BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY, PART 2

by Pastor Mike  Taylor

http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/

In my last message we dealt with how Paul, who was transformed from Saul the persecutor of those who followed Jesus Christ, in the Way, into Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles after being met on the road to Damascus by the risen Lord Jesus.

We touched briefly on “mysteries” (secrets) that were revealed to Paul alone and that make up a vast portion of the New Testament that touch the Church body of Paul's time, and ours today. Some make the statement in my last message that Abraham was the beginning of faith in God. True, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, but Paul showed that since Jesus death and resurrection, grace alone through faith is what is required for salvation. Let us recap what we have learned and take a moment and review each found on my website as we go further into the “secrets” that Paul learned from the risen Lord Jesus:

1.    The Secret of the Gospel of the Grace of God

2.   The Secret of the Blinding of Israel temporarily to their Messiah

3.    The Secret of the “catching away” of the Church

Let us go further in the revealed mysteries “secrets” that our Jesus Christ revealed to Paul and to him alone for the edification of this present day Church.

THE SECRET OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

We further proclaim that Paul alone was given the “mystery” of the body of Christ by the risen Lord, when He taught Paul that that each member of the Church is equal, whether Jew or Gentile. The Body of Christ is One Body of which we are all a part of. We are all equal, but have different roles to play, just as an eye, or an ear, or a hand and foot each have different roles to play in the human body and each are necessary and vital to the health and well being of that human body, such are each of the Body of Christ.

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12.12).

This concept was not preached by any of the Twelve Apostles, as it was given to Paul alone.

         “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were  far         off have been   brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;

18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,

22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:14-22)

Becoming a member of the body of Christ, the Church, is through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is not a sensory experience. It occurs when one believes the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Paul emphasizes that we are one body after the receiving of the Gospel further in earlier verses:

12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12.12-13).

We learn from Paul alone that Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church (Ephesians 1.22; 4.15;5.23; Colossians 1.18; 2.19). In the age of grace Christ is nowhere called the “king” of the Church. That is His title for Israel. A king has subjects. But we have Christ as our Head, not our King. We are integral to Him. We are joint-heirs with Him (Romans 8.17). A joint-heir enjoys a different kind of relationship than a subject to a king. A joint-heir is one who shares everything belonging to the heir. This is grace! We know this from Paul alone for it, again, was a secret Paul received from the risen Lord.

Romans 8:

         15 “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear        again, but   you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which    we cry out, “Abba!       Father!”

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Notice the relationship? Yes, Jesus is the King of kings, and Lord of lords (Revelation 19) but to the born again believer, He is the head of the Body of all believers. We are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, as we will share, as part of His Body, all the riches and glory He is right now, we will be. To me, just to imagine, which I can't fully, the ramifications of what this passage in Romans means, makes my head swoon and my imaginations cannot fully comprehend.

“Eye hath not seen or ear heard, or entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1^st Corinthians 2:9)

THE MYSTERY OF OUR HEAVENENLY CITIZENSHIP

From Paul alone we learn that the believer in the body of Christ has a heavenly position and heavenly citizenship. Peter and the Twelve looked forward to an earthly position, not a heavenly one. The Jew knew nothing of heavenly blessing. He looked forward to the kingdom on earth. 

In the coming reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, here on earth, Jesus will sit on  the Throne of His earthly ancestor, of the lineage of King David and rule from Jerusalem.

Zechariah declared:

9 “And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. 

10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 

11 People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security”(Zechariah 14.9-11 cf. Zechariah 8.2-3; Daniel 7.14, 27).

Consider, When the disciples asked the Lord how they should pray, he answered them:

9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 

10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread. 

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen’” (Matthew 6.9-13).

Is anything heavenly here? Jesus told his disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth and for His will to be done on earth. Jesus knew His Old Testament. He knew He would reign as David’s greater Son (Luke 1.32).

