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Teach Us To Number Our Days – Part 3

Steve Crook

In our last two studies, we covered various types and shadows contained within the first six days of creation. In this last part of “Teach Us To Number Our Days,” Lord willing, we will wrap up the last day of creation.  We will also delve into what happens after the 7 days of creation in various types and shadows.

At the end of part two, I had hoped to cover other days namely “today, yesterday and tomorrow,” but it is manifest that the Lord would leave that for another study separate from the days of creation that we are covering in this series. With that, let us begin.

Recap

Day 1: On day one we learned that there is a dividing of day and night, but that that day and night is alike to the Lord. We also saw that we are both that night and day. Christ is the light of the world, and we are only that light if Christ allows us to be that light by being in us and shining forth.

Day 2: On day two we have yet another dividing only this time it is a dividing of waters from waters. These two distinct waters were together but were dividing by a firmament called heaven. This heaven, another way to say the spirit of God, is what gives us insight into the mind of Christ and direct connection to the Father via the spirit of God. God’s spirit touches everything; thus, the two distinct bodies of water are connected to one another.

If the Lord allows, we can see that it is Christ who first come into our life and makes a change happen so that we can see the contrast in night and day. The night is first, but then the day comes. We can also see in Joh 12:36 – 40 that all we need to believe this Light, Jesus Christ, to make the necessary steps in our walk to being that same light… Christ in us a GREAT MYSTERY.

Day two is a great testimony to and against the flesh. Day two builds upon day one in more detail by showing us, among other things, that first Christ comes into our lives but we still know him after what He first shows Himself to be to us, something that we can understand as flesh. Paul clearly states in 2Co 5:16 that we NO LONGER know Christ after the flesh:

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

It is the first dividing in day one which shows us a contrast to the only thing we had known up until then, the night and death. In day one we learn of the Light and Day. It the second dividing that teaches us much more than this if we are spiritually given the ability to see and hear that it is the Spirit which brings about the dividing of the waters so that we can see Christ in spirit.

Day 3: On day three we come to see a new development in our walk, and that is show to us in type and shadow by the revealing of the earth to us as it is, DRY LAND. It is dry because it has had its whole stay of water and whole stay of bread taken from it. We also learn that the dry land is a result of the Lord dividing the waters so that the dry land appears in the stead of the divide.

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

This is another way to see that “you shall know them by their fruits”. The seas of humanity are gathered together and the waters in heaven are gathered together unto themselves, according to the spirit which they are of. The only fruit that can be produced by the things that grow out of the ground of the earth are those things which were already placed there from the beginning; thus, Eve was able to have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life simply by coming from Adam who was formed from the dust of the ground.

Day 4: On day four, we have a further explanation of what we are to expect when we are taught to number our days.  I want to start this day off with the same admonition that Paul gives us in Galatians.

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

There is a huge difference in knowing God and being known of God. Before Christ came into our lives, we were only in death, but being forgiven and dressed upon with Christ we are now known of God, but what results in the beast having its deadly wound healed? Well, it loses its first love and goes right back into the beggarly things of the old things that it came from. This is one type and shadow which is played out in day four.

Recall that the firmament called heaven is BETWEEN the waters which are below and above it. There is one body of water called seas which is typified by DEATH, and there is another body of water which is free flowing and gives life. The lights that are presented to us on day four are in the firmament to divide once again but they do so by deceiving us.
We are now a part of the earth which our walk is typified as being in at this stage of our walk with Christ. We are actively doing things like looking for signs, as a Christian, that our walk is righteous and that the kingdom can be won for Christ, etc. We are now the Pharisees that are constantly asking Christ “what will be the sign of the coming of your kingdom?”

Day 5: On day five, we see God letting loose all that he has created so that it has dominion over the sea of humanity and over the earth, the church that He has created. Day five shows an interesting progression of our walk because it now presents to us just what our battles will be against. We will be battling the “moving creature that hath life” and we will be battling the “fowl that flies above the earth in the open firmament of heaven”. We will also be battling the great whales, and we know by our earthly knowledge that whales are one of the biggest aquatic mammals known to man and they live in the sea.
We not only see that we will be battling against them, but that God himself has blessed them in their endeavors. We not only fight that which is without, but the larger struggle comes a little later when we are given the knowledge and wisdom that what we are really fighting and LOSING to is that which is WITHIN! We are losing in day five because if something is multiplying we surely are not depleting its resources now are we?

Day 6: We know man was is being created on the six day and man is being created in the image of God. This spiritual image is what is given dominion over those things which in day five had dominion over us.  We see this in verse 26:

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27  So God created man in his [ own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We should all understand that Christ came from God, and thus Christ is the mind, will and very image of His Father in the spiritual. So, with Christ being our spiritual Father we are made in “our image” as it is worded in this verse and it is this image that is given dominion. This is the only way there is and that is why Christ is the way, truth and life.

In verse 27 we see that God made man and woman and then the next verse we see that this IMAGE is now told that “they are blessed, be fruitful and multiply.” So, not only are we blessed but we are to be fruitful.

A Day To Rest – Day 7

Gen 2:1  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Day 7: We have finally arrived at day 7, the day to rest.  On the surface, Gen 2:1 through 3 seem fairly straight forward, but as with all scripture we need to compare spiritual with spiritual and pray to be given understanding into what else is hidden under the surface of words that are written in physical letters. In order to do that, we must go further into the Word of God to see what else we can learn concerning what leads up to the day of rest, our sabbath, our Lord Jesus Christ. We can start in Exodus.

Exo 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Exo 16:5  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare [ that] which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Here is Exodus, we have a tremendous example of just what leads us to resting on day seven. Notice, in verse 4 we just read “I will rain bread from heaven for you” and God’s people are told to go gather a certain amount so that God can prove whether or not we will “keep His commandments”. In verse 5, we are told that whatever we gather WE are to prepare and what we bring in is TWICE as much as WE had gathered on the days before. Stick with me here because this type and shadow gets very intriguing.

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Remember, we just recapped all the days leading up to day six and all the days leading up to day six show us, among other things, that everything through to day six played it’s part in having dominion over us. In effect, we are shown that God is soverign and in control the whole time. In day six, God the Father flips the roles and now tells us to be fruitful and multiply.
Here in Exo 16:5, on day six, we see that God in- fact multiplies what was happening on all the other five days, but He is now flipping the coin, so to speak, in that He is now blessing us with a bounty of DOUBLE PORTIONS so that we can rest the next day. Pay close attention to why He does it though, “that I may prove them.” Can anyone say “fire”? Not only that, but we are essentially GIVEN DOUBLE THE WORK, now the Lord’s work, because we have to gather twice as much and prepare or cook twice the meals in one day.

Staying with this train of thought, just who is the TRUE bread from heaven? Just who is the sabbath? It is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

When we are given eyes to see and ears to hear the Spirit of God, we should start to see these days in a whole new light. Let’s continue to see how the Word of God bares out what He is doing with us up and through day seven.

Exo 16:6  And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Exo 16:7  And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what [ are] we, that ye murmur against us?
Exo 16:8  And Moses said, [ This shall be], when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what [ are] we? your murmurings [ are] not against us, but against the LORD.

Notice, it is at even in the dark, that we eat flesh but it is during the day, in the morning from which we receive bread to the FULL. These next verses I believe are crucial to understanding just what our six days are all about up until we finally receive our rest. The rest we receive is the rest from our OWN WORKS, but those works are of course worked out “according to the council of His own will”.

Exo 16:16  This [ is] the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, [ according to] the number of your persons; take ye every man for [ them] which [ are] in his tents.
Exo 16:17  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18  And when they did mete [ it] with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
Exo 16:19  And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Exo 16:20  Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exo 16:21  And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Exo 16:22  And it came to pass, [ that] on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one [ man]: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exo 16:23  And he said unto them, This [ is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [ is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [ that] which ye will bake [ to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exo 16:24  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exo 16:25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day [ is] a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [ which is] the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Exo 16:27  And it came to pass, [ that] there went out [ some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Exo 16:28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exo 16:29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exo 16:30  So the people rested on the seventh day.

Now we are getting somewhere. We should, Lord willing, start to see a progression with that we are being told about our walk. Starting in verse 18 we just read, “they gathered every man according to his eating” but they weren’t to leave any leftovers until the morning time as commanded. However, we see that “it came to pass” that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much and they were commanded to lay it up to be kept until the next morning.

