Did You Ever Think Of This?

This will be a short post because I encourage you to search this out of scripture. Feel free to post your findings or email us at theheavensrecord@gmail.com

Did you ever think of this? We are taught many things from our Bible teachers and one of those teachings is the Bride of Christ. We have been told the church is the bride of Christ and that is pictured in Ephesians 5. And yes, I see the correlation –

Ephesians 5:21-32 KJV  “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
[22] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
[23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
[24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
[26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
[27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
[28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
[29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
[30] For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
[32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

Clearly we see a relationship between Christ and the church. But did you ever ask or wonder – if the church is the bride of Christ, why doesn’t Paul, the apostle to the church, ever mention the church is the bride of Christ? Paul tells us of a great mystery of Christ and the church but Paul does not call the church the bride of Christ.

We know from scripture God the Father calls Israel his wife and he also gives her a divorce.

Isaiah 50:1 KJV  “Thus saith the Lord , Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.”

Jeremiah 3:8 KJV  “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

So when we think of Jesus and the bride of Christ, we have been taught the church is the bride, right? We have been taught the Father married Israel and the Son, Jesus, marries the church.

When we study words like bridegroom and bride and look at wedding we find the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 22:1-14 and Matthew 25:1-13 but do you notice how both of those texts start? Jesus likens them to the kingdom of heaven. And we know the kingdom of heaven is the literal reign of Jesus on earth unlike the kingdom of God which is inside all believers.

And it is very interesting that Paul never  mentions the church as the bride of Christ. So when we investigate the bride we see new Jerusalem is prepared as a bride in Revelation 21:1,2. And if you carefully read the whole chapter, Revelation 21, you see in verse 9 an angel tells John, come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

Revelation 21:9 KJV  “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

Then read what the angel shows him in verses 10-27.

If the Father married Israel the nation, could it be the Son marries Jerusalem, the city of God? Is the bride New Jerusalem populated with Revelation 21:27 KJV  “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Interesting study. So what is Paul talking about in  Ephesians 5:32 KJV
” This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

Until next time.

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When Bad Things Happen

When you think of Job, what do you think of? For years I thought of all the troubles Job had. But recently, the Lord has shown me to consider the bigger picture. For example, what do you know about Job’s three friends? And what kind of advice did Job’s three friends give him?

When we go through trials and tribulations of life, we often discuss them with family or friends looking for answers. And yes, we do pray and talk them over with the Lord first. But we also know there is much wisdom in much counsel as scripture teaches us.

The first attack on Job contained four attacks: 2 related to thieves stealing from Job, 1 was from fire and 1 from wind. If we were to relate the attacks to our time in the 21st century we might  see the following :

1 – Thieves stole his oxen and asses. Scripture tells us who the thieves were, Sabeans, who were descendents of Ham, Noah’s son. These Sabeans stole from Job and killed his servants.

Oxen and asses worked for Job, so we can look at this first attack as an attack on your work, your job, your career.

2 – Then fire from God is fallen from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, consumed them. Because sheep were used in an offering to the Lord as well as food, does this attack represent our worship?

3 – Then the Chaldeans made out three bands and fell on the camels and stole them and killed the servants. Camels were a means of transportation so Job lost his means of transportation.

4 – This one was a great wind from the wilderness and smote the house his children were in and killed all his children. This we might say was like a tornado destroying a house and everyone in the house.

So we see two of the four attacks were related to thieves, one from fire and one from wind.  We also know it was Satan bringing these attacks from Job chapter one.

We read where Job’s three friends come to him and counsel him. So let’s look at this counsel. The three friends were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Now scripture tells us who these three are specifically and if we trace who they are, we can find out more about them. For instance, Eliphaz was a Temanite. Why would God tell us that?

Job 4:1 KJV  “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,”

Temanites were from Teman, the grandson of Esau. They settled with the Edomites, those from Edom. Paul tells us in Romans 9, God hated Esau.
Romans 9:13 KJV  “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

All I am saying is God tells us where these three friends are from and we can learn more about the three friends by learning where they are from. Why mention this? Because of the counsel they gave Job. We can compare to the counsel we receive.

You see, Eliphaz’s counsel was focused on experience. He argued to Job based on experience. People do that today. They tell of their experience and think God works the same way all the time. But like Eliphaz, people don’t see if it is Satan attacking because they are basing the attacks on their own experiences.