But the Church, the body of Christ, has different promises than Israel. God’s promises to the Church are heavenly  not earthly. Thus, Paul wrote the Ephesians:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (Ephesians 1:3)

and in Ephesians 2.4-6:

4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

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,”

Unlike Israel who has been promised an earthly kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ from Jerusalem, we have a different promise that is given solely to the body of Christ...the saints of the Church. We have a heavenly citizenship:

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” (Philippians 3.20-21).

We will be resurrected or changed in the twinkling of an eye as the coming of the Lord Jesus for His Church and receive a glorious body, the same as the Body the Lord Jesus possesses right now. Speaking of our resurrection body, which is located in heaven, Paul wrote the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 5.1-3:

1 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God (our new spiritual bodies), a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 

3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.”

Are you ready for your change, your citizenship found in heaven as the heir and joint-heir with Jesus Christ, our Lord?

THE SECRET OF GOD'S WILL

The secret of his will is God’s plan to gather together in one all things in Christ. Only Paul revealed this truth. Paul wrote the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:9-10:

9 “He made known to us the mystery [secret] of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, 

10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth”.

A parallel passage of this truth is from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:

19 “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, (JESUS CHRIST)

20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say,whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Colossians 1.19-20).

Are you in the will of God? Have you found my Jesus?

THE SECRET OF THE GRACE OF GOD

Paul revealed through revelation from Jesus Christ, that the Christian operates under grace, not under the Law. Paul began every epistle with the salutations that spoke of the grace of God. This was a totally newly revealed relationship that was revealed by Paul, through Jesus Christ who taught him.

No word more clearly identifies Paul’s ministry that the word “grace. ” It is the Greek word χάρις and means “favor.” God gives us what we do not merit or deserve. When someone receives God’s grace by believing the gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). God begins this transformation when a person seeks after God's righteousness and enables us to love God, as He first loved us. The ultimate goal is that we become transformed, conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8.29; Philippians 1.6).

Paul was the epitome of God's grace when as Saul, he terrorized the followers of Jesus Christ. God did not destroy Saul, He saved him by revealing Himself to Saul. From the point on, Saul became Paul the Apostle, a  most zealous follower of His risen Lord and Savior. 

In the Apostle Pauls epistles, Paul uses the word “Grace”χάρις (in Greek) appears 156 times in 147 verses in the New Testament.  Paul’s usage accounts for 103 verses (70%).  Paul was alone when he revealed to the fledging Church that we are saved by grace, and not under the Law. He revealed that man was justified by grace through through, and not of any works that we could do. This was not revealed to Peter or any of the other apostles, but was learned from Paul. Peter helped Paul when addressing the Jerusalem Council on these questions of following the Law of Moses as a requirement for salvation. He revealed Christ is the end or goal (τέλος) of the Mosaic Law (Romans 10.4). No other writer of Scripture revealed these things. They are all part of the “secret” the ascended Lord revealed to the great apostle.

Have you embraced that free gift of grace and mercy found in Jesus?

THE SECRET OF THE IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

All who believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) have been identified with Christ.

3 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 

7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him” (Romans 6.3-9).

When a person believes the message that the Apostle Paul preached according the revelation given to him by Jesus Christ, then he is baptized into the body of Christ. Paul spoke of being “buried” with Christ, which is what baptism symbolizes. We become a new creature in Christ Jesus, Behold all things have become new. We are not, (or should not) be the same person we were. We seek after God, searching and living His righteousness, found in the life lived by our example, Jesus Christ.

3 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 

7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again;death no longer is master over Him” (Romans 6.3-9).

 As we have been united to Christ in his death we have also been united with him in his resurrection. As Christ will never die again, we will never die. In terms of living the Christian life, this has immediate practical benefit. Paul wrote the Romans,

10 “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 

14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6.10-14 cf. 8.1-39).

Since we have been buried with Christ in Baptism, we are dead to sin, and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome our tendency to sin. It won't come all at once, as we will continue to slip up, and when we do, we ask for forgiveness in repentance of our sinful nature that reared it's ugly head and He forgives us, as a faithful Father and author of our salvation can only do.

