Pastor Joel Laswell: Recent Episodes
Pastor Joel Laswell Podcast
Joel Laswell was born in Indiana to blue collar parents, who ingrained in him an exhaustive work ethic and the Golden Rule. He attended Purdue University in the School of Engineering Technology and spent over forty years in Commercial and Residential maintenance trades. He was called into the Gospel Ministry in 1998 and currently ministers in Indiana. An accomplished author of several books, he is also the Speaker/Director of Eternal Truth Ministries, the host of The Bible Only Television program and Eternal Truth Radio, and Bible Glances LIVE Podcast. He enjoys walking in nature with his wife Debbie, gardening, camping, woodworking, building and spending time with his friends but especially his children and grandchildren!
In the Old Testament scriptures there are 300 specific predictions concerning the Anointed, the Messiah who would be born to save the world. The prophets of the Bible deal with his birth, life and death in hundreds of instances and in different ways.
There are untold mysteries that date back to the beginning of this world but I want to speak to you about the great mystery.
I have something to ask for today that I know is the will of God. I have something to ask for today that I need much more than I currently have. I have something to ask for today because I see a great need among us as the professed people of God. I have something to ask my Father for today. I ask the Lord to give me a pure heart and a disposition imbued with thankfulness and peace.
If you stop and ponder it for just a moment, each day is the memorial of some event in history. Each day. Some are marked by man as grand events, and some barely a mention, if that, but each day is a memorial of some event in the history of mankind. But I want you to consider that there are certain events, certain dates in the history of mankind that rise even above the recognition of mankind and are recognized as great by all creation throughout the universes. I want to speak about one such day, one such event that is also the foundation of our Adventist faith, a pillar of our faith you could rightly say.
I shared some of the terrible things that are going to happen as we get closer and closer to the second coming of Christ, and already, as we listen to the news, we can see the direction things are going in this land of the free and the home of the brave and the coming religious persecution that will be akin to what happened during the dark ages, only much worse. I must tell you a little more about some of these things, but then I want to share the best part wherein God’s faithful commandment keeping people will be delivered out of the hands of their enemies forever. Is that not good news? Yes!
In Matthew 24 Jesus talks about the signs that will show that the end of the world and thus His second coming are near. What are these signs and are we living in that time?
Jesus is to prepare a generation of people--by cleansing them of sin--that they will then make the demonstration to all creation that mankind can be trusted to live among Creation for all eternity. To declare by their character that Christ's sacrifice was not in vain and thus vindicate the character and love of God. Those glorious events which happened almost 2000 years ago, are to be paralleled by a wonderful triumph that awaits the remnant church down here in the closing scenes. These are a generation of people who follow Jesus whithersoever He goes and they trod the winepress like their Savior. And so they will triumph like He did and they will be glorified like He is glorified.
As I have pointed out, there is much in the agony of the Savior in Gethsemane and on the cross that human beings can never fathom. But there is also much that we can understand through having an experience like Jesus and only through an experience. This is our cup to drink..... will we drink it?
We want to note the parallel in the coming crisis of the remnant church with those trials that Jesus went through so we can be prepared, or as prepared as we can be, to react as He did--with nobility and glory to the Father--and endure them. For like Jesus, we too will be seized. Like Jesus, we shall be thrown into trials. Like Jesus, we shall suffer the results of the combination of church and state uniting to inflict persecution. Like Jesus we want to endure the trials and like Jesus we want to be victorious.
Now we’re going to study the sequel of the Savior's prayer experience and the sequel to the disciple's experience of sleep. Keep in mind the parallels with His crisis experience and that of the remnant people and their crisis experience. Humanity must be so blended with and subservient to the divine will that the remnant will be prepared to give an exhibition during their trial such as Jesus gave in His trial. And as we shall see, friends, we’re going to be tried in every way that men and devils can invent.
The Bible describes two of the major identifiers and characteristics of the remnant people of God, those who will go through the end time of trouble, in Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” But there is another attribute that precedes those two, and is the prerequisite, and it is found in verse four of the same chapter, “…These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth…” Revelation 14:4. All through the universe the remnant go with Him. But before they follow Him there, they first must follow Him here.
In the great plan of salvation, there are two special crises: the crisis at the close of Christ's earthly life, and the crisis that comes at the close of the experience of His remnant people. And between these two experiences there are a number of most interesting parallels.
As we get closer and closer to the final battle the bible calls Armageddon, it becomes more and more important to know Jesus and His people. If it weren’t important, the Bible wouldn’t spend so much time describing the attributes of Christ, which will be reflected in His followers—which are members of His body, His church.
Is it just me or have you also realized that evil is considered good today, and good is now considered evil? It seems to be the norm for our world. I was contemplating the state of God's professed people in regards to the sin issue and what kept coming to my mind was how clever the devil is in using the Scriptures in such a way as to confuse the differences between truth and error. He can get us so confused that we will call the truth error and error the truth. As Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Now truth in Christ is progressive for us as individuals as well as for Gods church and if we do not keep up with the truth we will fall into confusion and ultimately have the woe of Isaiah 5:20 on our heads, all the while thinking that we are headed to the kingdom. What banner will we be lifting up before Jesus returns?
God's people had kept neither the letter of the law nor its intent. The law--which defines sin, given by angels, could have been their glory; its perversion was precipitating their shame and destruction and they recognized it not, but believed their sin of the murder of Jesus was actually doing God a favor. They had gotten to the point where they called sin, righteousness!
In order for us to be conquerors in the sin issue, and to endure to the end though we may have been segregated from family, from church and brethren, and from society, we must keep walking in the light from God. What does it mean to walk in the Light and how do we do it?
As I have contemplated and studied the sin issue, for over thirty years now, I have come to the conclusion that the real reason that we as professing Christians stay where we are even when called by Jesus to separate from sin and apostasy is because we love our independence. And Satan feeds that love of independence because he is the originator of it and so we are fooled into thinking that we can be independent and still be in the family of God. And just what is the sin of independence? This is at the heart of the Sin Issue and so it’s the topic of this study.
As I have contemplated and studied the sin issue, for over thirty years now, I have come to the conclusion that the real reason that we as professing Christians stay where we are even when called by Jesus to separate from sin and apostasy is because we love our independence. And Satan feeds that love of independence because he is the originator of it and so we are fooled into thinking that we can be independent and still be in the family of God. So naturally then there would be no reason to leave a fallen church because you can be independent of their sin and not worry about receiving any consequences. This is a lie!
When we associate with sin we leave our heart open to hardening and not the softening we need in order to be like Jesus. As the old saying says, by beholding we become changed. In case you are unaware of this, no person is going to be in the kingdom of God who has hardness of heart. That is reality. If I am hard-hearted, something has to happen to my heart or I cannot go to heaven to be with Jesus. I want you to be in heaven and I want to be in heaven. Our heart must be in the right condition for this to happen. If we want to go to heaven, we must gain victory here, because there will be no hard-hearted people there.
The Gospel Cycle is the replication process of making disciples for Christ. Please click here to download the accompanying bible study: http://www.3asdchurch.org/Sabbath-School-Lesson--Student--TheGospelCycle.pdf
I want to look at is the effects of influence in relation to the Sin Issue. As those who profess to be Christians, we want to have a positive influence upon those within our sphere, right? But we also need to realize the effects that influence has upon us, and the source of that influence--whether it is good or bad... this is needed in order for any change to take place in our walk with the Lord.
In most cases when this is talked about more time is spent showing how Saul behaved toward David than David toward Saul but we can learn a lot by looking at David's reactions toward Saul and how the true church should react toward the professed. What always starts the process of apostasy is when sin is not dealt with as the Lord says it should be and that little leaven then pervades the entire church.
If in your personal situation you have pointed out sin in your church, your church turned against your call for repentance of sin and so you have obeyed the Lord and separated from that assembly--that organization, what is your attitude now to be toward that church organization? This is a growing issue as more and more churches are coming into conformity with the worlds standards and shunning God's word and law. How do we, God's faithful law keepers, react to our former brethren?
