Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum

(Rapture is a Vatican/Jesuit Lie )
The "Resurrection" has been erroneously labeled The "Rapture". 
THERE IS NO RAPTURE

WHY THE TITLE RAPTURE BIBLE PROPHECY FORUM?
WE STARTED OUT BELIEVING IN A 7 YR PRE TRIBULATION RAPTURE
BUT FOUND OVER TIME AROUND 2006 THAT THE BIBLE DOES NOT SHARE A 
BIBLE VERSE WHATSOEVER INDICATING A 7 YR PRE TRIBULATION RAPTURE

BIBLE VERSES EVIDENCE:

While Yahusha/JESUS was alive, He prayed to His Father: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  John 17:15 (KJV)

Yahusha/JESUS gave signs of what must happen before His Return:  "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"  Matt. 24:29 (KJV)


WE DAILY STUDY TO SHEW OURSELVES APPROVED 
WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO SAY WE ARE LEARNING DAILY AND 
ARE ABLE TO ADMIT WE MAKE MISTAKES BUT STUDY TO 
LEARN EVERY DAY.

LET YHVH/YAHUSHA BE TRUE 
AND EVERY MAN A LIAR.

To Join and post on this site e-mail for a password
​​​​​​​stevensandiego@ymail.com

WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.RAPTUREBIBLEPROPHECYFORUM.COM

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rapture-Bible-Prophecy-Forum/362856490414697

Hebrew 5783-5788   Gregorian 2023-2028

THIS SITE IS ABOUT Yahusha/JESUS
 We are followers of Yahusha/JESUS Only​​​​​​​
Yahusha/JESUS IS GOD/YHVH
Yahusha/JESUS is YHVH/GOD/YHWH-Yahusha/Son:
​​​​​​​Yahusha/JESUS is The WORD

Yahusha is I Am That I Am  (Exodus 3:14)

Yahusha is YHWH  come in the flesh, He put aside His Diety to become a human, born of  a Virgin.

Yahusha is the Word, As The Most High, He spoke all things seen and unseen into existence

When YHWH created Light, He was revealed to the angels. 

John 14:26
"the breath of life"

But the Comforter, which is "the breath of life", whom the Father will send shall teach you all things.

God is not His  Name but a term.  The Holy Spirit is not a person but the very Breath of the Father.

There is no Trinity.  The Father, YHVH  and Yahusha are One  (John 10:30)

THE BOOK OF ENOCH

NOW IS THE TIME!

 FOR A REMOTE GENERATION THE LAST GENERATION FOR THE ELECT!

REFERENCES IN THE BOOK OF ENOCH TO THE BIBLE

https://bookofenochreferences.wordpress.com/category/the-book-of-enoch-with-biblical-references-chapters-1-to-9/chapter-1/

Book of Enoch: http://tinyurl.com/BkOfEnoch

The book of Second Peter and Jude Authenticate the book of Enoch and Vice Versa

Yahusha/JESUS QUOTED FROM THE SEPTUAGINT:

THE APOSTLES QUOTED FROM THE SEPTUAGINT

JEWS WERE CONVERTING TO CHRISTIANITY

FREE DOWNLOADS

All Of The Apocryphal Books Of

The King James 1611 Version

http://www.scriptural-truth.com/apocrypha_books.html 

Pray for one another, as we watch for the Lord's  return!


Bible Prophecy Forum Postings
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
God’s Rules of Divine Gender

For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes
Link: http://www.raptureready.com/soap/stephens40.html
Note: Before commenting on any posts please make sure you either watch or read each post in it’s entirety. Before, making a comment, if you don’t have the time to watch or read fully please restrain from commenting. When you do this it will help to reduce confusion.

Thank you for visiting Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum!

Please add us to your favorites!
http://www.rapturebibleprophecyforum.com
Our Facebook page is :
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rapture-Bible-Prophecy-Forum/362856490414697
Please LIKE our Facebook page! Facebook is growing daily!