Writing to the Galatians, Paul expressed identification with Christ like this:

“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 gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2.20)

Paul wrote the Colossians about this identification and spoke of the mysteries “secret of God”

(Colossians 2.2): “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;”

and further down.......

10 “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

11 in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 

12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

13 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, 

14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”(Colossians 2:10-14).

THE SECRET OF LAWLESSNESS

Paul revealed the “secret of lawlessness” to the Thessalonians:

3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 

4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 

5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 

6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 

7 For the mystery [secret] of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 

8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 

9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 

10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 

11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 

12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2.3-12).

This messages reveals the “secrets” the mysteries of the love of God toward us, but this last subject deals with what we are experiencing right now in this lawlessness that has so filled our land, our courts, our halls of justice, and invading every home that does not profess Jesus Christ as Savior.

The personification of this “secret” is the “lawless one”, (ἄνομος) the one who will be empowered by Satan, the Antichrist. John wrote about this individual in Revelation as did Daniel yet much is unknown about how he will come to power and operate. Therefore, a secret. What Paul revealed was what restrains (κατέχω) or holds back this individual. 

In verse 7 of the above passage, Paul reveals that there is a power that  prevents the full onslaught of lawlessness and the revealing of the Anti-Christ. This power is believed by many, including myself, that this is the work of God's Holy Spirit that is residing in every born again believer's heart and will not be revealed until the Holy Spirit is removed back to pre-Pentecostal times of the fullness received.  Since God said that He would never leave or forsake us and would be with us, till the end of the age, then we who have God's Holy Spirit within our spirits as a deposit of a future glorification, then when God's Holy Spirit is drawn back, so will the Church of every born again believer. The Holy Spirit will still be at work, as the scriptures surely show, but the restraint will be removed and Satan and his minions working through mankind in rebellion led by this Son of Destruction, the  Anti-Christ will have full power to overcome all who remain on this earth and cause those who live to take a mark of loyalty and a sign of worship into their forehead and their right hand.

Remember in Part 1 of this message, I emphasized that the monster called the Anti-Christ will not be revealed until the church “is caught up” to heaven. As I mentioned, one of Paul’s purposes for writing the Thessalonians was to correct a claim from a purported letter from him that they were experiencing the Day of the Lord since they were being persecuted. Paul wrote to assure them this was not the case. He declared that before that can occur the body of Christ must be removed. When that occurs God’s retraining power will be removed and Satan will be free to bring his man to power. Many will die,  or take a mark that will damn them to a devil's hell.

WHAT MUST YOU DO?

When we started looking at these “secrets” given to Paul, we spoke that these revelations were given to Paul when translated into the third heaven and heard with his ear and saw with his own eyes, what God had prepared for those who love Him. These truth were given to Paul to be given to the churches in Asia and to us, the end time Church, to which the scriptures were written primarily for.

Paul referred to these revelations as “secrets” for God had revealed none of these things to the prophets. Jesus had not revealed these truths in His earthly ministry or to the Twelve. From Paul alone do we learn the truths of Christianity: about Christ’s work of our salvation, our sanctification, our rescue from a Christ-rejecting world, and our destiny. 

My reader, I have witnessed to you the Mysteries “secrets” of God that were revealed by revelation through God Almighty, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Paul the Apostle who started the Church of the Gentiles....of which you and I belong to in some fashion, or maybe you don't embrace anything of a religion, as men have given religion a bad name. There I have to agree with you. Men have perverted the Gospel, the perfect Word of God for their own power and glory. In the end, to them it's all about money. But all human beings that have a computer, or social media know about the most famous person who ever lived, Jesus Christ. Even YOU!

But make no mistake about one thing, even though men have perverted the Gospel and  you have bought into their lawlessness and careless handling of the things of God, when it comes down to everything being revealed, the only thing that will stand undefiled and forever Holy, is God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The road to hell is paved with people, men and women who look to other fallible men and women as their example, and when they fail, as they always do, then they reject Christianity because of these “religious” teachers. There is only One clear example that anyone should follow. Jesus is our example and it is Jesus who died for your sins, no one else.

