The TRUE Message
that
Needs Delivered
This is Gods Creation
When you've been given Truth
,
you can not revert to untruth
The
Corinthians were tangled up in untruth
I AM FOR
the
Word of God and against blasphemy
I can't follow what the lamb is doing
under
subjection and limitations of a business
I AM Married and financially supported
by my husband
I'm on the Lambs Bus, I'm not on
Bus Babylon
Paul didn't meet the living Christ
then go tell Peter and join Peter
pre Jerusalem counsel
Just because Peters Bus didn't catch up with Paul
doesn't mean Paul got on peters bus
False philosophies, crystal balls, and building churches
are under
The authority of the word of god
Paul rebuked peter because he had
apostalistic authority,
not because he was a good leader,
Which he admitted his faults, but also understood Gods Word from
a more complete
because it was given to him by
CHRISTS AUTHORITY
which is the entire message
god is
trying to show you
How can I have someone tell me they can see
when It's not coming from 'gods Truth?
That's Babylon bus view
I can't go backward in my Knowledge
And
RELATIONSHIP with CHRIST
I can't Revert
in
Knowledge of God
I can't unlearn what I know
I can't unsee what's been disclosed
i can't embrace a
false concept of God Or represent a false God
"Following the Spirit" isn't Biblical
That bus has no compass with the Lamb, But just doing
whatever feels good
In subjection to man made power structure
and not the word of god
False Doctrine prohibits accomplishing
it's true goal of delivering gospel truth
How can one give orders about something
that's is not fully taught?
The word of God is not a Business;
god comes first
if putting god first is a problem for
someone else,
it's certainly not my concern
I'm doing Gods will and that
comes first
One should be stronger than the
Crowd in relation to one's spiritual conviction,
One's relationship and understanding of god
should be stronger than a world
that doesn't understand biblical scripture
My conviction and inheritance
is in
heaven and thoroughly
assured and accurate, entirely consistent
and
trustworthy
Im Following Gods Direction
and can't go against the truth of
gods revealed word
True Doctrine Delivers the
TRUE
SAVING gospel of Jesus Christ
Having a near sighted crystal ball
Isn't the
All Encompassing Fully Revealed, prophetic
Word of God
The Full, truthful, accurate Word of God
is Authority in Gods Realm
IF we don't know
The word of god,
We can't see what god is doing, which isn't just a feeling
but a revealed truth
Gods Word is my Leader, the Lamb is my leader
God Commands Apostles
to
Deliver the Gospel so that the lost know the truth about
glory to glory the GOSPEL of GRACE
The true Saving Message
that authentically delivers lost souls
The Message Pre PAUL isn't the
Living Christ
If it were, one wouldn't still be
searching
One can't go baptizing the world into
something one doesn't have
Man's leadership and man's power
won't deliver
Gods Power or Gods Will, only God Will
Paul's sole purpose was to deliver the
specific message
due to
Direct authority of Christ
For Lost People
To Truly
Deliver the Gospel
is to
Follow the Lamb of God and not Man
According to Gods Way, to
Deliver and Preach
the
Gospel Truth
So that The world has THE TRUTH
According to the full
TRUTH
And only in TRUTH
According to the
DIVINELY REVEALED TRUTH
human desires don't have authority over
the god of the universe
and his
revealed design
I Follow the Lamb whoever
he goes
i do not
Serve human beings
i have
The word of god, understand his purposes,
The Lambs truth and glory has been revealed,
I'm not exchanging
the truth revealed to me from
my creator
for man made philosophies driven
by cleverly crafted schemes
Opposing the
authority of christ
Worldly Understanding contrasts
the
Understand of Gods Purposes
in the
Bigger Picture
The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of man
The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God, once hidden but now revealed
Having the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan in the world
In 1 Corinthians 2:16,
Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13 and then makes a statement concerning all believers: “We have the mind of Christ.” Having the mind of Christ means sharing the plan, purpose, and perspective of Christ, and it is something that all believers possess.
Having the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan in the world—to bring glory to Himself, restore creation to its original splendor, and provide salvation for sinners. It means we identify with Christ’s purpose “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). It means we share Jesus’ perspective of humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8), compassion (Matthew 9:36), and prayerful dependence on God (Luke 5:16).
In the verses leading up to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we note some truths concerning the mind of Christ:
1) The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of man (verses 5-6).
2) The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God, once hidden but now revealed (verse 7).
3) The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Spirit of God (verses 10-12).
4) The mind of Christ cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse 14).
5) The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters (verse 15).
In order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ. The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2).
John 16:23-24
Is it true that God has given us a blank check to ask anything of Him just as one might ask a genie in a fairy tale? Some may misunderstand this to be the case, but I John 5:14 qualifies what He will grant: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us." Real prayer is communion with God, and what is necessary for communion are common thoughts between His mind and ours.
