The Truth Is A Must

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

To be without the truth of God’s Word, is to be without the authority of God. It is to be without faith, as faith comes by hearing the word of God, Romans 10:17. It is also to give credibility to lies, as no lie is of the truth, 1 John 2:2.

We are commanded to preach the Word (what is written in God’s Word), 2 Timothy 4:1. We are commanded to teach people to observe the words of Christ, Matthew 28:20. To not believe the record that God states, is to call God a liar, 1 John 5:10-11.

Moses disqualified himself from leading the nation of Israel into the promised land, because his varying from what God’s Word said was a failure to sanctify God in the eyes of the people, Numbers 20:12. King Saul lost his throne (1 Samuel 15) for not following the detailed specifics of God’s Word. The prophet in 1 Kings 13 was slain by a God sent lion for deviating from the Word of God.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for transgressing the commandment of God by their tradition, Matthew 15:3. He further declared that the holding to tradition instead of the truth is not only vain worship (Matthew 15:9), but is also the hypocrisy of lip service, instead of having their hearts right with God (Matthew 15:7-8).

Jesus gave one sign that is the truth of the gospel: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40 WHY NOT BELIEVE HIM???

Are there three days and three nights from Friday afternoon to before sunrise Sunday morning? NO!

To observe Friday as the crucifixion day is not worshipping in truth. It is exalting a lie above the truth. It is denying the Word of God. It is not believing the record of God, which is to call God a liar. It is not preaching the Word. It is teaching people to deny, rather than to observe, the words of Christ (what a precedent!). The observance of Friday as the crucifixion day not only boldly denies the truth of Christ, it is also a form of godliness that denies the power (authority) of God, 2 Timothy 3:5 “…from such turn away.”

The rejection of Christ’s word (Matthew 12:40) is very telling. The justification of that which differed from the truth is how the fall of man came about, Genesis 3:1-6. “Prove all things.”

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Satan’s Power To Devour

Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3) because Judas yielded through his decisions. Judas did not die possessed by Satan, he rather died as one defeated and devoured by Satan through his transgression, Matthew 27:3-5.

If the Devil cannot devour a saved person because they are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, then there would be no need of God warning against this happening, see 1 Peter 5:8.

Devils don’t destroy themselves, they seek to devour others, especially God’s children. If Judas had been some Satanic being incarnate in human flesh (which there are none), then why would he go out and destroy himself after he had successfully betrayed Christ? He would have rather rejoiced with Christ’s enemies. Plus, had Judas been some demon incarnated into human form, to destroy his human body would not have brought about his perdition, but just released him from bodily confinement.

The Devil cannot deceive and ruin a child of God in innocence before God, see 1 Corinthians 10:13. God will not allow it. But a Christian can yield to temptation,, temptation will conceive and bring forth sin, and “…sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:14-15. All of this can and does happen to saved people who yield to sin, even when indwelled by the Holy Spirit. This is clearly seen in Judas’ case. Being indwelled by the Holy Spirit does not sanctify us in the flesh to the extent that we cannot yield ourselves unto Satan as he tempts us to sin.

Judas had not been resisting temptation, but had rather been yielding to temptation on a rather regular (backslidden) basis, before his sin brought forth his death.

John 12:6 Judas had been yielding to temptation to steal for some time, being very deceitful about it, all by choice. He also had other spiritual problems: John 6:70 “a devil” = a descriptive word, in this case, “diabolos”, meaning “an accuser, a slanderer”. Judas, by choice, let himself think and say things about others, in a way that yielding unto the Devil would bring forth.

King Saul yielded himself unto temptation to sin, and when his sin finished, it brought forth his death. His yielding “quenched” the Holy Spirit.

Ananias and Sapphira (both indwelled by the Holy Spirit) yielded themselves to Satan by their decision, thus allowing Satan to fill their heart to lie to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:3-5) and their sin brought forth their death.

Not by innocence, but due to yielding, Satan can both enter and fill the heart of a child of God, who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, quenching the Holy Spirit, and motivating them to commit terrible sin, even unto their own self destruction (perdition). BEWARE!

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Healed By His Stripes

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our piece was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5 (Luke 4:18)
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

Should the sufferings of Christ have included a profit for the flesh, such as physical healing, and since the benefits of Christ’s sufferings are fully upon all who believe, there would have been no need for Christ to give out additional gifts for healing, as healing would already be a part of the package Christ’s death provides.

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (Not can be, or will be, but were). Thus, ye were healed; not “if you get sick, you will be healed by his stripes.”

If we “were healed” physically by Christ’s stripes, this would be healing in advance of any and all sickness. This would mean we would never get sick, because we “were healed” of our sicknesses before they occurred, back when these stripes were laid on Christ. That would mean the changing of the corruption of our flesh into that which is incorruptible.

This “were healed” took place when one received Christ and was made spiritually whole by regeneration. Rather than be subject to the power of sin-sickness (which the flesh is), one is made a new creature, 2 Corinthians 5:17, which is free of sin, John 8:36.

