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Heavens Light 7-25-10 Contentment and Providence Part 2

 

Contentment and Providence- Part 2

Philippians 4:11

Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content

in whatever circumstances I am. NASB

In this brief study I would like to:

1)    Show briefly that God is in His Providence is governing and ordering all the circumstances of our lives

2)    Remind us of His great and precious promises to care for us and meet all of our needs, and also that His Providence is loving and always has our highest good in mind, not necessarily our earthly comfort

3)    Show briefly that discontentment is a embittering sin which greatly hinders our enjoyment of God and our ability to glorify Him

4)    Exhort us to contentment through Philippians 4:11-13

 

I will be offering comments from Thomas Watson’s book The Art of Divine Contentment.” It can be purchased at www.christianbook.com or read here…. http://www.fivesolas.com/watson/content.htm

 

 

 3 )    Show briefly that discontentment is a embittering sin which greatly hinders our enjoyment of God and our ability to glorify Him

 

Now concerning the fact that discontentment is an embittering sin which greatly hinders our enjoyment of God and our ability to glorify Him, I would like to offer a couple quotes from Thomas Watson, then look at a few scriptures and make a few observations.

 

Thomas Watson writes…. “Discontent is a fretting humour, which dries the brains, wastes the spirits, corrodes and eats out the comfort of life; discontent makes a man so that he doth not enjoy what he doth possess. A drop or two of vinegar will sour a whole glass of wine. Let a man have the affluence and confluence of worldly comforts, a drop or two of discontent will embitter and poison all.”…. “If there is a blessed life before we come to heaven, it is the contented life. And why not be contented? Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? Man, of all creatures, has the least cause to be discontented. Can you deserve anything from God? Does He owe you anything? What if the scene were to turn and God were to put your under a serious trial? Right now things are fairly for you, you probably deserve much worse for all you complaining…why do you give way to this irrational and hurtful sin of discontent? May the good Lord humble His people for nourishing such a viper in their breast as not only cuts out the bowels of their comfort, but spits venom in the face of God! Oh Christian, if you are overspread with this fretting leprosy, you carry the man of sin about you, for you set your self above God and act as if you were wiser than He, and would sassily prescribe to Him what condition is best for you! Oh this devil of discontent which, whenever it possesses a person makes his heart a little hell!”put you under the blackrod? Whereas He now uses a rod, He might use a scorpion.

 

Now concerning the fact that discontentment is an embittering sin and that it greatly hinders our enjoyment of God and our ability to glorify Him, consider;

 

1) Discontentment is a condition of depression or of a downcast and sullen spirit, whereas the Christian is called to always rejoice and be thankful (Phil 4:4, 1 Thes 5:18, Eph 5:20).

 

2) Discontentment is arrogance. The discontented Christian sets themselves above God who has ordered their circumstances in such a way as He sees best for them. Shall we say of God He has treated us unfairly? If you got what you deserved you would banished to eternal darkness forever! Shall we command the God of Providence and infinite wisdom how He ought to order His world? Do you suppose you have a wiser plan than God? Would not God and His world be better off if you were at the helm? Why then would we complain disrespectfully against God’s wise providence? Shall the clay say to the potter, why did you make me like this? Shall the dog bite the hand that feeds it? (Jonah 4:1-11)

 

3) Discontentment is ingratitude. It surely sees past any thankfulness for our present condition and would demand of God that He do us right? Shall our sinful heart be more discontented over one loss than thankful for one hundred mercies?  Shall God rescue us from sin and death by the sacrifice of His only holy Son just for us to return and grumble that He has not been gracious enough to us? Discontentment forgets its real condition of blessed mercy and cries with lust that it is not happy with the portion of mercy God has given.

 

4) Discontentment is often accompanied with anger, envy, jealousy, and covetousness, which is idolatry. God will supply all our needs, shall He satisfy our lusts too? So often it is our lust for more that causes us to overlook the manifold blessings God has poured into our laps, and are always and ever thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, only to find it is a bitter and sour field to graze in. This is frequently the source of quarrels and discord in our families and relations, because we are not happy, so no one around us will be happy, and we with malice and a bitter spirit will make sure of it! (James 4:1-3)

 

5) Discontentment is the motive of grumbling and complaining against the goodness of God. Complaining is the choir song of the wicked and is not fitting for a saint in glory! It is unbecoming for those who have received a thousand mercies more than they deserve to complain that Christ is not enough to satisfy. Are you content to have Christ? Then why do you grumble that God ought to give you something more, as if Christ were not the most valuable jewel in your crown of eternal life. It is for this sin of grumbling that many in Israel were destroyed. (1 Cor 10:5-13)

Psalm 106:25-27 – 5 But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the Lord. 26 Therefore He swore to them, That He would cast them down in the wilderness, 27 And that He would cast their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands. NASB

Philippians 2:14-15 – 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, NASB

 

6) Discontentment is a lack of trust and faith in God and is often accompanied with an anxious and fretful heart. Has God promised that He will never leave us or forsake us and yet we will continually worry that we will not have enough or shall abandon our faith fretting that all will be lost? So we have lost some precious thing or some valuable supply, shall our faith and patience go to? Shall we abandon our faith when God has designed this trial to teach us the very lesson we need to learn? When will we, like Paul, LEARN to be content?

Philippians 4:5-7 – 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NASB

Philippians 4:19 – 19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. NASB

God has promised to meet all of your needs….do you believe Him?

 

Now all of this is not to say that there is never a time to offer complaint to God. Surely there is, and often enough.

Job 10:1-2 – 1 “I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 “I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; Let me know why Thou dost contend with me. NASB

Psalm 142:1-2 – 142 I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. NASB

The issue is that we are not offering complaint because of our lust for more, or offering our complaint with a disrespectful and ungrateful attitude, or that we complain in a proud, embittered or arrogant way before God.  It is entirely unbecoming of a rebel sinner who has been saved be the free grace of God to arrogantly tell God He has not been gracious enough.

 

Rather, when offering complaint to God it should be for relief from hurtful pains of body and soul, at the bitter losses that have come in the fallen world, or of losses that our loved ones are facing. And even then, we come humbly before the God of all grace, seeking His comfort and care, with a broken and contrite spirit, with such God is well pleased and for whom He is disposes to give comfort and rest from our wearying trials. We must realize that we are not entitled to anything but death, therefore the least amount of blessing is sheer grace on God’s part. Beggars cannot be choosers.