God’s Rules of Divine Gender



Dave Roberson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Among the most powerful and needful lessons I have ever learned is this one, which I received under the teaching of Dave Roberson from “Dave Roberson Ministries” during the month of June 2004. I believe this teaching is so important that I am sharing with everyone who will receive—as I also received. Relax and have a cup of coffee while you are truly blessed and strengthened by “God’s Rules Of Divine Gender.” ─Tom Stephens





Sometimes God will say things in His Word that are so contrary to our natural way of thinking, so cross-grained to traditional views, that entire chapters in the Word of God will elude us. We don't have the slightest idea what He is talking about in those chapters, much less how to walk in the truths contained in them. As a result, we just leave those truths out of our way of thinking.

One such chapter is First Corinthians 11. In verse 4, Paul says that a man prophesying or praying with his head covered dishonors his head. But in the next verse, he states that just the opposite pertains to a woman: But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head ... (v. 5).



For years, certain churches translated these verses to mean that a woman who participated in a church worship service had to have some kind of hat or bonnet on her head as a covering. Then along came women ministers, displaying no hat for a covering, neither did they have unusually long hair. Yet they prophesied and prayed with their heads uncovered, contrary to what the Scriptures appeared to say.



This made many of us stop and take a second look at First Corinthians 11. Here we have a revelation that the apostle Paul deemed important enough to occupy the first part of an entire chapter—yet we seemingly have no idea what he was talking about!



Most Christians dismiss this passage as a simple discussion of the customs of Paul’s Day. But let’s read these verses very closely and find out what they really mean.



“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she-were shaven.



For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” (1 Corinthians 11:1-16)



First of all, it is important to understand that Paul was not a woman-hater. In fact, he did more through God's anointing to liberate women than any other man in history! Paul's teaching in this chapter is no exception. It does not put women into bondage; rather, it liberates them to be all God has called them to be.



So what was Paul saying in this passage of Scripture? To every woman who loves ministry, Paul was giving divine order in two realms:

1) The natural order of the family.

2) The divine order of callings within the family for the man and the woman.



Paul was making sure that both the man and the woman fully understood authority. If either one creates a breach that breaks divine order, they weaken the family’s resistance to the devil’s attacks—and it is Satan's priority to disband the family.



In verse 3, Paul wasn't discussing whether or not a man should wear a hat when he prophesies. He was talking about a man who has been both spiritually and domestically set into order by God to be the head of his home. But for any number of reasons, this man allows an overbearing wife to “cover his head” by coming between him and his position in Christ. As a result, the man “dishonors his head.”



When a man surrenders his position as the head of both his home and ministry, he then dishonors his Head, Jesus Christ. In other words, the man is showing dishonor or disrespect to his Head by allowing a breach in divine order. He does this as he changes roles with his wife by letting her become the head of the home and a dictator over his ministry.



Let’s look once more at what Paul said in verses 3 and 4:



“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered; dishonoureth his head.” (1 Corinthians 11:3, 4)



Paul says that when a woman dishonors her husband by showing disrespect for both divine and family order, she is in effect praying and prophesying with her head uncovered. This both dishonors her husband, who is her covering, and Christ, who is his Head.



In these verses, Paul is trying to help us recognize when a wrong spirit is trying to gain entry into family order for the purpose of weakening it. By switching roles with each other, husband and wife are duped into trying to face Satan from an assumed position of authority outside of God's divine order.



When two spouses exchange roles in the home, each tries to fulfill a role he or she was not created for. But in God's divine order, the strength of a man and woman lies in the particular attributes He gave each gender. These attributes make a man and woman what they are and equip them for what they are called to do. The man has his role and attributes in the divine order of the family and home, and the woman has hers.