The second friend was Bildad, the Shuhite. Bildad argued from tradition. He was using traditions and called Job a hypocrite. Job 8:13 KJV  “So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:”

That would be like saying today – our traditions show us God does not attack his people like this so you must be a hypocrite by saying one thing to us but doing something different. Today, that would be like people telling you that you speak one thing but I see God punishing you and our tradition tells us God wouldn’t punish you if you were doing what you say.

And the third friend Zophar was a Naamathite and he argues to Job from legalism.  Job 11:11-15 KJV  “For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it ?
[12] For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.
[13] If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
[14] If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
[15] For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:”

Zophar was telling Job, you must have sin in your life and that is why these things have happened to you.

Later we read a fourth man comes to speak whose name is Elihu who also gave Job counsel.  But what happens after all the tests, after all the attacks?

Job 38:1-2 KJV  “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
[2] Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?”

The Lord tells Job the counsel of his friends was not true regarding the attacks on Job.  Sometimes, well meaning family and friends will tell you that you are sick, or poor, or can’t find a job  because:
Tradition teaches God does punish believers. Or, experience tells them God does this when  certain things in your life do not please God. Or, from legalism, you must have done something wrong or have sin in your life.

Friends, God punished sin at the cross. All punishment went on to Jesus. If you are in Christ you are righteous in God’s eyes and if you are being attacked, there is a very good chance it is Satan trying to get you to quit on God. Satan trying to steal from you or Satan trying to destroy your testimony.

God is not our problem, he is our answer. Until next time.

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Your Own Brother

Matthew 10:16-22 KJV  “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
[17] But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
[18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
[21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
[22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

We know, doctrinally, this refers to the tribulation time. How do we know? Take the chapter in context. Jesus is speaking to his 12 disciples and he is telling them,  Matthew 10:5-7 KJV

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
[6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

During the tribulation, the time of the Gentiles is gone and God is dealing with Israel again. We also know from scripture, the kingdom of heaven is the literal, earthly reign of Jesus from Jerusalem.

But my point in showing these verses is,  notice verse 21. Brother will deliver up brother, and the father will deliver up the child, to what? Death. It is hard to think of brothers delivering up their own brother to death. Who delivered Jesus to be crucified?  Judas, one of the 12.

We know however, that is exactly what happened with Joseph. Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery. Who was at fault for Joseph going into slavery? ( I am not talking about God’s divine plan either.) Who was at fault? Joseph’s own brothers. And Joseph never went back to his own country alive. He stayed in the country where he was sold as a slave. His life in that country, as a slave,  in the flesh, became better than his brother’s.

Today, we see Africans claim Confederate statues offend them and they want the Confederate flag, statues and all references to America’s Civil War removed because these symbols “offend” them.

In the grand scheme of things, believers know this is really spiritual warfare and the forces of evil are trying to eradicate God and American history. It started in the 1950’s by removing school prayer, removing God from taxpayer funded schools and the process has nibbled away at all references to God in our society. And this is the real reason why Africans and others are demanding the Confederate symbols be removed.

How do I know this? Joseph. Tearing down symbols of history because people over 100 years ago had African slaves is ludicrous. It is history. But the Africans have it wrong and here is why. Who sold Joseph into slavery? His own brothers. Who sold Africans into slavery? Their own brothers. Africans could have fought off, as a country, those wanting to buy slaves, but they didn’t. Their own countrymen, their own brothers sold them into slavery.

Merchants came to buy a product, people as slaves. Their own brothers sold them to the merchants for money, for profit. If the merchants could not buy them, they would have looked elsewhere. The same thing happens today. People, mothers and fathers sell their children into sex trafficking for money. Their own family is selling them as slaves.

When slavery was abolished in countries around the world, including America, Africans could have gone home. They chose not to return to their country. Just like Joseph, he stayed in Egypt and so did Joseph’s family. So why didn’t Joseph blame the Egyptians? Because the Egyptians were the merchants buying a product that was for sale. And who was selling the product? Joseph’s own brothers. Who sold the Africans? Their own brothers.
Who sells the children into sex trafficking? Their own mothers, fathers and brothers.