We should be able to see that on all other days we are told to do something else, but on day six after “it came to pass” then there is a change. On all other days, dominion is had over us but on day six we are told to do double the work (double gathering) and leave what we have gathered extra because whatever the Lord is going to do is going to be all of the Lord. Of course, the people never listen as you and I don’t and we still try to do our works on day seven, spiritually speaking, because we didn’t do as commanded.

Foundation of The New Man

Now, we have a foundation of this train of thought laid. Comparing Genesis and Exodus together leads us into a truth that on day seven we have rest. Of course, there is much more scripture to be had on just what day seven is to us.  We can see an example straight from the Lord’s mouth just what is happening in our seven days as laid out to us:

Mar 2:24  And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
Mar 2:25  And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
Mar 2:26  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
Mar 2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28  Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Notice, when we are in need and hungry, it is THEN that we go into the house of God and eat bread, but not only that, we also GIVE that bread to those who are with us. Christ clarifies that the sabbath rest is made for man, and not the reverse. In other words, rest was created for man to be nourished by but not the other way around. Weren’t we just told in Exodus that what God gives us to be nourished with on day seven is also to be used for those who are with us?

Exo 16:16  This [ is] the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, [ according to] the number of your persons; take ye every man for [ them] which [ are] in his tents.

Why is this so important? Well, let’s read the scripture on the matter and see what is said.

Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Heb 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [ their] heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? [ was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Lord willing, we should be able to connect the spiritual dots and come to the conclusion that we are led to. On day six of our spiritual walk we are given commandments on just what to do. We are blessed and told to multiply, but this is done to prove us with it. What happens is that we all, at our appointed time do not BELIEVE what we are told; thus, we continue to do what we want and go out to “gather on the seventh day”. This is a sin which, at it’s appointed time, causes God’s wrath to prevent us from entering into His rest, Jesus Christ. Yes, indeed, it is VERY FEW who actually enter into that rest NOW.

The sin is the unbelief that plagues most of us our entire lives UNLESS the Lord gives us HIS FAITH, HIS REST.

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Why is it added to 4:3 “although the works were finished from the foundation of the world?” It is because it just clarifies that simply spiritual truth that God is working all this out after the council of His own will. Continuing in Heb 4 we read:

Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [ day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this [ place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some (some NOT ALL enter now) must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [ did] from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Brothers and sisters, there is simply NOTHING we can do to enter into that rest. It is all of God. Praise the Lord for that. It is truly only the people of God NOW who are given the faith to enter into that rest.

The New “Eighth Day”

Now, biblically speaking there are seven days of creation, but after everything is created, then what? Was anything else going to happen? Well, as is with the book of Genesis so it is with the rest of the bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. We all know that there are seven days, but what about the next day the EIGHTH day? What about what happens after God has created everything of His own works? No, I am not crazy. There is in fact an eighth day spiritually speaking.

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

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Col 3:10  And have put on the new [ man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

You might be asking yourself what the new man has to do with the eighth day? Lets continue with the word of God to see what the Spirit says about this subject:

Pro 24:16  For a just [ man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Falling seven times only leads into one thing for the righteous man, rising up again after seven falls but there will not be an eigtht fall but only an eighth and final standing. This rising is LIFE and is hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4  When Christ, [ who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Day seven is our day of rest, and entering into His rest is entering into Christ who is hid in God. This spiritual truth is blatantly clear if we are given eyes to see and ears to hear it.

Lev 12:3  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Lev 14:23  And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.

Lev 22:27  When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Act 7:5  And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [ so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [ as yet] he had no child.
Act 7:6  And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat [ them] evil four hundred years.
Act 7:7  And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
Act 7:8  And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so [ Abraham] begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac [ begat] Jacob; and Jacob [ begat] the twelve patriarchs.

It is the eighth day that the new man is brought forth. It is the eighth day that in Christ, we are accepted to God after all His work is finished and we have entered into His rest. Day eight it what it is all about!

Day eight is so great because we now do much more than Christ did. This all stems from what God has created in His days of creation. Where does God dwell?

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [ that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Joh 3:12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you [ of] heavenly things?
Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [ even] the Son of man which is in heaven.

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I [ am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [ works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

The culmination of the days of creation result in US doing greater things than Christ did in the flesh, because His ways are above ar ways. Christ is in us (if He is in Us), we are in Him and Christ is in God. Christ is in heaven, therefore heaven is in God and God dwells in His temple. Therefore, the greater works are done BECAUSE CHRIST GOES UNTO HIS FATHER IN US!

Conclusion

The works that God has created, as is talked about in type and shadow in this series on “Teach Us To Number Our Days” conclude in God being all in all. There is no greater plan than what God has laid out in His plan for mankind.

Eph 3:9  And to make all [ men] see what [ is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [ places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what [ is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Indeed, that is my prayer and hope for you all now. I pray we may all be given the knowledge, wisdom and understanding that through our tribulations from God, through our fiery trials, that we be given the faith of Christ so that we believe what we are told about the msytery of the Kingdom of God in US!

I pray your inner new man is strengthened with this study by His spirit.

1Co 10:15  I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17  For we [ being] many are one bread, [ and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

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Teach Us To Number Our Days – Part 2

Steve Crook

In our last study, we hopefully saw a connection between the progress in the numbers of the days of Genesis and the spiritual walk we must all endure as we walk daily with the Lord. In this study, I hope that we can further learn of the Lord just what connects each day to one another; thus, opening up our eyes and ears to the understanding and knowledge that only the Lord can provide to us.

Recap

Day 1: On day one we learned that there is a dividing of day and night, but that that day and night is alike to the Lord. We also saw that we are both that night and day. Christ is the light of the world, and we are only that light if Christ allows us to be that light by being in us and shining forth.

Day 2: On day two we have yet another dividing only this time it is a dividing of waters from waters. These two distinct waters were together but were dividing by a firmament called heaven. This heaven, another way to say the spirit of God, is what gives us insight into the mind of Christ and direct connection to the Father via the spirit of God. God’s spirit touches everything; thus, the two distinct bodies of water are connected to one another.

If the Lord allows, we can see that it is Christ who first come into our life and makes a change happen so that we can see the contrast in night and day. The night is first, but then the day comes. We can also see in Joh 12:36–40 that all we need to believe this Light, Jesus Christ, to make the necessary steps in our walk to being that same light… Christ in us a GREAT MYSTERY.

Day two is a great testimony to and against the flesh. Day two builds upon day one in more detail by showing us, among other things, that first Christ comes into our lives but we still know him after what He first shows Himself to be to us, something that we can understand as flesh. Paul clearly states in 2Co 5:16 that we NO LONGER know Christ after the flesh:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

It is the first dividing in day one which shows us a contrast to the only thing we had known up until then, the night and death. In day one we learn of the Light and Day. It the second dividing that teaches us much more than this if we are spiritually given the ability to see and hear that it is the Spirit which brings about the dividing of the waters so that we can see Christ in spirit.

Day 3: On day three we come to see a new development in our walk, and that is show to us in type and shadow by the revealing of the earth to us as it is, DRY LAND. It is dry because it has had its whole stay of water and whole stay of bread taken from it. We also learn that the dry land is a result of the Lord dividing the waters so that the dry land appears in the stead of the divide.

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

This is another way to see that “you shall know them by their fruits”. The seas of humanity are gathered together and the waters in heaven are gathered together unto themselves, according to the spirit which they are of. The only fruit that can be produced by the things that grow out of the ground of the earth are those things which were already placed there from the beginning; thus, Eve was able to have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life simply by coming from Adam who was formed from the dust of the ground.

Progression

Before we delve into day four, I wanted to share with you all a revelation that the Lord shared with me shortly after writing part one of this bible study series. When we travel a little further into the book of Genesis we have the interesting story of Moses and the children of Israel, as well as, Eqypt, the pharaoh and the Egyptian army.

What was revealed to me was hidden in the story of the first time that the bonds were lifted from Israel as the were finally freed form their Egyptian oppressors. The story can be found in Exodus of course.

First, we have a man named Moses (drawn from the water) of HIS PEOPLE Israel who they knew NOT, but yet he comes in this type and shadow as Jesus Christ. He comes to free Israel from their enslavers. An interesting point to how Israel was lead is made by acknowledging that they were initially led both through DAY and NIGHT by a cloud.

