SYMPTOMS OF A LOST GENERATION

by

lost generation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Ken Blue

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12.

It is easy to see why some people don’t like to look in the mirror. If they look beyond the external, and see within their soul, they see nothing but filth and dirt. The following four point from Scripture point out the problem.

1. Those who do not honor parents. These have no respect for their father or mother, and very little for themselves. “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.” Proverbs 30:11. Everything they do dishonors the name of their parents. This is a generational problem.  They would as soon curse their mother and father, as they would a dog. Beauty may be on the outside, but the inside is ugly, filth, and immorality.

 .

2. Those who are self-righteous. “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12. This generation has no concept of true righteousness. They think because they are polite and considerate at times, they are good. But underneath the facade, lies a ravenous beast. The only pureness seen, is in their own eyes. They are filthy, unwashed, and blind to it all.

 

3. Those who are full of vanity, pride and insolence. “There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.” Proverbs 30:13. This crowd has no shame. They are unable to blush, so they purchase it at the cosmetic counter. Pride stands out in every pore of their skin. It is seen in their walk, their talk, their music, and their impertinence. They pride themselves on the fact that “their head is bloody, but unbowed.” They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear, they have mouths, but they don’t know how to talk.

 

4. Those who are cruel, greedy, and oppressive to the poor. “There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.” Proverbs 30:14.  This generation in a class of thieves. They would steal the shoes and coat from the beggar. Their eyes are constantly looking for things to steal. They are like a beast that leaves no meat on the bones.  It may be their need for crack, weed, and speed that fuels their greed. If it isn’t under lock and key, they will steal it. Their conscience is dead concerning this matter, unless someone steal from them.

 

You would like to rebuke the above crowd, but they will not take rebuke. You would like to shame them, but they have no shame. The only hope for these, is the death of a friend, or a near death experience themselves.  It might wake them up, but I doubt it.

 

MISS INTERPRETATION AND MISS APPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE

by

kingdom of heaven

Recognizing the Kingdom of Heaven

By Ken Blue

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” John 17:4.

This may be one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. It certainly is the greatest of all prayer. It is truly “the Lord’s prayer.” Any pastor looking for a text that affords a great series of sermons, will find a gold mine in John 17.

However, as many attempt to establish a doctrinal point, it is not uncommon for men to go to any passage anywhere in the Bible to search for such a verse. That was vividly demonstrated in a book recently given to me by a fellow pastor. The entire purpose of the book was to establish the perpetuity of the Baptist church. After several chapters, the author used the above verse as proof that Jesus had finished the work His Father gave Him to do. That is, the establishment of the Baptist Church.

Now, you have to be desperate to conclude that this chapter is about the establishing of today’s church. This is a prayer to the Father, stating how the Son had glorified Him by doing His work and will. The work was not “finished,” but the prayer anticipates His work on Calvary.

The Achilles heel of many believers is the belief that Jesus came to Israel to start, and establish the church, which is His body. It is evident from the four gospels, and early Acts period that was not the case. The purpose and ministry of Jesus Christ was not to establish the local church. His purpose was to set up an earthly Kingdom of Heaven, with Jerusalem as its capital.

The church, down through history, has taken the writings of Paul, and read them back into the Kingdom of Heaven ministry. Many of the early church fathers went even further, and have the present church in the Old Testament.  This may be one of the greatest errors of the church. Many, wrongly assume that when the Lord said in Matthew 16:18-19, “18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19, that He was speaking of the present church. They fail to see that Jesus was speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that Peter and the eleven would preside over it. “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28. This will be the restored church that was in the wilderness. “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:” Acts 7:38.

The book of HEBREWS speaks to this church. “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” Hebrews 2:11-13. The quote is from Psalms 22, and Isaiah 8:18. Look at the context, and you will see that the “church” is the congregation of Jews who will rule, and rejoice in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yes, the work the Father gave Jesus at His First Advent was finished. However, there is still work to be done, and it will be done at the Second Advent, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!

PREACHER, DON’T TAKE IT!

by

 calling card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Ken Blue

People who love their pastor want to do good things for him and his family. I am thankful that I pastored that kind of church. Let people do thing for you. They receive greater joy in giving, than you do in receiving.

However, there is a story I read that should be a warning to every pastor. There is something you should not take.

A Christian lady was shopping at a local city mall where she engaged a stranger in conversation. She wanted to direct the conversation toward spiritual matters so she could tell the lady about Christ. The stranger was polite, and listened intently. Finally, she said she must go, and finish her shopping. The Christian gave her a gospel tract, and was also able to secure her name and address. They shook hands, and each went their way.

The zealous Christian recorded the name and address on a visitation card and placed it in her Bible. Next Sunday, she approached the pastor and shared with him the good contact, and conversation she had with the lady. She assured him that this lady was a great prospect, and could be won to Christ. He then took the card.

That week the pastor made the call. He introduced himself, and explained the purpose of his visit. The woman told him she was not interested, and that she had her own faith.