 

If we raise compliant to God about the circumstances of our life, let us be sure to do it seeking consolation and comfort, and never speaking a cross word or in anger against God’s Holy counsel, lest we find ourselves deeper into the pit of suffering. Consider the words of Thomas Watson…. “Let us be content that God should rule the world; learn to acquiesce in his will, and submit to his providence. Does any affliction befall you? Remember God sees it is that which is fit for you, or it would not come.”

We must come to that place of humble submission to God where we realize He knows far better what we need than we do ourselves. The circumstances which God has ordered for our life are indeed that which works for our highest good and God’s greatest glory!

Lamentations 3:39-40 – 39 Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? 40 Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord. NASB

Isaiah 57:15 – 15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. NASB

 

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
 
Or read more about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
 
 
If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org
 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-3485092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life

 
 
 
 

Heavens Light 7-20-10 Contentment and Providence Part 1

Contentment and Providence

Philippians 4:11

Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content

in whatever circumstances I am. NASB

 

In this brief study I would like to:

1)    Show briefly that God is in His Providence is governing and ordering all the circumstances of our lives

2)    Remind us of His great and precious promises to care for us and meet all of our needs, and also that His Providence is loving and always has our highest good in mind, not necessarily our earthly comfort

3)    Show briefly that discontentment is a embittering sin which greatly hinders our enjoyment of God and our ability to glorify Him

4)    Exhort us to contentment through Philippians 4:11-13

 

I will be offering comments from Thomas Watson’s book The Art of Divine Contentment.” It can be purchased at www.christianbook.com or read here…. http://www.fivesolas.com/watson/content.htm

 

1)    Show briefly that God is in His Providence is governing and ordering all the circumstances of our lives

 

To get started, let’s briefly define God’s Providence.

 

PROVIDENCE – The continuous activity of God in His creation by which He preserves and governs. The doctrine of providence affirms God’s absolute lordship over His creation and confirms the dependence of all creation on the Creator. It is the denial of the idea that the universe is governed by chance or fate.

   Through His providence God controls the universe (Ps 103:19); the physical world (Matt 5:45); the affairs of nations (Ps 66:7); man’s birth and destiny (Gal 1:15); man’s successes and failures (Luke 1:52); and the protection of His people (Ps 4:8).

   God preserves all things through His providence (1 Sam 2:9; Acts 17:28). Without His continual care and activity the world would not exist. God also preserves His people through His providence (Gen 28:15; Luke 21:18; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Peter 3:12).

   Divine government is the continued activity of God by which He directs all things to the ends He has chosen in His eternal plan. God is King of the universe who has given Christ all power and authority to reign (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 2:36; Eph 1:20-23). He governs insignificant things (Matt 10:29-31), apparent accidents (Prov 16:33), as well as man’s good (Phil 2:13) and evil deeds (Acts 14:16). from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,

Acts 17:23-28  24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ NASB

Not only this, but God’s meticulous Providence is so detailed that He is ordering all the events of our lives. Consider how the Scripture describes this. It says that even when the sparrows die, it is appointed by God’s Providence, and that we are more important than them, and therefore we should not fear because God is caring for our lives according to His Providence. Even the hairs of our head are numbered.

Matthew 10:29-31 – 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 “Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows. NASB

Or consider the life of Joseph, how he was brutally sold into slavery be his wicked brothers, and how God watched over him through many varied trials and difficult circumstances, and ultimately raised him up to be the ruler of the world. Of this, the Scripture says, Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil, but God worked it for good. Even though evil men made seemingly free choices for evil, God was behind the scenes and by His good Providence was designing it all for the good of many, and especially Joseph.

Genesis 50:18-20 – 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. NASB

We shouldn’t doubt that God has a purpose for everything that happens because all things are governed by God according to His wise Providence. This includes all the circumstances of the life of everyone who has ever lived or ever will live.

Ephesians 1:11 – 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, NASB

Lamentations 3:37-38 – 37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? NASB

Isaiah 45:7 – 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. NASB

For this reason, God is to be greatly feared and reverenced and obeyed! Simply put GOD IS IN CONTROL!

 

2)    Remind us of His great and precious promises to care for us and meet all of our needs, and also that His Providence is loving and always has our highest good in mind, not necessarily our earthly comfort

 

Not only is God in control but He has promised to care fore and meet the needs of those who love Him and look to Him as their provider. Consider a few of His precious promises to us;

Psalm 145:1820 – 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He will also hear their cry and will save them. 20 The Lord keeps all who love Him; But all the wicked, He will destroy. NASB

Psalm 121:5-8 – 5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever. NASB

Not only does He keeps us give us what is necessary for our lives, but He even designs the bitter circumstances of our lives to mold us and shape us and teach us to trust Him more and more.

Psalm 25:10 – 10 All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. NASB

James 1:2-4 – 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. NASB

If you are a Christian, there is nothing that is happening in your life that God has not designed for your ultimate good. This includes every single circumstance in your life. It does not mean He will only give you comfortable, easy things, in fact He has designed this fallen world, and all the sorrows, afflictions and hurtful pains, to stretch us and test us so that our faith might be refined and cause our love and trust for Him to grow all the more, that we might grow in holiness.

Hebrews 12:10-11 – 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He[God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. NASB

Even though he may discipline us at times, He does this out of His great love and for our highest good. His emphatic promise to us is, He is working everything in our life, FOR OUR GOOD!

Romans 8:28 – 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB

Now how many things is “all things.” Is God working “some things” for your good? No God is working “all things” for your good, that is, if you “love Him” and are “the called according to His purpose.” Yes indeed, He is working the good things, the bad things, the sweet things and the bitter things, the joys, the comforts, the sorrows and even the dark valley of the shadow of death, He is working for your good. Not to mention in the midst of this, He showers blessings upon us day in and day out. Our lives are filled with His goodness and His blessings. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. (Ps 23:5)

 

Now because of these great truths we must be careful not to complain against God for the paths and courses He marks out for our lives. We must be careful to acknowledge that He is wisely governing our lives and giving us what is needful for our life, even when circumstances seem contrary. Consider the saints of old, even though they faced great trials, and the hand of Providence seemed to be against them at times, yet they trusted God and humbly submitted to His will. Thomas Watson comments …“God is to be trusted when his providences seem to run contrary to his promises. God promised to give David the crown, to make him king; but providence ran contrary to his promise. David was pursued by Saul, and was in danger of his life, but all this while it was Davids duty to trust God. Pray observe, that the Lord by cross providences often brings to pass his promise. God promised Paul the lives of all that were with him in the ship; but the providence of God seemed to run quite contrary to his promise, for the winds blew, the ship split and broke in pieces. Thus God fulfilled his promise; upon the broken pieces of the ship they all came safe to shore. Trust God when providences seem to run quite contrary to promises.”