What we need is for Him to fill our minds and hearts with His thoughts. Then His desires will become our desires flowing back to Him in the form of prayer. James 4:3 confirms this: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." If we ask amiss, we are certainly not asking according to His will, and we will not receive.
But does not Jesus say in John 16:23, "[W]hatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you"? He most assuredly does, but we still do not have a carte blanche. To ask God for anything in the name of Jesus Christ, it must be in keeping with what He is. To ask in Christ's name is to ask as though Christ Himself were asking. Therefore, we can only ask for what Christ Himself would ask. It is therefore necessary to set aside our own will and accept God's. Jesus says in John 8:29:"And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." If we do as Jesus did, we are sure to receive answers as He did. He adds in John 11:41-42: "Father, I thank you that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me."
We must come away with the realization that prayer is not dictating to God, but a humble and heartfelt expression of our attitude of dependency and need. Because of this, the one who truly prays is submissive to God's will, content with Him supplying his need according to the dictates of His sovereign pleasure. The result of this, combined with the infusion of God's attitudes and thoughts as we draw near to Him, will work to create us in His image.
The Sovereignty of God: Part Nine
Related Topics: According to His Will | Communion With God | Dependence Upon God | God's Will | Prayer | Submission
Romans 9:16
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:5 that we are part of the church "according to the good pleasure of [God's] will." So we are not where we are because we desired it, willed it, or earned it. We are here because of God's mercy.
The Jews thought they were in the position they were in because they were so good and had the law. The first drastic effect of this was that they were circumventing God's supremacy, His sovereignty over His creation. The second effect was that they were also circumventing the true way of justification because, according to them, justification was something God owed because one earned it. Therefore, the Father's grace and Christ's sacrifice flew right out the window, and from their perspective, Christ had died in vain.
Paul could see that this was nothing more than a vanity trip, made in ignorance undoubtedly, but nonetheless completely and totally wrong. They could say, "Look how great we are that we can do these wonderful things, so that even God is indebted to us!" Samuel Bacchiocchi writes in his book, Biblical Perspectives:
One's status before God came to be determined by one's attitude towards the law as a document of election and not by obedience to specific commands. The law came to mean a revelation of law God's electing will manifested in His covenant with Israel. Obviously, this view created a problem for the uncircumcised Gentiles because they felt excluded from the assurance of salvation provided by the covenant. This insecurity, naturally led Gentiles to desire to be under law, i.e., to become full-fledged covenant members by receiving circumcision, and Paul felt compelled to react strongly against this trend because it undermined the universality of the Gospel. (p. 103)
Because of these factors, Paul appears in Galatians to be quite anti-law. First, because of the matter of justification. Justification is achieved through Jesus Christ, not by our works Second, because we do not come to God through a covenant system of law. We are drawn to God because He elects to call us. So, with both of these issues, Paul had to address law. In every case, he was against it.
If we do not understand what he is talking about, we cannot but conclude that he is anti-law. However, we cannot throw out the baby with the bath water, as it were. We cannot throw out what God has graciously given for our guidance on how to live simply because a group of misguided people has devised incorrect concepts about law and our relationship with Him. No, we must get rid of the wrong concepts, which is Paul's aim in Galatians.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Five)
Related Topics: According to God's Purpose | According to His Will | Circumcision | God's Mercy | Justification | The Covenants Grace and Law
James 1:5-8
Since we do not naturally have the wisdom from above—spiritual wisdom—then we must ask Godfor it in faith. We must be sure that our faith is in accordance with His will, and we must come to Him with the utmost confidence that He will grant it. When we go to God with a request, His answer, whether yes or no, will be for our ultimate good. Our faith is not believing that God will give us what we want regardless of our request, but that His answer will always be the wisest answer for our ultimate good.
Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Unjust Steward
Related Topics: According to His Will | Faith | Faith According to God's Will | Parable of the Unjust Steward | Spiritual Wisdom | Wisdom | Wisdom from Above | Wisdom of God | Wisdom, Hidden | Wisdom, Spiritual
James 5:15-16
God never intended prayer to change His purpose or move Him to come to fresh ideas. He has ordained that we be saved through the means of preaching the gospel, but prayer is also a means of salvation. We have seen that it is His will that we pray; it fits into the design of His purpose.
Prayer is therefore not a vain exercise but a means by which God exercises His decrees. When we pray for things God has already decreed, things happen! These prayers are not meaningless. Elijah was a man close to God, and he knew God's will, but that certainly did not prevent him from asking God in prayer for rain (I Kings 18:41-46). Therefore, even though we know His will and that He knows our need, He requires we ask for it. Does not Jesus command us to do this regarding end-time events? "Watch . . . and pray always," He says in Luke 21:36. Prayer keeps our minds focused on what is important to God's purpose.