This new creature (John 3:3-6) is made whole, not partially saved: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 Before being born again, one’s nature, born of the flesh, is under sin and subject to sin. But when one is saved, they receive a new sinless nature within by regeneration, that is made free of sin, and has fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life, Romans 6:22.

Christ’s sufferings and death are provisions for the spiritual salvation of man, and not for deliverance from the corruptible condition of the flesh.

The deliverance from our fleshly corruptions will come when we are raised incorruptible with Christ: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54

Yes, God can heal any sickness, over and above the ability of the body to heal itself, if He wills to do so. There have been gifts of healing given by God, as Biblical accounts bear out.

But Christ’s sufferings (stripes, etc.) were His bearing of the punishment we deserve to have inflicted upon us in this life because of our sins. His shed blood, however, is what eternally redeems our souls from the condemnation of sin, and His righteousness alone answers for the demands of God’s law, that we might be justified.

Only those who repent of their sin condition and seek God’s mercy and grace, placing their faith and trust in Christ as God’s provision for salvation, gain the benefits of His sufferings and offering of Himself, for their eternal salvation. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Those who teach that Christ’s stripes are about affording physical healing, and they incorporate “healing” into their services, identify themselves as being “Full Gospel” (for the flesh and spirit). This teaching right away closes people’s minds to every message or ministry that does not embrace their philosophy. Even though you speak the truth, they will not receive you or your message, because you don’t embrace their philosophy on healing.

Those who have been subjected to this philosophy are also being set up for disappointment, confusion, and bitterness, as they see themselves and their loves ones still getting sick and suffering from infirmities. Delusional “faith” gives one a distorted sense of pretension or a bitter taste concerning their expectations of God.

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Christ, The Fulfillment Of The Old Testament

The secret to seeing the meaning of Old Testament ordinances, services, and settings, is in seeing them as typology, representing Christ, His offering, and what is secured by the mediation of His priesthood. Read Hebrews 9 for an explanation.

For example: the shewbread in the Tabernacle. Bread is the sustenance of life. Thus, the shewbread illustrated that Christ is the sustenance of spiritual life for His people. So Israel’s existence before God was seen to be secured before God through Christ, who is the bread of life. No matter what Israel’s condition was outside in the camp, they were still seen by God and secured with God through the shewbread that was in the sanctuary.

All the covenant promises made to Israel were made to the seed of Abraham, and that seed was Christ, Galatians 3:16. Israel, as a covenant nation, stands before God in Christ. Her existence as a nation, and her inheritance as a nation in the land of Canaan, are secured in Christ, Genesis 15:18 and Leviticus 25:23.

No matter how down trodden and dispersed Israel may have been, yet she remains secure with God as His chosen nation, entitled to her land in Christ. God looks at Christ and sees in Him the reason for her existence.

Only after Israel accepts Christ, as He comes to deliver her from the anti-christ and his armies, will she then come into the fullness of God’s covenant promises, thus enabling her to fully possess all her land.

No matter what Israel’s circumstances are, she cannot and will not pass away, because she is seen to exist, as God beholds Christ, who is the seed unto whom the promises concerning the nation were made. All these promises are secured through the redemption that is in Christ’s shed blood.

This explains why Israel did not pass away, even when she was driven from her land and dispersed throughout the nations of the world. She has had all the covenant promises secured for her by Christ, through His own mediation. Only in and through Christ are the promises of God secured for His people.

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Members Of The Church Body

The church assembly is about functioning together as members of the body of Christ. This is far more than just attending an event, such as being joined together in marriage is.

A body (which the church is the spiritual body of Christ on earth) functions as a unit, “…the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part.” Ephesians 4:15-16

The mind for this togetherness is from Christ, the Head, and the Spirit of the members functioning in and with the body, is of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27. The human body is exampled to set forth how this all works: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

To be a member of an organization, you don’t even have to attend its meetings. But to be a functioning member of a body, there has to be togetherness with where it is at and what it is doing. All the teachings in the Bible point to the same thing: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some it; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Those joining the body of Christ (from the Church Covenant) “…enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage…to walk together…to sustain its worship” (from paragraphs one and two of our Church Covenant).

OUR CHURCH CONSTITUTION AND BY LAWS:
ARTICLE IV. Meetings: SECTION 1. Worship: “The church shall maintain regular services of worship every Sunday morning and evening, mid-week prayer service, and such other services as the Holy Spirit directs in.”
ARTICLE I. Membership: SECTION 2. Obligations: “Members are expected to be faithful in conduct, in home and church relations, including regular attendance of the services of this church, and financial support of the Lord’s work, as set forth in our church covenant and herein recorded.”

It is by an individual’s request and after their consent to our church’s doctrines and church covenant, that one can be received into the church body, as a covenant member. “It is a snare…after vows to make inquiry.” Proverbs 20:25. See also Ecclesiastes 5:4-6

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