The late Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia said of what is happening in America is social transformation without representation. People are tearing down symbols, flags, bibles, crosses, ten commandment plaques to transform America socially. And because our “elected” officials never asked the people to vote on these social issues, we have social transformation without representation

So if American history offends you, move out of our country. If God offends you and you do not want crosses, bibles and prayer, leave because our founding fathers established America on the Holy Scriptures, school prayer, teaching the Bible in schools and closing all business on Sundays so families went to church. And yes, we have made mistakes but don’t blame us for what your own brothers did to you. Blame those who sold you, not us.

Until next time.

Is Malachi Revisited?

Is Malachi revisited? Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi was a prophet of God and Malachi’s name means messenger of God.

Malachi was directing the people to give serious attention to their spiritual problems concerning the corruption of priests, the neglect of God’s temple and personal sins at home. He ends his book with a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah and his forerunner. Today, we know this forerunner was John the Baptist. We also know Jesus is the Messiah from Isaiah 53 and many other Old Testament verses plus New Testament verses.

The theme of the book of Malachi is the people were put into captivity because of their sin and now they were doing the same things. Divorce was common, people were selfish, the temple was being neglected and there was general spiritual decline. Malachi blames the religious leaders because they, of all people, should know what God requires. Sounds like 450-425 BC is similar to 2017.

If we outlined Malachi we would see:
~ God’s love for Israel and Israel’s shame in chapters 1:1 – 2:9
~ Israel’s sins denounced in 2:10-17
~ Future judgement is coming in 3:1-6
~ The neglected tithe in 3:7-18
~ The coming of Jesus Christ 4:1-6

People think God is all love. And yes, God is love but God also gets angry. Remember,  God created man in his image after his likeness as Genesis 1 teaches us.  But look what God says about Edom.

Malachi 1:1-5 KJV  “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
[2] I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord : yet I loved Jacob,
[3] And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
[4] Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
[5] And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.”

Who is Edom? Bill Salus and Prophecy in the News have mapped the names with current maps. Below is their map.

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The Lord also tells priests in Malachi 2:1-2 KJV  “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
[2] If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.”

God told the people through Malachi,
Malachi 3:1 KJV  “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”

And look in Mark 1 – Mark 1:1-2 KJV
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
[2] As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”

Mark 1:4 KJV  “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Mark 1:8-10 KJV  “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
[9] And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
[10] And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:”

Mark 1:15 KJV  “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Friends, what we think about God, about getting to heaven, even about doctrines is not what is important. It is what saith the Lord. Even believers get caught up in divisions,  but the truth is in God’s word and it does not matter if we think this or that or if a church teaches this or that. The only thing that matters and will count is what does the Lord God say about it in his word.

Believers today try to persuade people to repent and believe the gospel because believers know God is going to bring his judgment on this world. Even Paul mentions this in 2 Corinthians 5:11 KJV  “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

As we watch society turn against God by society accepting things God’s word clearly condemns, believers need to stand up and tell the people truth. We can not sit still and let things happen. How can you occupy/stand by not saying anything?

What is right or wrong is not based on what we think. Right and wrong is based on what God says is right and what God says is wrong if we like it or not. We have to change our thinking to line up with God’s word. It should not be what you or I think about something, it should be, what does God say about the matter. What does God say about the issue. Until next time.

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Instant Life Change

The other day I walked in to a small  store where I regularly shop. Over the past couple of years I have tried to be a friend to a couple of the regular workers in the store. I would bring in shopping carts from the parking lot because people would leave the carts out in lot instead of putting the cart back where they found it, in the store. The workers always thanked me for helping them.

As I was standing in line to check out, one of the cashiers who I have tried to be a friend to, looked preoccupied. So I called her by name and asked how she was today. Then asked if she was having a good day. She said it is kind of hard to have a good day when your husband is in Hospice. So I expressed my sadness and asked her how long has he been in Hospice. She said a week. I asked what happened to him. She said he had a massive stroke last week. I asked how old is he. 57 she said. In an instant, their lives changed.

As she was explaining to me how Hospice does not think he will be in this world much longer, I was asking God to give me words of comfort for her. So I said, Is he saved and going to heaven? Her countenance changed. She looked at me and said, I believe in heaven. Then I said, yes, but is he saved. She said, I will cover for him. I said, you know, it doesn’t work that way. She clearly did not want to hear any more about it so I said I will see you later.

