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ISRAEL, GET READY!

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MUSLIM NATIONS DETERMINED TO DESTROY ISRAEL

Israel

By Ken Blue

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness… In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:1-9.

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” Zechariah 14:1-3.

Anyone who follows the Middle East news is aware that all Muslim nations are determined to destroy Israel. In fact, they must destroy Israel for their objectives for world dominion to be realized. Some non-Muslim nations may join them for a share in the riches of the land.

One of the greatest proofs that the Bible is true is the prophecies of this coming event and its outcome. God will allow the anti-Jewish nations to come together for the “final solution.” However, this will be their final act against Israel and God’s purpose will be fulfilled through Israel.

The following article from the Associated Press is the Ayatollahs most recent reminder of their determination to unwittingly fulfill this prophecy.

     Jan 27 01:31 PM US/Eastern   ayatollahalikhamenei

“TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran’s supreme leader predicted the destruction of Israel in comments posted on his Web site on Wednesday, in some of his strongest remarks in years about the Jewish state.

In the past, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that must be wiped from the map, but the new comments mark the first time in years he has openly speculated about Israel’s demise.

“Definitely, the day will come when nations of the region will witness the destruction of the Zionist regime,” Khamenei was quoted as saying. “How soon or late (Israel’s demise) will happen depends on how Islamic countries and Muslim nations approach the issue.” He did not elaborate.”

If you need proof that the Bible is true, one word will do; that word is “Jew.” Keep reading the Book, keep looking up and keep your eye on what happens to Israel.

DIVISIONS AND CONTENTIONS

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NO DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH

divisionBy Ken Blue

Although Paul would be the first to contend for the faith and tell his followers to withdraw from those who depart from sound doctrine, he was constantly striving for unity within the body of Christ. This truth is evident in each of his epistles.

The opening remarks of first Corinthians show two important things: One was the display of immaturity in these believers because of their division over personalities, and the other was the questioning of Paul’s authority and the gospel which he preached. 1 Corinthians 1:10-11 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.” Verses 12 shows the nature of their division; and if you think things have changed just allow your name to be associated with anyone outside “their camp.”

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Paul longed for unity between believers.[/pullquote]

Not only did Paul long for unity between believers, he found is necessary to spend much of his time defending his Apostleship and authority. This was needed because of the many false teachers attempted to bring believers under the law, as they questioned his teaching.

Much of chapter two shows that the gospel he preached was not, nor could it be received through his natural man. For, the natural man cannot receive these revelations. They were given to him by divine revelation. See 1 Corinthians 2:10, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” The “us” in these verses is not speaking of believers in general, but of the Apostles to whom the mysteries of the gospel were revealed. (See v. 7).

Most believers think verse 9 is a reference to heaven, but no such luck. Paul is speaking of the things associated with Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection for sin. These are the things God prepared, in Christ, before the foundation of the world. (v. 7).

Paul shows the blindness of the Jewish and Gentile princes in their attitude and rejection of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 1:23 “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” Their wisdom blinded them as to Christ and His mission. The things spoken by Paul and the other apostles were given by divine inspiration, not by natural wisdom. (v. 13-16).

It is pride and carnality, as shown in chapter one, that leads to division, personality worship and contention. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Romans 16:17.

THE STALLED CHURCH

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REASONS WHY CHURCHES BECOME STALLED

business man making a puzzle isolated over a white background
business man making a puzzle isolated over a white background

By Ken Blue

As Joyce and I traveled from Seattle to Phoenix, we noticed several cars stalled along the interstate. Some had flat tires and the drivers were in the process of installing their spare. On the Grapevine, we saw a car stalled with steam boiling from under the hood; perhaps a blown water hose or a bad water pump was the problem. Another car was being loaded on a wrecker to be hauled away. Of course, we had no way of knowing what all the issues were, but we couldn’t help but notice them as we passed by. For some, the problem was obvious; for others, further investigation would be needed. A few appeared ready for the junkyard.

Several years ago, I arrived at church were some men were working on one of the church buses. They had taken the fuel line and the fuel pump off because gas was not getting to the carburetor. I ask, “Has anyone checked the gas tank?” They looked at each other for a moment; then they inserted a broom handle down the neck of the tank. It came out dry as a bone. They had worked for hours, while overlooking the obvious.

It is not always apparent why churches get stalled, but like the autos along the interstate, you don’t have to travel far before you spot them. It is important that a diagnosis be performed before you start dismantling the fuel lines and or removing carburetors. The question is, what are we apt to find when we search for reasons some churches get stalled?

Some stalled churches can’t be fixed. If enough people become unemployed or a city dries up, the only solution is to dissolve the church and move on.

A church may get stalled because of a split and a number of people leave. In that case, the answer is to pray down God’s blessings, preach sermons that are uplifting, and encourage the remaining members with a new vision of outreach and growth.

If the pastor becomes satisfied with the “status quo,” so will the members. Some pastors are content to have just enough members to pay the bills, while they keep the church just small enough to be a wonderful little family. This is where many churches are stalled today, and it is the sin of complacency that keeps them there. The pastor ought to get fired up about bringing in the lost or he ought to be fired!

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It is not always apparent why churches get stalled, but like the autos along the interstate, you don’t have to travel far before you spot them.[/pullquote]

Some pastors outstay their usefulness and the church begins to die with them. The pastor, who is up in years, must surround himself with a young staff if he expects the church to have new life and vitality. If the pastor is aged and all the members are senior citizens, the next step is the nursing home. Seniors must be pastored, but young adults should be evangelized. Once your church gets moving again, add a senior citizens ministry.

