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STANDING AND STATE

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By Ken Blue

Few Christians understand the difference between their standing in Christ, and their present state. However, if the standing doesn’t make a difference in your state, either you do not have a standing in Christ, or you are blindly stumbling through life.

The standing of every true believer is as perfect as it can be. The following verses will shed light on this wonderful truth. Ephesians 2:1-22 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; …4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: …8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Also, Colossians 2:11-23 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Correctly understood, these two passages, and dozens like them, show how secure the true believer is. We call this the believers’ standing, or present position in Christ before God.

Just as all were in Adam when He disobeyed God, so, all were in the Last Adam as He obeyed God. This becomes efficacious for the believer when He accepts what He has done for us. We were crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, and are now seated with Him in heaven. When we appropriate the above it is imputed to us. The text is clear. We are “quickened together with Him.” That means we are given a new resurrected life in Him. This is the perfect standing, and position of all believers!

However, there is also the matter of the believers’ state. This differs from person to another. It deals with the life we are now living. Most of Paul’s letters address this important subject. The obvious reason is, if we are raised with Christ, we must seek those things above in a practical way. The only thing this world sees of Christ is what the believer displays. 2 Corinthians 3:2 “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men” The unsaved world does not read the Bible. They read you and me. The question is; do they see Christ in us? What do those you work and party with see? If they don’t see Christ, don’t tell them you are a Christian. Keep it a secret. Those who assume their standing in Christ and do not transform their state, are deceiving themselves.

If one questions this, he is blind and self-deceived. Galatians 5:13-25 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Paul continues in Romans 6:1-6 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

2 Peter 1:5-10 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

 

THE MOTHER OF ALL WARS

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By Ken Blue

There is a war coming in the Middle East that will shake the fish in the sea. It is prophesied in several places in Scripture. A war of this magnitude was thought impossible a few years ago. But now, no one doubts its possibility, or probability.

Prior to this battle, the nations must have a reason to descend to the valley that extends from Israel into Syria. John describes it this way. Revelation 16:12-16 “ And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” If Revelation 9:16 is a reference to this army, there will be 200 million fighting in it! Note the sign above.

“Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.” This is a picture of the battle of Armageddon in this chapter and the following verses. (Rev. 14:18-20; 19:15; Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:12-16). Blood will flow on this battlefield up to the horses’ bridles for a distance of about 184 miles (Rev. 14:20). This blood river will come from the veins of multitudes slain in the battle and from the hail, fire, brimstone, and overflowing rain that will fall from heaven on this day (Ezek. 38:21-23). God will participate in this war with His weapons in heaven. Revelation 16:21 “ And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” These hail stones will weigh about 114 pounds!

Before you have any thought that I have negative sentiments toward Jews, you should read the following verses, and realize that I do not. Romans 11:11-15 “ I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”

As we have said, God is gathering the Jews back to Israel, and then He will gather all the nations there to destroy them. Zephaniah 3:8 “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.”

If you are not saved, that is, if you have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, now is the time to do it. You must believe He died in your place, arose from the dead, and then personally accept Him as your Savior. Do it now.

YOU’RE NOT BRINGING IN THE KINGDOM

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By Ken Blue

Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

We often hear well-meaning Christians say, “We have to get the gospel to all the world, so Christ will come for His church.” Or, you may hear another say, “When we get the last person saved to complete the church, Christ will return.” This is often done to motivate church members to soul-winning.

There are at least two major problems with these concepts. First, the gospel spoken of in the context of Matthew is the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, and it never got out of Palestine as an act of obedience to the commission. The few who did take it did so because of persecution, and they went to Jew only. This gospel of the Kingdom is the same gospel preached in the four gospels and early Acts, and will be preached again after the rapture of the church.

The second problem suggests that there are a predestined number of believers who must be saved before Christ returns for His church. That idea is false. The Lord is not waiting on His church to make it possible for Him to return. The gospel of grace, which we preach, has already gone to every country on earth. However, the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven must be preached to every creature.

Matthew is not about the church of this dispensation. And chapter 24 clearly describes events surrounding the return of Christ at the Second Advent. Verse 14b says, “and then shall the end come.” The “end” is not the end of the world, but rather, the end of this present age. There are five ages, and we are in the third one. An age is not a dispensation. The age spoken of here reaches from Noah’s flood to the end of Armageddon. The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to “every creature” before it ends, even if God must uses an angel to preach it. (Rev. 14:6)

LET’S STUDY REVELATION # 29

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Revelation

The Vision is on Earth.