I got into my car and prayed for both of them. I asked God to put believers in their path they will listen to and be saved. Surely, I will try again to get through to her but her husband God is going to have to send someone.  Often, Hospice workers are believers and maybe they can get through to her husband.

But the situation made me think and concerned me. Here is a man who is getting ready to step into eternity where he can no longer change his destination. God gave him 57 years to read God’s book. God gave him 57 years to find out how to get to heaven and this man and his wife have not read anything from God.

All those years, 57 of them, and why would someone not even read one book, God’s book the Bible. All the books they have read all their life and they would not even take the time to read God’s book, just one book from God.

Romans 10:3 KJV  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

Imagine the surprise on their faces when they die, if unsaved. When they realize they are not going to heaven and they had their chance to read one book that would tell them about God and heaven and how to go to heaven, but they never took any time in 57 years to check it out?

When Jesus sent out 70 disciples in Luke 10, they came back to Jesus saying “devils are subject to us through your name”. Jesus told them not to rejoice in that, but rejoice your names are written down in heaven.

Luke 10:17-20 KJV  “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
[18] And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
[19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
[20] Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Friends, God keeps records. Just as God has chronicled creation and generations for thousands of years, the time we are in now is being chronicled and names are being written in heaven.

We know scripture tells us of the Book of Life and the “other” books. Like Paul explained in Romans 10:3, people who are ignorant of God’s way and try to establish their own way, their names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Romans 10:3 KJV  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

Revelation 20:12-15 KJV  “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

So even though this cashier thinks she can cover for her husband, her thinking is wrong based on the word of God.

Revelation 21:27 KJV  “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Friends, what we think about God, about getting to heaven, even about doctrines is not what is important. It is what saith the Lord. Even believers get caught up in church doctrines and we see divisions,  but the truth is in God’s word and it does not matter if we think this or that or if a church teaches this or that. The only thing that matters and will count is what does the Lord God say about it in his word. Then we, as believers, have to try and show people what they think needs to line up with scripture and if it does not, then you have to change what you think to what God says. Until next time.

In Front Of You

Did you ever notice the whole armour of God does not have a covering for your back? Clearly God wants us to push forward and not cut and run away.

As believers, we live in this world but are not a part of this world. Our heart and mind is stayed on the Lord and his business while we live and walk in the spirit. Our spirit man is suppose to grow and eventually overcome our flesh and fleshly nature. But we are still impacted by people, saved or lost,  while we are in this mortal body.

The Lord has put it on my heart to share an experience I have had. This experience is the reason for the title of this post, In Front Of You. I don’t know if any of you have truly loved one of your parents where you were at their beckoned call. Yes, it is a two way street and although I was at my mom’s beckoned call, my mom was always there for me.

I don’t know if it is because mom’s have a mother’s love, an unconditional love for their children or not. I have seen or heard of some mothers abandoning their children too. But when you, as a child of your parents in the flesh, make a decision to be a part of a parent’s life, you both make sacrifices for each other. And when God uses you to get through to a parent about salvation and explaining salvation to your parent, and they get saved, your bond is strengthened even more.

I use to tell my mom she is my earthly parent and I am her spiritual parent. We would laugh over that. What is even more amazing is when I first got saved, no one in my family wanted anything to do with me. Now, they are all saved.

The end of this month is four years my mom has gone home to be with Jesus. As I look back to the first few months after mom went home I marvel how God comforted and strengthened me. I had such a bond with my mom and she with me.

After the Hospice nurses left and the funeral people came to pick up her body for burial and the family left, I sat and cried. I talked to the Lord thanking him he gave me time to prepare myself and didn’t just take her home. For the following three months I just cried and talked to God. I wasn’t angry, I was hurting in my heart. My mom’s and my life were wrapped up together for years and years. Now it was like part of me was gone. Part of my daily life was missing.

As a musician, I would play the organ or keyboard and mom would sing and dance around the house. Now when I played all I could see was  mom singing and dancing and joking around with me, but she wasn’t there. I couldn’t play for over a year.

God started healing my heart and reminding me we would be together again with Jesus but I still missed her and still do. Yes, I did thank God for all the wonderful, funny and exciting times God gave us. I remember telling God I felt like a ship without a rudder and didn’t know what he wanted me to do now.