Let us therefore appreciate God’s providence to the point that we worship and magnify God’s great name because of it, and seek to always acknowledge His “invisible hand” of guidance.

 

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
 
Or read more about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
 
 
If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org
 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-3485092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life

 
 
 
 

Heavens Light 7-13-10 Regeneration Part 2

 

Regeneration – Part 2

 

John 3:8

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” NASB

 

The analogy of birth and new life

Consider that Jesus uses the analogy of birth. A person no more had some choice in the matter of their natural birth as they do their spiritual birth. We did not choose to be physically alive, and we did not choose to be born, it is something that happened to us. This Sovereign work of God is performed by God before any person has capacities to even see, hear or understand the Gospel, being dead in sin. A person’s ability to receive Christ as Savior and believe the Gospel are granted by the Sovereign choice and resurrecting ability of God.

John 1:12-13 – 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NASB

John 6:44 – 44 “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. NASB

Romans 9:16 – 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. NASB

Matthew 11:27 – 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Lazarus had no capacities to raise himself from the dead, nor did he possess the ability to resist the powerful Word of God to be resurrected (John 11:43). This is clearly portrayed in the prophecy of Ezekiel where the nation of Israel will corporately be raised from their spiritual death and brought into the glorious Kingdom of God in the Day of their restoration.

Ezekiel 37:11-14 – 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ 12 “Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,” Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 “Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 “And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.’ NASB

Do babies resist being born? Do people being raised from the dead resist the free gift of life? Have they even the ability to do so? The answers is of course, no! People do not resist this regenerating work of God because it is this work whereby God overcomes the resistance of the fallen human nature by giving them the capacities to understand their dreadful state of death and their great need to be saved by God’s power and free grace.

Acts 10:44-45 – 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. NASB

Acts 13:48 – 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. NASB

 

Regeneration is an invisible work of which we only see the results over time

When someone is born again, we are not always immediately aware of it because we only see what happens after someone gets saved. There is an obvious change that happens in the life as we see God’s power changing us(sanctification). But we were not aware when the secret power of God actually resurrects someone from spiritual death and grants them new life.

John 3:8 – 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” NASB

Wayne Grudem explains this very clearly in chapter 34 of his Systematic Theology….

     “Exactly what happens in regeneration is mysterious to us. We know that somehow we who were spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1) have been made alive to God and in a very real sense we have been “born again” (John 3:3, 7; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13). But we don’t understand how this happens or what exactly God does to us to give us this new spiritual life……

Because regeneration is a work of God within us in which he gives us new life it is right to conclude that it is an instantaneous event. It happens only once. At one moment we are spiritually dead, and then at the next moment we have new spiritual life from God. Nevertheless, we do not always know exactly when this instantaneous change occurs. Especially for children growing up in a Christian home, or for people who attend an evangelical church or Bible study over a period of time and grow gradually in their understanding of the gospel, there may not be a dramatic crisis with a radical change of behavior from “hardened sinner” to “holy saint,” but there will be an instantaneous change nonetheless, when God through the Holy Spirit, in an unseen, invisible way, awakens spiritual life within. The change will become evident over time in patterns of behavior and desires that are pleasing to God.

In other cases (in fact, probably most cases when adults become Christians) regeneration takes place at a clearly recognizable time at which the person realizes that previously he or she was separated from God and spiritually dead, but immediately afterward there was clearly new spiritual life within. The results can usually be seen at once—a heartfelt trusting in Christ for salvation, an assurance of sins forgiven, a desire to read the Bible and pray (and a sense that these are meaningful spiritual activities), a delight in worship, a desire for Christian fellowship, a sincere desire to be obedient to God’s Word in Scripture, and a desire to tell others about Christ. People may say something like this: “I don’t know exactly what happened, but before that moment I did not trust in Christ for salvation. I was still wondering and questioning in my mind. But after that moment I realized that I did trust in Christ and he was my Savior. Something happened in my heart.” Yet even in these cases we are not quite sure exactly what has happened in our hearts. It is just as Jesus said with respect to the wind—we hear its sound and we see the result, but we cannot actually see the wind itself. So it is with the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.”

 

Regeneration precedes faith

Many times we fail to understand the Bible about this because of how the experience happened to us. Again Grudem explains…

“The idea that regeneration comes before saving faith is not always understood by evangelicals today. Sometimes people will even say something like, “If you believe in Christ as your Savior, then (after you believe) you will be born again.” But Scripture itself never says anything like that. This new birth is viewed by Scripture as something that God does within us in order to enable us to believe.

The reason that evangelicals often think that regeneration comes after saving faith is that they see the results (love for God and his Word, and turning from sin) after people come to faith, and they think that regeneration must therefore have come after saving faith. Yet here we must decide on the basis of what Scripture tells us, because regeneration itself is not something we see or know about directly:”

We heard the Gospel and then we believed, at least it seemed like that is what happened. But we were not aware that our belief was the granting of faith to us by God’s Sovereign choice and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. But that is in fact what happened. We only learn of this great truth after we examine Holy Scripture and understand the process of salvation. Jesus made this very clear…..

John 6:63-65 – 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” 66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. NASB

Here Jesus explains that the reason many people do not believe. This is why he says in verse 65 “for this reason I have said to you”, referring to verse 64 where he says “some of you do not believe.” The Bible plainly declares that the reason people do not believe is because saving faith has not been granted to them by God.

Matthew 13:11 – 11 And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. NASB

And to those who believe the Bible plainly declares it is because it has been granted to them by God.

Philippians 1:29 – 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, NASB

This is also clearly seen in the salvation of the Apostle Paul(Acts 9:18) or of Lydia in Acts chapter 16.

Acts 16:14 – 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.  NASB

 
 
 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
 
Or read more about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
 
 
If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org
 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-3485092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life

 
 
 
 

Heavens Light 7-7-10 Regeneration Part 1

 

You MUST BE Born Again

 Regeneration – Part 1

 

John 3:3-7 – 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ NASB

 

Born Again – Born of God – New Birth – Rebirth

 

Regeneration – a sovereign act of God by his Spirit in which the sinner is given the capacities needed to understand, believe, and lay hold of the kingdom of God by faith and granted eternal life. His/her mind, will and emotions are divinely enabled to comprehend sin and righteousness and judgment. His/her spirit is resurrected from its natural dead state, restoring communion with God who is Spirit. It is a fundamental change in the nature of mankind having the very nature and eternal life of God infused into the human soul. At this time the Holy Spirit enters into the being of mankind performing this transformation eternally.