So, we have the plagues happen and eventually after this part of the walk has been endured we see Moses (remember the type and shadow here is Jesus Christ) bring the children of Israel to the waters via having to first be lead through day and night. So, we are at the waters of the red sea and Moses raises the rod, the type and shadow of ONLY THE POWER THE GOD POSSESSES, and divides the waters from the waters. What do you suppose happens next? Let’s read it straight from the Word of God.

Exo 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Exo 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exo 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Exo 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

“That they go forward”, in verse 15 should how us exactly what the Lord is doing here. He is moving us forward but notice that in verse 19 that the angel of God “stood behind them”. Christ starts out by us reaching forth to him, but we end up needing to be pushed and protected from behind. Moses goes on to divide the waters from the water and we now continue our walk on the dry land. I just think this is simply astounding as a second witness to the first three days of Genesis that we have already covered.

Day Four

Day 4: On day four, we have a further explanation of what we are to expect when we are taught to number our days. I want to start this day off with the same admonition that Paul gives us in Galatians.

Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

There is a huge difference between knowing God and being known of God. Before Christ came into our lives, we were only in death, but being forgiven and dressed upon with Christ we are now know of God, but what results in the beast having i’s deadly wound healed? Well, it loses its first love and goes right back into the beggarly things that it came from. This is one type and shadow which is played out in day four.

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Recall that the firmament called heaven is BETWEEN the waters which are below and above it. There is one body of water called seas which is typified by DEATH, and there is another body of water which is free flowing and gives life. The lights that are presented to us on day four are in the firmament to divide once again but they do so by deceiving us.

We are now a part of the earth which our walk is typified as being in at this stage of our walk with Christ. We are actively doing things like looking for signs, as a Christian, that our walk is righteous and that the kingdom can be won for Christ, etc. We are now the Pharisees that are constantly asking Christ “what will be the sign of the coming of your kingdom?” This is all wonderful when you consider that “God saw that it was good” for the purpose that He has made the lights of the heavens to do for us. All men look at the heavens and are witnessed to, but Christians as especially witnessed to by the lights in the firmament which “give light upon the earth’” with the earth representing that church.

We, as Christians should be the light, but in this stage of our walk we are much less mature than we could ever imagine. In fact, we are babes in Christ, yet we think we are much more than that. Just ask my 4 year old daughter, she knows everything J.

Day Five

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Now that we have seen Christ working in our lives for the first time; now that we have seen Him no longer being known only in the flesh, now that our “church life” as been given its full dominion in our lives, and now that we have been given eyes to see and ears to hear that we always lose our first love and go back to our own filthy ways once our deadly wound is healed; that is if the Lord is working with us, we now come to our spiritual day five.

Day 5: On day five, we see God letting loose all that he has created so that it has dominion over the sea of humanity and over the earth, the church that He has created. Day five shows an interesting progression of our walk because it now presents to us just what our battles will be against. We will be battling the “moving creature that hath life” and we will be battling the “fowl that flies above the earth in the open firmament of heaven”. We will also be battling the great whales, and we know by our earthly knowledge that whales are one of the biggest aquatic mammals known to man and they live in the sea.

We not only see that we will be battling against them, but that God himself has blessed them in their endeavors. Truly, the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. What happens to one happens to the other. In verse 20, we see the fowl flying ABOVE the earth in heaven, but just a few verses later in verse 22 we see the fowls making their abode and multiplication happen IN THE EARTH. We not only fight that which is without, but the larger struggle comes a little later when we are given the knowledge and wisdom that what we are really fighting and LOSING to is that which is WITHIN! We are losing in day five because if something is multiplying we surely are not depleting its resources now are we?

Just what is it that we are fighting though? What are these fowls that multiply within us? What are the moving creatures and whales that are brought forth abundantly after their kind? Let’s see what the scriptures have to say. This topic is so vast that I could make a study just on the fowl of the air, the beasts of the land and the creatures of the sea, but the scripture is clear enough to those who are given the ability to see it.

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And then we see this:

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

But what else do they eat?

Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

The fowls of the air are those spirits which are placed in battle with us so that we WILL LOSE AGAINST THEM. Yes, you heard me correctly, we will LOSE THE BATTLE each and every time. We were just told in Revelation that this is because the supper of the great God is to allow the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven to come devour our flesh. He is the one that is FEEDING THEM WITH US. Not only that, the Lord places enough seed in our life so that it too, gets devoured and presents to us the one undeniable fact of the Lord, that HE IS SOVERIGN in our LIVES. He will do with us WHAT HE WANTS. Check this out:

Hos 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Hos 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
Hos 2:3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

Can we not see that this is the VERY church, the very MOTHER OF HARLETS, the DRY LAND that we are now battling with? It is only a couple of verses later that we read what the Lord does for us, as it is He that can do anything:

Hos 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

Do not be distraught my brothers and sisters! We will have our dominion, and that is what day six is all about!

Day Six

Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Day 6: At this point in our study, we should be familiar enough with the process that we will know that day six just builds upon the previous days and presents us with our next progression in our walk with the Lord. This day is truly exciting!

In this study let us try to build upon what it is we have learned throughout our whole Christian life. We do not need to discard what we have learned, but we do need to do allow the spiritual to take preference over what we know to be physically true. We know man was is being created on the six day and man is being created in the image of God.

This spiritual image is what is given dominion over those things which in day five had dominion over us. We see this in verse 26:

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

We should all understand that Christ came from God, and thus Christ is the mind, will and very image of His Father in the spiritual. So, with Christ being our spiritual Father we are made in “our image” as it is worded in this verse and it is this image that is given dominion. This is the only way there is and that is why Christ is the way, truth and life.

What’s more amazing to me is that it takes both God and Christ, Christ and the church, the man and the woman to multiply that which is both good and evil. Let me clarify this.

We all know that Christ is the firstborn of all creation, right? Well, Rev 3 tells us this, as well as many other scriptures that bare this truth out. No matter what Christendom tries to deceive the masses with on this topic, here is what is said about the topic in the Word of God:

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

In verse 27 we see that God made man and woman and then the next verse we see that this IMAGE is now told that “they are blessed, be fruitful and multiply”. So, no only are we blessed but we are to be fruitful. We are told that this is a great mystery and this very mystery happened from the foundation of the world, from the very creation that God the Father and Christ the mother, in type, shows us happened. All the days were a result of God the Father and Christ having everything else of creation come through Christ.

That is how I can say that the “good and evil” were a result of what God the Father created through Christ. It is through the typified man and woman that this is all done… the VERY IMAGE OF GOD. You want to see His image? Well, that is IT! This sums up what the days are all about!

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

And after all of Paul’s admonitions in Ephesians about the proper GODLY relationship of mand and woman, husband and wife, he goes on to tell us that what he is really describing is what we are talking about in the days of Genesis.

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

We saw earlier that after the dividing of the waters, the earth/ dry land appears. This is a RESULT of the power of God, the rod in Moses hand, right? Well, take that one step forward and we now see the walk of the Christian in relation to Christ and the church and what happens to us in days 5 and six. Christ and the church are presented to us and parent us through it all; thus, we see this story being told in a very basic form in the days of creation. For me, one of the greatest two verses and strengths in all of the Word of God is Gen 1:29 and 30 because it sums up just what God is doing with me in this age and anyone He is working with in this age:

Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

All that was created through Christ is given to us FOR MEAT, all the good and evil because as Joesph says to his brothers, God meant it for good and God says SO!

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Conclusion

I wish I had more time to expound on these days, but I am content with whatever it is the Lord wants to do with me and whatever time, understand, knowledge and wisdom He wants to bestow onto me and to you all. I hope we have learned something more about our Lord and Father by the first two parts of this study on numbering our days.

In the next part of “Teach Us To Number Our Days”, I pray we will be able to finish up the days of creation with day seven, the day of rest, as instituted by the Father, as well as, delving into just what “to day, yester day and to morrow” have in realtion to the, “Is, Was and Will Be” aspect of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

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Teach Us To Number Our Days

Steve Crook – February 11, 2009

Transcript for Video

Psa 90:12 So teach [ us] to number our days, that we may apply [ our] hearts unto wisdom.

I find that most times I am less aware of the hour than what I feel I am; meaning, I tend to notice that as I am in this mindful state of realizing the shortness of the day it is at that moment that I am being given a great amount of mercy from the Lord. In my years past, I often think on the time that I used to do so many other things other than give myself to the Lord. Of course, I know this is all of the Lord, and it is His perfect plan for me, but it is a miracle in and of itself that I even look back and consider my time spent, much less that I realize that it was mostly time that I spent achieving knowledge and growth in the Lord at a snail’s pace because most of that time I didn’t really know the Lord was working all things after the council of His own will.