Four years later this month, I now see. After mom went home, the Lord opened my understanding to many things in his word. I have been studying God’s word for years, every day, and several hours every day so when God started opening my understanding he was taking time to teach me things I did not consider before. It is almost like the Lord took me forward to a higher place.

When we loose someone dear to us, whether through abandonment, divorce, or death, that is a crucial time for us. People either quit on God or draw closer to God. I chose to draw closer. And when the Lord showed me, my mom is not a person of our past together, she is a person of my future, I could rejoice. Another words, she is in front of me.

When I think on her getting sick and dying it saddens me but then I change my thinking to the future. Mom is waiting for me to come home. And God has me here to do a job for him. I must finish my work here until my Heavenly Father says it’s time to come home.

We all experience heartaches and pain in this life. But friend, if you are saved, God has you here to do something specific for him. And God will reward you for not quitting and following through. When we run a race we know there is a prize or reward. So let us run with patience our race. And as Paul says,

Philippians 3:13-21 KJV  “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
[14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[15] Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
[16] Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
[17] Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
[18] (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
[19] Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
[20] For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
[21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

I truly pray this post helps someone. I try not to get too personal on these posts but God put it on my heart to share this and explain deep, deep hurts and heartaches God will use to open our eyes to spiritual matters. Remember,  the flesh profits nothing, it is all about your spirit man. Until next time.

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Finding What God Prepares For You

Last time we mentioned how some  believers say we can not know what God has prepared for us who love him. These believers use 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV  “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

But the very next verse tells us God has revealed it to us, believers.

1 Corinthians 2:10 KJV  “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

And as believers, 1 Corinthians 2:12 KJV  “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

Friend, if you are truly born again, a believer who is in Christ, you have received the spirit of God as verse 12 says. And if you have the spirit of God, you should know the things that are freely given to us of God. The Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God. And these things God has given us are taught to us by the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 2:13 KJV  “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

If you do not know the things God has freely given to you, you have to ask yourself, why don’t I know?

1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV  “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Look at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 2:9, it says ” But as it is written”.  A familiar phrase in scripture, ” It is written” but Paul is saying, as it is written – so this verse in 1 Corinthians 2:9 is written somewhere before the time Paul is speaking it now. Isaiah 64:4 KJV  “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”

So Paul is repeating a verse from Isaiah. 1 Corinthians 2:9 is not some secret thing God has planned for those that love him. Actually, look at Psalm 25:14 KJV  “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”

And that is what Paul is telling believers, God has revealed it unto us by his Spirit. Then Paul says, 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 KJV ” But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

We have the mind of Christ. Paul lays out several times throughout all his letters to the churches how believers need to get a hold of their mind. They need to renew their mind, we need to bring our thoughts into subjection. Even Philippians 3 focuses on the spiritual mind. But in Philippians 2:5 KJV  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

The key is your mind, the way you think. Mindfulness. If you are going to look at things the way the world teaches or your own reasoning, you will not understand how God works and what God has prepared for you.

When a situation comes up in life, usually we try to reason things out and we use the world’s ways. After all, we have been taught from birth the things the world requires and how to live in this world. So to shift our thoughts and our mind to God’s word, God’s ways, living in the spirit,  often it does not make sense to us because we do not have experience in watching God work in us and for us. And our experiences with God increase our faith.

That is why I mentioned Proverbs 3 last time. Proverbs 3:5-10 give you three promises from God you can take to the bank, so to say. These three promises do not make sense to our “natural” mind but to the person mindful of spiritual living, it makes perfect sense so we do “as it is written” and we speak “as it is written” and we see God do miraculous things for us and through us.

Proverbs 3:5-10 KJV  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
[7] Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord , and depart from evil.
[8] It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
[9] Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
[10] So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Until next time.

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A Four Question Quiz

It just irritates me when I hear a preacher or believer say we don’t know what God has prepared for us as believers. These people quote one verse to make that claim and then they stop reading. I get so frustrated I yell, read the next verse would you! But God, read it man read it. Don’t leave the people thinking they can not know, read it. Tell them, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:”

Naturally, I am referring to 1 Corinthians 2:9,10. So I wanted to do an experiment.  I am going to give you the text in its entirety and then ask you four questions.

Remember in school, teachers would test your reading comprehension by reading you a story or giving you a story to read, then they would close the book and ask you questions about the story? That was to test your listening skills. But when they asked questions like what if this character did this instead of that, they were testing your comprehension of an event, concept or teaching.