 

Regeneration – What does the Bible say?

When we think about the biblical word “regeneration”, we must consider first its nature. Regeneration is a word derived from its root, “genesis” or “generate” meaning beginning or create. It is “re” or “again generation.” Plainly said by the apostle Paul…..

2 Corinthians 5:17 – 17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASB

When anyone is born again by the Holy Spirit, he/she becomes a “new creation” of God. They are recreated by the supernatural creative power of God. This is why Paul says in Galatians 6:15 that the true substance of saving faith is not a human work, but the work of the creative power of God.

Galatians 6:15 – 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. NASB

Salvation, then and therefore is supernatural. It is a work performed by God, transcending the earthly abilities of any man. So we see then that salvation is first the work of God, and it then results in many diverse blessings and benefits of which mankind is a partaker. Let us then consider the following definition of Regeneration……

“A sovereign act of God, performed by the Holy Spirit, in which the sinner is given the capacities needed to understand, believe, and enter the Kingdom of God by God given faith and granted eternal life. His/her mind and will are divinely enabled to comprehend sin and righteousness and judgment. His/her spirit is resurrected from its natural dead state, restoring communion with God who is Spirit. It is a fundamental change in the nature of mankind having the very nature and eternal life of God implanted into the human soul. At this time the Holy Spirit enters into the being of mankind performing this transformation eternally.”

Let us consider the nature of regeneration from biblical texts. As we survey these Bible texts, consider how they are all pointing to the supernatural and Sovereign work of God in salvation.

Regeneration is the act of God, not of human doing

1 Peter 1:3 – 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:23 – 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. NASB

James 1:18 – 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. NASB

Ezekiel 11:19-21 – 19 “And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Regeneration changes the mind and will

Ezekiel 36:26-27 – 26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

1 John 3:9 – 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. NASB

1 John 5:18-21 – 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. NASB

1 John 5:4 – 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world —  our faith. NASB

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 – 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. NASB

Regeneration raises mankind’s dead spirit to eternal life and implants God’s nature into him/her

Colossians 2:13 – 13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, NASB

Ephesians 2:5-9 – 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. NASB

Ephesians 4:24 – 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. NASB

John 5:24 – 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. NASB

John 6:39-40 – 39 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” NASB

Regeneration then, is the very nature of salvation itself. It is the saving act of salvation, performed by God, whereby salvation is applied to the elect in time and space. It is the point in time when the called of God are supernaturally transformed by God. This is why the Bible says we were saved “by the washing of regeneration.”

Titus 3:5 – 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, NAS

Furthermore, this is the very reason why Jesus emphatically stressed, “You must be born again” to “enter the Kingdom of God.” The Bible plainly declares that no can see or enter the Kingdom of God apart from the supernatural creative power of God in Regeneration.

John 3:3-7 – 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ NASB

A. Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  – Here we may see , God Himself, in the flesh, speaking to man about how to see His Kingdom. Here is where Christianity becomes very exclusive, “unless” Jesus declares. That is, in no other way but this way, can you “see the Kingdom of God.” The word “cannot” speaks of man’s inability, not His unwillingness. Mankind has an inability to see the Kingdom of God without the supernatural creative power of God in the new birth. People who are dead in trespasses and sins have no capacity of sight, hearing, or understanding of the Gospel. (1 Cor 2:10-14, 2 Cor 4:3-4, John 8:43, Matt 13:10-13, Romans 3:9-12, 18, 6:16, 7:14)

B. he cannot enter the Kingdom of God – The kingdom of God is here rightly understood as God’s salvation wherein one enters into a justified state of being having one’s sins forgiven and satisfied upon the merits of Christ alone. One “cannot enter” or possess this saving work of Christ apart from the divine grace of Regeneration.

C. You must be born again – Consider, God has come in the flesh and given us understanding. Here he says to us, “You must be born again if you want to see or enter the Kingdom of God.” Here then the repetition by which the Savior speaks this very important word, “you MUST” says He, be “born again.”

 
 
 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
 
Or read about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
 
 
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Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-3485092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life

 
 
 
 

For Young Moms and Older Women

For Young Moms and Older Women

A couple of articles from 9Marks’s latest e-journal:

For the Young Mother: Ministry, Guilt, and Seasons of Life
By Jani Ortlund
Young mothers face enormous demands that consume all the energy they have. Here’s why they shouldn’t feel guilty for focusing on the home rather than outside ministry.

Wanted: More Older Women Discipling Younger Women
By Susan Hunt
Titus 2 commands it. Younger women are hungry for it. The church as a whole will benefit from it. So where are the older women who will disciple younger women?

 

  • Resources for Today’s Biblical Women


  • Book Review: Radical Womanhood

    Reviewed by Kristin Jamieson

    Before I was a Christian, I was an angry feminist. I railed against the injustices I saw in the world and wrote impassioned papers about how women needed to free ourselves from oppression, but I didn’t understand true freedom or how we obtain it. Read more >


  • Book Review: Womanly Dominion: More Than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit

    Reviewed by Owen Strachan

    Maureen Dowd, an influential columnist for the New York Times, recently suggested that feminism is not working for women. In a piece entitled “Blue Is the New Black,” published in September 2009, she wrote Read more >

  • Heavens Light 6-27-10 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11 The Rapture and the Day of the Lord – Part 4

    1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11

    The Rapture and the Day of the Lord  – Part 4 

    Mark 13:24, 27

    “But in those days, after that tribulation, …….

    He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds,

    from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.  NASB

     

    1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 –  3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. NASU

    A. Notice then, as the unbelieving world is caught in the web of Antichrist’s deception, they actually think of it as “Peace and safety.” Note the terms, “While they are saying,” seems to indicate that right at the time of the parousia they will be saying this, then the Lord appears “suddenly.” This happens as they do not realize that the looming judgment of Christ which has been brewing for some 6000 years of man’s rebellion against God, is finally upon them. Paul describes what happens next as… “then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” This is exactly how Jesus described His coming. On the very day He rescues the righteous, then sudden destruction comes upon the wicked and unbelieving.