I now find myself in a place where I pray I consider what day I am in much more than I ever did in the past. It is with this thought in mind that I set off to study the topic of considering what “to day” is and what it means to the body of Christ. As always, a simple study is much too short to truly grasp and hold the immenseness of the mind of Christ on any topic, but I pray the Lord uses this study to get us all looking more closely at Christ through the things His places in our walk on this day, to day. I can foresee that this will be a multi- part study which will span several study sessions to even begin to touch on this topic.

What Is In A Day

We can see that in the beginning of Genesis, there were days from which certain things were achieved according to which day it was. Of course, we all know these days are numbered one through seven, but there is much more being revealed to us than simply what was created on which day. There is a road map that was given of which most of the Christian world is unaware. I will briefly list some of the things that happened in the seven days of creation. As I read through these days, please keep in mind that we are not looking so much toward what we read as physically happening in these days, but what is spiritually happening in our walk with Christ. It all starts with what “day” is; it is light.

First Day:

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

It is important to note that in verse 5 where we read “God called the light, Day”, that the same word here as inspired by the Holy Spirit is the same word at the end of the verse that we read as day. However, I want you to now place emphasis on what is being said. What we have just read is, “the evening and the morning were the first light”. This is important to understand because this is the very foundation we need in order to starting understanding how it is we are to learn to number our days. On the surface, it sounds like it is a very straightforward statement -“teach us to number our days” – but there is a huge amount of information being said in this tiny little verse.

One of those huge things being said in Gen 1:5 is that though there is day and night divided, they are just as important as one another, indeed they are the SAME thing as seen by the Lord.

Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

As important as that is, it can easily escape us just what we are being told right here in the beginning of the Word of God. We are being told just what Christ tells is in the New Testament in Joh 8:

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Not only do those that follow Christ have the light of life, they ARE the light itself!

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

How am I relating this to Gen 1? Well, I believe the Lord has linked and related these together because the light which is called Day is what we are to the world. We are the Day, spiritually speaking, of the world. The rest of everything else in the world is darkness or what God called night.

But again, why is this so important to grasp? It is important to get a handle on because as we move through this and the future studies continuing this topic of “teach us to number our days,” we must be able to spiritually grasp who we are from what else is in the world.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

We are called out of the world into light. Among other things, we are called out of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life into the marvelous light of life of Jesus Christ. Amazingly, one of the ways this relates to “numbering our days” is in truth telling us to consider each day alike. We are collectively the body of Christ, but members in particular. Remember, in Genesis we just read the evening and the morning are a day… whether it is the first, second or seventh. Then we read that the darkness and light are alike to God.

We are called out of the darkness that first is in all of our lives, but to the Lord it is alike to what we go into, the light. How can that be? It is foolishness to the natural man because we can CLEARLY see a difference to physical day and night. With the Lord, He is the source and it is no different than the Lord being able to “mean it for good” when it is an evil thing “that we mean for evil”.

I find it miraculous that before I was given faith to know that holidays are a time that we DO tend to esteem those days above others, I was most times the happiest in my flesh when these things were happening in my life. I know we all tend to or have been guilty of looking forward to one day over another but we should be letting the wisdom of the Lord soak through us in learning to number our days.

Waters From Waters

Getting back to Genesis, we now can move on to the second day.

Second Day:

Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Gen 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

On the first day we see a dividing of light and darkness which is alike to the Lord. Interestingly, on the second day we see another dividing, but this time we see it in the form of waters from waters. These verses seem straight forward to the natural man until we compare spiritual to spiritual and see that the firmament being Heaven must be a clue when we consider that the ways of the Lord are above our ways.

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We see a similar thought in Col 2 and 3:

Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Ye are dead….. your life is hid in Christ…but I thought you were dead? Well, it is because that is exactly what we have been told in the first and second days…. there is a dividing, there is a firmament, there is a rift that CANNOT be crossed but by Christ. That’s why we are told so many times to SEEK the Lord, SEEK the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND! When can He be found? It is when we are seeking him that the light is here because He has placed it in our heart to seek Him.

Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

I want you to pay close attention to what happens right here in John because it is so indicative of this whole process and it is saying very similar things as to what Genesis says happens each of the days of creation:

Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Joh 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
Joh 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [ their] eyes, nor understand with [ their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

One way the dividing of the waters from the waters, and the dividing of the day and light, is the same is that there is a firmament CALLED SPIRIT which both gives sight and hearing or doesn’t. I did a study a little while back which included a section that spoke about how in type and shadow the air or spirit of God touches everything…it is the one thing that is constant when we compare the sea, earth and islands. God’s spirit touches all and no man is an island because of this. We are all connected in one way or another by God’s spirit.

The separating divide between waters and waters and light and day is just another way of the Lord telling us that it is all Him doing it and has nothing to do with us somehow doing it on our own. His commands and everything else obeys. In Matthew, we see another example of this and it has to do with “hearing.”

Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

It is always the divide, it is always the will of God which dictates what will or will not happen, even in the lights case…Jesus Christ. That is exactly why Christ says to pray “thy will be done on earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.” That is also why Christ Himself set that example for us as He prayed, “nevertheless thy will be done” when He said, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done”.

Whose Seed Was In Itself

It was so important to mention, that Christ includes “thy will be done on earth, as in Heaven” during the answer He gave when He told us how to pray, and we know from other scriptures that we are to pray without ceasing. It is so important to pray “thy will be done” because it mostly is far from our minds when we are generally so carnal. That leads me to the next day.

Third Day:

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Notice that we now have God addressing the water under heaven, and He commanded them to gather together. I do not think it is too far a stretch to say that this spiritually points to the truth that these waters gather together in the same mind or same spirit because it is from this gathering that the earth or dry land appears. Scripturally speaking we know the earth represents the church of the day.

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Here we see Jeremiah speaking to Judah and its king because verse one of chapter 22 tells us that is where the Lord had Jeremiah go, etc.

I have often read about the third day in Genesis and envisioned that the earth or dry land somehow rose up out of the water. However, if you really consider what is being said here, the dry land is a RESULT of the waters gathering and receding from the dry land. It’s like when land is covered with a mass of water and the wind blows enough to cause the water to push back and away from the shore. It causes the dry land to appear where it wasn’t noticeable before. It is just another witness that the earth doesn’t DO anything without the Lord first saying “let it be so”.

In verse eleven, we can actually see this in action because the Lord says, “let the earth bring forth grass…”, etc. The Lord actually commands the doctrines and spirits of the church to come about and do His will. Isn’t this what we know to be true from so many other scriptures?

What is immensely important to consider is what is told in the next verses to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

What the earth produces is what the earth was created to produce. The earth was there already, but when the Lord divided the waters it then appeared with what it already had been created with. All the Lord had to do was set in motion what He had already created. The doctrines and spirits which are so prevalent in the church are those things which are fruit that was already in itself. In other words, all that is in the world was there and created from the beginning. This is just another witness to that truth.

This truth is also reflective of just where the tainted milk of the churches comes from to those who it feeds. It comes from within itself. We cannot and do not hold this against the church because 1) they are deceived to not know any better and 2) it was there from the beginning so it is undetectable.

What I am hopefully being used to show is that what the church produces was ultimately created by the Lord, “in the beginning” but also just as true is that after the wheels were set in motion the earth produces that seed and fruit which is ALWAYS OF ITSELF. It can never branch off and produce things that are anything other than “the seed in itself”. The thing the earth produces, the grass, herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, is from the fruit that came before it and dies on or in the earth. The earth or church NEVER produces the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT because that spirit is from the “waters above the firmament”.

Conclusion

Today we have briefly touched on a topic which has many things that can be said and revealed through it. Lord willing, we have seen that there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from each of the days of creation which relate to one another in many ways including how we spiritual progress in our walk with Christ.

Next study, we will continue to study the rest of the days of creation and time permitting we will start to delve into what the spiritual significance of how “to day, yester day, and to morrow” have to do with the “Is, Was and Will Be” revelation of Jesus Christ.

Study Notes for Video Aired July 13, 2008

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to talk on a subject that really has great significance to the elect of God, but it seems to be little understood. I found myself of this understanding until I really dug deep for the gems that are in God’s Word.

I believe that everyone can take a guess as to what thanksgiving is, but as with all things pertaining to the scriptures, we need to evaluate what the Word of God reveals about a particular subject.