People read all kinds of things all day long but just because they can read something and tell you what they read, does not mean they have reading comprehension. Another words, just because someone can read an article or a book does not mean they understand the concept, the teaching, the methods the book is teaching.

Remember in our last post What Is Understanding we used our smart phones as the example? We explained just because you read the operating manual does not mean you understand how or why your smart phone works. Someone with good reading comprehension can look at and read the manual and “see” how everything works together.

With God’s word we see similar situations, except for one major point. God’s word is a living word. So when people start messing with God’s word, they are asking for trouble. Those who make “their” version, their notes are added so they play Holy Spirit through their notes, they are messing with Almighty God and his word. That issue is for another time.

So a casual read through God’s word gives us basics. And as for reading comprehension, a casual read shows us the overall concepts taught in God’s word. But because the word of God is a living book, God makes different things “pop out” to the reader. That is why you can read verses one time and get one thing out of the verses and something different the next time you read the same verses.

But like the smart phone, when you comprehend the environment you understand how they work, how to get them to perform certain functions and how to get specific results.

Lots of people read scripture but few try to comprehend what scripture teaches. An example is salvation. People say a prayer and think they are saved, but do they comprehend what salvation really is? What about 10, 20 or 30 years later, do they comprehend what salvation really is? Surely when we first got saved we did not comprehend what we were getting into but we knew and believed God and his word. So we acted on the authority of God’s word and got saved.

Now it is time to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and most saved people look to preachers to teach them, what comes next. These new converts will either dig into God’s word and find answers or they defer to other people to teach them. Often the latter case causes believers to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

So let me, as I said at the beginning of this post, give you some text and then ask you four questions from the text.

1 Corinthians 2:1-16 KJV  “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
[3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
[4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
[5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom , which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it , they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
[10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned.
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

4 Questions:

Can we know the things God has prepared for us who love him?

If yes, how can we know what God has prepared for us who love him?

Do we have the mind of Christ?

What is the mind of Christ?

Don’t give me your opinion for these questions, prove your answers with scripture. You can email me your answers at theheavensrecord@gmail.com

Or feel free to post comments.
Until next time.

But God hath revealed them unto us (vs10)

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What Is Understanding?

Now I could give you the techical meaning of the word understanding but that is not going to help you understand the concept of understanding. So I have chosen a life example. When you read this example, think about how it applies to God and his word to us.

On the surface, we might say understanding means knowing the meaning of something. So when we know the meaning or purpose of something, we understand.  An example of this would be our cell phone. We understand the meaning of the words – cell phone. We also understand the purpose of a cell phone is to provide mobile communication so we can speak to people on the go.

So when ” smart phones ” came out, we understood our cell phones now had more abilities. Our mobile communications now had the added ability to provide a portable computer. We learned how to operate these new smart phones but we have little to no understanding of how they work.

Just like the Internet has its protocols so computers can “speak” to other computers in their computer language called code, our smart phones have their protocols too. Actually, all wireless products have their language of code.

As computers started “speaking” to other computers, they used HTML, hyper text markup language. This language has been enhanced with other languages embedded in the code. Our smart phones are no different.  Wireless devices, including our hand held marvels, smart phones, use something called WAP ( Wireless Application Protocol) which basically is a set of communication protocols that allow cell phones and radio transceivers to communicate with the Internet Protocol (IP) so we have access to the Internet, including email, the World Wide Web (www), newsgroups and Instant Messaging. But do we understand how all this works? Most of us would say no. All we know is – it works!

So when we use our smart phones or bluetooth, our wireless toys, we don’t understand how they all work and how they work together, but we expect them to work. We are told by the manufacturer who designed and created these gadgets, they will work. Manufacturers do not provide owner manuals for every little thing on and in our device. But manufacturers provide operating procedures.

God tells us, as our manufacturer our creator, our operating procedures. God gave us his word as our instruction manual. But often we say, I do not understand.

With our smart phones and other tech gadgets we seek out “tech gurus” to teach us or show us how to “fix” things or operate specific functions. We seek out those who have taken the time to investigate the ins and outs of our devices. But we do not understand how our gadgets work, why they work or even what their potential really is. We just trust they will do what the manual says they will do.