Now lets say that in your personal situation you have pointed out sin in your church, your church turned against your call for repentance of sin and you have obeyed the Lord and separated from that assembly--that organization. What is your attitude now to be toward that church organization?
I learned a life lesson from my coaches when I was young and participated in sports and that is the fundamentals are what will get you through the tough spots. So I was drilled every day in practice with the fundamentals of the game and found by experience that my coaches were correct. God teaches the same thing in the Bible about fundamentals. If we understand the fundamental principles of God's word, they will get us through the tough spots in our life. And this is important for us to believe because this particular topic is a very hard one for many to hear and if applicable to their church, to accept. And sad to say, it is applicable to most all church organizations today.
There are a couple of other things to consider in regard to these principles in Matthew 5 and 18. The first deals with the ‘time’ element involved… such as ‘when do you take witnesses with you?’ and ‘when do you take it to the church?’ etc… The second has to do with ‘how’ you contact the one who sinned against you. How to start the process outlined by Jesus.
What do you do if someone sins against you? How do you deal righteously with such an issue? We are to do as God has done towards us who have sinned against Him, and Jesus tells us how that is to be done. So I want to start by looking at the biblical principle we are to use when someone trespasses against us personally, and not necessarily in public though it could be. It is found in Matthew 18, and Matthew 5...
So what are the Biblical checks and balances in God's word that are to protect the church from the ravages of sin and apostasy, and promote the welfare of its members and the corpus itself? That is the topic of this study. How do we deal with the sin issue in the corpus--the body, the church? What are the principles and right motivation needed to rightly handle the Sin Issue in the church?
Twelve basic Bible study principles that can and should be used by the first time reader to the scholar.
Jesus gave several warnings to His followers concerning their future and the closing scenes in the great controversy between good and evil. One such warning is found in Matthew 24:24, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Now we could spend a lot of time just on this verse but what I want to bring to your attention is the part of this verse that concerns the reaction to perception. Is what we perceive necessarily the truth? Are we seeing what we are seeing or is it a skewed perception? And do we jump to conclusions upon that perception before it is verified?
Not until we can see the sin of someone else as our sin too can we learn to love him as Christ has loved us. The reason is that in loving us Jesus took our sin upon Himself. When He died on His cross, we died with Him—corporately--in principle. If this seems to be bad news, there is also good news: Christ forgave His murderers (see Luke 23:34), and that means He also forgave us..... those who have become a part of His corporate identity!
In part one I asked a very important question about this succession of the corporation of Christ and it was this: is this succession organizational, or is it the succession of truth? In other words, do we find the truth by submitting to the Church, or do we find the Church by submitting to the truth? The concept as to what constitutes succession in the Corpus Christi--the body of Christ--the church of Christ, whether it be organization, or whether it be truth, is vividly contrasted in the confrontation between Paul and the lawyer for the hierarchy of Jerusalem in his arraignment before Felix. Let's see what the Bible says......
A few studies ago I had put a little bug in your ears about this subject and said that if we understand this issue better then it would make some of the decisions of God that we read about in the Bible make sense to us. Like causing a worldwide flood to destroy man, His destruction of wicked nations, of entire families, and His decision to leave the people He had first chosen to be a nation of priests in order to begin a "new" church. Understanding this topic will help us to see that these decisions by God were not just arbitrary acts from an offended God. Understanding this topic correctly will also help us to see the reason we must remove ourselves from fallen rganizations and especially Babylon. So I hope this will open a lot of eyes to God's order of things as we go along.
Some more questions have arisen during this series concerning the different types of sin the Bible talks about and errors associated with those types, so I want to spend some time looking at that. These errors mainly deal with sins of ignorance, which the church rarely addresses, and errors dealing with the unpardonable sin. I want to look at the four categories of sin that the Bible addresses with some detail.
As we begin, I want to invite you to open to the book of Revelation. The last chapters in the Bible are chapters that we should all take special time to study. Right at the end of the book God gives final and closing instructions to His people. Some of the most important instructions and commands in the Bible are found in the last three or four chapters.
We’ve talked about the first and second steps in the salvation process in order to be justified in God’s sight, and how these steps relate to the third angel’s message of Revelation 14:9-12; and these first two steps are repentance and confession. But what do we do once we’ve been made right with God through these first two steps? Is that all that’s required in order for us to be assured a place in heaven? Because the wages of sin is eternal death, and God wants us to live eternally, there has to be a way for us to stop sinning or all life here is pointless.
Step one to Overcoming Sin is repentance and you can’t be justified by faith without repentance, and neither can you be justified by faith without confessing your sins. The two steps come very close together. What does it mean to confess? The Greek word means to: admit the truth of an accusation. Essentially you are saying that the accusations against you are true. But it implies more than just a mere admission. Confession is meant to be more specific than the mere admission of sinfulness. The recognition of the precise nature of a sin and an understanding of the factors that led to it are essential to true confession and to building up strength to resist a similar temptation if and when it reoccurs. I want to share with you the need to confess and why God wants us to confess our sins.
The subject of this particular study is one that nearly all Christians and non-Christians alike think they understand, but many really don’t when you see what the Bible teaches. There are many people today who have false ideas about the nature of true repentance, and I’d like to take some time to talk about it with you.
I want to share something with you that is very practical when it comes to our battle with sin. Not some speculation or abstract theory, but something we can actually use to help us become more like Jesus and thus be ready to meet Him in peace when He comes, and isn’t that what we want?
Our God is loving and merciful but He will not wait on us forever! There has to be a reason that involves this issue of sin that prolongs the finishing of The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan. What about secret sins? Have you ever heard about secret sins?
We have been studying how Jesus walked when confronted with the temptations of the great deceiver so we may learn to do likewise when tempted. What was the third temptation and how did Jesus overcome it?
We studied the first wilderness temptation of Jesus the last time we were together. And as we look into this second temptation experience of Jesus we will see that within every human heart the great conflict through which Christ passed in the wilderness of temptation is repeated.
How is Jesus our example, especially when it comes to battling temptation? Jesus went through the same attacks that we go through beloved yet He overcame these temptations by constantly drawing on that same power that is available to us. I want to concentrate on this example of Jesus on how to deal with temptations for that is the way Satan tries to convince us into choosing to sin--to be lawless.
A question arises very often when I speak about the sin issue and in particular, these truths about the will and conscience and educating the conscience and that question has to do with temptation--namely: what is temptation and is it a sin? Let us get an answer from the Bible to this question.
There are no material things that we can take with us out of this world, but there are some things that we can take with us out of this world. I want to talk to you about one of those things, and probably the most important of all. It is something that we use commonly in our every day speech and yet there are many people, if you ask them, they could not define exactly what it is. It has a great deal to do with the plan of salvation and it is the conscience.
So I finally looked at this flower bed the other day and it is a real mess. This pervasive plant has really taken root and is choking out the beautiful flowers. It is going to be a lot of work for me to uproot this plant from the flower bed without destroying the flowers. I have to be sure that I remove it at the root or it will continue to be a terrible problem. Sin is the same way in our life. Once it takes off it will keep growing and it will pervade your life and by your influence, that of others too. And if it is not uprooted, it will keep coming back. If we want to be ready when Jesus returns, we must have the root of sin removed from us. I wish to talk about being ready for Jesus by uprooting sin in our life.
Adam and Eve were created with a perfect mind that was in complete control of the passions of the heart—the higher brain was in control. Because the higher brain was in control, and they were wearing a robe of righteousness provided by God Himself, they would hit the mark every time in every choice they made. But something changed.
Paul states in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." In Romans 6:23 he says, "For the wages of sin is death..." And in Ezekiel 18:4 it says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." From our previous studies we know that the Bible is speaking in these references about the second death in the lake of fire which consumes the sinner completely, turning them into ashes, never to exist at all anymore for eternity--see Malachi 4, Revelation 20. So if all have sinned and the end result of sin is eternal death, and if we want to stop sinning so that we can receive eternal life.... well we better be sure that we know exactly what sin is, don't you agree?