When you were born, you were born for one reason and one reason only: “What will you do or not do when it comes to the Man/God known as Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God?? There stands Jesus with His arms outstretched beckoning for you to come to Him. He knocks at each of our heart's door asking to be given entrance into your life. What will your answer be?

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” ( Romans 3:23)

I proclaim to you without shame that Jesus Christ is Lord, and Savior of a man or woman's soul. I preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, that lived, died, and rose again on the third day and lives forevermore...and is coming again...SOON.  Today is the day of salvation, for you are not promised tomorrow. Do not neglect so great a salvation, as when Jesus does finally come back and  you have not made that decision for Christ, then fear, my friend. Be in great fear.

“25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.

26And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YETONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” 

27This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 

29for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Are you waiting for God's redemption of your soul, or are you blinded and waiting for His righteous wrath? Don't let this opportunity pass you by..Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be save...BEHOLD, I show you a mystery.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying for you to accept the only payment for sin and your salvation, Jesus Christ, our Lord. If you need help, counseling, prayer, or just a friendly, listening ear, drop me a line to realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,  or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org. God bless you all.

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

Canada, The Most Lukewarm Church On Earth

Politically Correctness Must Be Stop...

CHRISTIANS WAKE UP 

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau

Canada  has the most lukewarm Churches of all the western nations in this modern century. Canadian Christians, who avoid at any cost, any kind of confrontation, and any kind of persecution. Canadians Christians have the reputation among the secular of been very tolerant, very open mind and non-interventionist. Canadian Churches are like salt that have lost it flavour, and quite frankly I am as guilty as charge.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13-16

That is exactly what it is happening to Canadians Christians. Christians are being trampled underfoot by wicked man who only wants to have the freedom to sin ever more without the condemnation of Christians. These wicked man and woman have the freedom to propagate their lifestyle on television shows, movies and even to our young children at school through concept of sexual orientation, concept of gender identity, teaching kids about homosexuality and same-sex marriages, which encourage discussions about puberty, including masturbation, teaching about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, which include information on oral and anal sex.” Sexual education belong to parent.

The Canadian Christians have the democratic right to cast their vote for representatives at the federal level that reflect Christians moral values yet keep on voting for the opposite. Have a look at the Liberal Party of Canada record:

· It was the Liberal Party of Canada that removed Homosexuality from the Criminal Code

· It was the federal Liberal government that instituted sweeping reforms of Canada’s criminal law, which included decriminalizing homosexuality.

· It was the federal Liberal government that amended Canada’s Immigration Act, removing a ban on homosexuals as immigrants.

· It was the federal Liberal government that lifted its ban on homosexuals in the military, allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly and live with their partners on military bases.

· It was the federal Liberal government that gave gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits as common-law couples with regard to pensions, income taxes, and other such matters.

·

It was the federal Liberal government that extended protection against hate propaganda toward gays and lesbians, making it an offence to spread hatred against others based on their sexual orientation. [it became a crime to speak against homosexual lifestyle and behaviour]

It was the Federal Liberal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Paul Martin that officially legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act.

· It is the Federal Liberal government under the leadership of Justin Trudeau that will soon enact Gender/Bathroom Bill – C279, which mean that anyone identified as a transgender, [he] gets to pee next to your daughter. The Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose to support new trans rights bill, Wednesday, May 11, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick  Ambrose says she will allow her caucus colleagues to vote as they wish.

· It was Liberal government that legalized abortion at any point in a woman's pregnancy for any reason. Canada is rated to be among the top three countries with no abortion law, Canada being number one, followed by China and North Korea. Yep, there are no abortion laws in Canada. It is legal to have an abortion at any point during pregnancy for any reason right up to the point of giving birth[1]. Canadians murdered more living being than ISIL, and we call ourselves civilized.