It Consists of the Six Trumpets.

The trumpet sounds to announce war on the kingdom of the beast in response to the prayers of the suffering saints.  Zeph. 1:14-16 says, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.”

As we have stated, the sixth seal covers events right up to the Second Advent of Christ. Whereas, the seventh seal loops back to the mid-way point and gives another account of the judgments which are detailed by the seven trumpets and the seven vials. The remainder of Revelation is contained in this seventh seal. An overview of the wrath to follow was given in 6:12-17; now God gives the details of those judgments.

“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.  And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;  And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”  (Revelation 8:7-11).

When the “…first angel sounded… there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (v.7). Some writers believe these judgments are localized in and around Israel, and include the empire of the ten kings which will be taken over by the Beast. If this is so, this judgment is on the vegetation within the boundaries of his kingdom.

Most likely, the events from the second seal through the seven trumpets and the seven vials are all in the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact day or month each begins. However, they do escalate from the mid-point of the Tribulation until the kingdom of the beast is destroyed, and he is assigned to the bottomless pit.

In verse 8 the second angel sounds, and John sees something he describes, “as it were a great mountain,” cast into the sea. This will result in a third part of the sea becoming blood. What this fiery mass is, we are not told. Perhaps it will be a giant meteor entering the atmosphere and breaking up over the Sea of Galilee, the Mediterranean, or both. It could be a satellite armed with nuclear or germ warfare falling from space. Whatever it is, it brings death and devastation to one third of the sea.

The effects will be the death of one third of the sea life in that region. Water was literally turned to blood in Egypt, and God can easily do it again, or it could be a figure of speech that all who drink it will die. The vessels of the sea are most likely like those used by the disciples. Luke 5:2 says, “And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.” This is a judgment of the marine life and sea vessels of that area.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary says of “wormwood” (v.11): “…It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12, this Hebrew word is rendered, “hemlock” (R.V., “wormwood”). In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse (Revelation 8:10, 11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn into wormwood. The name by which the Greeks designated it…means ‘undrinkable…’”

This object that falls from heaven may also be a meteorite, a satellite, or a rocket carrying some deadly toxin. Whatever it is, one third of the water from the rivers and fountains are contaminated and unfit to drink. Those who drink of them will also die.

 “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”  (Revelation 8:12-13).

Verse 12 says, “…the fourth angel sounded,” This fourth trumpet sounds just prior to the Second Advent of Christ. That event is mentioned under the sixth seal in chapter 6:12. (See also Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:24; Acts 2:20.)  The question is, will this darkness be worldwide or just over the kingdom of the Beast? Darkness covered Egypt while the land of Goshen had light.

The darkness could be localized as it was in Egypt, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt” (Exodus 10:21).  Revelation 16:10 says, “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain…” The darkness will, no doubt, be confined to that region over which the beast reigns.

Verse 13 says, “…I …heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying …Woe, woe, woe…” The seven trumpets are interrupted between the fourth and the fifth by an angel flying through the air. The remaining three trumpets are called, “woes” because of their great intensity.

THE PROMISES ARE NOT YOURS

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By Ken Blue

We often hear well-meaning Christians quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a prayer promise for America. Also, it is implied that God is judging this nation because Christians are not right with God. The assumption is, if all God’s people would repent and pray, the land would be healed. But, since it is not, it must be the fault of the Church.

2 Chronicles must be understood in its contextual and dispensational setting. In addition, these judgments must be understood in relation to the promised curses to come upon the nation of Israel, outlined in Leviticus 26:14-39, if they refused to walk within the covenant made with them. Solomon clearly understood these.

Compare 2 Chronicles 7:13 “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;” with Leviticus 26:19-20 “And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.” These promises of judgment were to God’s covenant people, Israel. Read the context again. “My people,” and “My land,” speak of the Jews and the land of Israel.

Christians do not have a land or a country. Our citizenship is in heaven. We have the privilege of voting for our leaders, and we are commanded to pray for them. But, the application of 2 Chronicles 7 to Christians places an assumption about a promise that is not theirs, and suggests that the problem in any land is their fault, and they can change it. As we have said, this is a warning and a promise to Israel only.