A lot of times, I think we question our purpose in God’s plan, at least I do. We certainly know that God has a plan for us all, but we don’t know what that is sometimes or how the details of our current situation go along with that plan. Along with all of that comes the adversary trying to tempt us into believing or seeing things that are mixed with the truth; therefore, the truth becomes “leavened” and we then have truth of the adversary and not THE TRUTH, Jesus Christ.

As with all things, we must rely ONLY on the Word of God to help us with these trials. What the Lord has allowed me to come to see, is the title of this talk today, and I hope I can be used to help someone out there that may have these same trials and struggles on a daily basis. We must die daily to these trials and struggles; thus, we continue to see Christ more and more as we look in the mirror. We truly become more conformed into his image.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.Rom 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.

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Oh, how true that is. It is the FAITH of CHRIST that overcomes the world. It is the trial of that Faith that matters to God.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Now, how does faith have anything to do with thanksgiving and how do we give thanksgiving? We certainly give outward verbal “thanks” for all the wonderful blessing that the Lord had given us all. I know that 100% of us are also guilty of not giving thanks enough nor in a complete way which should be giving God all the glory.

However, there is a much more significant spiritual lesson that we HAVE to grasp in order for us to properly understand how it is we can give thanksgiving and what it means to be in such a blessed position to do so. What I am about to speak about is rarely understood by most professing Christians. That is simply because the Lord hasn’t given it to them to understand yet.

There is only one thing the God accepts as a proper way to approach him with thanksgiving and that is through the peace offering, but more than that it is Jesus Christ as that offering!

Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

There are 27 verses in the King James that have the term thanksgiving in them. There are hundreds that speak on the spiritual application of what this term means spiritually. The first verse we find is Lev 7:12, but I want to read several verses surrounding this verse in order to get a better spiritual grasp of what this verse tells us.

Lev 7:11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
Lev 7:12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
Lev 7:13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.
Lev 7:15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

Mike has done a very good job in describing the Peace offering in his series on the offerings, so I will not go into the same details he went into during that series. However, I will hopefully be used of the Lord to add some light to the whole picture of what is being said. Christ is our peace offering and through, by and to him we are acceptable to God. However, we must still contend with this flesh that we have as a temporary tabernacle and that will be the case until the day we die and give it up.

I believe you will see this scenario played out in the following scriptures that I will read throughout the remainder of this talk. Let’s start with Psalms. After all, Christ was spoken about through the Law of Moses, the psalms and the prophets. But, it wasn’t just Christ, it was His body also – THE CHRIST who hopefully you and I are.

Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Psa 69:29 But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
Psa 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psa 69:31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
Psa 69:32 The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
Psa 69:33 For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

Remember, God says He would have OBEDIENCE and not sacrifice as verse Psa 69:31 alludes to. It is obedience that we are to give thanksgiving for. Verse 69:33 goes on to say that we are the prisoners of the Lord. Paul spoke many times on being in bonds of the Lord. We, as the Christ are indeed buried in baptism as His body. Let’s see if there are any other scriptures that point this out.

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Psa 100:1 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

What are the lands? …The lands are us, our flesh.

Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

The Lord has made us to be His body, and we have DONE NOTHING to do this or make ourselves this way. That is why we must be obedient in giving thanksgiving for this.

Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

The privilege we have been given to be shown mercy in order to show mercy to EVERYONE else is above all other treasures that we can gain. We must be thankful for this and realize that this is the very plan that God has for us in our vapor of life that we are given. It isn’t anything more than “KNOWING God and Jesus Christ who He has sent” via his Word. With that knowing comes chastisement better known as grace, and with that grace comes the praising of God THROUGH US! Hallelujah!

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Here is how Isaiah admonished us through his writings:

Isa 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
Isa 51:2 Look unto Abraham your father father of Promise, and unto Sarah that bare you child of the freewoman: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Isa 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

We are the light of the world, but our light is FOR THE WORLD. In other words, we are saviours on Mt. Zion who will bring all others in. it is God’s judgment that we endure, and it is God’s judgment which we learn to be one with and judge all others with. It is the trial of our faith which is the witness that others will see and give thanksgiving to God for. We might not see that seed bring forth fruit now, but the Lord WILL give the increase in His time, according to His plan.

Asaph means: “Who Gathers Together”. Listen to this psalm. It is wonderful.

Psa 50:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
Psa 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Psa 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
Psa 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
Psa 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Psa 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
Psa 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
Psa 50:8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
Psa 50:9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
Psa 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Psa 50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
Psa 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Psa 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
Psa 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
Psa 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

God will be glorified through the trials He places us through and it will be from within us that this happens, from within our hearts and minds!

2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The Lord is truly using His elect to bring about the mercy in others that will truly save them. We are given this wonderful honor if only we remain faithful. Earlier we saw that it is the faith of Christ and it is the trial of that faith which is so precious to God. We will be full of that faith in order to be used of God, or the trials that we are struggling with WILL not be overcome yet. In order to hope for something, we must overcome the trial for our hope to be realized.

2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:2Co 9:9 As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
2Co 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
2Co 9:11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
2Co 9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
2Co 9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
2Co 9:14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace chastisement of God in you.
2Co 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

How do we accomplish everything that is being mentioned here? Colossians happens to mention just that to us if we have eyes to see and ears to hear it.

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
Col 4:4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace chastisement, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

We must keep this at the fore- front of our mind in order to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. Keeping the faith must be one of our most important prayers giving with thanksgiving. Doing that is what will be the witness to others in our everyday lives.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
1Ti 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

It is only through the trials we go through that we can truly attain to the nourishment of the Words of Faith. It is only after we have gone through the trials and look back that we can all say we have been there and done that and STILL give God all the credit. It is the Lord who nourishes our faith, His faith given to us that will be tried and will be used to show us what we are about. That trial ultimately is our thanksgiving and the means by which others will glorify and give thanksgiving to God.

In closing, with all that was said here today, let me give you these words of encouragement from our wonderful and blessed Lord:

Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

In God’s time and plan, EVERYONE will drink of the fountain that never runs dry. Let us all pray we are being lead on the path now while in this tabernacle of flesh, so that it can be US who can look at our brothers and sisters and truly say: – We understand.

Video Links

What Do The Scriptures Reveal About Taking a Stand?

I will start by saying that when reading the scripture we must all keep in mind that each verse and word have both a positive and negative application as well as primarily being spiritual and secondarily having a physical meaning.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

I hope today to scripturally show what it is to mind the things of the flesh versus minding the things of the spirit in regards to taking a stance with the Word of God.

Every churchgoing member, at whatever level of membership and/ or duty they have, believes they stand on the Word of God. However, we need to make sure we are diligent to the Word of God in order for us to say such a statement.

I hope the Lord uses me today to show you what I have been shown.

Mat 12:47  Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Here we have Christ who lets us in on a mystery that has been hidden since it was uttered the first time. Our mother and brother initially are the whore and our brothers that come from her. As with all the times Christ was asked a question or received a statement from someone, those who told Christ this too were making a physical statement about his physical family, yet Jesus gives them a spiritual answer.

Christ lets them know exactly what is most important to him. This also should be how we feel and handle all situations placed before us.

I want to focus on where these verses say our first mother and brother stand. They stand without or outside. Outside of what?

Mar 3:24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Mar 3:25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

When we try to cling to any false doctrines or idols of our hearts which are contrary to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, we will fall. There are only two places to stand. Either we stand on a foundation laid on a rock, or we stand on earth/ sand.

Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Right before these verses, just a few verses, before Christ says, “Why call me Lord, Lord and do not the things I say.” It is amazing that once we understand the meaning of all parables, we can then apply that to everything we read in the Word of God. Here is another example. Jesus is telling us that we can either stand on the Word of God, or we can stand on the words of the earth…the church and/ or babylon.

Here is how the angel Gabriel states this:

Luk 1:19  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.

The very idea that the “gospel” is paraded around as good news when most of christendom condemns most of humankind to hell is appalling. Yet, that is exactly what they do when they build their ideas, idols and thoughts upon the earth. Standing in the presence of God IS standing on the foundation God the Father laid, since the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD – Jesus Christ.

Luk 13:25  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:25 (MKJV) And once the Master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and He shall answer and say to you, I do not know you; from where are you;

Those who are not standing on a rock are always those who are standing AT the rock knocking and trying to get passage to the other side. Those who are not knocking are those who ARE the ones who have already gone through the door and have BECOME THE DOOR that all others knock on.