· It is the present Liberal federal government that will allowed doctors, nurses and pharmacists to kill those who are depressed, sick or are suffering anguish. They will even allow killing children by years 2019.

All this is done in the name of common progress; we must evolve with social advancement.

Where are the voices of Christians?

“Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?” Proverbs 8:1

And take a look at what the school board had adopted for religion curriculum:

Traditional Aboriginal Spirituality, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism

Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Baha’i Faith.  This is called Interfaith.  Many Christians will argue that there is nothing wrong in teaching other faith and culture,  Commenting that children have to make their chose as they grow up.  The problem with this is that the truth is not being taught.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6

If you do not believe in that statement, then you are not a Christians, not save, and have not receive the gift of eternal life.

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[1] https://youtu.be/Fj4DHkAzUiU

A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

By Pastor Mike Taylor
http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/biblical-teachings-from-the-word-of-god.html

Peter 2:5, 9 "You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ

... 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelouslight."

I had a dear sister ask me what will we be (the saints borne of God) during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ ? She understood that we will be given duties by our Lord and Savior, but her question was “will we rule over the people still living after the tribulation? Besides what will we be? Will there be mortals able to sin during this time?” Good set of questions and those that I feel need further exploration by looking at scripture to get an idea of just what we will be and our task during this 1000 year reign after the rebellion during the great tribulation is put down by our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Let’s start in Romans on our journey to identify our future destination and responsibilities that our Lord will impart to all that are found in Him at His coming. Paul speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit reveals what we will be: Roman ch. 8,

8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint­heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."

Can you fathom what these verses means? It is almost too glorious to ponder and beyond our immediate comprehension of its full implications. Verse 17 says we will be “joint heirs” of our Savior Jesus Christ. Heirs of what? Simple answer is that all that He

is in a spiritual body, in Spiritual matters, in the ability of our mind to comprehend, and in the inheritance that He, our Savior Jesus Christ has, we will be given the same inheritance. We will be just like our Savior. I’m reminded of what the apostle John wrote in:

1st John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Oh, how glorious will that be!

We have been adopted into the Family of God Almighty, our Father in Heaven. Our God and our Savior will be the source of all of our glory and power upon this earth during a time when the earth is restored to its former glory as during the Garden of Eden. It will be a perfect environment with no war, no inclement weather, no disease, and no tempter of the nations. Satan will be given his forced Sabbath rest of 1000 years from being the source of all temptation and lies and chained in a bottomless pit. It will be a near perfect world, but sin will still be around. We, the Saints of God, will be sinless, immortal and of the same new body that our Lord was resurrected with when He came out of the tomb and appeared to the living. He was able to walk through walls, but be handled and able to eat, but disappear at will. He had a new glorious body, and we will have the same body as He does. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus when he came to Him in the night: John chapter3,

3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This totally confused Nicodemus as the following verses after this show that he did not understand what Jesus meant. Jesus went on to explain of being borne of the Spirit and of water (baptism that shows that a man or woman understands that they are buried with Jesus Christ and are dead to the world, but raised a new creature in Him, by obediently following His footsteps in our life) a man cannot inherit the Kingdom of God

or enter therein unless he is born again. He then said something that many overlook what we will be when He changes us into His likeness:

3:7  "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Did you catch that? We will be as the wind. We see the effects of the wind through the trees, but we cannot see the wind,, but its effects on the material world. Spiritual bodies will come and go much as the wind, but appear at will to whomever we decide to let see us. It’s the ultimate description (to illustrate something we can comprehend) of our bodies when Captain Kirk on Star Trek says “beam me up, Scotty.” Our bodies will move at lightning speed without aid of some transporter as on some popular outer space program.

When Jesus comes for His saints, there will be an awards banquet in heaven. We call it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Here Jesus will impart to each of His saints a measure of ruler­ship by the deeds they have done for Him in this life. Paul speaks of the revealing of what we have done in the body in this life, and what we have done for Jesus Christ and  its eternal rewards: 1st Corinthians:

3:9 "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeththereupon.