It is evident from verses 14 and 15 that in the Corinthian church, it pleased God when a woman had long hair and a man kept his hair short. Why did it please God? Because just as a woman's long hair was her glory, the Bible also says.it (her hair) was given to her for a covering: “But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” (v. 15) This covering was a symbolic, outward sign that the woman was in subjection to her husband and to Christ.



But for the man, it was just the opposite. It pleased God when a man had short hair because the short hair symbolized that he had taken his rightful role as the head of his house and that his ministry was not being covered or dictated by the woman. Paul thus implied that long hair on a z



Paul's message in this verse was this: "Let's forget about customs and the cultural differences that exist from church to church so we can understand what God is trying to tell us here." For instance, there was the paganism of the Gentiles and the customs that they tried to introduce into the church. There were also zealous Jewish believers who tried to bring Christians back under bondage to the law by observing Jewish traditions such as feast days and circumcision, claiming that these things had a bearing on their salvation.



But Paul was saying, "Let's forget about these customs and take a lesson from nature itself. Doesn't nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a shame to him?" We can learn a lesson from the entire animal kingdom on this point. Look at the respective roles that males and females play. They never try to change roles with each other.



Therefore, Paul was implying that long hair on a man suggested that a wrong spirit was at work, trying to get the man to break divine order by assuming the feminine role. Similarly; short hair on a woman suggested that a spirit was at work, trying to get her to take the masculine role.



This issue of long or short hair being pleasing to God is no longer a consideration. Most of our modern-day teachers dismiss the whole issue because of what verse 16 says: “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” It is evident that the real issue here was not long or short hair, but whether or not a wrong spirit was at work behind the scenes, trying to destroy the divine order of both the family and the ministry. This is also the issue that is pertinent for today.



Paul addressed the Corinthians this way because Corinth was a port town, steeped in idolatry and perversion. Prostitutes would shave their heads or braid their hair; some even performed perverted acts in connection with the temple worship of idols.



When men and women were born again in the Corinthian church, many of them would come in looking like temple prostitutes. Thus, the apostle Paul instructed them in the truths of divine order, saying in verse 5: “But every woman that prayeth or prophesiath with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”

'

Look at the last phrase in that verse . . . for that is even all one as if she were shaven. This verse refers to the custom of temple prostitutes to chop off their hair or sometimes even shave their heads. Paul was saying, "Now that you are born again, why would you want to appear to all as if you were a temple prostitute instead of a godly woman under the subjection and covering of your own husband?"



Even today, when our customs in no way resemble the culture of Paul's day, there is a certain unspoken language that emanates from the clothes we wear and the manner in which we conduct ourselves. It is not too difficult to tell when we are in the presence of a female seductress or a male hunter. These persons are not only looking for sin—they are fully capable of it.



So we see that the real issue in this passage was divine order. When is a wrong spirit at work behind the scenes, trying to destroy family order by getting the man and the woman to change roles with each other? Are the husband and wife trying to fulfill roles in their home that they were not created for?



This brings us to the understanding of verse 10: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” This verse refers back to the first woman, Eve. Eve stepped out from underneath Adam's covering when she was deceived by Satan—the fallen angel who caused her to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.



Notice that Satan didn’t say anything to Adam; he went straight to Eve. Satan knew that he couldn’t convince Adam to eat the forbidden fruit; however, if the devil could deceive Eve, he knew she could get Adam to eat the fruit.



This means that Eve wasn't responsible for the fall of mankind—Adam was. Eve was. guilty of only one thing: breaking the.divine order of the family by stepping out from underneath Adam's covering and leaving herself open to be deceived by a fallen angel. It was Adam who had the command to keep the garden; therefore, it was Adam who committed the treason.



Eve was deceived only after she stepped out from under Adam's covering. Therefore, Paul was saying in essence: For this cause, ought not a woman have a covering over her life because of the deceptive power of the enemy?



This will now help you understand what Paul is talking about in First-Timothy 2:8-15:



“I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.



Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”



Once again, Paul uses the first family as an example to help us understand this truth of divine order. In this passage of Scripture, he is speaking more on a domestic level than about gifts and callings, as he did in First Corinthians 11.



Everywhere the word “woman” appears in this passage, it is the same Greek word that means "wife." Paul is talking here about family order; so when he talks about a man who lifts up holy hands, he is referring to a husband whose hands have been on no other woman—a godly man worthy of being submitted to.



Understanding the context of this passage of Scripture helps us understand what Paul is talking about in verse 12 when he says a woman must learn in silence and not be allowed to teach or to usurp authority over a man. Paul couldn't be talking about whether or not a woman is called to teach or preach. Rather, he must be talking about the wife submitting herself domestically and spiritually to her husband, as in the Lord.



Think back to what Paul said in First Corinthians 11:5. “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head…” Prophecy is given for edification, exhortation, and comfort and therefore requires speaking. Acts 21:9, tells us: “It was God's will that Philip's four daughters prophesied.”



So how can women exhort people through prophecy and still remain silent? How could Paul talk about women prophesying on one hand and forbid them to speak or teach on the other hand?



Any confusion is cleared up as soon as we realize what Paul was really talking about in First Timothy 2:12 when he said, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” He was actually talking about the wrong spirit that is at work, trying to weaken the family unit by destroying divine order as the devil did with the first family.



How does Satan carry out this strategy? First, he works on getting divine order labeled as a bondage. His aim is to cause women to not only usurp authority over their husbands, but to teach other women to do so as well. This is what Paul meant in verse 12 when he said that a woman shouldn't teach or usurp authority over the man but to be in silence.



The phrase "to be in silence" means a woman is not to be in opposition to her husband. In other words, she is not to be outspoken against him or to usurp authority over him. It also means she is not to teach other women to usurp authority over their husbands.



Paul went on to say in verse 14, And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Since these verses are talking about divine order in the family, we can know that the transgression Eve committed was not the one that caused the fall of the human race. Paul was very clear on that point in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”



Eve was guilty of becoming deceived because she stepped out from underneath Adam's covering and caused a breach in the divine order of the family as defined in First Corinthians 11:3: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” Once Satan had enticed Eve, he was able to use her to go after her husband.



Adam knew exactly what he was doing when Eve coerced him to go with her. He went in with his eyes wide open! We may wonder what happened that day between Adam and Eve that could have caused him to betray God, but the fact remains that Adam knew. Satan discerned that he couldn't convince Adam to take the fruit, so the enemy had to go around Adam and deceive Eve so she would get Adam to eat the fruit. After all, they were one flesh, so for Adam, resisting Eve would be like resisting himself!



The spirit that was at work in Paul's day to violate divine order is the same one at work in our day. Satan is always downplaying God's highest calling for women, which is homemaker, mother and guardian of the hearts and minds of our children.



As the head of the home, the husband is the one who must answer to God for the condition of the home. Whether he likes it or not, the husband will be held accountable to God. We see this in the fall of the first family. When God inspected the scene of treason, He didn’t go to the woman first; He went directly to the man and held him accountable. It didn’t matter if Eve asked Adam to take the fruit. God still held Adam absolutely accountable. Here is another point I want you to understand along this line: Mankind was created both male and female, but doesn’t mean one can have more of God than the other.



Let’s look at what Peter says about the difference between man and woman:



“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7



The word “weaker” here means that the wife is a more fragile vessel than the man. If the two vessels were clay water pots, the comparison would refer to the thickness of the outer walls. Even though the "weaker" clay pot might have thinner outer walls, the inside of both pots would be the same size and would still hold the same amount of water. Well, in the case of the man and woman, both vessels—despite their differences—can hold the same amount of the glory of God!



The outside of the clay pot is different because God has created the woman to function one way and the man another way. The man, when his soul has been transformed by God, is supposed to be the first line of defense for his family as he protects them from the world. That's why the outside of his clay pot is supposed to be thicker. His mind, his will, and his emotions are designed to stand up in that kind of environment. He isn't necessarily smarter than the woman, just more rugged.