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

It is through US that Jesus says, “Why call me Lord, Lord….” It is through and by Christ and Christ alone – the original door – that a stance is achieved by US – as a door.

It is Christ, the Word of God, who tells us to stand.

Act 5:19  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

In the verse right before Rom 14:4, we see this:

Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

God has received who? God has received “him that eateth”. God is not the master of those who are knocking and asking for entrance. I believe that is clearly shown in the verses before.”To his own master…God is able to make him stand…. for God hath received him.”

1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

Here we are clearly instructed that as a minister of Christ who ministers (serves) the mysteries of God to those who are “standing, knocking at the door…”, that we must be found faithful to the Word of God.

1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

In 1Co 4:3 the word here translated judgment is used here and ONLY here as judgment. In every other place it is used, it is used to describe time or a period of time. To allow the spirit of God to tell you what Paul is saying here, please look at this list with me:

G2250

ημερα

he mera

Total KJV Occurrences: 390

day, 204

Mat_6:34, Mat_7:22, Mat_10:15, Mat_11:22, Mat_11:24, Mat_12:36, Mat_13:1, Mat_16:21, Mat_17:23, Mat_20:2, Mat_20:6, Mat_20:12, Mat_20:19, Mat_22:23, Mat_22:46, Mat_24:36, Mat_24:38, Mat_24:50, Mat_25:13, Mat_26:29, Mat_27:64, Mar_4:27, Mar_4:35, Mar_5:5, Mar_6:11, Mar_6:21, Mar_9:31, Mar_10:34, Mar_13:32, Mar_14:12, Mar_14:25, Luk_1:20, Luk_1:59, Luk_1:80, Luk_2:37, Luk_4:16, Luk_4:42, Luk_5:17, Luk_6:13, Luk_6:23, Luk_7:11, Luk_8:22, Luk_9:12, Luk_9:22, Luk_9:37, Luk_10:12, Luk_11:3 (2), Luk_12:46, Luk_13:14, Luk_13:16, Luk_13:31, Luk_14:5, Luk_16:19, Luk_17:4 (2), Luk_17:24, Luk_17:27, Luk_17:29-31 (3), Luk_18:7, Luk_18:33, Luk_19:42, Luk_21:34, Luk_21:37, Luk_22:7, Luk_22:66, Luk_23:12, Luk_23:54, Luk_24:7, Luk_24:13, Luk_24:21, Luk_24:29, Luk_24:46, Joh_1:39, Joh_2:1, Joh_5:9, Joh_6:39-40 (2), Joh_6:44, Joh_6:54, Joh_7:37, Joh_8:56, Joh_9:4, Joh_11:9 (2), Joh_11:24, Joh_11:53, Joh_12:7, Joh_12:48, Joh_14:20, Joh_16:23, Joh_16:26, Joh_20:19 (2), Act_1:2, Act_1:22, Act_2:1, Act_2:15, Act_2:20, Act_2:29, Act_2:41, Act_7:8, Act_7:26, Act_9:24, Act_10:3, Act_10:40, Act_12:18, Act_12:21, Act_13:14, Act_16:35, Act_17:31, Act_20:16, Act_20:18, Act_20:31, Act_21:7, Act_21:26, Act_23:1, Act_23:12, Act_26:7, Act_26:22, Act_27:29, Act_27:33 (2), Act_27:39, Act_28:13, Act_28:23, Rom_2:5, Rom_2:16, Rom_8:36, Rom_10:21, Rom_11:8, Rom_13:12-13 (2), Rom_14:5-6 (4), 1Co_1:8, 1Co_3:13, 1Co_5:5, 1Co_10:8, 1Co_15:4, 2Co_1:14, 2Co_4:16 (2), 2Co_6:2 (2), Eph_4:30, Eph_6:13, Phi_1:5-6 (2), Phi_1:10, Phi_2:16, Col_1:5-6 (2), Col_1:9, 1Th_3:9-10 (2), 1Th_5:2, 1Th_5:4-5 (2), 1Th_5:8, 2Th_1:10, 2Th_2:2, 2Th_3:8, 1Ti_5:5, 2Ti_1:3, 2Ti_1:12, 2Ti_1:18, 2Ti_4:8, Heb_3:8, Heb_4:4, Heb_8:7-9 (3), Heb_10:25, Jas_5:5, 1Pe_2:12, 2Pe_1:19, 2Pe_2:8-9 (3), 2Pe_2:13, 2Pe_3:7-8 (3), 2Pe_3:10, 2Pe_3:12, 1Jn_4:17, Jdg_1:6, Rev_1:10, Rev_4:8, Rev_6:17, Rev_7:15, Rev_8:12, Rev_9:15, Rev_14:10-11 (2), Rev_16:14, Rev_18:8, Rev_20:10, Rev_21:25

days, 154

Mat_4:1-2 (3), Mat_9:15, Mat_11:12, Mat_12:40 (2), Mat_15:32, Mat_17:1, Mat_23:30, Mat_24:19, Mat_24:22 (2), Mat_24:29, Mat_24:37-38 (2), Mat_26:2, Mat_26:61, Mat_27:40, Mat_27:63, Mar_1:9, Mar_1:13, Mar_2:1, Mar_2:20 (2), Mar_8:1-2 (2), Mar_8:31, Mar_9:2, Mar_13:17, Mar_13:19-20 (3), Mar_13:24, Mar_14:1, Mar_14:58, Mar_15:29, Luk_1:5, Luk_1:23-25 (3), Luk_1:39, Luk_1:75, Luk_2:1, Luk_2:6, Luk_2:21-22 (2), Luk_2:43, Luk_2:46, Luk_4:2 (2), Luk_4:25, Luk_5:35 (2), Luk_6:12, Luk_9:28, Luk_9:36, Luk_13:14, Luk_15:13, Luk_17:22 (2), Luk_17:26 (2), Luk_17:28, Luk_19:43, Luk_20:1, Luk_21:6, Luk_21:22-23 (2), Luk_23:29, Luk_24:18, Joh_2:12, Joh_2:19-20 (2), Joh_4:40, Joh_4:43, Joh_11:6, Joh_11:17, Joh_12:1, Joh_20:26, Act_1:3, Act_1:5, Act_1:15, Act_2:17-18 (2), Act_3:24, Act_5:36-37 (2), Act_6:1, Act_7:41, Act_7:45, Act_9:9, Act_9:19, Act_9:23, Act_9:37, Act_9:43, Act_10:30, Act_10:48, Act_11:27, Act_12:3, Act_13:31, Act_13:41, Act_15:36, Act_16:12, Act_16:18, Act_20:6 (3), Act_21:4-5 (2), Act_21:10, Act_21:15, Act_21:26-27 (2), Act_21:38, Act_24:1, Act_24:11, Act_24:24, Act_25:1, Act_25:6, Act_25:13-14 (2), Act_27:7, Act_27:20, Act_28:7, Act_28:12, Act_28:14, Gal_1:17-18 (2), Gal_4:10, Eph_5:16, 2Ti_3:1, Heb_1:2, Heb_5:7, Heb_7:3, Heb_8:8, Heb_8:10, Heb_10:16, Heb_10:32, Heb_11:30, Heb_12:10, Jas_5:3, 1Pe_3:10, 1Pe_3:20, 2Pe_3:3, Rev_2:10, Rev_2:13, Rev_10:6-7 (2), Rev_11:3, Rev_11:6, Rev_11:9, Rev_11:11, Rev_12:6

daily, 18

Mat_26:55, Mar_14:49, Luk_9:23, Luk_19:47, Luk_22:53, Act_2:46-47 (2), Act_3:2, Act_5:42, Act_16:5, Act_17:11, Act_17:17, Act_19:9, 1Co_15:31, 2Co_11:28, Heb_3:13, Heb_7:27, Heb_10:11

time, 4

Luk_9:51, Luk_21:37, Luk_23:7, Act_8:1

while, 2

Act_15:7, Act_18:18

years, 2

Luk_1:7, Luk_1:18

age, 1

Luk_2:36

alway, 1

Mat_28:20

day’s, 1

Luk_2:44

ever, 1

2Pe_3:18

judgment, 1

1Co_4:3

midday, 1

Act_26:13

Out of 390 times this word was used by the Holy Spirit, 358 times it was translated day or days. Wow!

So Paul is clearly stating that it is a very small thing that man’s days are what he is judged by. Paul is standing on the Word of God when he makes the statement that he has a judge and it surely isn’t man and what man has to say about how Paul spends his GOD- GIVEN day.

