What Religion?

The Apostle Paul mentions Religion three times, and all three refer to what he was/belonged to, the Jewish Religion.

Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Galatians 1:13-14 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

James, the half brother of the Lord Jesus, writing to his Jewish brethren gives a definition of Religion, and being Religious:

James 1:26-27 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

So it remains, WHAT RELIGION?

If your goal is to live a better life and to go to heaven when you die, then to insure this please consider the following verses:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹²For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

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Portraits of Christ

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HEAVEN – What’s it like?

There has been many a sermon, even quoting some scripture, about what Heaven looks like and what it will be! Streets of Gold, Pearly Gates, A river lined with fruit trees, Lion & Lamb laying down together, beautiful Mansions, etc. But upon closer examination we discover that these scriptures are talking about the new Jerusalem and the 1000 year kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ from Jerusalem, promised to the Jew beginning with the call of Abraham.

Why do I say this?
Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
So, what will heaven be like? According to scripture, while it doesn’t tell, it does say it beyond our wildest thoughts. The apostle Paul gives us just a small glimpse:
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Though we don’t know what it’s like we can rest assured that all believer’s will be there.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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The First 2000 Years

The Bible helps us date the Earth by recording the life span of various people from the time God created Adam to Noah and the flood.

Genesis 5-9

5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth: Adam lived 930 years and had many sons and daughters (5:4-5). But the one being tracked is Seth who lived 912 years (5:12).

5:6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: At 105 years Seth fathered Enos (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 905 years (5:11).

5:10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: At 70 years Cainan fathered Mahalaleel (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 910 years (5:14).

5:15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: At 65 years Mahalaleel fathered Jared (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 895 years (5:14).

5:19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: At 162 years Jared fathered Enoch (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 962 years (5:20).

5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: At 65 years Enoch fathered Methuselah (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 365 years (5:23). But Enoch never died, God took him (5:24) because he walked with God.

5:25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. At 187 years Methuselah fathered Lamech (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 969 years (5:27).

5:28-29 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah … At 182 years Lamech fathered Noah (and many other sons and daughters) and lived 777 years (5:31).

7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

Methuselah died the year the flood came. Lamech also died before the flood came. Lamech was born when Methuselah was 187 and Noah was born when Lamech was 182. 187+182=369. And the age of Noah when the flood came, 600+369 = 969 the age when Methuselah died (the same year the flood came).

Lamech died before the flood. 182 when Noah was born, plus Noah’s age 600 when the flood came 182+600=782. Lamech lived 777 years, he died 5 years before the flood.
Thus the Godly line continued thru Noah.

When did the flood occur? When the age of each above named individual is added together plus 600 years of Noah’s life, the flood came about 1656 years after Adam was created. 130+105+90+70+65+162+65+187+182+600=1656

9:29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. And Noah died 2006 years after creation (950-600=350) (350+1656=2006).

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Feast of FirstFruits

Under the LAW, first fruits referred to offerings to God: Be it from labours, harvest, cattle, meat (food), fruit, honey, oil, wine, family etc. The Israelites were to put God first in all things.

Exodus 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

See other mentions of FIRSTFRUITS in: Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:22, Exodus 34:26, Leviticus 2:12, Leviticus 2:14, Leviticus 23:10, Leviticus 23:17, Leviticus 23:20, Numbers 18:12, Numbers 28:26 and
Deuteronomy 26:10

An example of this is found in :
2 Kings 4:42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
Other examples are found in: 2 Chronicles 31:5, Nehemiah 10:35,
Nehemiah 10:37, Nehemiah 12:44 and Nehemiah 13:31

Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

More Old Testament references to understand First Fruits: Jeremiah 2:3,
Ezekiel 20:40 and Ezekiel 44:30
Ezekiel 48:14 And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.

The Apostle Paul used the teaching of firstfruit to illustration the believer’s relationship to God:
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1 Corinthians 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

James writing to Jewish Believer’s:
James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

The 144,000 are the firstfruits during the Tribulation.
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

The feasts given to Israel were given to teach Spiritual Truths, then and now.