    Luke 17:25-37  26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 “On that day, let not the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house go down to take them away; and likewise let not the one who is in the field turn back. 32 “Remember Lot‘s wife. 33 “Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it. 34 “I tell you, on that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken, and the other will be left. 35 “There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken, and the other will be left. 36 [“Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”] NASB

    Not only is the Second Coming of Christ inevitable, but when it comes, there will be no way of escape for anyone who is not ready (being a born again Christian, living in Christ). Notice, “then destruction will come upon them suddenly” and the end of the world as we know it will be upon mankind, and with utter finality and fierce judgment the wrath of God will come down upon the kingdoms of this world, and upon all the ungodly and unbelieving sinners who have ignored God’s warnings and rebelled against His authority and “they will not escape.” Paul gives a more comprehensive and vivid description of what happens here in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.

    2 Thessalonians 1:7-11 – 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed —  for our testimony to you was believed. NASB

    Isaiah 13:9-13 – 9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger,

    To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises, And the moon will not shed its light. 11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. 12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold, And mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I shall make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In the day of His burning anger. NASB

    God has warned of this looming judgment from even before the flood, as far back as 5000 years ago God’s prophets were warning of His coming global judgment upon all mankind.

    Jude 14-15 – 14 And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” NASB

     

    1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 –  4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. NASU

    A. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief  – This important truth needs to be held in correct balance. On one hand Jesus taught us that we do not know the day or hour, but at the same time was saying that we should be aware of the events surrounding His coming so that we would not be caught unaware. Jesus made explicit statements about the fact that we were to “be on the alert” and to pay attention to the signs of His coming so that we would not be caught unaware and that this day would not overtake us as a thief.

    Mark 13:23 – 23 “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance. NASB

    Mark 13:28-29 – 28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. NASB

    Matthew 24:24-25 – 24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 “Behold, I have told you in advance. NASB

    Luke 21:27-36 – 27 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 And He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 “Even so you, too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. 32 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. 33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 34 “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” NASB

    In fact the parable of the Ten Virgins was designed to explain this truth very clearly.

    Matthew 25:10-13 – 10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. NASB

    Other Apostles made it very clear that this knowledge was to cause us to be alert and on our guard. 

    2 Peter 3:17-18 – 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. NASB

    On this basis then, Christians are to be well aware of the signs of Christ coming and not be deceived by date setters or false teachers, or to fall into a lifestyle of complacency or drunkenness and be caught in a state not ready for the Lord’s return but in fact busy about the Master’s business. Notice here, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief.” Paul’s point couldn’t be clearer, the parousia will not “overtake” Christians “like a thief,” but rather we will be well aware that the day is upon us and expectantly waiting for it. This is because “you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness,” and have our hearts and minds illumined by the knowledge of these things. Christ has brightly shown us these things and we are not “in darkness” and unaware, but rather “sons of light” and know full well that these things are coming upon the world. In response to this then, Christians are not to be slumbering or complacently getting drunk and living in dissipation, “so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” Paul gives an apt description of what our lifestyle should be like in light of these truths in Romans chapter 13.

    Romans 13:11-14 – 11 And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. NASB

    B. 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober – Here the great contrast between the believer and the unbeliever is seen. The unbeliever is “in darkness,” the believer has been transformed, “for you are all sons of light and sons of day.” Of course here “light” and “darkness” have to do with our illumination to the soon coming of Christ and destruction upon the wicked. Those who are “sons of light all sons of light and sons of day” are able to clearly see what is coming upon the world, the “sudden destruction” of verse 3, to which unbelievers are “in darkness” and cannot see. The contrast here is between those who can see and will not be “overtaken by the sudden destruction like a thief,” and those who are “of night and of darkness” who will in fact be “overtaken” by the sudden coming of Christ, the great day of the Lord. Paul goes on here, “We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” His point here is, since we are “sons of light and sons of day” and can see clearly the looming judgment of the great day, and because we are “not of night nor of darkness,” that we should NOT behave like sons of darkness but rather like “sons of light.” This teaching is very clear in other places in Scripture.

    Ephesians 5:5-14 – 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. NASB

    Jesus warned in the Olivet Discourse concerning His Second Coming that His people should not be “weighted down” by vain things or worries of life or in “drunkenness.” But in contrast to that, we should be “alert at all times” eagerly looking for our “escape” from these things.

    Luke 21:34-36 – 34 “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” NASB

    Matthew 24:45-51 – 45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 “Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth. NASB

    The contrast between the “sons of light” and those “in darkness” is one that can be clearly discerned by our lifestyle. True Christians honor God by the way they live, both in their abstaining from sinful activities like drunkenness and immorality, and live holy lives of purity and sobriety before the Lord.

    2 Peter 3:11-13 – 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.  NASB

    On this basis Paul tells the Christians to live “alert and sober,” like people of the day, not to be asleep and unaware, like people sleeping at night. We are not to “sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” His point is clear, in regard to the Second Coming of Christ, we are not to be asleep, but awake and alert, paying attention to the events of day, being sure to not be overtaken suddenly by His coming, but living in holiness and eagerly awaiting our deliverance.

     

    1 Thessalonians 5:7-8 – 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. NASU

    A. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night – His point again is clear, in regard to the looming judgment of Christ’s Second Coming, we shouldn’t be unaware like we were sleeping, or morally uncontrolled as if we were drunk, “For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.”

    B. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation – Instead, “since we are of the day,” we should be aware and “sober.” Then he uses yet another analogy of the Christian life stating “having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Here he is describing that our Christian faith is like being prepared for battle with the all the gear needed for warfare. The emphasis here is on being prepared, as if for warfare. This he describes as faith, love and hope, that beautiful triad of Christian virtue which is the possession of all who trust in Christ. This kind of armor imagery is common in Paul’s writings. See Eph 6:11-18, Rom 13:12-14 

    Romans13:12-14 – 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. NASB

     

    1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 –  9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. NASU

    A. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, – Here Paul is saying, “God has not destined us,” that is, the sovereign God is the One who holds our destiny. And that destiny is absolutely clear, it is not “for wrath, but instead for obtaining salvation.” God did not save us to destroy us, but instead to set His love upon us, deliver us and set us apart from sin, and to glorify His greatness by a mighty salvation which has come to us by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Here Paul is continuing his thought from verse 5:1-2, describing what it will be like at the coming “day of the Lord.” The unbelieving world will be unaware of His coming and “suddenly destroyed…..like a thief in the night.” But the Christians will not be “overtaken by that day as a thief,” but instead being “alert and sober” will in fact be delivered from the coming wrath, as verses 4:15-17 so clearly portray. First comes the deliverance and rescue, THEN comes the wrath and destruction. I repeat here that this is abundantly clear in the teaching of our Lord.