Perhaps we need to change our views about prayer. Frequently, the prevailing idea of many is that we come to God and ask Him for something we want, expecting Him to give it if we have enough faith. But this is actually degrading to God! This popular belief reduces God to a servant—our servant, like a genie in a bottle—performing our pleasures and granting our desires. No, prayer is worshipfully coming to Him, humbly acknowledging His sovereign authority and loving wisdom, telling Him our need, committing our way to Him, and then patiently allowing Him to deal with our request as it seems best to Him. This does not mean we should not confidently present our needs to God as we see them, but then we should leave it with Him to deal with in His time and manner. Remember, He already knows what He wants to accomplish and when.
Doing this works to make our will subject to His. No prayer is pleasing to Him unless the attitude motivating it is "not [m]y will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). When God grants blessings on praying people, it is not because of their prayers, as if they motivated Him to act, but He acts for His own name's sake and His sovereign will.
He intensely desires that His thoughts become ours because we reflect His image this way. If we think like God, we will act like Him, which is the purpose of conversion. Much of the communication of His thoughts to ours takes place in prayer. God answers every faithful prayer, but not always in the way or when we think best. Often His answer is the opposite of what we feel to be best, but if we have really left it with God, then at least we know it is indeed His answer.
The story of the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11 illustrates this well. Interestingly, Mary and Martha never directly ask Jesus to heal Lazarus, though they clearly suggest it in calling Him to come. God in the flesh, however, responds in a way totally different from what they anticipated. Nonetheless, their approach is still a good example of the proper attitude in presenting a need to God. They do not even go into much detail in expressing their need—just simple trust that He could and would do the right thing.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sovereignty of God: Part Nine
Related Topics: According to His Will | Communication | Communion With God | God's Purpose | Prayer | Prayer's Purpose | Praying According to God's Will
1 John 5:14-15
A common—but only partly correct—idea about prayer is that its purpose is to get things from God and to change His mind regarding the course of events. As John says, if we ask according to His will, He hears, but it is in the other part where misunderstanding lies.
Answer this: Is our idea of God nothing more than that of a greater human parent? Perhaps few will admit to this, but it is nonetheless a reality. God the Father undoubtedly relates to us like a parent, and Jesus tells us to think of Him and address Him as our Father. So far, so good.
Now we must ask: What should a Father be like? We run into trouble here because all our examples of fathers are human, and every human father has been deficient in many ways. We are now dealing with a flawless Father, perfect in every way. He is eternal, perfect in wisdom, knows the end from the beginning, has unimaginable power, and does absolutely everything out of love. He does everything for the perfection and completion of His purpose, whether for us individually or for what He is working out universally.
We need to consider Isaiah 40:13-14 in relation to prayer:
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?
Now we must add a few thoughts from Psalm 139:1-7:
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
Considering these scriptures, is there anything—anything!—we can tell Him that He does not already know? Is there anything about our lives that He has not already thoroughly considered in light of what He wants to produce for our good? All too often our attitude in prayer about something emphasizes what we feel is our or somebody else's need rather than focusing on God's will. Which is more important: what this perfect, great God considers from His perspective or what we desire from our position of nearly blind ignorance of what is really needed?
Jesus says in Matthew 6:8: "Therefore do not be like [the hypocrites]. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." This verse leads into the model prayer, indicating that we should not pray with the idea that we are bringing something new to God. It also introduces the thought that the purpose of prayer is not to overcome God's reluctance to answer and give but rather to lay hold of His willingness to help us toward His perspective, the fulfillment of His purpose, and into His Kingdom. The overall emphasis in our requests, then, must be inclined toward His purpose and will.
Paul, in his prayers “for saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1, ESV), asks that God “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (verse 17).
Prior to his prayer for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of the blessings God has bestowed upon them (Ephesians 1:3), their adoption as children through Christ (verse 4), the wisdom and insight they have been given (verse 8), and “the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (verse 9). He also reminds them that they have been “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (verses 13–14). Now he desires for them to be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Since Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (John 14:17), the spirit of wisdom and revelation that Paul prays for cannot refer to the initial gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s reference could easily be to an attitude or frame of mind (although the NIV and ESV capitalize Spirit, other translations such as the NASB and BSB translate it as “a spirit,” and the NLT simply has “spiritual wisdom and insight”). If not the Holy Spirit, then what does Paul ask for in his request for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation”? The key is in the phrase that follows, “in the knowledge of him” (ESV), or “so that you may know him better” (NIV).