The woman was created to be the second line of defense in the home. The husband fulfills his rightful role as the head of the home by confronting the hostility of the outside environment. Meanwhile, the wife is supposed to remain under the shelter of his covering, guiding their children through the formative years—the years when the foundation of what they will become forever is being cemented in them. First Timothy 5:14 talks about this God-appointed responsibility of the woman: “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.”



So we see that in God, there is neither male or female, as proclaimed in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” But when God created man and woman, in His wisdom He made man first and placed him in authority. God made man accountable, yet it is impossible for Him to love or respect.either man or woman more than the other.



Let me make one more point regarding this subject of God's divine order of authority: Jesus' humanity, not His deity, is under the covering of God as His Head. First Corinthians 11:3 says: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” In Jesus' deity, He is coequal with God. But then Jesus took His place in humanity. Humbling Himself, He was found in the fashion of a man, willingly letting go of His equality with God (Philippians 2:6-8).



You see, it was only in the creation and redemption of man that it became necessary for God to instigate this divine order of authority so that He might put down man's rebellion. At the end of this age when time is no more and the judgment is finished, there will be no more rebellion. Instead, everyone will serve one another without feeling like a servant. There will be no big “I’s” or “little you’s,” no more feelings of inferiority or lack of self-worth. No one will ever feel at any time that God has ever showed favoritism or loved someone else more than he. Each of us has a vital responsibility to fulfill the teachings of God as we take our place in the divine order of the home!



Blessings from Tom and Linda Stephens





++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Disclaimer: Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum, ( http://www.rapturebibleprophecyforum.com ) does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site. We do however, encourage a healthy and friendly debate on the issues of our day. Whether you agree or disagree, we encourage you to post your feedback by using the reply button.

If you are new to this site and would like to post articles, opinions, youtube videos that are appropriate for this site just e mail me at

stevensandiego@ymail.com
I will send you a PASSWORD

Ybic
Steven



Re: God’s Rules of Divine Gender

Hi Steven, very nice find on this article, it has good depth on the subject of a man and woman's roles respectfully........

BUMP, BUMP, AND I RAISE YOU A BUMP, AND YOU GET A ATTA BOY ON THIS ONE.


Agape, Bob

Re: God’s Rules of Divine Gender

For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes
Link: http://www.raptureready.com/soap/stephens41.html
Note: Before commenting on any posts please make sure you either watch or read each post in it’s entirety. Before, making a comment, if you don’t have the time to watch or read fully please restrain from commenting. When you do this it will help to reduce confusion.

Thank you for visiting Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum!

Please add us to your favorites!
http://www.rapturebibleprophecyforum.com
Our Facebook page is :
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rapture-Bible-Prophecy-Forum/362856490414697
Please LIKE our Facebook page! Facebook is growing daily!




Apostle Paul and Grace

Apostle Paul Series—Part Two


By Tom Stephens


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Paul’s Past


Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle, yet stands as one of the most commanding figures in all history—both sacred and secular. Even today, this giant of the faith lives on—through those whom he influenced in life, through the books of the New Testament, which he left to us under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, through his interpretation of the Christian faith, and through the magnificent victories he won for Christ.



What we know of him as a person is gleaned in sparse bits—from history, from mention made of him in the Scriptures, and from his own testimony as given in his various writings. His parents’ are not named, but from his background as a Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, by religion a Pharisee, we know that his family was undoubtedly one of material means. His education under the great Gamaliel in Jerusalem indicates both wealth and social position. He was conscientiously—and indelibly—trained in the religion of the Jews, and throughout his ministry his devotion to his own people did not lessen, even though when they rejected his Christ he turned to the Gentiles to preach the gospel of Grace.



