth to the world these two qualities that Paul mentions here? This is probably more important for men to consider, because they are often more exposed to the world in their daily activities than their wives. But these two things mentioned by Paul are equally critical for all to consider. So we must search our hearts continually, to make sure that every little closet or drawer that we all seem to have, where we place little odds and ends that we keep because we might find a use for them in the future, is not concealing articles that are not "pleasing to the Father"! I trust I am not the only guy who has these places, that he doesn't want his wife to clean up, because then he can never find things when he needs them! Right? Well it just might be that some things stored there that you are guarding from your wife's tendency to want to keep everything "in order", just might be items the Father is not pleased with either! We were all given the gift of the Holy Spirit when we received Jesus as Lord and Savior; He will help us in these areas if we ask Him to, according to His Word!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave  Jamer                                                                                                                         23/01/12

 

 

Wisdom Seekers

WISDOM SEEKERS

 

This was the title of an article in ODB today May 22, 2015 by Joe Stowell that caught my attention. He used (Prov 3:1-18) for his main thoughts,

and university students who are just graduating this time of the year with a head full of knowledge, but not the wisdom to put it to use. In (Prov 3:5-6) we read "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path   to take". NLT The key to success in life will be in wisely applying everything you have learned, in scripture this is called "wisdom", and we are told to seek after it. We read in verse 18 of Proverbs 3 "Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; (notice the female pronoun) happy are those who hold her tightly". It is interesting to note that wisdom as a noun in scripture is always referred to as a female, that is not meant to imply that the female gender is more important than the male gender, actually when women and men accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior they become one person spiritually "in Christ" (2Cor 5:17).

 

But scripture does have a lot to say about wisdom, for example read from (Rev 5:12) where John records hearing millions of angels "And they sang in a mighty chorus worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing". Then from Paul's letter to the Colossians we read (Col 1:15-20) about

"Christ is Supreme" in the NLT version, and in (Col 3:16-17) "Let the message about Christ, in all its riches, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving through Him to God the Father". There are lots more good passages about wisdom in the NT, but notice they are all about Jesus in one way or another. Jesus is the only begotten Son of Almighty God, who left heaven's splendor to become the only sinless

"God/Man" who was qualified to become "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", (John 1:29). Whenever we think of "wisdom", realize it is all possible for any of us as followers of Jesus because of what He did for us on the Cross of Calvary long ago. If you have not yet received Him as Lord and Savior I would suggest that you read (Eph 2:1-10) and follow the Apostle Paul's clear advice on how to be "born again" and become part of God's family!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                            22/05/15

The Divine Inspiration of The Bible

THE DIVINE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE

 

We refer to the Bible as "God's word", which indeed it is because it was inspired, or "in breathed" by the Creator Himself! In (2 Tim 3:16-17) we read "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work". It's no wonder that Satan has attempted to destroy the Bible throughout history, by various means! Our Bible does not merely "contain" the word of God, but it "is" the very word of God, in its sum as well as in its parts. This scripture as well as others attest to the fact that God chose certain human authors to actually write the various books that make up our Bible, but He gave them the words to use. This process is referred to as the "plenary verbal inspiration" of the scriptures, meaning every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. For this reason, we who name the name of Christ can place our faith in every word the Bible contains in the way of instructions toward living a life pleasing to our Creator. I often refer to the Bible as "The Creators Manual", comparable to the manual we receive with a new automobile or major appliance. The purpose of these manuals supplied by the manufacturer is to give you, the new owner, instructions as to the proper care of their product in order to obtain "optimum performance" from your new possession. Who should know better than the manufacturer how to care for their product? In like manner God has provided very specific instructions on how we are to live our lives, and relate to Him, as well as others. Other scriptures that directly relate to this subject are (1 Cor 2:9-13), and (2 Peter 1:20-21). Because of the prevailing influence of "secular humanism", and "situational ethics" on our present 21^st century society, it's absolutely necessary that we have a source of defining some "absolutes" in order to set some boundaries for our life. The common philosophy of "if it feels good do it" will never keep you as a follower of Jesus in our day! The only sources of "absolutes" we can live by are found in God's word. Jesus stated clearly in (John 14:6) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me". Jesus is "absolute truth", we need look no further through any modern philosophies that might present themselves as being able to guide you to some other source of "higher learning". Jesus is fully presented as our only Savior, Redeemer, and soon returning King, in the pages of our Bible, which is the unique and only inspired "word of God". So let us "read" and "heed" what God has given us in His Word!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                        8/10/11

Calming The Storm

CALMING THE STORM

 

This was the title of the devotional article in ODB this morning May 26, 2015. It was written by Marvin Williams and based on the story from

(Mark 4:35-41) about Jesus calming the storm that the disciples thought that they were going to drown in it, while Jesus slept in the back of the boat. In the NLT version we read "When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the waves 'Silence! Be Still'. Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm". All it took was 3 words from Jesus "Silence, Be Still", and the storm was over, and the surface of the lake was calm again. I think we can all learn a good lesson from this story. First of all they were following a command of Jesus "Let's cross to the other side of the lake", and apparently the sudden storm was caused by "the Enemy" of God and His children. We know this enemy by different names in scripture, such as Satan or the Devil, and he is always trying to oppose followers of Jesus, and prevent us from doing His commands. In this case he caused the sudden storm that brought great fear to the disciples, and they woke up Jesus who was calmly asleep in the back of the boat. Immediately Jesus knew who caused the storm and simply rebuked the wind that was causing the waves that threatened the boat with just 3 words "Silence! Be still!" This is a good example of the power that God has given to His Son Jesus.

