PURGATORY

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PURGATORY–AN INVENTION OF RELIGION
by Ken Blue
purgatoryIt is said that this is a place where men must go after death to purge their sins, but purgatory is totally an invention of man’s religion. The word purgatory comes from the word purge, and the Bible says that Christ “by Himself purged our sins” without any help from us (Heb. 1:3). The Lord told the dying thief, “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). This is significant, since the inspired Word of God calls this man a thief, and it was his own testimony to the other thief that “we receive the due reward of our deeds” (v. 41). That is, he was admitting he had not been framed or misjudged but had indeed committed crimes worthy of the death penalty. If there was a Purgatory, this man would have gone there, yet we have the Lord’s word on it that he did not. If anyone needed to go to Purgatory, it was the carnal Corinthians! Yet Paul told even these sinful believers that they could be “confident” that “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (II Cor. 5:8). R. K.

SHOULD THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH ANOINT WITH OIL?

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SHOULD THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH ANOINT THE SICK WITH OIL?

By Ken Blue
anoint with oil“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:14-16.

Several years ago one of the best-known pastors in fundamentalism preached at our church. I have no memory what the title or purpose of the sermon was. However, in the sermon, he mentioned the above text and stated that many women, who seemed barren, wanted to be anointed with oil in order to heal their bareness. He said he did so, and many of the women later conceived. Several of our ladies lined up and he proceeded to anoint them with oil.

At that time I had little understanding of right divisions of Scripture or the book of James. However, the right division of the Scriptures makes it clear that Hebrews through Revelation are Jewish epistles. Therefore, it must be understood and interpreted accordingly.  The first verse of James makes it clear to whom it is written and for the twelve tribes of Israel. “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” James 1:1. It is written to the twelve tribes of Israel and falls under the ministry to them.

   The book of James was written about A.D. 45 at Jerusalem before the first Christian council in A.D. 51, and is, no doubt, the first epistle written under the Kingdom of Heaven offer to Israel. James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ is the author of the book. James is more Jewish in content than Matthew, the gospel for the Jews; than Jude and Revelation, and even Hebrews. “The book of James could take a place with the Old Testament canon as far as doctrine is concerned.  There is no mention of the gospel, the incarnation, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.  There is no suggestion as to the Messiah has come or of redemption through Him.  There is no trace of early Christian controversies.  However, James adheres to the teachings of Christ…” Dake’s notes. The book of James parallels much of the Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew 5-7.

We conclude that the anointing with oil is a Jewish practice under the Kingdom of Heaven ministry, and it has no place or application to the church of this grace dispensation. I have witnessed several Baptist preachers attempt to practice the anointing in order to appease a request, but I have never seen anyone follow the scriptural mandate. Nothing is as silly as a Baptist pastor with a dab of oil on his finger dabbing it on some naive Christian. However, I too was once foolish and blind to the understanding of the book of James because I had not learned to rightly divide the Word of God. The internal evidence is overwhelming that James is not to or for the church, the Body of Christ. We must study all Scripture, but we must know to whom and for what purpose they are written. Anointing oil has no place in this age of grace.

 

DO YOU KNOW WHY 90% OF PEOPLE WASH OUT IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT?

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DO YOU KNOW WHY 90% OF PEOPLE WASH OUT IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT?

  1. IT IS NOT THEIR INABILITY TO DO THE JOB AT HAND.
  2. IT IS THEIR INABILITY TO HAVE REPORT WITH THEIR SUPERIORS. (Present oneself formally as having arrived at a particular place or as ready to do something. Present oneself arrive turn up   clock in sign in punch in show up be responsible to (a superior or supervisor).
  3. IT IS THEIR INABILITY TO RELATE TO PEERS. (They can’t understand the need to relate to peers.)
  4. IT IS THEIR INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SUBORDINATES.
  5. SO, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ADJUST YOUR ACTIONS AND ATTITUDE TO YOUR BOSS, YOUR PEERS, AND YOUR SUBORDINATES. (You may do as you like, but you must also take   responsibility for your actions, attitude, and words.)

TEN-FOLD DESCRIPTION OF IDOLS IN PSALM 115

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TEN-FOLD DESCRIPTION OF IDOLS IN PSALM 115
IDOLS

  1. They are silver and gold (Psalm 115:4).
  2. They are the work of men’s hands.
  3. They have mouths, but speak not (Psalm 115:5).
  4. They have eyes, but see not.
  5. They have ears, but hear not (Psalm 115:6).
  6. They have noses, but smell not.
  7. They hands, but handle not (Psalm 115:7).
  8. They have feet, but walk not.
  9. They have throat, but speak not.
  10. They are helpless like their makers and those who trust them (Psalm 115:8).

 Dake

HEALING BY HIS STRIPES, BUT NOT YET.

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HEALING BY HIS STRIPES, BUT NOT YET.

healing

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” Isaiah 53:4-9

The Lord’s healing ministry validated the Old Testament claims that Israel’s Messiah would, be among other things, the healer. Much of His earthly ministry consisted of healings. As noted, the purpose was to verify that He was their Messiah and King. However, instead of accepting Him, the religious leaders attributed His healings to the devil. “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” Matthew 12:22-24.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…there is healing in His strips, but not yet.[/perfectpullquote]

When Israel rejected their king and the Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom miracles and ministry began to disappear and did so during the Acts period. God revealed the mystery and ministry of grace to the Apostle Paul. It is evident that apostolic miracles were disappearing. The following will show that trend. “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” 1 Timothy 5:23. It is evident that this was real wine, and it had medicinal qualities. Timothy is also told to drink “a little.” That would not be necessary for grape juice.  One wonders why Paul did not use his healing ministry to heal Erastus. “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” 2 Timothy 4:20. We see the same in the following.” Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.  For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.  For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Philippians 2:25-27. We don’t know what Paul’s thorn was, but his prayers and faith could not rid him of it. God said, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9. You are not yet healed by His stripes.

If we rightly divide the Word of God, we must acknowledge that Isaiah is addressed to the nation of Israel, and chapter fifty-three is a realization by the nation of Israel that they did not know or acknowledge their King at His first advent. The truth of the passage will be understood by Israel after the rapture of the church, and they are converted. Although the text was written seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, it still is not acknowledged or understood by Israel. The passage will be comprehended by the remnant during the Tribulation or the Millennium. Perhaps the following text will shed more light on the subject. “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:8-9.  Yes, there is healing in His strips, but not yet.