If we will put 100% trust and confidence in a manufacturer of gadgets, why don’t people put that kind of trust and confidence in our manufacturer, God? Our operations manual is scripture and just like the operations manual for our gadgets show and teach us how to operate our gadgets, God’s word teaches and shows us how we are to operate in him, in life. Why is Proverbs 3 so difficult for mankind?

Proverbs 3:5-10 KJV  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
[7] Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord , and depart from evil.
[8] It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
[9] Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
[10] So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Yes, sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes we screw up. And sometimes we look at people and say they have had a hard life with a lot of hardships but God gave us Job for a reason. Did Job understand what was going on? No. Later God revealed what happened.

Friends, we all go through times of testing, trials, mishaps and times we blew it. But don’t stay there, don’t focus on the negative because that brings negative back to you. When you can really understand –

Romans 8:36-39 KJV  “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
[39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Then you can say in your heart and mind and mean it – Romans 8:28 KJV
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Until next time.

Are We In The Last Days?

Are we in the last days? Some people would ask, last days of what? But to students of the word of God, we know God has established time. God made the sun establishing day time and the moon night time. We also know God has established a beginning and an end, Alpha and Omega.

When we look for God to define “last days” for us, through his word, God reveals what will be going on in the world at the time designated as “the last days”. We also find God distinguishes between “the last days“, where days is plural meaning more than one day, and “the last day“, where day is singular meaning one day.

What is interesting is when Jacob called his 12 sons together to give his blessings, Jacob told his sons what shall befall them, “in the last days”.
Genesis 49:1 KJV  “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.”

So even Jacob mentions the last days to his sons and Genesis 49 is God’s record for the 12 tribes of Israel, in the last days. If you read Genesis 49 and compare what is going on with Israel, does it fit?

When we look at Isaiah 2:2 and Micah 4:1, these appear to be referring to the Millennium which would make sense because had Israel received the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Millennium would have come in then. But Israel’s religious leaders rejected Jesus as the four gospels explain.

So then we move into New Testament times where God allows Gentiles to get saved to provoke Israel to jealousy.

Romans 10:19-21 KJV  “But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
[20] But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
[21] But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”

Romans 11:11 KJV  “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.”

And we see recorded in the book of Acts that God sends the Holy Spirit to all believers as Jesus promised in John chapters 14, 15 and 16. And we see the term, the last days mentioned now in the New Testament.  There is a key in the passages, see if you can find the key.

Acts 2:17-21 KJV  “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Did you find the key? The verses tell us what God will do but the key is, to whom? God tells us, verse 21, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Are we in the times where whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved? Yes or No?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 KJV  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
[2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
[3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
[4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
[5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Do we see these things happening today? These are evidences of the last days. Then look at what Paul tells the Hebrews in Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
[3] Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

And James explains to the 12 tribes in
James 5:3 KJV  “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” Remember what Jacob told the 12 tribes in Genesis 49?

Not only has Israel heaped up treasure for the last days, but so have Gentiles. 401K, stocks, bonds, treasuries and other treasures have people heaped to themselves. How many of these people have sowed seed in the Lord’s work, the Lord’s house. How many people heap to their Roth IRA but will not give 10% to God?

And look at what Peter said in 2 Peter 3:3-5 KJV  “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
[4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
[5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”

Scoffers are all over the world telling believers, we have heard for years how the Lord is coming back, where is he? We have heard for hundreds and thousands of years about the “rapture”. We have heard for thousands of years how Jesus is coming back, where is he?

So based on God’s definition of the last days, are we in the last days? When this world glorifies sodomy and Sodomites and mock God’s word speaking against Sodomites and calls believers bigoted, we see evidence of the last days. When we see elected officials selling out our country for worldly treasures they can heap to themselves or we see children turn against parents and parents against children. We see persecution and beheadings because people believe in Jesus. Are we in the last days?

If we are in the last days, then we have to ask ourselves, what comes after the last days? What happens after this time ends? Clearly the scriptures tell us, judgment. God will say, so to speak, that’s it, time is up, I have had enough. Only those who are believers will go with God just like in Noah’s time. Only believers got into the ark. The rest of the people were destroyed. Are you in Christ? If not, click our menu and How To Be Saved. If you are a believer, saved, then time is short and we need to be going about our Lord’s business as ambassadors for Christ. Until next time.

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