 

As followers of Jesus today we have access to this same power, provided we are being obedient to His commands. The key is "obedience" to whatever the Holy Spirit shows us what we should do or say. It is very important that we be sure it is really the Spirit speaking to us and not some "Anti-Christ" spirit from the enemy. Paul the Apostle has a good word for us on this matter of hearing from God in (1 Thess 5:16-22) he says "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil". This is good advice for all of us who often hear prophecies from people we don't actually know very well. Just because they claim it is a word from God, it is still our responsibility to check it out with God's Word to make sure it lines up with the written Word of God. Failure to do this is often the cause of much error being introduced into the Body of Christ. That's why God had His Word written for our benefit, so let us be sure we use it!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                         27/05/15

Sin Redefined

SIN, REDEFINED

 

Sin as defined by God's Word has been purposely redefined by our humanistic secular society in the past century or two. All to make it more acceptable and less offensive to the modern or post-modern mindset! The Bible, which is our Creator God's written standard for a life style that will please Him, is very specific in defining sin. It uses several words to cover the meaning of sin, but basically they all pertain to the breaking of the 10 commandments listed in the Old Testament book of Exodus, written by Moses and recorded in (Exodus 20:1-17). This is known as the "Moral Law" of God, which Jesus came to fulfill in his life time on earth. The Jewish religious leaders at the time of Jesus had multiplied these 10 laws to 613 rules and regulations that the people were expected to keep in order to live a life that would satisfy God! This is the natural outcome of any "religion", which is always based on activities designed to earn acceptance with their particular understanding of their god, or "higher power".

 

Those of us who have become followers of Jesus, since we were "born again" by the Holy Spirit of God when we accepted Him by faith, now realize this is a gift from God. As a gift of grace, and not the result of religious good works, we receive it as a gift and thank God for it. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, since He is Spirit and invisible. Jesus came to make Him known, and once we have accepted Jesus as Savior, we are then adopted into the Father's Forever Family, and receive the gift of eternal life! (1 John 5:11-12). Some sins like homosexuality are condemned in the Bible, and listed as an "abomination" to God. Today it is simply called an "alternative gay life style", and a woman who was once a "prostitute" is now given the title of being a "sex trade worker", and on and on the redefining goes. I'm sure that God has not changed His opinion on anything He lists as sin in His Word, just because we have redefined it. God never changes, and is the same "yesterday, today, and for ever". He refers to Himself as "Alpha and Omega", the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. (Rev 22:13). Jesus said "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". This should convince even hardened modern day Pagans, that they cannot get God to change His stand on what He considers as sin! So let us continue to pray for people who have not yet seen their need to repent, and ask Jesus for forgiveness. May they see Jesus in our behavior and life style, and be convinced He is who He claims to be!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                revised 17/09/13

Frangrant Living

FRAGRANT LIVING

 

I was attracted by an article by Joe Stowell by this name in ODB on April 8, 2015. He based his article on (Phil 4:18), where the apostle Paul was thanking the Philippians for sending a gift of money when he was in need. This verse is part of a longer passage (Phil 4:10-19) where Paul gives thanks for their generosity toward him, and he told them it was "a sweet smelling sacrifice that was well pleasing to God". We should all be thankful for our ability to smell, just imagine the things we would miss if we couldn't smell. I'm sure we all remember the smell of home cooked bread fresh from the oven, or of lilacs or roses when in bloom, or many other fragrances that would be lost to us if we couldn't smell. But here Paul is talking about "acts of kindness" that are a sweet smelling aroma to God. Do we ever think that when we do acts of kindness to others, that we are actually filling God's throne room with sweet smelling aromas? Probably if we realized this fact we would spend more of our time doing these little acts of kindness to others more often.

 

Often we are too busy to even be aware of the needs of others around us; the Bible tells us clearly that we are to care for orphans and widows, and who doesn't know a few widows? Often they are lonely and would welcome a visit, or even a phone call. The Holy Spirit will certainly lead you to some widow who needs a visit or phone call, and all we need to do is to be obedient to His prompting. Really, "Little Acts of Kindness" are not hard to do, and if God knows we are available and willing to be used, I'm sure He will use you. If you are looking for scripture passages that tell us what our new "Life in Christ" should look like, read some out of Paul's letters to the church he had started. For example try (Phil 2:1-5; 12-18) or (Col 3:1-17), both of these letters will give you lots of good advice to follow to prove that your life has been changed since being born into God's family. Chances are that many of the people that you relate to every day in some way, could be open to learn more about Jesus and God's Word. And unless you are open to here God's voice when He wants to direct you to that certain person who has a hunger to know God, then His will cannot be done. God desires all people to come to know him intimately as His children, but this only happens through them coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, see (John 14:6) for the details of how to come to Father only through His Son Jesus Christ !!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                      09/04/15