He was born in the city of Tarsus, a metropolis strategically situated on the borderland between the Greek and Jewish worlds and therefore prominent commercially as well as from a military standpoint. It was made a free city by Mark Antony of Rome, and thus Paul could say, “I am a Roman citizen, free-born.”



His education and background enabled him to be at home anywhere. As a Roman citizen, he learned of the Roman Empire, he learned to respect and was respected by the Roman officials in the provinces. His knowledge of languages, including Greek, made it easy for him to preach understandably wherever he went.



Persecuting the Church


On the other hand, his absolute knowledge and understanding of Jewish law and religion enabled him, as a well-trained young rabbi, to speak to the Jews in their own language, comprehensively proclaiming the gospel of grace as contrasted with and in opposition to the Law of Moses.



Paul did nothing in half-measure. His persecution of the early church was carried on with such zeal that he is said to have wrought havoc among the Christians! By his own testimony we know that he enthusiastically and in all good conscience arrested and imprisoned all professing Christ-followers upon whom he could lay hold. He stood by and consented to the death of Stephen, and I have often wondered if the vision of that young martyr's face, shining with heavenly glory as he died under the stones of the mob, did not linger in Paul’s memory until his dying day.



Paul’s Ministries


But when he met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, his zeal turned just as ardently to the preaching of Christ—the Son of God, the Messiah who came, was crucified, buried, and was risen again “according to the Scriptures.” From that day forward, he never wavered in his proclamation of the gospel of grace.



He endured more suffering and persecution than is recorded relative to any other mortal (2 Corinthians 11:24-28 ); but with his face steadfastly set toward heaven and his affections set on things above, he pressed forward, onward and upward, toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.


The date of his death is not recorded, but it is thought to be sometime in the years A.D. 65 to 67. Because Paul was a Roman citizen he was granted death by beheading, rather than by crucifixion or other more torturous means. We have no other details of his execution, but we can be sure that, having lived as he lived, he died the same way—as a good soldier of the cross, a loyal ambassador for Christ, a strong witness for the Savior.



This mighty man, though thought to have been small of stature and unprepossessing in appear-ance, blazed a pathfinders trail across the frontiers of Christianity, leaving an imprint that will remain as long as the world stands.



There is no doubt that the apostle Paul was keenly aware that God had given him a special and a unique message, to be proclaimed by him and penned down for you and me. As we study Paul’s epistles it is evident that he was deeply conscious of the wonder of the gospel, as well as being alert to the fact that he was divinely appointed to proclaim this glorious message.



The gospel of the crucified, buried, risen Christ was supernaturally revealed to Paul—first, as he traveled to Damascus to persecute the Christians there (Acts 9:1-6 ); then, as he waited through three days and nights of total blindness until the Lord sent Ananias to him, where he (Ananias ) being obedient to the Lord, prayed for Saul, causing the scales to fall from his eyes.



Note here that 1 ) Saul's eyes were fully healed, and 2 ) scales fell from his eyes—demonstrating the fact that not only could Saul now see clearly—he was able to supernaturally receive revelations from the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the gospel and the doctrines of the church; hence "scales fell from his eyes! Remember when Jesus breathed on His disciples after His Resurrection? In this, He gave them His own peace—and they would be able to understand His Word, supernaturally!


Saul (Paul) testified in court that same day he could see. (Acts 9:8-19 ), and finally, during the three years he spent in the desert in Arabia (Galatians 1:11-18 ). During these three experiences, God revealed to Paul this glorious gospel, and made known to him all truth:


“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.



But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days” (Galatians 1:11-18 )


Paul assured the believers in Rome that he was “called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1 ).



In Galatians 1:11-12 he testified that the message was not his own, nor was it the message of man: “...I certify you, brethren, that the which was preached of me is not after man. For 1 neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”


To Timothy, his son in the ministry, he speaks of “the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust (1 Timothy 1:11 ).



In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 he speaks of the gospel, which “came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, in much assurance.”