    Matthew 24:37-42 – 37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 “Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.  42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. NASB

    Noah was eagerly awaiting the coming judgment of God. He didn’t know the day or the hour, but He knew that God had said he would judge, and it would be in his lifetime. Therefore he was about the master’s business of building an ark, all the while the mocking rebels of the world looked on with amazement while he built the great ark in the middle of a place where it had never rained. But when the judgment came, Matt 24:38 says, “Noah entered the ark.” But the people of the world “did not understand until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” First came Noah’s deliverance, then came the sudden destruction of God’s “wrath,” of which the world was unaware, likely thinking it was a time of “peace and safety,” or at a minimum, another day as usual, eating, drinking, marrying, etc…

    B. who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing – Can we have a greater proof that God will not destroy us than the fact that He sacrificed His Son so that we could live? Can He say in greater terms that He intends for our good and that our salvation is of such importance to Him that He would sacrifice the most valuable thing in the world to Him, even His only begotten Son? Indeed the Christ “who died for us” is proof of God’s love toward His called and chosen people, and sufficient means to save us from the wrath to come.

    1 Thessalonians 1:10 – 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. NASB

    Paul now refers all the way back to 4:13-15 when he says, “so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” His point here is, whether we Christians are alive now, or have passed away in death, “we will live together with Him.” Christian believers are now in Christ and shall never be separated from Him. Nothing in life, nor even death, can separate us from Him.

    Romans 8:38-39 – 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB

    Colossians 3:3-4 – 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. NASB

     

     
     
     You can hear this lesson taught on audio here… http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/09-10/abc/05-02-2010_SundaySchool.mp3
     
     
     
     
     

    If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
     
    Or read about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
     
     
    If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org
     
    If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
     
     
    Shaan Sloan
    Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
    505-3485092
    The Lord is the Strength of My Life

     
     
     
     

    I Love My Brother LANCE… Happy Birthday!

    Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday Lance! Lance is quite a guy. For starters he is one of the most brilliant telecom engineers around. He knows more stuff about communications while he is sleeping than most engineers know when they are working. If you have a telecom problem, and Lance can’t solve it, your in trouble. When I first started in telecom, it was with a company where Lance was working and he got me the job there. Then he trained me for years and years, in spite of my hard head, he taught most everything I know about telecom engineering. He has been a great mentor in my professional life.
    Lance is also a great brother. He has taught me so much about life….hunting, fishing, guns, having a blast, and getting into mischief (he was good at that when we were growing up), how to live and how to love. He is a great guy. Lance has taught me how to love others and do what is necessary to help people who are in need. He is a very generous man and can frequently be seen giving sacrificially of his time and money to help people with thier problems. He even took me in when I was a wayward teenager to live with his new family for some time. And I am not the only one. Lance and Leanne (his wonderful wife) have taken in many people over the years to help them when in a tight spot, and many times this has come at a costly price for them. But they do it because they are loving. Many people could tell how much they have done for them. Lance is also a good father. He and Leanne also raised three great kids, Jeremy, Stacy and Amanda. He also faithfully serves in our church where he has always been a leader with the youth in the Adventurers ministry teaching all the kids so many life skills and things, organizing huge campouts and adventure trips. He has also taught the Bible to the youth for many, many years because he loves the Lord. Anyone who knows Lance, knows he loves the Lord, and he frequentlt ries to help people grow in their faith. 

    He has also been a great Uncle to my kids. They really think of him fondly. Partly because he just a great uncle, and partly because he is such a funny guy. He is always pulling somebody’s chain and making them laugh. He has been a good influence in their life, and always pointing them to Christ when they needed to hear it.

    So this is my post to honor my brother Lance, to whom honor is due. I just want to say to Lance, you are a great brother and I love and respect you. Thanks for being you. I am grateful to God that He made you my bro.

    Shaan

    Heavens Light 6-15-10 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11 The Rapture and the Day of the Lord – Part 3

    1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11

    The Rapture and the Day of the Lord  – Part 3 

    Mark 13:24, 27

    24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, …….

    He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds,

    from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.  NASB

     

    1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NASU

    C. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord – The word “then” in this context explains that the event which is described happens after the prior event he just mentioned, “the dead in Christ will rise first.” This of course was Paul’s point in verse 4:15 when he said “we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” After the dead in Christ are raised, “we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Now of this spectacular event there is much said in Scripture, it is in fact the event referred to as the rapture. The Greek word for “caught up,” harpazo, is the Latin rapio from which we get the English word rapture. It is the translation of living saints from the earth, to the sky, by a powerful act of God which will also transform the bodies of those living saints into glorious immortal bodies. This is in fact the blessed hope of the church, the Second Coming of Christ and the transformation of our bodies to be like His glorious body.

    Titus 2:13 – 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; NASB

    Colossians 3:4 – 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. NASB

    At this time, there will be a powerful transformation of the bodies of living saints, from mortal to immortal and never again to be subject to death.

    1 John 3:2 – 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. NASB

    Philippians 3:20-21 – 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. NASB

    1 Corinthians 15:50-54 – 50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. NASB

    Notice also, that the translation of living saints united them to both the “dead in Christ” who were just raised, and the Lord Himself, “together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The raptured saints will meet “together with them,” and also “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Notice that the common picture of the Second Coming of Christ is “in the clouds,” and this is where the raptured saints meet the resurrected saints in 1 Thess 4:15-17. This is a key indicator that these events (the rapture and the Second Coming), happen at the same time (post-tribulationism) and are not separated by a period of seven years (pre-tribulationism).

    Acts 1:9-11 – 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; 11 and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” NASB

    Revelation 1:7 – 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. NASB

    Nevertheless, Christ will be coming again in the clouds and will raise His people from the dead and gather them together with His living saints “and so we shall always be with the Lord.” Don’t miss this last phrase, and very important part of the text. When Jesus returns for His Church and gathers us together, we shall never be separated from Christ again, but rather, “and so we shall always be with the Lord.” This is the primary reason why verse 13 explains that Christians “do not grieve as those who have no hope,” and the main support of that statement. Why we should we not grieve without hope? Because we have the hope that we will ultimately be rejoined with our deceased loved ones and better yet, united with them and Christ and never again separated henceforth.