Knowing that the consequences for sinning is eternal death, we better be sure what sin is so that we can choose not to commit it and thus lose eternal life. Where is the only place we can rightly estimate the exceeding sinfulness of sin? In the light, the truth, of the cross! By looking at the truth about the cross--the death of Jesus, we will learn how terrible sin is--we will then see the sinfulness of sin.
We must get to the point where we see sin as God sees sin. In order to see the true sinfulness of sin as God does, one must come to the cross of Christ and look upon the One Who sinned not, yet died because of our sins so we may have life!
This is the conclusion of the series I have entitled Spiritual Possession and what I want to do is summarize what we have learned. I hope that this series has helped to educate you to the power and limitations that demons have, as well as remove doubts and give you the confidence that every believer may have that we can possess the strength to resist and help others to resist these foes of Christ. Jesus can give us victory over sin and the devil!
I want to share with you how to be protected from becoming possessed of devils or demons. There is only one way, one defense against falling under the control of these evil powers of darkness and that one defense is.........
I want to spend some time looking at the question that often arises especially after learning what we have learned and that is, what can cause a person to become demon possessed, or what can open a person up to be possessed of a demon or demons?
I want to continue in our series by taking a look at times when demons controlled a group of people, as well as examples of those who choose to be possessed--united with Satan and see what we can learn.
I want to continue our series, Spiritual Possession, by taking a look at some examples that deal with those who were from the church or in church leadership. If you don't think that someone from a good Christian home or church cannot be possessed by demons then you haven't been paying attention! I want to begin by looking at this devout follower of Jesus called Mary Magdalene.
Demons want to destroy human beings and if they can't do that, they want to possess us so as to coerce us in a way that best suits them to influence others to sin. Sin leads to destruction. These demons know that they are going to be destroyed and they want all to be a part of it. The demoniacs at Gergesa are a lesson about where sin will lead. Let's take a look at this example and learn.....
I want to contemplate one of the greatest hopes we have, if not the greatest, concerning that of Christ's ministry in our behalf. I want to look at the Resurrection Assurances with you.
Demon possession doesn't mean that you no longer have a will, or the freedom to choose. It means that your will is taken captive and caged, then beaten down and thus so weakened that it cannot but make the wrong choices--this is where sin leads. But it is possible that Jesus can be seen through the bars of the cage and set the captive free!
It seems like anywhere you go in the world, in just about anybody's life, at some point there are these minions of darkness that scare us. Now, with that kind of commonality there has to be some sort of truth associated with it, and there is. The Bible doesn't call him the bogeyman. It has another name. They're known as demons, devils, or evil spirits. And you'd be surprised how much the word of God has to say about demons, devils, and evil spirits and how to defeat these creatures. And defeating them is what is really important for us to know and understand--especially as we are living in the last days when such manifestations are going to increase and we will be confronted more and more by them. In this series of studies concerning spiritual possession we will be looking at the powers involved in spiritual possession, we are going to define some terms, look at examples of possession and how one grieves the Holy Spirit and then how to cast out demons.
We need to be cognizant of the fact that there’s another realm, another dimension that we cannot see with our physical sight, and yet it’s just as real as the world we’re living in right now with the things we see all around us. The apostle Paul spoke of these things in 2 Corinthians 4:18 when he said, “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.”
As we have learned in all our studies of Revelation 13 and 14, very soon--with blinding force, there is going to be a national Sunday law. With that law will come the restrictions of the mark and then eventually a death decree for all who refuse it.
In light of the unprecedented event concerning this Jesuit Pope that addressed the US Congress, I think it would be a good idea for us to review what inspiration says will be the order of events regarding the coming Sunday Law and how we should react to these events as they unfold.
I want to spend some time with you again talking about the future. Not the future battle with the beast and His image. Not the future time of trouble. I want to go beyond that for we need to be reminded that there are better things in store for us. I want to take a look at a whole new world--a world much different than the one we live in today. I want you to see that this future home now being prepared for us will actually fulfill God's original plan for man's perfect happiness.
The message of the third angel concerns the beast, his image, and his mark. Let us see just what this warning entails...Go here for the study tract: www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
One of the most theologically confused subjects in the Bible is that of hell. It has been fumbled by the clergy and distorted by the laity until the word has become best known as a common curse word. Everywhere people are asking the same questions: What and where is hell? What is the fate of the wicked? Will a God of love torture people throughout eternity? Will the fire of hell ever burn the wickedness out of sinners? These are questions, which deserve sound Bible answers, and the controversy surrounding the subject should not discourage us from exposing all the truth as it is in Christ.
Last time we learned that Revelation 14 describes three angels with messages for the world. It was to separate the church of Christ from the corrupting influence of the world that the first angel's message was given. Did the first message do its work? Yes! There was indeed a separation that took place and the second angel now makes a solemn proclamation that goes along with the first angel's message. Let’s see what that second message is and discover what it means. Go here for the study tract: www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
Revelation speaks of three unclean spirits, the dragon, the beast and the false prophet that battle against the forces of good in a last attempt to win the world. Who are these forces and who are the 3 angels that battle against them?
We learned from Revelation chapter 13 that the two-horned beast (United States) will create an image to the seven-headed beast (Papal Rome) and eventually enforce worship of that image by the use of a mark. God now shares three important messages that will prepare His true followers for this last conflict with the beast, his image, and mark. These messages are found in Revelation chapter 14 and they are the last messages of warning to be proclaimed prior to Christ’s return. We are going to look at these messages, starting with the first angel’s message. Go here for the study tract: www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
Our previous meetings have explored Bible prophecy and soon we will answer what the mark of the beast is directly. Right now I want to explore why God allows it to happen, why does He "seal" His people, and who are they? The mark of the beast is the mark of antichrist and it will go against the conscience of those who love and serve God. We aren't quite there yet but it's coming very soon. But in this study we are going to do three things: (1) Identify the 144,000 spoken of in Revelation 7 and 14 (2) Share our understanding of the number 666, and (3) Take a hard look at the implications of what we've been learning.
So far in our study of Revelation chapter 13, we have found that the first beast, the Seven-headed beast, represents the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. However, there is another beast that arises out of the earth that has lamb like horns yet speaks as a dragon. This second beast is the beast that we are going to study about in this lesson and you might be surprised at who the Bible, and history defines this beast to be. Go here for the study tract: www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
Upon learning the truth concerning the true Sabbath of the Lord, fellow Bible students will ultimately ask the question, “If not from the Creator, where then did Sunday observance originate?” It is the logical next step because so many people celebrate Sunday as the “Lord’s Day” and the Bible clearly shows the Seventh-day to be the true "Lord's Day," the Sabbath. Well, I don't wish to get heavily into history but we must learn from the past or we may just repeat it and that could cost us our eternal life. In the history of mankind no form of idolatry has been more widely practiced than that of the worship of the sun. Let's look at it's origins.......
I want to talk about the power or beings that are behind the scenes of this deadly heresy known as celebrating the dead for they are definitely real. Now some people know there is a real power but they are ignorant as to the true source and so you see the results of the superstitions and deceptions of their ignorance carried out on October 31st. Some people do not believe that such powerful beings exist at all and so I want to see what God’s word says about it.
The war we are engaged in, the great controversy that rages between the forces of good and evil, has at it’s core the very subject we are about to discuss. This war started over the understanding or misunderstanding of this subject, which is vital in knowing truth from error. Everything in this struggle comes down to the truth concerning the character of God and the greatest revealing of it is found in the fourth commandment!
If it is so important that Jesus takes an oath upon the Father, then we need to understand this time period, the 1260 day prophecy. This 1260 day period of time is so important that it is mentioned over and over again in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It is even referred to by Jesus Christ himself in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13. Without this time period, many of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation would be impossible to comprehend or interpret. So this 1260 day prophetic period is extremely important for us to understand!
God showed Daniel the future of the earth. He depicted the rise of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome by four symbolic beasts; and then He used ten horns to depict the splintering of the Roman Empire into European fragments. Then Daniel was shown an incredible scene in heaven, which involved all who have ever been created and it is this scenario that will be our subject of study in this lesson. Go here for the study tract: http://www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
We need to look at the Ten Commandment law and study its relation to God's grace and to salvation itself. How we see the law of God has a direct bearing on correctly understanding Bible prophecy and its meaning for us who live in this time--the end times!
