Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"...whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33) What is denied is REIGNING with Christ in the ages to come. "If we endure, we will also REIGN with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12). When we are told we are to REIGN with Christ, who are we reigning over if Satan, the fallen angels, and all unbelievers are in hell? None of God's created beings will be damned forever in the mythological underworld of hell. But they will be reigned over and righteously chastened until all bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - to the glory of God.  "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God...at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Romans 14:11; Phili...

It seems to me from reading the Bible that there are three groups of people talked about… Group 1: Hebrew Believers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants who believed what God told them down through the years, and Group 2: Gentile Believers -All other people who heard from God and believed what He said to them down through the years Group 3: Unbelievers - Everyone else. The destiny of Groups 1 and 2 are to rule and reign with Christ Jesus during the two ages following this present age in which we live. The first age is referred to as the KINGDOM of Heaven and will last 1000 years.  This  age is what Jesus was talking about when he told ISRAEL at his first coming… "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15) From the Old Testament we know that he is referring to the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom promised to Israel. But only a few in Israel repented and the majority followed their religious leaders and rejected Jesus and ha...

"For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God."  How do sinful people become "children of God" ?  By being "freed from the slavery of corruption" at the "deliverance of our body" . "For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. For to expectation were we saved..." (Romans 8:20-24) People are slaves to corruption.  By corruption I am not talking about the worldly idea of being corrupted by evil men.  I am talking about the biblical idea of the dying process.   We are all born of a women to die with all mankind, that is our l...

"They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:34) Those who believe what God says are believers. Two people may disagree regarding what God has said but if both believe what they think God has said they are believers. I disagree with many believers on what God has said in the bible. So what?  That does not make one of us a believer and the other not, it just means one of us is wrong, but sincerely wrong. But one day we will all "know the Lord" and agree.  That truth is how I have learned to appreciate all believers, even those who have different views.  Some leaders have an extraordinary gift in communicating their beliefs and in doing so they comfort people. But using your gift to comfort people does not mak...

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Timothy 4:9-11) Today is my 64th birthday and I asked myself what I have learned after 64 years of life, 40 of which was spent reading and studying the Bible? I am not talking about going to Sunday school and church but actually making a conscious effort to read and study the bible, every word of it, over and over for 40 years...here is part of what I have learned: God has spoken to mankind in various ways, but especially through His only Son, Christ Jesus. Mankind responds to God in only one of two ways...they either believe Him or they do not believe Him. God through Christ Jesus is the Creator and...

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God, and brother Timothy, to the saints and believing brethren in Christ…Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 1:1-2 CLNT). I once heard a Preacher say that “every believer is a saint”. That is not necessarily true. He would be more accurate if he had stated that “a saint is one who believes WHAT GOD SAYS". You may believe what your pastor, priest, rabbi, sheikh, mom or dad says, but that does not make you a “saint”. We have many who are “believing” what their various religious doctrines say…but that does not make them one of God’s saints if what they are believing does not line up with what God actually says. Sooo it is REAL important that we know what GOD says and not just what men say God says…read it for yourself…follow the example of the Berean Jews. Do not learn what God has said from men, but from reading it or having it read to you. “Now the Berean Jews were of more no...