Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

“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, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-3) Of all of the mistranslations of Scripture into English Satan’s crown jewel in my opinion is the translation of the Greek words "krimatos aioniou" as “eternal judgment” . However there are a few Bible translations whom Satan has not been able to influence. Here are two of the three I am familiar with… “…of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on also of hands, of rising again also of the dead, and of judgment age-during” (Young’s Literal Translation), and “…of the teaching of baptizings, besides the imposition of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and of judgment eonian.” (Concordant Literal Translation) What the writer of Hebrews is talking about is moving on from basic t...

Before the great worldwide flood described in Genesis God made this statement concerning mankind… "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"   (Genesis 6:5) God had told Adam and Eve what the judgment for sin would be in the 2nd Chapter of Genesis… “…you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:17) In His destruction of mankind by the flood God simply accelerated this judgment to rid the world of evil… "So the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth" (Genesis 6:7) But God also introduced His ultimate plan for mankind in the way He dealt with Noah and his family… "But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD"  (Genesis 6:8) Mankind has not changed and evil is still a part of our nature. The Bible tells us that the judgment of God ...

“Esther spoke…All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live.” (Esther 4:10-11) This is a familiar story in the Bible. Esther was asked to go to the King and request salvation for her people. She knew that if she went to the King without being summoned she would die if not received. Esther summoned the courage and went to the King to plead for her salvation and that of her people filled with fear and uncertainty about her future. Unfortunately for mankind, many theologians of Christianity have portrayed God as such a King as this. There is fear and anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of what God will do to us if and when we approach Him, and especially if we do not approach Him at all. Yet the Bible assures us that God loves the whole world and sent His Son Jesus...

"And if your foot offend thee, cut t off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, then having two feet to be cast into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched." (Mark 9:45) Below is a paraphrase of an article I once read.  I have found to be true in my own study. "GEHENNA: This word occurs twelve times in the New Testament, and is translated "hell" in English Bibles. But since the Gospel writers repeat the same discourses, Jesus did not really use the word more than six or seven times in all His ministry. Matthew, Mark, Luke and James are the only books where the term is used. Here is a summary of why Christians should NOT teach the doctrine of endless torment based on the use of the term "Gehenna", translated "hell" in Scripture. 1. Though Gehenna occurs twelve times, Jesus actually used it only on four or five different occasions. If the use of Gehenna by Jesus was intended to reveal the terrible doctrine of...

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:1-20) You can search all you want but you will not find a single verse in the Old Testament that even hints of a penalty for sin consistent with Christianity’s morbid concept of “hell” (eternal conscious torment). It is a myth.  The penalty for sin is DEATH in the Bible. In the New Testament the references of Jesus to Gehenna (translated "hell" in English) refers to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem wher...

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of ISRAEL and the house of JUDAH…And I will be their God, and they shall be my people…I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”   (Jeremiah 31:31-34) “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away…Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 8:13; 9:15) I think Christians should be careful in talking about the Old and New Covenants.  Some even name their churches “New Covenant Church”.  And they generally teach that the New Covenant is one of Grace and is the Covenant mentioned in Jeremiah and Hebrews.  They assume the New Covenant is the covenant which the ...

“For the law , having a shadow of the good things to come , and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect …” (Hebrews 10:1) This was directed at the Messianic Jews who had believed and followed Jesus as their Messiah.  They were considering returning to the Law and its rituals as the way to righteousness.  The writer was reminding them that the Law nor the rituals surrounding the obedience to it could make them perfect.  Gentiles who had believed in Jesus were being encouraged by some of the Messianic Jews to observe the rituals of the Law. So Paul tells them that they should not allow these Jews to judge them by religious rituals... “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ .” (Colossians 2:16-17) Sometimes we...

“If, then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
 Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth,
 for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.
 Whenever Christ, our Life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4) There is a saying that a person can be so heavenly minded that he is of no earthly good. But that is not what the Bible says. Christ is “that which is above” . While he was down here he spent his time on earth saving sinners…not condemning them. One day he will return to resurrect them, change them, and share his glory with them. That is what we are to be "seeking" from above. Those who are “seeking that which is above” look forward to that change.  It gives us peace in this life to be able to anticipate what awaits us above in the next.  And in doing so we should live in in such a wa...

”Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26) Our righteousness is not based on OUR faith, but the faith OF Jesus. And the only way to be “justified” (declared righteous) is to be a recipient of the “faith OF Jesus” . “...the righteousness of God is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all... (Romans 3:22) If your version of the Bible says "faith IN Jesus", it is wrong.  Any honest translator with a Greek Interlinear will clearly see the proper translation is "faith OF Jesus". Nothing wrong with having faith IN Jesus, but that is not the context in the above ...

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit ... This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:2-6) And what is "the promise" ? "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—" (1 Timothy 1:15) Did he get the job done? "Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ...And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world's Savior." (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14) "All this is from...

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Ransom is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone from captivity”. So what was “demanded” of Christ Jesus? Not money or any material thing. The demand for the release from captivity  "for all people" was his LIFE. But who did he give his life to? Who or what was holding "all people" captive for ransom? To what enemy was the ransom paid?  The way I understand Scripture the ransom was paid to the last and greatest enemy of mankind - the finality of DEATH - for God had declared to Adam and Eve from the beginning that the penalty for sin is DEATH. The false doctrine of eternal conscious torment has screwed this truth up, but  the Bible says that DEATH is  “the last enemy” , and holds all its captives firmly in its clutches. The Bible says that AL...

The Reconciliation of all : "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19) "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 1:20) Faith and Justification : “Abraham believed God  (had Faith) , and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6;Romans 4:3;Galatians 3:6) "...having been justified by faith (believing God) , we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1) Rewards : “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12) "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ...and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man...

Bad News - Sinners Condemned : "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a) Good News - Sinners Saved by GRACE : "...where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound" (Romans 5:20) "For by GRACE are you saved..." (Ephesians 2:8) "God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) "For the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men..." (Titus 2:11) "And the GRACE of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 1:14) "We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men." (1 Timothy 4:10) “...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23b)

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-4) “I changed when my image of God changed” is a quote from an email I received this morning. It started me thinking some random thoughts. Many of us Christians are in dire need of a change in our image of God created by the institutions we have attended over the past 1700 years or so. For many their image of God is one of a vengeful, wrathful, mad God who is going to get even with all sinners who do not measure up to His standards of righteousness. The email also said “we may not realize that we become like the God we adore”. Look around and observe Christian...

Bad News - Sinners Condemned : "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God"  (Romans 3:23) "The wages of sin is death"  (Romans 6:23a) Good News - Sinners Saved by GRACE : "...where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound"  (Romans 5:20) "For by GRACE are you saved..."  (Ephesians 2:8) "God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"  (Romans 5:8) "For the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men..."  (Titus 2:11) "And the GRACE of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."  (1 Timothy 1:14) "We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men."  (1 Timothy 4:10) “...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"  (Romans 6:23b)

“Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning…” (Psalm 30:4-6) “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.…” (Psalm 103:8-10) “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His loving kindness is everlasting…” (Psalm 136) Thos...

“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20) This was the commission of Jesus to his 11 remaining Jewish disciples. They were to go to all the Nations and tell them to observe all that Jesus had commanded.  They did a poor job with regard to Gentiles so years later the Jew Saul/Paul was Commissioned by Jesus to go the the Jews and Gentiles in the Roman Empire outside of Israel. During this time Jesus began to reveal to Paul  a new message of Grace for Gentiles apart from the Law  ... “...after an interval of fou...

“ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Colossians 2:6). So how had they " received"  Christ Jesus the Lord?  Here is a good illustration that came as a result of our recent rain. Someone said "we received a good rain from the Lord last week". He was correct and that is exactly how Paul is using the word "received" above. In His Grace God "gave his one and only Son" as a free gift to ALL the "world" (John 3:16).   "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men... The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life  (salvation)  in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Titus 2:11; Romans 6:23)) And we should walk and rejoice in the free gift that mankind has "received" . But instead those of us who believe the good news are condemned for believing the truth. But all t he WORLD received him whether they like it or not.  And they will receive him again whe...