As we begin this study of Bible prophecy found in Daniel chapter 7, please remember that we are in search of Bible truth so we may understand what is coming upon the world prior to the return of our Lord. Sometimes the truth is a surprise to us. Even so, it is still the truth. Jesus wants us to know the truth so that we will not be deceived by the devil and lose our eternal salvation. Go here to get the corresponding tract: http://www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
A lot of what Jesus shared of the future applied particularly to events soon to take place with respect to the Jewish nation, the city of Jerusalem, and the Temple. However, it was also given for the benefit of those who should live amid the last scenes of earth’s history. Just what are these signs He spoke of and do we see them happening today?
In a previous lesson we discovered that Jesus is the Messiah and theme of the Bible, which includes prophecy! Now we are going to look at the prophecy of Daniel chapter two and see if this theme continues. Go here for the study tract: http://www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
To say that the second coming of Christ to gather His saints will be secret, in view of clear texts of Scripture, and in the absence of any text that even hints at His coming being secret, is to deny the Bible as the Word of God.
How do we know that Jesus was who He said He was? The Bible has a few hundred prophecies that foretell the coming of “The Messiah.” We are going to take a look at a few of these prophecies right now. You can get the corresponding study tract here: http://www.3asdchurch.org/biblestudy.htm
I was talking with a church member one time and he told me about a particular encounter he had with someone who believed in the secret rapture. Now it has been my experience that many people will tell you they believe in the secret rapture without really knowing what the secret rapture is entirely or where the teaching really originated. There are now several different variations of this teaching that have popped up since its origin in Scotland many years ago, but I am not going to get into all of them. I am going to share the truth of the bible concerning this subject as well as how to rightly divide the word of truth.
God has given us an instruction book to prepare us for heaven and included in this book are lessons that teach us that we can trust Him in all things, even those that may be a surprise to the world. If we are fooled by the devil, shame on us because we have been given a heads up on what is coming. God can prepare you for the overwhelming surprise that is coming....
The three messages that come out of the mouth of the three unclean spirits spoken of in Revelation 16--the papacy, apostate Protestantism and spiritism, are competing with the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. This is the 3 on 3 contest of the ages, my friends. And if we don’t know what the three messages on each side are, it’s possible we could be sitting in church listening to messages coming out of the mouth of these three unclean spirits and not know they are messages that will lead us down the road to perdition.
If we are to have a steadfast endurance that takes us through the fiery days of temptation, we must have a confidence that God will do what He has promised to do. We must learn to trust God implicitly with all things pertaining to our life, especially when we don’t see the results that we may be expecting to see. How do we get this endurance? What does the bible say...
Human beings were created as social creatures and so every human being, every boy, every girl, every man, every woman... everyone wants some friends. People will do almost anything to get friends. And to get friends people want to fit into the social groups to which they belong. So, in order to fit into a social group, people will do what other people are doing. Have you noticed that? If people think that everybody that is part of the "in" crowd is doing something, you will be amazed at what they will do to be with them. The Bible has a lot to say about this, did you know that? Let's see what the Bible says about the majority compulsion....
A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half. It is a last chance, desperation attempt to defeat your opponent and this is what the devil is going to attempt before the end to overcome God's people. He is going to throw a Hail Mary pass, so to speak, but it will not be completed!
Today is July fourth and in our country we call it Independence Day for it was on this day that the men who helped to found this country declared independence from England. And even though this country is going through some very serious changes, thousands of people aspire to come here seeking refuge from tyranny. Many around the world see the United States as the land of freedom and liberty… a place of refuge. This is not a new concept by any means. The Bible talks about cities of hope and promise where people seeking sanctuary could realize the prospect of a completely new beginning.
Identifying the antichrist is a subject we need to understand. If we do not correctly know who the antichrist is, we will end up being joined to the antichrist. We will receive the mark of antichrist and the result of that will be receiving the plagues and losing eternal life. This is part three of the series: Identifying AntiChrist.
Identifying the antichrist is a subject we need to understand. If we do not correctly know who the antichrist is, we will end up being joined to the antichrist. We will receive the mark of antichrist and the result of that will be receiving the plagues and losing eternal life. This is part two of the series: Identifying AntiChrist.
Identifying the antichrist is a subject we need to understand. If we do not correctly know who the antichrist is, we will end up being joined to the antichrist. We will receive the mark of antichrist and the result of that will be receiving the plagues and losing eternal life.
When God says something is to be opened, nobody can shut it. If God says something is to be shut, nobody can open it. What I would like to get into happens to be one of the most controversial doctrines that the Adventist Movement has believed. This doctrine is throughout the Bible and it is important to understand this so not to be deceived!
In order to endure the trials and difficulties that we encounter here, it is necessary to keep our mind focused on this final reward of the faithful. Jesus did this, and it was this very thing that enabled him to endure the terrible anguish through which He passed. Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” When Jesus was in the midnight darkness of the cross, He focused on the joy that was to come. He thought of the millions of souls who would be saved as a result of His sacrifice. We too must focus on the joy that is to come!
Did you know that the Bible talks about sifting? Did you know that before Jesus returns His people will go through a complete sifting process? We are very close to the return of our Lord and this process is something that we need to understand because it actually prepares us to be citizens of the Kingdom.
The spoils for the children of Israel after forty years of character perfecting in the wilderness was to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. This was a type of the final spoils for all those who choose to be on the Lord’s side… to enter the promised land of a new earth and eternal life with Jesus.
Were you aware that when the Lord delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt that He tested them just before they were allowed to enter the Promised Land? So too will the Lord test His people before He returns to take them to the promised land of heaven and a new earth… there will be a final exam that all have to pass to enter there!
It is not enough for me to come to church or to make a profession of religion. That is not enough. I have to overcome, if I am going to receive eternal life. If I do not overcome, I will not receive eternal life—even if I go to church or make a profession of religion or preach or teach or do any of those things. This is a theme that is recorded over and over and over again in the book of Revelation, the necessity of overcoming. To overcome means to conquer... it means to be like Jesus!
Eternal salvation is not complicated. It is simple enough that a child can understand it. All you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. It is a free gift from God. Jesus is the gift!
There are two paths to choose from... One is a narrow path where you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. There you will have joy and peace and the comfort of His presence on your journey and experience, and at the end of the path, everlasting life. The other path, the one that Jesus said most people would choose, is the broad path. It begins with ease and pleasure with no self-denial. But Satan is a cruel, hard, taskmaster and just around the corner, out of sight, the path gets harder and harder as you go along, and the farther you travel on that road makes it more difficult to make a U-turn. It involves sickness, heartache, despair and, in the end eternal death. Which path will you choose?
The disciples were being trained as they went about the land with Jesus. As they learned the lessons about the kingdom they were often given chances to do the work that they saw Jesus do. Like when he sent them out two by two. They went through what can be called field exercises rather often. Many times they failed but Jesus used such instances to teach a lesson that would be very important later down the road after He was gone. These experiences helped them to prepare for the time of Pentecost. The disciples were given the power of God to do His will and work and they set upon the task of growing the body.
Shock and awe is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming power, dominant battlefield maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze the enemy's perception of the battlefield and destroy their will to fight. The decision that Christ would die for the guilty race was reached before this world was created, and confirmed at the time man fell. The Godhead made an agreement that Jesus would become a human being forever, go through the struggles of humanity that was at war against sin and Satan and they empowered Him to carry out His commission to save mankind. This act of the Godhead was the Shock and Awe victory in the battle against evil!
There is a crisis coming my friends and in understanding how to get ready for it, we have to know who and what the enemy is. I do not like to spend large amounts of time studying this subject because I like to get people's attention on Jesus and not the enemy. That's where we need to keep our attention focused. However, I want you to notice what the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:11, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." If we are ignorant of the devices of the devil, he will take advantage of us. The Bible tells us what we need to know about the enemy we face and we had better pay attention.