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

It is not a stretch at all to say that we should have the same mind, the mind of Christ, and I don’t have to wonder what the mind of Christ says about each day being esteemed alike as all the rest. This spiritual concept applies to the entire bible. We are either taking a stand on the outside of the door (the Word of God) or we are, “as He is, so are we in this world”– the door for all of humanity. That is what is so important about making sure we are standing on the Rock because we are the medium used to glorify God the Father, by God’s own design.

Conclusion

In closing, I hope I have been used to briefly show what it means to stand within or without.  God is very clear on which it is for us – outside or inside. We ALL have been on both sides, so we apply all these things to ourselves first and foremost.

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
1Co 15:30  And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.   
         
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Th 3:8  For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Hi Mike,
This is not an attack by the way, just forward questioning.
Who are you? Your website doesn’t even say anything about you besides that you can come over to your house for a bible study.
If all you do is build a website and build a theology and express your knowledge in God why should I want to listen to you? Why should I place your writings over any mainstream preacher? What are you actually doing for God and his kingdom?
Jesus said, if there’s no fruit, then they are false.
Hope this doesn’t offend,

S____

Hi S____,
You ask who we are. Then you state:

Your website doesn’t even say anything about you besides that you can come over to your house for a bible study.

I’ll tell you who I am. I am a man who is careful to say not one word that is not backed up with dozens of scriptures. I go to great lengths not to say things that are not so. That is who I am.
You ask why you should listen to me. My answer is that you should listen to no man, including me. On the other hand, I will tell you that you should listen to Jesus Christ and put His words above the words of all men. Now if I happen to see the words of Christ that your minister just does not see, who then is it that is really “building a theology ?” Is it Mike Vinson, or is it your minister?
For example, I happen to have noticed  that the disciples asked Christ why He spoke to the multitudes who came to be taught of Him in parables. I happen to have noticed what Christ said in answer to that question:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given [ to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God]
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

So you see, while your minister and every Sunday school teacher of “historical orthodox Christianity,” will tell you that Christ spoke in parables to make His meaning clearer, Christ says that He spoke in parables “because it is not given to the multitudes who come to Him to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand… lest they should be converted and I should heal them.”

And so it is with everything on our site.
Who are we? We are faithful to God’s Word; whereas the churches, with all of the good works with which you are so impressed, are faithful to the thousands of conflicting doctrines of “historical orthodox Christianity.” I and all who read and see the things on this site have read and understand Rev 10. We have all been given the eyes to see that Ezekiel 2 explains this chapter and tells us what is in that “little book” of Rev 10. Who are we? We are those who are faithful to the words which are in that “little book.” It is not my fault that what is in that “little book” is nothing but “lamentations and mournings and woe” for God’s own church. We are simply faithful to the words of that book. Rev 11 then tells us what happens to those who are faithful to the words in the ‘little book.’ Those who are faithful to the words in that little book are “killed by those who are in that “great city.” What is “that great city?”

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Rev 17:18  And the [ harlot] woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Isa 1:1  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [ and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Are there any words anywhere which better describe a church which tells you to kill your enemies all the while pedaling the Word of God? God’s church is a harlot! It is He who tells us that this is true. “Judah and Jerusalem” are nothing more than symbols of God’s church. God’s church has “become an harlot!” And that Great Harlot tells herself :

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; [ Because they have all of these ‘good works’ which you confuse with the fruit of God’s spirit] and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

We point out these truths without fear of losing our denominational jobs and homes. We can do so because we have “come out of her my people.”
I hope this helps you to see who we are. The very fact that your ministers and teachers don’t even know that Christ is not even trying to convert the multitudes who come to Him, should tell you that the parables are to this day doing what Christ at first intended them to do; to keep the multitudes who go to church every Sunday from “seeing and hearing the mysteries of the kingdom of God, “lest they should be converted and healed of their spiritual blindness” and come to see the purpose for the parables.
Who am I? We at iswasandwillbe. com are a very small number who are not afraid to point to the words of Christ and declare them to be Truth:

Mat 22:14  For many are called [ and attend church every Sunday], but few are chosen [ to come out of Babylon The Great The Mother Of all Of The Conflicting Harlots of “historical orthodox Christianity.”

You ask: “Why should I want to listen to you over any mainstream preacher?”
Maybe because we are faithful to Christ and “His doctrine.” We tell you to “Love thine enemies,” which no “historical orthodox Christian” minister would ever even contemplate. Why should you listen to me over any mainstream minister? And what difference does it make if we remain faithful to the doctrine of Jesus Christ in the face of wholesale apostasy?

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: [ But don’t all of the churches agree that “Christ is come in the flesh?” Let’s let John tell us what “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh means:]

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. [ Which Jesus? which doctrine?]
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine [ of Christ], receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ [ with His doctrine] is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.[ And has “waxed worse and worse” over the past 2000 years}
1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the [ church] world.
1Jn 4:5  They are of the [ church] world: therefore speak they of the [ church] world, and the [ church] world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

You ask: “What are you actually doing for God and his kingdom?” Let me ask you, who is the ‘we’ and the ‘us’ of 1Jn 4:6? It is imperative that you know who ‘we’ and ‘us are because it is only those who “hear us” who are able to “know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Does this ‘we’ and ‘us’ include you? Does hearing what you are saying  give one the ability to “know the spirit of thruth and the spirit of error?” Are you  faithful to the “doctrine of Jesus Christ” in opposition to the entire “historical orthodox Christian church” which cerainly is not faithful to the “doctrine of Christ?”
I am not blaspheming the name of God by telling others that they should “love thine enemies” and in the same breath and with the same mouth they are telling them to kill their enemies. I am not blaspheming the name of God by saying “God is love,” and with the same breath and with the same lips telling God’s people that God Himself is, at this very moment, tormenting most of His creation in an eternal hell of literal fire.
If you cannot see why you should listen to Christ over all of the mainstream ministers of “historical orthodox Christianity,” then you surely have not been given “eyes that see and ears that hear,” for the differences are obvious and they are overwhelming.
Yes, you are so right “Jesus said, if theres no fruit [ of the spirit, He did not say ‘works’], then they are false.”
I too, “Hope this doesn’t offend”

Mike

Mike

Thanks for responding to most of my questions. what about the fruit of your lives?

I don’t believe anyone has the corner on theology, but a good church is seen by its fruit, i. e community involvement, ministries that impact the city/ nation/ people in a positive way. Also speaking about loving our neighbours and enemies and being a generous person in all that we do, not just money, to show our love for people.
By you saying ”I hope this helps you to see who we are. The very fact that your ministers and teachers don’t  even know that Christ is not even trying to convert the multitudes who come to Him, should tell you that the parables are to this day doing what Christ at first intended them to do; to keep the multitudes who go to church every Sunday from “seeing and hearing the mysteries of the kingdom of God,. lest they should be converted and healed of their spiritual blindness,” and come to see the purpose for the parables.”

How do you interpret the scripture when Jesus said to Peter ” Upon this rock I will build My church” (Mat 16:18) after Peter had the revelation that he was the Christ. and how do you understand the whole of the apostles life, their teachings and their purpose to convert people and all of their epistles to the churches?

Thx S____

Hi S____,
Your concern about anyone “having a corner on theology” is coming between you and God’s Word. That should not even be a consideration. What you need to concern yourself with is what does God say. It is never helpful to try to pit God’s Word against God’s Word.
Rest assured of one thing, what Christ says in Mat 13 does not contradict what He says to Peter or to anyone else.
 
As far as Christ telling Peter that He would build His church on “this Rock,” let’s take a closer look at that verse. I will cut and paste that verse from my e- sword with Strong’s numbers:

Mat 16:18  And1161 I say also2504, 3004 unto thee,4671 That3754 thou4771 art1488 Peter4074, and2532 upon1909 this5026 rock4073 I will build3618 my3450 church;1577 and2532 the gates4439 of hell86 shall not3756 prevail against2729 it.846

There it is. Do you notice that the word for ‘Peter’ is not the same as the word for ‘Rock?’ And exactly what is the difference in the Greek? The Greek for Peter is petros. According to Strong’s Greek dictionary, ‘petros‘ means “a piece of rock.” So Christ is telling Peter that Peter is but “a piece of rock.” But who is it that Christ tells Peter He intends to build His church upon? Is the church of Christ really the Church of Peter? Let us let all men be liars and allow the Word of God to be the Truth. When we do this, who does the Word of God tell us is the foundation of Christ’s church? Is it Peter that the church is built upon? What say the scriptures?