You guessed it. At the next church service, the pastor was ask how the call went. He told her what the lady said. With shock in her face and voice, she said, “I don’t understand what you did that caused her to reject you. She was very interested when I talked to her.”

Many people think those who are polite are interested in what they have to say. The pastor was assigned the call, checked on, and found responsible for failure. So, when someone tries to give you their prospect, think long and hard before you take it. Better yet, let them follow up, and reap the results.

Remember Pastor, whatever task or assignment you take from others, you are now accountable. You will be giving a progress report, and expected to succeed. Think before you take it!

 

A WASTED LIFE

by

 

wasted life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Ken Blue

You’ll meet many standing idle on life’s charted road.

Others struggle on with pain from the seeds they’ve sowed.

Some don’t seem care, all ambition and will are gone.

Somewhere, along the way, choices they made were wrong.

 

There is a Bank with life’s deposits, made just for you.

You may withdraw as you like; spend as you want to.

Invest wisely, on your way, as the interest will accrue.  

There will be accounting time, when the debts comes due.

 

Amusement’s the choice of some; life’s a complete waste.

It’s a game; thoughts of God have all been erased.

Pleasure hold’s captive, the simple and the fool.

Accounting is ahead, when you ignore life’s rule.

 

So, dear friend, are you trapped in this worlds sinful mold?

Are you spending your life, on thing you cannot hold?

Invest your time and talents for men, and the Lord.

At accounting time He’ll say, great is your reward.

 

Open up the ledger, and see just where you stand.

Stop blaming and excusing, start moving while you can.

The righteous Judge will see through, your feeble alibi.  

You’ll regret a life wasted, when it’s time to die.

 

Life’s a gift, but like the wind, it will swiftly fly

Everything we grasp down here will wither and die.

So, use the Bank wisely; invest to gain the more

A wasted life’s a tragedy; you can’t restore. 

 

LET’S STUDY REVELATION # 42

by

REVELON BOOK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A continuation of chapter 11:19

John sees the temple in heaven (v. 19), with the Ark of the testament inside. The purpose of this vision is to reassure the remnant of God’s faithfulness. They will be able to connect God’s mighty working with the Ark. There are five names given to the ark in the Old Testament.

1.   The Ark of the Covenant. It contained the tables of

the law.

2.   The ark of Testimony. It testified to God’s presence

and holiness.

3.   The ark of God. It was a visible reminder of His

presence.

4.   The ark of God’s Strength. Many mighty works are

connected to it.

5.   The Holy Ark. It was where the mercy seat was located, and their God met in holiness with Israel.

The Ark was a box measuring 5 ft. 2 ½ in. long x 37 ½ in. wide x 37 ½ in. high. (See Exodus 25:10.) It was made of acacia wood and overlaid within and without with gold. Inside the box were three items of memorial. The two tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments constituted the “testimony” or evidence of God’s covenant with Israel.  The other items were manna, the bread from heaven, and Aaron’s almond-rod that budded.

Some writers erroneously believe that the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant was taken up to heaven by visiting cherubim.  Ezekiel 11:23 is cited as a departure of the Ark to heaven. Someone has watched Indiana Jones one time too many times.

The teaching that this ark in heaven is the Ark of the Old Testament is pure conjecture. There is not one verse of Scripture that remotely suggests such an idea. In fact, it would be contrary to Scripture. The ark was made of perishable materials, wood and gold. All items in the earthly tabernacle were only copies. This Ark in heaven, seen by John, existed long before Moses ever gave the blueprints to Bezaleel.  Shall we assume that the Candlestick and the rod of Moses are in heaven also?

John has already mentioned the throne, the sea of glass, the altar of incense; and now he sees the ark. All these, and much more, are in heaven and are called “the true.” None were taken to heaven by UFO’s or aliens. Hebrews 9:23-24 says, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Verse 19 takes in chapter 16:1 through 18:24. Chapter 12, 13, and 14 are parenthetical and are necessary to the understanding of the vials.

The voices, the thundering, the lightning, and the earthquake are all mentioned to describe the awful intensity of the seven vials quickly to follow.

 

 A Parenthetical Section

 The Fourth Vision

 This is the fourth vision in heaven and deals with the age-old conflict between the Dragon and the Woman.

 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”  (Revelation 12:1-2).

T

his passage is a quick glance back to the beginning of the satanic plan against Israel and her Seed. (See Genesis 3:15.) After a quick overview the writer brings you back to the mid-point of the Tribulation and takes you through the Great Tribulation one more time, with the satanic plan in view. This vision is the Scope of the satanic plan.

The “woman” of this chapter is none other than the nation of Israel and her remnant. Not by any stretch of the imagination is she Mary, the Roman Catholic Church, the protestant church, or Mary Baker Eddy!

She is a “sign” which depicts Israel and her conflict with Satan. The “sign” is clear. (See Genesis 37:9-10.) Joseph had two dreams, which were a prophecy of Christ who was rejected by His brethren, sentenced to death, raised to life, and will be recognized by Israel and reign over them at His Second Advent.