What if I told you that exercising faith in the merits of Christ righteousness was committing spiritual violence? What would you think? Meditate on that for a moment and look at Matthew 11:12, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." What is this spiritual violence that Jesus is talking about? In the old covenant, you were dependent on a human priest to go into the sanctuary for you. But, in the new covenant, you can go in yourself. You do not need to wait for some preacher or priest or someone else to get forgiveness for you. You can go directly to God yourself and if you exercise spiritual violence you can get the answer to your prayer right now.
When Jesus came the first time, while preaching the Sermon on the Mount, He actually explained the goal of how to be a restored citizen of the kingdom of God, as well as the incentives to righteous living (being an exemplary citizen), and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in the kingdom of God. Step by step we see a growing in character like that of Christ in these verses.
When Jesus came the first time, while preaching on a mountaintop at the beginning of His ministry He actually explained the goal of how to be a restored citizen of the kingdom of God. We find it in Matthew chapters 5-7. I want to concentrate specifically on the first twelve verses of chapter 5, how to become a citizen of heaven. Jesus is revealing in these verses quite a lot to us about the goal of character perfection as well, if we will listen.
Just as we see in today’s military, there is a general commission and a specific commission pertaining to individuals in the Lord’s army. We are going to take a look at the general or great commission for each member of the body of Christ... our Marching Orders!
I want to take a look at some Scriptural misconceptions concerning God's Inoculation Principles, and maybe more specifically the diet of man. The four scripture references that we shall examine are in apparent conflict with scores of other clear declarations scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments on the subject of proper diet. The Bible will explain itself if we use proper study habits and this topic is no different, so lets clear up these misconceptions.
Inoculations are a way of life in the U.S. Military. All new recruits (both officer and enlisted) are vaccinated against various diseases during enlisted basic training or during officer training. God has His own inoculation plan for all who join His army. This plan will help protect His army from the physical and spiritual attacks from the enemy and the consequences of sin. It will strengthen His army for the battle against the enemy of souls and be an incredible witness to the world that God's laws are binding and best.
People do not understand what the cross means and when you tell them its meaning, they usually do not want to hear about it as it cuts straight to the heart and then tough decisions are required. So the preaching of the cross and its meaning isn't preached much in churches today. A different cross is preached... one that tickles the ears of the listeners. But the truth of the cross is not heard much today. So much so that Ellen White said on one occasion, "The cross has been almost lost sight of." White, Our High Calling, p46. That does not mean that people are not seeing the cross on the churches or around other peoples necks or on the rear view mirror of the car. People see all those things but they do not really see what it is about or what it really means for them. And I want to tell you that if you take the cross away, it is just like taking the sun out of the heavens. Everything is lost and we have no hope! What does the cross mean for each of us? Lets find out...
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, is a mobile machine consisting primarily of an outer framework worn by a person, and powered by a system of motors or hydraulics that delivers at least part of the energy for limb movement. Think of the fictional Iron Man. The main function of a powered exoskeleton is to assist the wearer by boosting their strength and endurance. They are commonly designed for military use to help soldiers carry heavy loads both in and out of combat. Can you imagine the advantage of such armor? Did you know that God has provided powered armor for His people to aid them in their fight against the enemy of souls? I want to talk about this powered armor with you at this time.
God has His own code of communication in this great controversy and those who accept Jesus will learn to become His code talkers. Each of us must learn how to talk to God. A relationship cannot survive if there is no communication and neither can a war be won without it. There are different ways to communicate with God, prayer being just one of the ways that I want to look at with you.
Throughout history every successful army has had a corps of engineers and workers that helped them to victory. None of these victories could be successful without designing and then building what was needed for success by using the right tools for the job at hand. The same can be said concerning our work as Christians and spreading the present truth of the Three Angel’s Messages. We must have the right tools to do the job that we have been asked to do. The great thing about it though, is that God provides the tools we need for our work to be efficient, effective, enduring and profitable! God provides the weapons and the training for His people in this conflict between good and evil to have victory over our enemy.
In this world, people become afraid; they say the forces against them are too many. But if you have faith in God, that doesn’t matter. In fact, if you have faith, the less numbers you have, and the greater the number of enemies you have, the bigger the victory is going to be, because God never loses! Jesus is not only a Savior; He is a General who has never lost a battle. If you have faith in Him, you are on the winning side, and you can know that right now.
In Luke 18:2–5 Jesus tells the story about a lady whose husband had died, leaving her in debt. Her adversaries had come and taken everything she had, and she was in a position where she did not know how she was going to get it back. The judge in this parable persistently repulsed the woman. Again and again she was treated with contempt, and he continually said “No.” Jesus described the judge as being unrighteous and unjust. The woman was in trouble and needed help, but he refused to help her. In this parable Jesus describes the situation that His people will go through in the last days and we can be prepared for the time if we heed His message.
On Mother’s Day families pay special tribute to their moms in various ways—cards, flowers, breakfast in bed, lunch at a fine restaurant, long distance calls, and special gifts. These are just some of the ways families will say thanks to mom, and that is as it should be. But too often Mother’s Day is simply a time when families attempt to atone for an entire year of neglect, indifference, misuse, disrespect, and a lack of thoughtfulness and genuine appreciation. So I’d like to reflect upon motherhood from a biblical view for mothers as well as the entire family.
We are told in the book Revelation that what began as a war in heaven will soon end in the battle known as Armageddon. In this conflict between the forces of good and the powers of evil, light and truth is under constant attack from deception and darkness. And whether we like it or not, every single one of us is involved. This spiritual war is not over some planet or piece of ground; it is for control of each human heart and mind. All of the literal battles in the Bible—from Gideon's conflict with the Midianites to David's defeat of Goliath—can serve to teach us how we might experience victory in spiritual battles. Because these battles are of a spiritual nature, the weapons we use are also spiritual. The great thing about it is that our Battle Armor is provided for us to have victory in this spiritual warfare.
What really happens to a person when they start to look at the cross of Calvary and start to think through the spiritual meaning of what they are looking at? A lot of Christians know the story. They have crosses hanging from their necks, rear-view mirrors and in their homes but they do not know the spiritual meaning of the story. Redemption is a process by which a human soul is trained for eternal life. It means knowledge of Christ in the heart and not just the mind. After Paul saw his life in a new light, he said in Philippians 3, all I want is just to know Him. I want to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings. I just want to know Him that is all. Everything I had before is worthless. What is our life like when compared to the life of Jesus?
When you enlist in the United States Army they send you to boot camp. This is a general training of how to conduct yourself as a member of the army. It is also called ‘basic’ training. You are trained physically and mentally to do the will of the supreme commander. And as Christians there are two specific types of training. There is a general training and there is an individual training. Both of which are ongoing processes actually, for we never really graduate from the school of Christ! Throughout all eternity we will be in the school of Christ and learning and growing in wisdom and knowledge. But the schooling and training for today, known as present truth, is preparation for the final battle. So let’s take a look at the general training or ‘boot camp’ of the Lord’s army.
In the Scriptures, our robe, or our clothing, is used as a symbol for our character. Normally what we choose to wear on the outside tells everyone who sees us something about what is in our heart… what we treasure. It says something about our true character. We see this in the experience of Adam and Eve. They had a robe of light, representing a righteous character. When they sinned and lost that covering, they made some fig-leaf garments to replace it. These artificial garments have become synonymous with righteousness by works, and such garments are not acceptable for citizens of God’s kingdom. In place of the leaves, the Lord prepared a garment for them from the skin of an animal. This garment, which cost the life of the innocent animal, was symbolic of the robe of Christ’s righteousness, which cost the life of His own Son and which all who will be citizens of heaven must wear. Which robe do you choose to wear? Who will be your king?
When you lay your head on the pillow at night and close your eyes, you sleep in faith that you will awaken again for a new day. You close your eyes with the assumption that all will be well as you sleep. You don’t expect to be awakened at 4am with a life or death call for help. There is nothing in this life that is foolproof, at least nothing mechanical. There are no supermen and no super agents. It takes but one projectile through the heart, or the bursting of one vessel in the brain, or one drunk driver swerving into our lane at the wrong time, and all is wiped out. Nothing in this life is foolproof. There is nothing sure or stable in this life without God's direct protection and care—not your marriage, your money, your children, your health, your church, your nation, and certainly not yourself. Nothing! We need to humble ourselves before God and invite Him into our lives. We need to realize our total dependence upon Him.