3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

What we have done in this life for Jesus Christ will stand and for that we will receive a reward, much like the following parable given by Jesus.

Note the parable of the talents: Matthew,

25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods"

Jesus is this man, who has gone to heaven and is sitting beside God the Father in Heaven and delivered unto us the servants, His goods. What goods? Let’s read on.

25:15 "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey."

In ancient times, a talent was a measure of gold. It was the most precious of all possessions. I ask you, what is the most precious possession our God has given us, besides His only Begotten Son? I tell you plainly, it’s HIS WORD! It is His instructions for living, for His reaching us and teaching us by His Holy Spirit unto repentance and using that same Word to reach others.

25:16 "Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

(Each of these servants added to what he was given, by sharing that Word with the world around him. What did each gain? They gained souls of men by sharing the Word

with other men. How much of an impact does that Word have on the world? We may never know fully till it be revealed to us at this Marriage Supper, but we are commanded to share it with all who will listen.)

25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

25:22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

(This unfaithful and unprofitable servant hid His Masters goods, His Word, away and shared it not with those around him. Woe to those who fail to follow the command of our Lord Jesus.)

25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Did this man believe or just mouthed the words? Only God knows, but to hide away what we have been given determines our reward or our lack thereof. Each of these faithful servants were given a reward. They were made rulers over many things! Listen to what Jesus reveals to John the Beloved in Revelation:

» Revelation 2:7, 26; 3:21: "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. . . . I will give power over the nations. . . . I will grant to sit with Me on My throne."

» Revelation 5:9­10: . . . "You . . . have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

» Revelation 21:7: "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

Note that verse 9 of Revelation chapter 5 says we will be kings and priest before God. We have established that we will rule on this earth in the coming Kingdom of God according to our deeds done in this life for our Lord and Savior, but what about priest? What will be our duties as priest? Jesus Christ embodies all that is royal for a King, but is also our High Priest. He calls us kings and priests. If priest, then who will be minister to?

In ancient Israel, the priest were the ministers of God. They provided direction to the people and point them to God. They did the sacrifices given by the people for the atonement of their sins daily. Although the nation of Israel became blinded by the ceremonies of sacrifices in the Temple being a forerunner of the Supreme Sacrifice in the body of our Lord and Savior, they were the keepers of the oracles of God and were to be a priestly nation to shine before the Gentile world and lead them to God. We know that they failed miserably in their departure from following after God in spirit and in truth. They knew scripture inside and out, but failed to glean the central message when their Messiah was standing right before them.

PRIEST BEFORE GOD

There are four things that we can learn here about a priest, and actually three of them are spin­offs of the first one, which is this:

1.        A priest has access to God in Ancient Israel that other people did not have. Now because he had access to God, we therefore understand that the priest served God personally. Think of this in relation of the life that’s coming, but do not detach it from today. Remember, you are a royal priesthood.

2.   The priest ministers to others.

3.       The priest was actually ministering to the average Israelite who came to him whenever he represented him before God. in the Old Testament and we will minister to the mortals who need still a Savior.

4.        He therefore had to have something to give. He had to have something to give to the Israelite, and he also had to have something to give to God. So it will be in the Millennium. We will be our Lord Jesus ambassadors, priest of the Most High God and preach the everlasting Gospel to those who still need a Savior. Each will know our Lord in their minds, but need it in their hearts. The price Jesus paid for sinful mankind will extend to those born during this time.You ask, "are mortals in the Millennium"? That was one of the questions needing to be answered.

During this time of blessed peace and security that comes upon the earth, there will be people that will enter into the Millennium as mortal men and women. The Bible speaks of them  in Isaiah,

65:20 "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for

as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

65:23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."