In 2 Corinthians 4:3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:14 he refers to the gospel as “OUR gospel.”



In Romans 2:16 he speaks of "the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to MY gospel, and in 2 Timothy 2:8 he says, “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to MY gospel.”



In 1 Corinthians 15:1 and in Galatians 2:2 Paul refers to “the gospel, which I preach."


In Acts 20:24 he speaks of “the gospel of the grace of God.”


In Romans 1:1 he speaks of the gospel of God, and in Romans 1:9 he refers to the gospel of His Son. In Romans 1:16 he speaks of the gospel of Christ.


Speaking of various experiences in the gospel, Paul mentions “the fellowship of the gospel (Phil. 1:5 ), “the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (Phil. 1: 7 ), “the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27 ), “the truth of the gospel” (Col. 1:5 ), “the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23 ), the afflictions of the gospel (I Thess. 1:6 ), and the light of the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10 ). In Philemon 13 he speaks of himself as being “in the bonds of the gospel.”



In his epistles, Paul speaks of the gospel as relating to various classes of people. He mentions those who are “called by the gospel” (2 Thess. 2:14 ), those who are “begotten by the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15 ), those who are “stablished by the gospel” (Rom. 16:25 ); and those who “obey not the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8 ).



Speaking of himself and of his own divinely appointed ministry, Paul testifies, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16 ); and finally, he thunders out a solemn warning to any and all who may pervert the and preach any other message than that which contains “all truth”:


“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8, 9 ).


Today as never before in the history of man the gospel dictated to the apostle Paul by the Holy Ghost is discredited by liberals, modernists, and founders of various cults. Today emphasis is placed on the ethics of Jesus, upon His philosophy of life as spelled out in the four gospels. The liberals and modernists cry out, “Return to the Sermon on the Mount!” But if you will search the Sermon on the Mount from the first word to the last, you will not discover one drop of blood—and without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin!



Ministers today spend long hours preparing sermons. They talk about the goodness of God, and of the sinless example of Jesus. But it is not the sinless life of the Savior nor the supernatural miracles He performed that save the sinner—it is His death, burial, and resurrection. The gospels proclaim a wonderful message, but they point us on to the epistles for the deeper, fuller unfolding of “all truth.”



It is interesting to discover that the Lord Jesus Christ clearly stated how the New Testament would come to be written and given to the church. Of the gospels He said, “... The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 ).



Of the epistles He said, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth …” (John 16:13a ).



Pointing forward to the glorious book of Revelation, He said, “ ... He [the Holy Spirit] shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come” (John 16:13 b ). (And on the lonely Isle of Patmos, the Holy Spirit DID, show John the beloved those “things to come.” )



To the apostle Paul the Holy Spirit dictated these solemn words:



“STUDY to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 ).


And as we study the writings of this remarkable, divinely appointed apostle, we will see that his message contains a perfect balance between the doctrinal and the practical, and also a perfect balance between theology and ethics.


Paul’s Sufferings


In Acts 9:11-16, The Lord stated to Ananias in a vision, concerning Saul:



“And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. (Acts 9:11-16, emphasis mine).


It’s amazing that many consider Paul at this time, a weak, sickly, almost blind individual—and consider this his thorn In the flesh as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7. I believe the very thought Paul’s thorn was his weaknesses is strongly misguided; for the scripture says different:


“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7 ).


The Scripture obviously states Paul’s thorn in the flesh was given for this reason only: through the abundance of the revelations—and not because of his weaknesses. The alternative answer to Paul’s thorn is stated in 2 Cor. 12:7 ) where the Word of God gives forth Paul’s tremendous sufferings and His supernatural revelations.


Paul’s Doctrine Concerning Law and Grace



Paul taught we should stop sinning! The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the repenting, believing sinner who accepts Christ as his substitute, dying on the cross, and rising from the grave (Romans 10:9, 10; Acts 2:14-38 ). The full work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is contingent upon the following actions of the believer.