In Revelation chapter two Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they have lost their first love. This “love” included wholehearted love for God and His truth, and love for one another as brethren and for their fellow men in general. History is being repeated all over the world and right here in our churches. God’s people are so scattered right now that it has become easy for the enemy to sow seeds of error and discouragement and many leave spiritually from our congregations if not physically. Many are losing their first love just as Jesus said. What is the remedy for such a condition?
Now these Old Testament prophecies were not just given to tell us the history of God’s people in ancient times. The prophecies were given to describe to us what is going to happen in our time and to warn us about what will happen if we give the same regard to the prophets, the messengers that God sends to us, as they did to the messengers that He sent to them. Why did God allow Israel to be taken by Babylon? Lets see and learn...
We are to come to God and ask for His guidance in determining what the Scriptures reveal… we are to reason from the scriptures, not come to the Scriptures with a belief and look for evidence that supports it. When you add to or take away from the word of God you have been seduced by a fanatical spirit and are in danger of promoting doctrines of devils. I quite often run into some major forms of fanaticism and I am going to speak about some examples to give you a heads up because before it is all said and done, each of us will be confronted by those of a fanatical spirit at some time.
Jesus made a very important statement to Phillip who had asked Him if they could see the Heavenly Father. Jesus replied, He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father. The words and works of Jesus both bore testimony to His divinity, but they were still blinded too much by tradition to really see Jesus, and thus the Father in heaven. When we come to know Jesus more and more, we will come to know our Father in heaven more and more. Not because, as some believe and teach, they are one and the same being, but because they have the same righteous attributes, the same character traits. I encourage you to get to know the Father.
Beloved, we must awaken and be sober about the condition of our life in respect to the eternal God. We each have only so much time and opportunities to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, becoming a member of the family of God. What are we doing with our time and opportunities?
It is true that millions of God’s people have been persecuted and killed, both in ancient and in modern times. But the time is coming when the position of the oppressors and the persecuted will have a role reversal. Those who have been persecuted will receive their eternal inheritance, and those who have been the oppressors will be raised to receive their doom. Each one of us will either be on one side or the other. How do you know which role will be yours?
How was it possible for Lucifer to convince a third of all the angels in heaven to rebel against their Creator? Lucifer was well loved by all the angels in heaven; after all, he was a covering cherub and stood next to the Godhead. Angels loved to execute his commands which made his stealth methods that much more successful. His most effective method was his whisper campaign. He would talk to the angels alone, in secret, telling each what the other was supposed to have said, with the entire intent to paint God as unfair and controlling and himself as only interested in fairness and liberty. Satan used his words in subtle ways to deceive and it is how we use our tongue that I want to study at this time. We will either bring glory to God or to the devil by the use of the tongue.
Salvation is not complicated. It is simple enough that a child can understand it. All you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Believe is often translated faith in the Bible. The Greek word translated believe, means to believe something enough to make a commitment to it. It is not merely an intellectual knowledge; it is a commitment. To believe in Jesus is to make a commitment to Him.
Are you aware that your fear can be taken away? Psychologists will tell you that by facing your fear you can overcome it and some people have done just that. But it may just be that their fear has been transferred and not really removed. It is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. There has to be a change in our mind and heart before our fears can be completely overcome, and we cannot change ourselves. The change must come from outside of us. The Bible says that perfect love casts aside all fear, and the source of that perfect love is Jesus!
The Pharisees thought their system of works a certain passport to heaven; in fact, that was their reason for being Pharisees… to be more righteous than anyone else… even God! They fell for the same old trap that Eve fell for back in the Garden of Eden. However, Jesus said that their system of righteous works was less than worthless, as you cannot remove sin by works. Only by faith in the God that is righteous can sin be removed. It is by being connected by faith with Jesus, not works of righteousness, that anyone is saved! You see, being connected with the church will not save you—you must be connected with Jesus, who alone constitutes the church!
Our message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a message of good news. We are not to be negative wavers though it may look gloomy all around us. There will not be any doomsday for the righteous; that is only for the wicked, those who have rejected the message of salvation that has been freely offered to all. The devil wants to seduce you; if that doesn’t succeed, then he wants to deceive you, and if that doesn’t work, then he wants to terrify you. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and what He’s going to do for His people at the end of the world. It is the devil’s business to get God’s people discouraged, and the way he does it is by sending you a constant barrage of negative waves and predictions of doom. Give little heed to the negative wavers!
For all the prophecies concerning the Messiah to be fulfilled in the life of only one man—there wasn’t one chance in 84 X1 to the 100th power that it could ever occur. That is 84 with 100 zeroes after it. Yet it did happen, friends. And the man who fulfilled all of the predictions is none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose life has influenced history more than any other man who has ever been born.
God will give every one of us victory. Not because we have the power, not because there’s strength in us, or there’s great achievements in any of us, but because God wants to show His power through our weakness. Just like He accomplished a great victory with 300 against 120,000 so God wants to give us the victory now. He will do it no matter how weak we may feel we are. We are to blow the trumpet and let the light of Jesus shine from our earthen vessels and we will experience victory, just as assuredly as Gideon did!
There were many signs that occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem, showing that something awful was going to take place. One of the most interesting fulfillments of prophecy when you look at that historical event is that not one Christian perished in the city. Jesus had given His disciples warning and every one who listened to the warning was saved. This is a lesson for us who live in the time just before the battle of Armagheddon!
Though He desperately wants you on His side in this warfare, the choice to join God's army is left up to you. It is my hope that as we begin looking at what it means to be in the Lord's army that it will appeal to you and you will make the decision to fight on the side of right!
We each have a purpose in God's family. What is that purpose? To carry the Gospel to the world! How do we do that? That is the question to answer. I am going to begin this series of studies that will answer that question by what I hope is an encouragement for you. I am going to share with you what it means for me to be a Soldier for Christ in the hope that it will educate and inspire you to join the cause and fulfill the mission in carrying the Gospel to the world.
In part one we saw parallels between the war in heaven and the war between Absalom and his father, King David and I am hoping that you will be able to see that these are also parallels of what is going to happen between the professed church and the true church before the end of the great controversy.
In this study, we are going to look at, in miniature, the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The story of the great controversy has been told to us on a human level in miniature in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. As we study this I hope that you will see the parallels in the examples that have been written down for us who live here near the second coming of Jesus. These parallels are to teach us a lesson and prepare us for what is coming so we may be found faithful. I praise God for this!
When Jesus came to Israel they not only failed to recognize Him, they actually rejected Him. If we are not careful friends, we may just reject Him as they did! Lucifer rebelled because he wanted to be the Chief cornerstone and his kingly power attitude prevails in too much of Christiandom. This attitude creeps into church organization and if not checked, it will choke it to death. It happened to Israel as they rejected the Messiah. Let us learn and not repeat their mistake.
My friends, we are coming to a point in history where we must press together and organize together as God's church according to God’s plan if we want to finish the work of preparing to meet Jesus as faithful souls. Are we going to do it? I hope so beloved, I truly hope so.
I see the sun rise and set every day like clockwork and this doesn’t happen by accident. Season after season and year after year, we are all witnesses to this order in the heavens. Order does not miraculously appear out of chaos! There has to be a power that sets things in order and keeps them there. The Bible tells me that there is a power, a grand designer that created order and keeps order. If there are laws in nature there has to be a lawgiver!
In the very beginning of creation God ordained man to bring honor and glory to Him! God set man apart for a specific Divine purpose and that is still its purpose today. The ceremony of laying on of hands in ordination is a public recognition of a divine appointment.
From the beginning of the family unit in Eden, to the family circle today, we can see the blue print of God’s governing principles—His organization for the church.
In our previous studies we have come to understand that like the Sanctuary and its services teach us about the Gospel and mission of Christ, the creation and organization of the family circle is a model that teaches us about the government and character of God.