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

And what so happens to be the Greek word used to describe this “Chief Cornerstone?” Is it the Greek word ‘petros?’  Is it Peter? Again, what say the scriptures?

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and t hat Rock [ Strong’s 4073- petra not petros] was Christ.

Let’s look now at Strong’s definition of the Greek word for this ‘rock:’ Here in Corinthians. It is the exact same Greek word we find in Mat 16:18: “Upon this rock 4073 I will build my church;” The Greek for ‘rock’  in both verses is ‘petra.’  Unlike ‘petros,’ meaning “a piece of rock,” Petra means “a mass of Rock.” In other words “that Rock was Christ:” Men tell us ‘that Petra is Peter.’ God’s Word tells us “That Petra was Christ Himself.” 
Now did Peter and the other apostles really attempt to “convert people … in all of their epistles to the churches?” What does the One who is Truth have to say about this?

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Greek- drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Go to my site and type the word ‘drag’ into the google search engine. I have a letter that covers all eight entries of this word in the entire New Testament. You will find it a very revealing letter.
But does the great evangelist Paul agree with Jesus that Christ is intentionally blinding the masses and multitudes of Christianity from seeing and hearing the Truth?

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

You say that this is talking of Israel, but it is also this same apostle who tells us that we are “the Israel of God.” (Gal 6:15-16 and Eph 2:11-19). God’s church is “the commonwealth of Israel,” and “He is not a Jew which is one outwardly…” no matter how upset these verses make that ‘great man of God’ John Hagee.

Act 10:40  Him [ Christ] God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41  Not to all the people, bu t unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God [ to be] the Judge of quick and dead.
Act 10:43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

And who is it that believes on Him?

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Greek- drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

And what becomes of all the multitudes who come to hear His parables? What becomes of the multitudes to whom it was “not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God?
They will go into God’s purifying ‘lake of fire,’ to be “given mercy by those few God is now preparing to be their “saviors.” Now you answer me, what do these verses of scripture mean?

Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [ him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Now mind you, those who were “gathered from the highways” were ‘gathered to replace the king’s servants who were originally bidden:

Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Who are those who were originally bidden? Here is what we are told of those who were originally bidden, but refused to come to the marriage supper:

Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city

So it is God’s own servants who refuse to come to the marriage supper and who “slay” those God sends to them. But even of those who do come to Christ we read this, right here in this same parable, which of course, is written so that the multitudes of Christians “cannot see:”

Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: [ This man did not have “the doctrine of Jesus Christ.”]
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness [ not understanding the “doctrine of Jesus Christ”]; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Do you think this singular ‘man’ represents the minority of those who came in from “the highways’ to replace those who were originally bidden, but refused to come to the marriage supper? Is this the minority of Christianity? Is that the interpretation which Christ Himself puts upon this symbolic man in this parable, which is designed to blind the multitudes? Let us allow Christ to tell us who this man represents. Here are Christ’s very next words:

Mat 22:14  For many are called [ Greek- kletos- called], but few are chosen [ Greek ek lectos- Chosen out of those many called- Greek ek- out of- and Greek- kletos- called].

I don’t write these things. All I do is to quote them.
Now what does this verse mean?

Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches [ Those who were originally bidden to the marriage supper]. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root Christ], but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches [ physical Israel], take heed lest he also spare not thee [ spiritual Jews- Rom. 2:28-29].
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness [ and His doctrine-Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;]: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Has the “orthodox Christian church” “continued in His goodness? Or are they full of false and blasphemous doctrines? What does “many’ mean? Is ‘many’ supposed to be taken as a synonym for the minority  of Christians?

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Does Christ deny that these desperate “many” have indeed done “many wonderful works in His name?” No, He does not. Nevertheless, here is His answer to these “many” Christians:

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

And what is the very next thing Christ says about those who do have “community involvement, ministries that impact the city/ nation/ people in a positive way” and yet “Do not the things which I say? What does he say of all of these ministers who are indeed bringing millions to Christ and yet teach those in their charge to hate and to kill their enemies? Can you receive it? It is but the continuation of this very same thought here in Matthew seven, of “doing many wonderful works in Christ’s name and yet never knowing Him:”

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Mat 7:28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

You are right, no man “has a corner on theology.” Theology is everywhere, but Christ speaks with authority” because He does have a corner on the Truth:

Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

So like it or not, if we do not know the truth, we will be unable to “bring forth the fruit” you spoke of earlier:

Col 1:6  Which [ the Truth of the Gospel] is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

You need to read Strong Delusion – Will God’s Strong Delusion Deceive You?
“Jesus said, if theres no fruit, then they are false.” Don’t be like these “many” who “never knew Christ. They had confused ‘good works,’ with “doing the things that I say.” Believe Christ. “Community involvement, ministries that impact the city/ nation/ people in a positive way” are not to be confused with “doing the things that I say.” They are rather to be equated with “have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

Answer my questions as I have yours. And then send them along to me with any new questions.
Mike

I get the point you are trying to bring across….. So who do you think knows the truth and actually has salvation? I don’t believe the church is built on Peter, I believe it’s built on the revelation, given from God. Hence why the rock is so big, it’s a Christ revelation. And I don’t believe in orthodox christianity and its rituals, I believe in freedom in Christ Jesus as my lord and saviour and whoever calls on Him shall be saved, and by the power of the holy spirit, we have a guarantee of our eternity, and are empowered to serve God for his purposes.

Thx S____

Hi S____,
I am thankful that you  “get the point you are trying to bring across.”
You ask:

So who do you think knows the truth and actually has salvation?”

As I said above it is those who “do the things that I say” and are “called and chosen and faithful” and who “endure to the end.” It is those who have and obey “the doctrine of Jesus Christ which I have covered above. Let’s consider these qualifications in the light of the scriptures which relate to them:
1) Those who “do the things that I say.”

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Doing 90% is not enough:

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find  me, when ye shall search for me with all [100% of] your heart.
Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

2) Those who are “called and chosen and faithful.” Judas was called and Judas was chosen. Judas was not faithful to the end.

Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

3) Those who “are hated of all men and endure to the end.” This is really the same as being faithful to the end.

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

These “men” refer specifically to church brothers and are typified in Old Testament types by Joseph’s ten brothers.

Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than a ll his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

It is never pagan strangers who kill God’s elect. Read Christ’s parables. It is always “they of thine own [ spiritual] household.” It is God’s own “husbandmen,” who persecute his prophets and kill His Son.” His own “husbandmen” are the ministers of  ‘historical orthodox Christianity” who despise the words of Christ and would crucify Him today if He were here today preaching His ‘love thine enemy’ doctrine at this time of war. Christianity actually believes that it is their place to save this world which Christ has already told us would be deceived and under the influence of the dragon at the time of His return. They are totally unaware that this has been the case in “historical orthodox Christianity” ever since before Constantine. You cannot be in orthodoxy and “do the things which I say.” When you obey Christ you will be “cast out of their synagogues.”
One of the greatest hurdles God’s elect face is coming to accept the fact that all of these churches must be wrong. It truly is an overwhelming concept. But it is the truth of every prophecy concerning Christ’s return. When asked what the sign of his return would be, Christ told His disciples to remember two things. He said it would be 1) “As it was in the days of Noah” and 2) “Remember Lot’s wife.” If He had said ‘remember Nineveh’ then I too, would go along with the ministers of Christendom and teach that a great revival of Christianity as in the days of the apostles was just around the corner. But that is the exact opposite of what we are told. Here is what we are told instead:

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Many is the majority. Many is not the minority. But just in case we might not quite understand, here is how Christ concludes His point:

Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Does that sound like Christianity has saved the world for Christ. Or does it not rather sound like Christianity has mistaken “many wonderful works” with “doing the things which I say?” Does this not sound like “strong delusion” sent to them by God Himself?

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mat 24:25  Behold, I have told you before.

I have been faithful in my service to Christ. It will not make me popular, but I would be nervous if it did.

Luk 6:26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Billy Graham has been given every accolade this world can afford. He is acclaimed by all of his fellow false prophets. I do not judge any of them. I do however “try the spirits for many [ the majority] of false prophets [2000 years ago and “worse and worse” ever since] have gone out into the world.” The doctrines of the ministers of “historical orthodox Christianity” are false doctrines.” I pray only that God will always give me the strength to remain faithful to His Word in the face of all of the opposition to the contrary.
Mike