Verse 20 speaks of the sinner? Yes, men will still have a mortal sin nature, but not to the extent as in our world now, as the tempter has been locked away for a 1000 years. We will be the teachers of the ways of God as spoken in Isaiah:

30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. "

We, as priest, will teach them the Way of the Lord and point them to the cross. Understand, Jesus will be known to all, as the sea covers the earth. Hebrews chapter 8:

8:11 "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."

All people on earth will be subject to the righteous rule of Jesus Christ as He sits on the Throne of David and all the earth will know Him…..in their mind they will know, but in their heart they still possess a sin nature. How many people will enter a 1000 year reign of righteous rule by our Lord Jesus Christ? The number is unknown, but remember that out of 8 souls that were saved out of the flood during the life of Noah, the whole earth has been populated. How many souls can be borne in a thousand years, coupled with the fact that men will live extremely long lives, as it was in the days of Methusaleh who lived almost a thousand years, pre ­flood. So the population will grow exponentially. Millions may be born in that time. That’s where we come into our responsibility. As kings and priest of the King of Kings, our job, our commission is to be rulers, yes….priests to the people to point them to the Savior, most definitely. We are being instructed in righteousness right now, on this earth, in this time we have left. True Christians are being instructed by God from their Bibles and the work of the Holy Spirit in all who have been called unto repentance. It is a mortal attempt to being conformed to His likeness in this life, but we take on His likeness when Jesus comes and we will be perfected, as we have been changed into His glorious likeness.

I Corinthians 6:9 ­ 11

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed (you are changed), but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

I Corinthians 1:26 ­ 31

"For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:"

God has chosen the humble, not the proud. He has chosen the poor, not the rich. He has chosen the weak, not the noble or strong. He has chosen a select group of people of this earth that you would not consider leaders in this life, but by the Holy Spirit, as 1st Corinthians 6:11 states, we are being changed into His likeness, one day at a time. We are being sanctified, as He also justified by His blood. Romans,

8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

We have an appointment with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, very soon. One of these days in the near future, Jesus will break out of eternity into our time and say “come up here.” And we will be changed in an instant in the twinkling of an eye.

1st Corinthians:

15:49 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up invictory."

You ask, “how do I become one of these kings and priest?”It’s so simple, that a child can do it. Want to know the secret to obtaining such a high honor of a king and a priest in God’s Kingdom? John 6,

6:28  "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

Believe with your heart and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, and by example, live as He lived, as  humanly possible.

And so my reader, thus will begin your eternal destination of being a king and a priest before our God, to lead other men who enter the Millennium to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We will rule righteously and give the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the living mortals who still have their free moral will to accept or reject the message. We will not coerce anyone to believe and accept, but as Jesus does by His Holy Spirit now, we will point them to the same cross that we came to know, and the same perfect sacrifice that we accepted upon our own lives for the remission of sins, our Lord, Savior and soon coming King, Jesus Christ. So come Lord Jesus, yes, Amen. Come my Lord. We await our reward of being kings and priest before You. That is our glorious future of all who believe on His name, by faith and obedience to His call. Will you be counted as being changed into the likeness of Almighty God? Or will your future be different, because you have rejected His call, rejected His payment for your sins in His own blood. Today, not tomorrow, is the time to make your futue sure and set in stone. In comes down to the object of the whole writing of Holy Writ, your bible, in this one passage in your bible, the point of the whole Bible:

John 3:16­18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

It is that simple…believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, crucified for your sins and mine, raised from the dead, and lives forevermore, and waiting to return for His Bride, and so we shall ever be with the Lord. Accept Him by faith into your heart and soul, with a simple prayer of repentance for being a sinner and needing a Savior, for all have

sinned and come short of the glory of God. That Savior, is Jesus my Lord. Oh, won’t you join us, those who have already accepted Jesus as personal Savior? It will be most glorious, and unimaginable to comtemplate what God has in store for us who believe in Jesus by faith.

1st Corinthians:

2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God

This is By Pastor Mike Taylor praying for your salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. If there be any need for prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,God bless you all till we meet at Jesus feet.