A )The Clean breach from sin: Holiness must be sought by the believer in the appointed way of cleansing by His precious blood. This cleansing is available when one confesses his sin. There is now use to cover sin, for then God will judge it. It's best to get it out in the open, face it, and remove it by confession to Christ Jesus with the heart. Sin must be rejected; a clean break from sin is necessary. In order to live an overcoming life, one must resist temptations that previously had him bound, including any restitution. A compliment to our strengths would be to make sinful mistakes prior to salvation—right. Though humiliating and costly, there will be a great deterrent to repeating the same errors.



B )The Crucifixion of Self: If there is anything which hinders our being filled with His Holy Spirit —it is being filled with self. We pamper, pet, are proud of, pity, provide for, and place self in a place rightly belonging to Christ Jesus. In order to be filled with the gift of God, it is essential for us to forsake all sin for our own sakes—and Christ’s sake. Crucifixion involves denying ourselves (Matthew 16:24 ). The corrupted, perverted, warped self must be no longer lord of our life. Christ alone must have that place with us. This means taking up our cross and fully following Christ—just as apostle Paul fully and completely considered his life to be owned by Christ Jesus (Romans 6:6-8 ). Paul said, “I die to sin every day” (1 Corinthians 15:31 ). We are to reckon ourselves as to be dead through crucifixion of the flesh (Law)—and to the world.


C )Complete Obedience To God: The destruction of the flesh (Law) in our bodies is essential to our peace, our faith and our righteousness in the Lord. When we are disobedient, we grieve the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit is grieved, He cannot accomplish the works in His people that He desires to do.


The Purpose of The Holy Spirit In Our Lives:


We are born of the Spirit—“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5,6 ).


We are assured by the Spirit—“The Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit; that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16 ).


We are sealed by the Spirit—“And grieve not the Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 ).



But the Spirit does more than this. The divine purpose of His indwelling the life of the believer is, above all else, to conform him into the image of Christ, Himself the image of the invisible God. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29 ).


“Giving thanks unto the Father…who hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son…who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:12-15—in part).


Jesus in the flesh revealed the Father, and from within the believer the Holy Spirit manifests and forms the adopted child into the image of Christ. Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19 ).


The burden of Paul’s heart was that his children in the faith become full-grown in the faith. He wanted them to be everything they were supposed to be (and could be) for Christ, IN Christ, through the power of the Spirit. Of himself he said, “For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2 ).


“I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 ).


“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the Law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14 ).


Every believer should be able to give this testimony: "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37 ).


We are “a peculiar people, ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS” (Ephesians 2:10 ).


In closing, Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 3:11-15; 5:10 ).


Those who continually look for Jesus’ return for His church will be spiritually clean, consecrated, dedicated: “Every man that has this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John, 3:3 ).


When the fact of His coming gets hold on us, heart and soul, we will cease to compromise with sin and with the enemies of Jesus. There is no truth in all the Word of God, which will cause the Christians to be so spiritually minded as with the truth of the imminent return of Jesus for His church.


Knowing His coming is soon, at any moment, actually, seeing friends and loved ones who are lost and bound for hell, the fact of His imminent return should lay on us a deep burden to rescue them. The fields are truly white and ready for harvest, and we should be reapers, not stargazers.


“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ).


Paul made this statement near the end of his ministry on earth:



“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8 ).


Remembering this:


“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:36-39 ).


“Satan, your enemy, cannot force you to do anything you do not want to do.”







++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Disclaimer: Rapture Bible Prophecy Forum, ( http://www.rapturebibleprophecyforum.com ) does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site. We do however, encourage a healthy and friendly debate on the issues of our day. Whether you agree or disagree, we encourage you to post your feedback by using the reply button.

If you are new to this site and would like to post articles, opinions, youtube videos that are appropriate for this site just e mail me at

stevensandiego@ymail.com
I will send you a PASSWORD

Ybic
Steven