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Michael Colunga (23 Feb 2013)
"Some quick answers to tough questions..."

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Hello, John and Doves,

In Rabbi Shaul's epistle to the Ephesians, we read:

25"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.a 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body."

Ephesians 5:25-30 ESV

In this passage, we find out just how much care with which our LORD cleanses the Church (v. 26).

Yeshua Ha Mashiach "nourishes and cherishes it." [See v. 29, above.]

In other words,

23"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24 KJV

is answered by

6"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV

Now, to perform a "check" on our calculations, we link God's abundant mercies to Christ's sacrifice on the cross for us.

It is written,

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2 KJV

We are the ones He is waiting for. We are His joy.

You see,

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

John 3:16-17 NIV

Does that solutionize that problem?

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Now, for the second scripture:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Mattiyahu 7:21 NIV

Try this scripture on for size:

9"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.g And by him we cry, “Abba,h Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children."

Romans 8:9-16

In practice, how does this work? Is it I who leads, or the Spirit?

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

Philippians 2:13 NLT

Again, it is written,

8"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9not by works, so that no one can boast.

10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV

So then, here is the answer to the riddle of sanctification (Romans 8:28-30).

There's no getting around it. We are saved for God's purposes, period.

However, we have the free will to choose Him. It is by choosing Him moment by moment that we do not merely remain in Him, but actually abide in Him.

It is written,

1"Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

4Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish."

Psalm 1 NIV

In other words, salvation is a partnership, just like marriage.

It is written,

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

~Blessings,

Mike

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Deb (19 Feb 2013)
"Last Days"

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Last Days

Many people believe that they are going to go up in the soon coming rapture, but I am not certain if it is as soon coming as everyone thinks, I am not saying it is not, because the signs sure point to soon and coming King and God moves when least expected. Just to throw a wrench into the works, and unsettle the smug ones and know-it-alls

What I wonder about is concerning two scriptures, the first is the one saying that Jesus will be retuning for a church/bride New International Version (©1984) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Is that by faith that we are without spot or wrinkle? Because if it is in the natural, I do not know of any church that fits that description as of yet, do you?

Yes, I believe something big is going to happen around this time line with the Pope and Obama in Israel, but the church is still to comfortable. Most are still too concerned about me; very self centered and yet they call themselves Christians - believers possibly, but even the devil believes. The scriptures also say you must make Jesus LORD (He rules) and savoir (and believe) to qualify as a Christian. Many only confess belief. Wrong! Because the second verse I wonder about is in Matt 7:21, when so many are expecting to get into heaven because they did so much stuff in His name. Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will (obedient to the calling God asked him to do) of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I did not knot know you”. He straightforwardly states only those who did my Father’s business can come in. Most Christians are not doing the Father’s business but there own business. This disqualifies many people. He also says those who are willing and obedient shall eat of the good of the land. I would say only about 2 percent will be included in the rapture. Do you think maybe the many will come during the great Trib, because John see so many in Revelation.

Please do not shoot the messenger…..Food for thought, just throwing it out there.

God Bless

Deb






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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.


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Feb 23rd, 2013 - 11:42 AM