    D. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words – I suppose of all the comforting words that we Christians possess, none are so profound as these, verses 15-17, which tell us of our ultimate future beyond the grave and describe our eternal destiny with closure and finality. Not only do we “not grieve as them who have no hope,” but on the contrary, we have great hope that our future lies in the hands of the powerful and sovereign God who has purposed to save us from sin and death, and cause us to stand in His presence without fault and with great joy, when He comes again to finally deliver His people from this sin cursed and fallen world which we now live in. Moreover, it is at this point in history that His people will be eternally united to Him, as we are glorified together with Him on that day. There could be no greater hope then to have a sure victory over that great enemy death which has plagued us with its woes since we have fallen into sin. On this basis then, Paul states, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” These promises are in fact a very comforting and reassuring truth that can give us hope and encouragement, even in our darkest trials and our bleakest day. We are therefore to actually speak this truth to grieving and downcast Christians when so needed, that things will not always suffer and grieve, but that a brighter and everlasting Day is soon approaching, and this Day will come with power from the God who is all-powerful and has promised to bring it to pass with glory, might and finality. Even our Lord Himself, on the night before He was crucified, encouraged with this truth.

    John 14:1-3 – 14 “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. NASB

     

    1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 – 1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. NASU

    A. Concerning the timing of these great events mentioned in 4:15-17, Paul explains that they had ample knowledge. He states, “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.” The words here for “times and epochs” clearly speak of the timing and order of these events. Paul again employs that tactic he had used with several times earlier in this letter where he calls them to account of their own knowledge saying “you yourselves know full well.” He wants them to recall the truths he had formerly taught them, and here specifically, “that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” Even Paul himself did not know the day or the hour of Christ’s return, and he points out here that this truth is plain. It was surely taught by Jesus Himself.

    Matthew 24:36 – 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. NASB

    Acts 1:6-8 – 6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; NASB

    This should cancel any fancy notions by people setting dates of Christ’s return, which is usually a ploy to garner a following and the financial benefits derived thereof. On the contrary Paul explains, that God has designed the Second Coming of Christ to overtake the unbelieving world unawares stating, “that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” He goes on to explain however in verses 3-5 that Christ’s coming will not overtake Christians in this way because, although we do not know the exact day or hour, the season of His coming will be very apparent to those discerning Christians who know full well the signs of His coming and of the end of the age. The main focus of Jesus telling us this was to cause us to be on the alert and be ready for His return, expectantly waiting and busy about His business with the treasure and talents He has entrusted to us. See comments on verse 4-5 for a more extensive explanation. 

    Matthew 24:36 – 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. NASB

    Matthew 24:42-44 – 42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. NASB

    It is significant that Paul equates the parousia or coming of Christ with the Old Testament terms “the day of the Lord.” By doing this Paul makes it clear that the events spoken of in the Old Testament concerning the Day of the Lord will happen at the Second Coming.

    Isaiah 13:9-13 – 9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger,

    To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises, And the moon will not shed its light. 11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. 12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold, And mankind than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I shall make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In the day of His burning anger. NASB

    Joel 2:1-2 – Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near, 2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. NASB

    Joel 2:30-32 – 30 “And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls. NASB

    Obadiah 15 – 15 “For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head. NASB

    Zepheniah 1:14-18 – 4 Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. 15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and battle cry, Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers. 17 And I will bring distress on men, So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood will be poured out like dust, And their flesh like dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. NASB

    2 Peter 3:10 – 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. NASB

    Note well here the severity of the full scope of events described in these passages. It is obvious that the full scope of these events cannot all happen immediately upon the Second Coming of Christ, for the whole earth will be destroyed and this will not take place until the end of the Millennial Kingdom. This is made clear in the chronology of events given in Revelation 20:1-15. Therefore the Day of the Lord actually has its inauguration at the Second Coming, but its full consummation is not completed until the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father having subdued all His enemies, including death, the last enemy to be destroyed according to 1 Corinthians 15:26.

    1 Corinthians 15:22-26 – 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. NASB

    The chart below depicts this concept by viewing a chronology of events spanning from before the Second Coming of Christ until after the consummation of the ages and the Eternal State have begun. Notice the boxes in the upper right explaining the inauguration and consummation of the “Day of the Lord.”

     

     

    Therefore the “day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night” to the unbelieving world and they will be swept away in judgment and Christ will destroy the earthly authorities and establish His righteous rule in Jerusalem. In fact, they will be so unaware, that they will think all is well the world’s economic problems have been finally solved by the Antichrist’s wicked and idolatrous system of supposed economic stability.

     

    You can hear this lesson taught on audio here… http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/09-10/abc/04-18-2010_SundaySchool.mp3

     
     
     

    If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
     
    Or read about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php
     
     
    If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org
     
    If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
     
     
    Shaan Sloan
    Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
    505-3485092
    The Lord is the Strength of My Life

     
     
     
     

    Heavens Light 6-8-10 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11 The Rapture and the Day of the Lord – Part 2

    1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11

    The Rapture and the Day of the Lord  – Part 2 
     Mark 13:27 
    “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds,  
     from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven. NASB

    1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NASU

    A. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God – Now Paul begins to describe the parousia or coming of the Lord he mentioned in verse 1:10, 2:19, 3:13 and the preceding verse 4:15, as the term “For” connotes. As he has expectantly told them, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven.” His meaning here is plain, this will not be some spiritual appearance or some esoteric revealing in the minds of enlightened people but rather a powerful inbreaking of the King of Heaven into the physical realm of time and space. “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven,” and He will do so “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.” Here notice He comes “with a shout,” or in the Greek a command. One cannot dismiss the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, or the Lord’s words speaking of the resurrection of the dead in John 5:25-29, in regard to this resurrection as His powerful voice does in fact raise those who are “in Him” from the dead.
    John 5:25-29 – 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. 26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. NASB

    The loud command of the Lord will be accompanied by the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.” The scene here is one of a general commanding his troops into the heat of battle. The Second Coming of Christ is often seen in Scripture as the triumphant conquering King coming to take what is rightfully His and to destroy those who oppose Him. Further, the Second Coming is in many places accompanied with angels and trumpets, the trumpets being a common feature in ancient middle eastern battle scenes. Note here then that the Lord is coming with His powerful angels, including “the archangel” himself. The word archangel is the Greek archaggelos, meaning a chief angel. Note the angel’s role in many end times passages. 
    Mark 13:26-27 – 26 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven. NASB