God has given us the ability to create children so as to learn more about His character and about our own character. In that learning process there are specific responsibilities that God has required of parents. How we live as Christian parents and raise our children is how we will associate with members in the church. This is a part of true Gospel Order that God requires for families and the church.
We have previously taken a good look at the roles of men/husbands/fathers, as well as women/wives/mothers and there is one more area concerning the family circle that needs to be addressed before we begin comparing family order with that of church order—family organization with church organization. We need to take a look at the role that children have in the family circle and what that means for church order.
When we establish righteous habits, we will do them without even thinking! So let us become educated to the righteous will of God concerning our roles as men and women, then we can lay out goals to change what is out of order in our life, and by God’s grace establish right habits that bring glory to our Creator!
While husbands and fathers have been given primary responsibility for the leadership of their families including their children, wives and mothers are to be "workers at home," meaning manager of the household. Their home and their children are to be their priority—in contrast to the feminist emphasis today on careers and jobs for women outside the home--a role reversal that goes against God's ideal plan. Now, don't misunderstand what I am saying here. There is nothing wrong with women working outside the home unless it conflicts with the biblical responsibilities they have in managing the home.
Each role in the family unit—Husband, Wife, and Children—teaches us something about God’s ideal in the organization of the church. We began looking at the roles and responsibilities of the family unit with the understanding that church duties first begin at home. One of the greatest problems in the family firm today, marriage specifically, is that the differences between the male and the female have only been taught from a pure physical point of view... mainly an evolutionary based view. The truth that God created man and woman with more than physical differences is not taught much at all in the world and very little in the church--not in any detail. Accepting such a cultural fallacy is one of the greatest failings of the church and thus a major cause in the dysfunction of the family unit.
Please notice that among all the levels of authority in the universe, God has set man in the place of leadership over his own home and family. The husband is to be the leader of the home. God never assigned the wife to be the head of the home. Woman was not made for the role, neither do the majority of women really desire it. Men must recognize their proper role in the home if there is to be true Gospel order.
Each role in the family unit--father, mother, children--teaches us something about God's ideal in the organization of the church. So I want to spend some time looking at the roles and responsibilities of the family unit with the understanding that church duties should first begin at home.
True church unity and organization, biblically speaking, starts at home. It started at Creation as God ordered everything according to His will, which is perfect order. God, not the author of confusion, demonstrated Gospel Order in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.
God has given us a system of benevolence that is to keep our minds and hearts directed toward Him and the helping of others—thus protecting us from coveting that which is our neighbors. This system or reminder He calls tithes and offerings.
Spiritual order is the foundation of Gospel Order. As we learn more and more of Christ we will be taught more and more of the divine characteristics of true order… as individuals first, which will ripple into our family life and all through the church. This well ordered life will be seen by others and be a testament to Jesus working in you.
What is Gospel Order? It is proper order and system established for the conduct of all affairs pertaining to the spiritual welfare of the believers in God! Where do we find this system delineated? In God's Word! Who is at the heart of this order? Let's see what the Word of God says...
The call of the fall of spiritual Babylon and to come out of it is a call from the Savior of mankind. This is something that we must realize in its totality… that Jesus is calling His people to Himself so that He can have a pure and undefiled church, as He is pure and undefiled. As the Head of the true church it is He who is calling for His lost sheep to separate from fallen churches and follow His voice.
The Bible has given us incredible counsel on what we are to do when confronted with sin. We have studied Matthew 5 and 18 on how to deal with sin in the church—God’s checks and balances, but what if you follow the counsel of God’s word but your church rejects it? What do you do?
In part one we began to look at some biblical principles on how to correctly deal with sin within the church and more principles are shared here in part two. I want to emphasize that these principles deal with those who are in the church, not those who are not members, for the church has no authority over unbelievers. God has instructed us to use these principles to keep His church from falling or apostatizing.
God has laid out principles of organization and checks and balances in governing that organization to keep it from falling into apostasy (forming a different organization, which we have learned means joining the antichrist organization known as Babylon fallen). Just what are these checks and balances?
We must understand that when we join ourselves by covenant with an organization, we are held accountable for what that organization does. We cannot say to God that it was the leaders fault and blame others. Adam did that by saying it was Eve's fault, Eve said it was the serpent's fault. It is the spirit of antichrist that lays the fault of personal and corporate sins on others. Satan blamed God for the division in heaven that he had started!
There is an essential Biblical principle that is generally unrecognized by Christians today both within and without spiritual Babylon, and some who are made aware of this principle refuse to acknowledge it. This principle is at the very core of the great controversy. This principle has everything to do with unity—being of one accord with God and each of His people. This is the principle of corporate accountability or corporate responsibility; the fact that God holds you accountable, not only for your own individual actions but also for the actions and behavior of the group or body you choose to belong to or be a part of.
Light has ever been a symbol of the divine presence. As physical light is essential to physical life, so divine light is necessary if rational beings are to have moral and spiritual life. Jesus told us to walk while we have the Light... to continue on to the Kingdom of God, we must Advance in the Light!
In defining God's church we find that the scriptures have drawn a line and a decision must be made as to which church we will choose to belong to and there are only two choices. We either join the church of Christ or remain in the church of antichrist. What side of the line will you choose to be on?
What is the banner of Christ? The banner of Christ is the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Christ and all the apostles taught Christians to keep the commandments of God through the faith of Jesus, by the power that Jesus will give you. Anyone holding up this banner is a member of God's true church!
Things in this world are tightening up. We are seeing the birthing pains of the earth and it will get worse my friends, for God has said so. God has also said that He is going to lead His people to triumph in this great final conflict with the beast, his image, number and mark and that is great news! Just when it appears that His church will be destroyed, it is delivered. I want to talk about His victorious church today--the final victory for His people on earth.
Some lessons in taking a closer look at God's people, His church, from the time of Christ and the apostles through to today.
There is a parallel in the experience of King Saul and King David and that of the professed church of God and the true church of God that will help us to make the right choice and come out of Babylon fallen.
We are going to take a look at the parable of the Ten Virgins, the message to the Laodicean Church of Revelation 3, and then the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. We are going to see tremendous parallels between the three and hopefully learn the truth as to these three subjects in their relationship to the church of God—the church militant and the church triumphant.
There will never exist true unity in the home or in the church while someone is striving for first place. We must, by God’s grace, become humble and it starts with allowing Jesus on the throne of our heart.
There is nothing more precious than true unity in the Lord. It is what the Lord desires and longs for in our home; between husbands and wives and children and parents. That is what He longs for in the church. It is the thing that will allow Him to pour out more of His blessings upon us and give us a greater than Pentecost experience—the Loud Cry. The 144000 will be in complete unity of faith and Spirit. True Unity in Christ!
In order to be vibrant and healthy spiritually, one must submit to Jesus. When we submit to Jesus we will become like Him. Our hearts will be filled with the love that has its origins in Him. We will love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. We will live Christ's life of obedient love! His church exemplifies this vibrant love in its fellowship together.
The body of Christ--His church, will be Vibrant; physically and spiritually healthy as they live in Christ day-to-day. They will exemplify a vibrant fellowship of believers!
We have an idea that we must do some part of the work alone. We have thought that there are two or three steps that we must take without any help or support. But this is not so. The Spirit of God is continually wooing and drawing the soul to right purposes, and into harmony with the law of God... to write His law upon our heart!
By following Jesus as the Lord or Spiritual Head of your life you will begin to share in His character traits in that His righteousness becomes yours, by faith.
Sometimes while walking along a peaceful creek I come to a point where I need to cross the water and I look around for stones in the creek bed to set across the way so I can safely step over to the other side. I leave the stones for the next person who may come along this same pathway and wish to cross the water. Such stepping-stones are left as a memorial to help others in their walk and point the way across. God promises to change our heart and work reformation in our life, if we will give ourselves completely over to His hands. He can start us on the path of righteous living, leaving memorials and stepping stones along the way to help us in our walk.
One of the ten identifying attributes of the true church is that it stands upon the foundation of truth and especially present truth, which is the Three Angels Messages that we find in Revelation chapter 14.