Sometimes the pastor simply needs to refocus and get a burning vision for outreach. Curtis Hutson said to his sectary, “I’m going to build another church.” She responded in surprise, “Where are you going to build it?” Curtis said he was going to build it right on top of the existing one.

One final cause for a stalled church may be attributed to an insufficient number of staff. Every pastor has a limit as to the number of people he can pastor. Some have suggested that there should be at least one pastoral staff for each 125 people. The pastor should take a serious look and see if a lack staff may be a cause for a lack of progress.

The owner of a stalled auto may not be a mechanic or know how to get the car moving again. but it is his responsibility to either fix it himself or find someone who can help him get it done. The pastor is responsible for the stalled church, and it is his duty to get it moving or find someone who can. There is no excuse to let a church remain in a stalled condition. If your church is stalled, you should set about to do everything you can to discover the problem, and then do everything you can to get it moving again.

BLOATED INFALLIBLE EGOS

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IS THERE AN INFALLIBLE UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE?

three_blind_miceBy Ken Blue

“And Job answered and said, 2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. 3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?” Job 12:1-3.

Job’s three blind “friends” were confident they knew his motives and possessed knowledge he could not grasp. Of course his answer to them was pure irony, and he meant right the opposite when he said, “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.” In fact, many of those “friends” are alive and with us today. They assume possession of the Truth is synonymous with understanding the Truth.

These men would rather win an argument than win a soul, and they think the Holy Spirit has guided them into all truth on all subjects. Their delusion leads them to believe Jesus was speaking of them when He told His disciples of future revelations (Scripture) He would give after His departure.

Jesus told His disciples there were many other things they would know, but they could not “bear them now.” “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:12-15.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Any pastor, teacher, or evangelist who assumes he has an infallible understanding of Scripture is an egotistical jackass.[/pullquote]

These things were revealed to them by the Spirit and are recorded in the epistles of Peter, James, and John. Additional church epistles were also given to Paul. Certainly, they were not ready for Paul’s writings or John’s Revelation.

Any pastor, teacher, or evangelist who assumes that these words are to him or that he has an infallible understanding of Scripture is an egotistical jackass. Many of the brethren assume they are infallible because they have an infallible Book.

Like Job’s “friends” they are smug in their ability to quote Scripture, but they are fools in understanding and application. They know why Job’s wife and children were dead. They were confident that he had lost it all because of some past sins. They knew his heart and motives and were therefore qualified to pass judgment on him and condemn him. These men are still with us and they know for sure that if you do not agree with them, your heart and motives must be worldly and wrong. We have seen enough of these self-centered Pharisees to know them on sight; and we say to them, in love, “Take a hike!”

LEAVE JAMES TO THE JEWS

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THE BOOK OF JAMES WAS WRITTEN TO THE JEWS

JewBy Ken Blue

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” James 1:1.

The key to James hangs right at the front door. Verse one tells us that it is written to Jews who had believed Jesus was their resurrected Messiah. It is unclear just what they believed beyond that. However, internal evidence reveals that it was written to those Jews who were zealous for the Law and awaited Christ coming to establish His visible kingdom with them.(Acts 21:20).

It seems evident that they did not understand that the Law had ended, that Jesus was the Savior of sinners, or that believers in Christ had a perfect standing with God.

They were Christians, but apparently not members of the Church, which is Christ’s body. The book fits squarely in the Tribulation. The rich men in James 5:1 are Jews who refuse to use their wealth to help their persecuted Jewish brethren. Chapter 2:19 shows they believe in one God, and they worshipped in the synagogue. See James 2:2. The anointing with oil was a Jewish custom and never part of the church. It is also significant that the incarnation, atonement, redemption, resurrection, and ascension are never mentioned. The book is strictly Jewish; so much so that Luther rejected it and would not put it in his translation of the Bible.

The reference to the latter rain 5:7; to the fig, oil, and wine 3:12; to drought 5:17, 18; to salt and bitter springs 3:11, 12; and to the hot wind 1:11 are likewise associated with Jewish Scriptures and customs.

One writer believes the epistle to be full of the Sermon on the Mount, which has nothing to this dispensation. He says, “We may compare:
James 1:2, 5:10, 11 with Matthew 5:10-12
James 1:4 with Matthew 5:48
James 1:5, 17, 5:15 with Matthew 7:7, 11
James 1:9, 2:5 with Matthew 5:3
James 1:22-25, 2:10, 11 with Matthew 5:19
James 1:20 with Matthew 5:22
James 1:22, 2:14, 5:7-9 with Matthew 7:21-26
James 2:1-3 with Matthew 6:2, 5
James 2:8 with Matthew 7:12
James 2:10, 11 with Matthew 7:12
James 2:13 with Matthew 6:14-15; 7:2
James 2:14 with Matthew 7:21
James 3:1, 4:11 with Matthew 7:1
James 3:12 with Matthew 7:16
James 3:17, 18 with Matthew 5:9
James 4:3 with Matthew 7:8
James 4:4 with Matthew 6:24
James 4:8 with Matthew 5:8
James 4:9 with Matthew 5:4
James 4:10 with Matthew 5:3, 4
James 4:11 with Matthew 7:1
James 4:13-16 with Matthew 6:25
James 5:2 with Matthew 6:19
James 5:10 with Matthew 5:12
James 5:12 with Matthew 5:34
From other parts of the Lord’s teaching in connection with the Kingdom we may compare
James 1:14 with Matthew 15:19
James 4:12 with Matthew 10:28
James 5:1 with Luke 6:24.”

It is futile to try to harmonize the teaching of James with that of Paul. Paul’s epistles are to the body of Christ in this dispensation of grace. James writes to the twelve tribes of Israel. This means that Baptist pastors should put away their little bottles of oil and understand that we are in the dispensation of grace! Leave James to the Jews.