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Signs of the Times

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

The above verse is lifted out of our Lord’s discourse to his disciples on things to come (Matthew 24:3). Now he was warning them about the tribulation (Jacob’s trouble, Daniel’s week) see Matthew 24:21, the great tribulation. The world is experiencing the CORONA VIRUS right now, and things are looking bad BUT this is not the Tribulation that the Lord was speaking about. As bad as it may get (there has been worse) we will get through it.

As believers we need to heed the words of 1 Thessalonians 4 which begins with “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition“. Be sure to read the whole chapter which ends with “Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work”.

And we should be (Titus 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; and (Titus 3:7) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

THE END IS NOT YET

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God’s Secrets

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The Bible is God’s word to Man. And it is a progressive book. God did not reveal His secrets all at once but over many hundreds of Years.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2)
I would seek unto God,” Job said, “and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number (Job 5:8-9).
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3).
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5).
…There is no searching of his understanding (Isaiah 40:28).
And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:34)
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9)
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9).
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)
…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (Ephesians 3:8).

In this age of Grace, God has revealed many secrets but again, not all of them. Daniel and John (Revelation) have recorded that there are some secrets yet to come.

Daniel 12:8-9 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Revelation 10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

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The 12th Apostle

Who was/is the 12th Apostle? Was it Matthias (Acts 1:26) or was it Paul (Romans 1:1). Did there have to be a twelfth Apostle?

The Lord called 12 men to follow and work with him during his earthly ministry:

Matthew 10:1-4 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Matthew 26:47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, …
Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, …

One of them, Judas, betrayed him and was lost, leaving 11. After the resurrection, he had to be replaced so the message of the kingdom could be fulfilled. The apostles were to rule from 12 thrones over Israel.

Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Acts 1:15-25 Peter declared (according to Scripture) that there should be a twelfth apostle named. Speaking of Judas “his bishoprick let another take”.

Then he lists the prerequisites for the selection:
⟹ had to be with them from the beginning of Jesus ministry (1:21),
⟹ from the beginning of John the Baptist unto the resurrection, must have witnessed the resurrection (1:22). (kind of disqualified Paul).

Matthias became the twelfth Apostle for Israel. Paul was a special Apostle for the Church (gentiles).
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Called by the Lord to go to the Gentiles Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

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New Creatures

The state of Gentiles before Paul was called to be the Apostle to the Gentiles:

Ephesians 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

1st wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision

2nd ye were without Christ,

3rd being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,

4th strangers from the covenants of promise,

5th having no hope,

6th without God in the world:

7th who were far off.

But now in Christ Jesus ye (gentiles) who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us what to believe and Romans 10:9-13 tells us what to do!

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Reverend / Pastor

What is the difference between Reverend and Pastor?

Matthew 23:8-10 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions.

Wikipedia:

used as a title or form of address to members of the clergy. “the Reverend James Jones”
a member of the clergy.

According to the dictionary, a Pastor is defined as a minister or a priest in charge of a church. He may also be a person giving spiritual care to a group of believers. On the other hand, “reverend” refers to a title or an initial for anyone who is a member of the clergy, worthy of reverence or respect. Reverend (Noun) A title warranting great respect, prefixed to the names of Christian clergy. Reverend (Noun) A person who has earned the designation and is entitled to use it publicly; minister.

A priest is an ordained person in the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican churches. … ‘Reverend‘ is a common form of address for ordained people regardless of their position (whether pastors, priests, bishops, etc.). So, for example, The Reverend Smith might be the pastor at your local Presbyterian church.

The Reverend is a courtesy title that describes a person. Sometimes The Reverend is shortened by some to Rev. and used as an honorific like Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. before the name. This is not the most formal form, but is the preference in some congregations.

A Pastor is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Protestantism, pastor may be ordained or not while in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches, the Pastor is always an ordained priest.

Wikipedia:

pas·tor

a minister in charge of a Christian church or congregation.
Similar names: Priest, minister (of religion), parson, clergyman; cleric, chaplain, padre, father, ecclesiastic, man of God, man of the cloth, churchman, preacher, kirkman, dominie, reverend, Holy Joe, sky pilot, josser
be Pastor of (a church or congregation).
“he pastored Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto”

Jeremiah 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, …
Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Jeremiah 12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, …
Jeremiah 17:16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.
Jeremiah 22:22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: …
Jeremiah 23:1-2 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

It would seem that only God is Reverend and men are Pastors.

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