Throughout time there have been incredible mysteries that we have not been able to unravel. Unsolved mysteries that grab the attention of even the most casual of observers. Each of us can think of unsolved mysteries that we would like to solve. There are untold mysteries that date back to the beginning of this world but I want to speak to you about the great mystery. As Paul said to the church at Rome, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits…” Romans 11:25
The leaders of Israel came to Jesus and asked for a ‘sign’ that He was the Messiah and Jesus said that the ONLY sign would be the sign of Jonah. What did Jesus mean by this? What exactly is this sign?
You know, too many people fail to really grasp the blessings of a spirit filled life, because they’re too easily satisfied. They somehow believe that baptism is the object of the Christian life, and that this is everything that God wants to do for them. I tell you today that that’s only the beginning of what God wants to do for us. Too many people stop right there on the banks of baptism—they want to stay in that spot. They feel that God has come near to bless them, that maybe this is all that the Christian life is intended to be, but it’s not true. If we would dare to go on out into the deep things of God, He has unlimited blessings for us in spiritual resources.
We must stop looking at the temporal my friends, and look steadfastly upward to the our God and thank Him for all that He has done and is doing to save us from sin. To save us from ourselves. To bring an end to the devil and death forever. Through Jesus we can cultivate an attitude of thanks. Are you thankful to God for His love, care, mercy and grace? Are you thankful that He is constantly considering you and taking care of all your needs?
In Matthew 22 Jesus gives a parable about a wedding feast that parallels the last message that His church is to give to the world that is found in Revelation chapter 14--the Three Angels Messages. The call of Jesus has always been to come to the feast. To accept His gift of salvation by being born again and receive the Robe of Righteousness that only He can provide. Will we accept this gift?
There are actually a lot of ideological similarities between the American Revolutionary War, and the war in heaven but I want to talk about just one that is striking to me. And we see this same deception today and that is the "liberty" deception. The idea that satan puts forth that only by rejecting God will one have true liberty or independence. Is this true?
The Bible says that at the end of time there are going to be a lot of people who will not be ready for the return of Jesus. It will be a terrible experience when you realize that now it is too late to get ready. You either had to be ready or you will not be ready at all. When I come to the end of the road of this world whether it is for death or translation, I want to be ready to meet Jesus in peace. What about you? This is the story of a man that when he came to the end of his life, he was ready.
If we are to have a steadfast endurance that takes us through the fiery days of temptation, we must have a confidence that God will do what He has promised to do. We must learn to trust God implicitly with all things pertaining to our life, especially when we don’t see the results that we may be expecting to see. This is what it means to have confidence… a trust that God is in control and we are okay with Him.
I want to take you on a journey back across the centuries of time to visit three very historic gardens. The story of each of these gardens is found in the Bible although their history is separated by about four thousand years. Each one has important memories of the past that speak to us today with relevant lessons for our own lives.
Paul says now is the time. It is the hour already for you to awake out of spiritual sleep. Now is the time to wake up, because we don’t have very much time left. I want to look at two main points with you—the time of the world, and the time of the church. There are several items for each and I will begin dealing with minding the time of the world.
I would like to share with you what could be the most hopeless case in the entire Bible, and that is saying a lot, for there are a lot of cases that can be shared. But I believe that if there’s hope for someone like this, then there’s hope for all of us no matter what we’ve done!
Paul warns, “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.” Colossians 2:8.I am going to be speaking about what most Christians consider a holy day--Easter, and this can be a very emotional subject for many people because we humans are steeped in traditions. Not all tradition is bad and not all is good. Tradition is only bad if it is in contradiction to the will of God, takes the place of God on the throne of your heart, and if it leads others into error and the loss of their soul. Ultimately, each must be able to personally give an answer for what they believe. If what we believe, including the traditions we keep, cannot be substantiated and upheld by the Bible, then they must be discarded if we want to live eternally with the Lord.
Paul warns, “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.” Colossians 2:8. I am going to be speaking about what most Christians consider a holy day--Easter, and this can be a very emotional subject for many people because we humans are steeped in traditions. Not all tradition is bad and not all is good. Tradition is only bad if it is in contradiction to the will of God, takes the place of God on the throne of your heart, and if it leads others into error and the loss of their soul. Ultimately, each must be able to personally give an answer for what they believe. If what we believe, including the traditions we keep, cannot be substantiated and upheld by the Bible, then they must be discarded if we want to live eternally with the Lord.
History is being repeated all over the world and right here in our churches. God’s people are so scattered right now that it has become easy for the enemy to sow seeds of error and discouragement and many leave spiritually from our congregations if not physically. Many are losing their first love just as Jesus said. What is the remedy for such a condition?
The basis of freedom is spiritual for it originates from God who is Spiritual. People are being enslaved because they have forgotten the Landmark of Liberty—they have forgotten God, or they have never known Him. The framers of our country were careful to guard against our ever forgetting this Landmark by placing it right there in plain view in the Declaration of Independence.
A lesson of faith and Providence found in the first Thanksgiving. Though we may not see God's hand at work in our life, by faith we believe His word and trust He will keep it.
When you take a look at the history of God's people you will find that when God sends a prophet that Satan then sends false prophets to cause great confusion. There were false prophets during the time of Moses when he was sent by God to guide the Hebrews to the promised land. There were false prophets when John the Baptist was preaching repentance and that the kingdom of God was at hand. Do you think that Satan would raise up false prophets during the time of the Elijah prophet that God promised to send to the end-time church? Absolutely! That is why the Bible has given certain tests of a prophet of God so that we can compare such people to what the word of God says.
It is very interesting, is it not, that Jesus told us that we can determine who are His people by discerning their fruits. One of the ten identifying attributes of the church is that it will have the gifts and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit; and this includes the testimony of Jesus, which the bible defines as the Spirit of Prophecy. In part one of "Sending Elijah" we started looking at the particular part of this attribute called the spirit of prophecy because it is a sign of the remnant church in the last days.
God gives spiritual gifts to His people and so it is one of the greatest identifying marks of God's church, especially in the last days. There is one particular part of this character trait that is a sign of the remnant church in the last days. Since we are in the last days it behooves us to know this sign as it helps to define God's people and thus His church.
One of the ten identifying attributes of the church is that it will have the gifts and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit; this includes the testimony of Jesus (Spirit of Prophecy). We will be spending some time on this particular attribute because it is one of the greatest identifying marks of God's church in the last days.
I think it safe to say that the greatest characteristic of the true church is that it has the nature of Christ—not the nature of antichrist. It is made up of those who are each a combination of humanity and divinity, or 'born again' individuals, thus they are a part of the nature of Christ. This is the introduction in the series: "This is My Body: Defining God's Church."
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." What does it mean to be the light of the world? The world needs to know that the law is not darkness; it is light. And as we study the life of Christ, we see that if you want to be in the light, your life must be in harmony with God's law.
Of the ten characteristics defining the church, one describes the church as those who are of the spiritual seed of Abraham not of Ishmael, in that they keep the spiritual covenant that God made with Abraham and that the seventh day Sabbath is a sign of that covenant.
Genesis 3:15 tells us about the battle between the two churches and how it will eventually end. It gives mankind the truth as to the loving character trait of God, and His remedy for the sin problem. It speaks of two lines of descendants that will remain on the earth until the Great controversy ends and there will be one church again as it was in the beginning... The seed of Abraham!
Spiritually speaking, there are some people who do not go through the door to get into the church. They climb over the wall. And who are these who climb over the wall? Well, Jesus says they are thieves and robbers. They are wolves in sheep's clothing. That is what they are and He longs to cleanse the church of these wolves. To be in the church you must come through the Door, you must come to Jesus!
The church of God is to be organized for service but the organization itself is not the church of God—the symbol is not the reality, it is just a symbol of what the reality is to be. You can still have the symbol but if God is not there, that is all you will have—a symbol!
The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. His church will have His name--it will be seen in their character!
A testimony of Pastor Joel Laswell's recent health emergency and God's amazing grace of physical and spiritual healing!