    Matthew 16:27 – 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. NASB

    2 Thessalonians 1:7 – 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, NASB

    This trumpet however is “the trumpet of God” and this term gives it the utmost significance, relating it to the most significant trumpets in Scripture. The trumpet in the Bible is usually used for the gathering of God’s people for a significant event, feast, battle or otherwise. Here Christ’s first order of business at His coming is the gathering of His people, together with His powerful angels and a loud trumpet call. 
    1 Corinthians 15:50-52 – 50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. NASB

    Matthew 24:30-31 – 30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. NASB

    Notice in the above two passages, key passages on the Second Coming and resurrection, the accompaniment of both angels and trumpets.
    Moreover, it should be noted that as many orthodox doctrinal statements testify, the Second Coming of Christ will be personal, bodily and visible. These facts are important because up until the Second Coming Christ’s presence is only spiritual, and non-visible. Therefore in many places the Bible speaks of the revealing or appearing of Christ as He shall appear personally and in the body.  This is most clearly indicated by our text, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven.”
    Hebrews 9:27-28 – 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. NASB

    1 Timothy 6:14-15 – 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about at the proper time  He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; NASB

    2 Timothy 4:1-2 – 4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: NASB

    1 Peter 1:7 – 7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  NASB

    Not only will He come personally and bodily, but He will come visibly so that His coming is witnessed by the entire world. This coming is said to be with power and great glory as He will be feared and marveled at by both the unbelieving world and those who have eagerly awaited His coming.
    Revelation 1:7 – 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. NASB

    Mark 14:62 – 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” NASB

    Matthew 24:30 – 30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. NASB

    Matthew 16:27 – 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. NASB

    Mark 13:26 – 26 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. NASB

    B. and the dead in Christ will rise first. – Here Christ’s first order of business at His coming is the gathering of His people, and this is done through the resurrection of dead saints and the translation of living saints to meet together in the air. Here is what Paul was describing in verse 15, “the dead in Christ will rise first,” and not “precede we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, v-15.” Note the order of events, “the dead in Christ will rise first,” THEN, “we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them.” But don’t miss these very key words and the significance of them, “the dead in Christ will rise.” It is very significant here that the resurrection of the dead takes place at the Second Coming. This resurrection must be understood in light of the whole context of Scripture in its teaching on the resurrection of the dead, for the resurrection of dead people is mentioned in many places in Scripture. There were miraculous healings of dead people who were raised by prophets in the Old Testament, Apostles in the New Testament, and also by our Lord Himself (1 Kings 17:20-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37, 13:21, Mark 5:41-43, John 11:43-44, Acts 9:40-41, Acts 20:9-12). Of course the most significant resurrection is that of our Lord Himself after His crucifixion, death and burial.
    1 Corinthians 15:2-8 – 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. NASB

    The Two Resurrections

    There are many resurrections of dead people in Scripture, but the hope of a general resurrection of all people is a clear teaching in Scripture. This appears in the Old Testament.
    Job 19:26-27 – 26 “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me. NASB

    Isaiah 26:19-21 – 19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. 20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course. 21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed, And will no longer cover her slain. NASB

    Ezekiel 37:12-13 – 12 “Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,” Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 “Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. NASB

    And it also appears in the New Testament.
    Mark 12:24-27 – 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God? 25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  27 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.” NASB

    1 Corinthians 15:20-2420 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. NASB

    1 Corinthians 15:50-54 – 50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. NASB

    Hebrews 6:1-2 – 1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. NASB

    Revelation 20:4-6 – 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. NASB

    In fact, there are two resurrections that are spoken of in Scripture which have yet to happen in the course of history and are clearly taught as separate events. They are referred to as the resurrection unto life for the righteous AND the resurrection unto judgment or contempt for the wicked.
    Daniel 12:1-3 – 12 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. NASB

    John 5:28-29 – 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. NASB

    Acts 24:14-15 – 14 “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. NASB

    But these resurrections are separated by a period of 1000 years and clearly taught as separate events. Notice Revelation 20 verse 5.
    Revelation 20:4-6 – 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. NASB

    Revelation 20:11-15 – 11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. NASB

    Notice in these two passages the contrast behind the statements in 20:5 about “the first resurrection,” over whom “the second death has no power v-20:6,” and “the second death,” of verse 20:14. Those who are raised in the first resurrection shall become immortal and never again be subject to death. They will live forever from that point forward.

    Now when considering the resurrection mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 it is important to realize that this resurrection must of course be the resurrection of the righteous unto life, as these are God’s people, the church who have been promised eternal life and in fact those who do not have to “grieve like the rest who have no hope,” because the Christian hope is that we will be raised again to eternal life and forever be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, the “first resurrection” is the first order of business at Jesus Second Coming as the passage tells us, as the living saints join “the dead in Christ” who have risen first.
    If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. 
    http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

    Or read about the Christian Gospel here:  http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php

    If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

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    Shaan Sloan
    Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
    505-3485092
    The Lord is the Strength of My Life

    Jesus Lover of My Soul

     

    I recently read at Ray Ortlund’s blog …. Dr Martin Lloyd Jones once said… 

     

     “In one sense the whole object of being a Christian is that you may know the love of Jesus Christ, his personal love to you; that he may tell you in unmistakable language that he loves you, that he has given himself for you, that he has loved you with ‘an everlasting love.’  He does this through the Holy Spirit; he ’seals’ all his statements to you through the Spirit. . . .  You believe it because it is in the Word; but there is more than that; he will tell you this directly as a great secret.  The Spirit gives manifestations of the Son of God to his own, to his beloved, to those for whom he has gladly died and given himself.” Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 7.1-8.4 (Edinburgh, 1973), page 61

     

    Jesus loves me! Oh my soul rejoice! I am loved by God the Son! That Christ would love me, wretched man that I am and so unworthy of His love! But this is His emphatic declaration to me. In fact it is the central theme in God’s plan of redemption and the message of the whole Bible? Yes Indeed…he tells us again and again…

     

    Galatians 2:20 – 20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. NASB

    Revelation 1:5 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, NASB

    Ephesians 5:25 – 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; NASB

    Ephesians 5:1 – 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. NASB

    Romans 8:37-39 – 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB

     

    Even in Sunday School as a child we learned….

     

    “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so”…..

     

    Let us not doubt it once, but let us bask in this great truth…..we are loved by Christ. Let us take this glorious cup of salvation and drink it to the full!

     

    Jesus loves me! Has He not whispered this great secret in your ear? If not, dear one, delay not another moment, but come to Him today, repenting of your sins, trusting in His righteousness alone, and embracing His divine love.

     

    Shaan Sloan
    Christ’s Servant at
    Heritage Christian Fellowship ABQ
    The Lord is the Strength of My Life