Paul had commended the Ephesians for their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints (Ephesians 1:15), but now he is asking God to give them a deeper and greater understanding of the mysteries of His character and will, to know Him more thoroughly and intimately. Now that they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, Paul desires Him to grant them more understanding and greater insight. The “wisdom” is a better understanding of the doctrines of God, and the “revelation” is a clearer picture of the divine character and will. In the NLT, the prayer is that believers would have “spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” The AMP translation has Paul asking that God “may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him.”
God is infinite, and He can never be fully known by finite creatures. We all need wisdom from above. No matter how far we may advance in our understanding of God, there is an unfathomed depth of knowledge that remains to be explored. Scripture is full of admonitions to grow in our knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15).
Paul outlines some of the mysteries he wants the Ephesians to understand through this spirit of wisdom and revelation. He desires them to grasp “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18). This is the hope of eternal life, which Paul refers to as the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). We inherit the riches of eternal life through Him who saved us and called us to holiness in Christ before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). Paul also prays the Spirit will reveal God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19)—power so great it raised Jesus from the dead. It’s a power that we can only comprehend as we possess the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
The spirit of wisdom and revelation is not some mysterious blessing given to a special few, and it is not the ability to speak as a prophet. Rather, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to help the people of God understand the things of God more fully and completely.
In Romans 9, Paul deals with the sovereignty of God in election, picturing God as a potter working with clay: “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?” (Romans 9:21–23). The vessels of wrath are contrasted with the vessels of mercy; one set is slated for destruction, and the other for glory.
Let’s take a quick review of the letter to the Romans: Paul highlights the need everyone has for God’s righteousness (Romans 1—3) and how God provided for humanity to have that righteousness by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This gift is available because of Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross (Romans 3—4). In Romans, Paul also describes the results for everyone who has received God’s grace (Romans 5—8) and provides evidence of God’s trustworthiness in how He provides salvation to Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9—11). Paul concludes his letter by outlining the responsibilities of believers to live righteously (Romans 12—16). In Romans 9:22 Paul mentions vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, reminding his readers that the story doesn’t end happily for everyone.
Even as he is challenging his readers to trust in God, Paul laments the fact that many of his fellow countrymen (Israelites) were unbelieving (Romans 9:1–5). Paul explains, however, that this sad state of affairs was not a failure of God or His Word (Romans 9:6). God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would be blessed but had chosen Abraham’s line through Isaac and then Jacob (Romans 9:7–13). Not everyone who would come from Abraham would be blessed through that specific promise. God had certainly promised blessing for all the families of the earth through Abraham’s specific descendant (Genesis 12:3b)—Jesus Christ—but the promises pertaining to a great and blessed nation would be for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The question is whether God has the right to choose whom He will bless and how. If God is sovereign, then we should trust Him as the One who knows how to deliver us. But Paul introduces the idea in Romans 9:22 that there are vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Not everyone will trust in Him, apparently.
If God has the right to choose who will be blessed and how, then some might question whether God is unjust by not ensuring the same outcome for everyone. Paul addresses this question in Romans 9:14–18, explaining that God has the right (as the Creator) to have mercy on whom He will have mercy and the right to harden whom He will harden (Romans 9:18). Paul cites God’s dealings with Pharaoh in Exodus as an example.
Paul then anticipates the question of how God can hold people accountable if, ultimately, He is making these kinds of choices (Romans 9:19). Rather than answer directly, Paul appeals to God’s sovereignty as the Creator and the owner of what He has created (Romans 9:20–21). Pottery doesn’t question the right of the potter to fashion it in a particular way. The potter has the right to fashion from the clay whatever he wants. Paul elaborates by asking a series of questions: what if God—who has the power to judge and exert His authority—was patient with vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Romans 9:22)? Does God have the right to be patient? Or is He restricted in His ability to show mercy and patience? Clearly, God has that right with no restrictions.
Some have wrestled with Paul’s statement that there are vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Some have even concluded that he is teaching a doctrine often called double election—that God chooses who will not be saved in the same way He chooses who will be saved. But, like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:6, we should not go beyond what is written. We need to be careful about making inferences when a verse is not explicit.
In the case of the vessels of wrath, Paul raises a hypothetical—a “what if”—to remind readers that God has the right to make such choices if He so desires. But Paul stops short of asserting that God is making such choices. Paul’s point is that God has the right to have mercy on whom He chooses and harden whom He chooses (Romans 9:18), but that is different from asserting that God chooses some not to be saved. Paul isn’t addressing that question; he is making a point about God’s sovereign authority. Thus, if someone is not receiving a blessing because God didn’t promise him that blessing, neither God nor His Word has failed. If He is indeed the Creator, He has the right to bless whom He will, and He has the right to harden whom He will. If He is the Potter, how He deals with vessels of wrath prepared for destruction is His prerogative.