IMMORTALITY

On relationships in heaven…

1. We will not have our earthly bodies so everything that restricts us and binds us to our carnal nature will be gone. That includes no lust of the flesh, no lust of the eye and no pride of life. That includes earthly marriage which is for life, until death do us part.

2. We will be in spirit so there will be no division, no disharmony. There will be complete oneness with the Father through The Son in The Spirit. We will not forget everything but we will know Him fully even as we are fully known. Just as we are limited now in our understanding, then we will know Him fully because we will have left our earthly tent and be united with the LORD fully in glory.

3. He will wipe away every tear so it will not be a brainwashing or erasing the past but rather a complete restoration, a complete healing like when a deep wound or surgery is fully healed. Better yet, like when Naaman’s skin became like a baby’s skin. He and everyone knew he had a horrendous debilitating and incurable skin disease, yet when God restored him, he was like brand new.

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Matthew 22:29‭-‬30

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. Isaiah 25:7‭-‬8

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:49‭-‬50‭, ‬53


And THEN…

…the former things will not be remembered.

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. Isaiah 65:17‭-‬25

The Teaching

Watch your self and the teaching. 1 Tim 4:16a INT

Have you ever people watched? It is an intriguing pastime. People are curious creatures.

There are 8 billion people on the planet, mostly all busy about some task or fifty. Much is productive. Much is not. Much is constructive. Much is destructive. No two opinions align.

It does not require much reflection along these lines to realize that all the variety, all the hustle and bustle simply continues. Those who seek after our Creator, however, are instructed to live with purpose, not to be wandering stars but to allow the Most High to align our very selves, our lives, our activities and involvements, our purpose with His. Our purpose is His purpose. Rather, His purpose is our only true purpose. What a blessing it is to learn from Him, to discover and begin to recognize and understand The Truth, The Teaching, The Doctrine and to allow God to begin reshaping and reforming, refashioning and realigning our very self with The Teaching of God.

We are not even to approve of anything less. And by God’s grace, He helps us to live and share The Teaching in such a way that demonstrates His power yet does not destroy the precious lives of those around us. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Romans 1
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Let us humbly accept The Teaching of this WORD of life planted in us, and it will show like good fruit on a tree.

Our Heavenly Father, Your Name is Holy
May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin agains us
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever
Amen.

Early Morning Reflections

First Day of the week, 8/6/2023 [19 Av 5783]

Blessed LORD’S Day

What a blessing to know and be known by The Man JESUS Messiah


🎵🎶🎵

BLESSED ASSURANCE

Blessed assurance
JESUS is mine
O what a foretaste
Of glory divine
Heir of salvation
Purchase of God
Born of His Spirit
Washed in His blood

This is my story
This is my song
Praising my Savior
All the day long

🎵🎶🎵


An Early Morning Reflection 🌙

A brother asked

Have you ever let yourself be identified by the mistakes you’ve made?

RESPONSE
It seems there is a tedious balance between

Godly sorrow
And
No condemnation

Selah.


Once Again
Matt Redman

Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I’ve wondered at Your gift of life
And I’m in that place once again
I’m in that place once again

Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I’ve wondered at Your gift of life
And I’m in that place once again
I’m in that place once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I’ll bow
But for now I marvel at this saving grace
I’m full of praise once again
Full of praise today
I’m full of praise once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

Thank you for the cross
Thank you for the cross
Thank you for the cross, my Friend


When the role is called up yonder I’ll be there

A Clearer Understanding of Works

God subjected the world to disobedience so that all man’s works and actions are corrupt and sinful outside Christ. Idols involve man’s efforts, works & alternate ways in this world, any way other than God and His way. All man’s works amount to idolatry because they are something other than God’s Way.

Once we see that all man’s works are idolatry, we can begin to see more clearly that man’s works outside Christ tend to bring attention and glory to man rather than God. Until man’s attention is turned away from his own works toward the finished work of Christ, He cannot see God. Until man is drawn to God in Christ, he sees the idolatrous works of his own hands as good. Only when man sees that only God is good, only when he turns to Christ by grace through faith, only when he ceases from his own works, his own idolatry, only then can man see God, who is revealed to us in Christ.

Strong Warning

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:4‭-‬14

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:48‭-‬51

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
1 Corinthians 10:1‭-‬22

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
1 Timothy 1:18‭-‬20

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:9‭-‬10

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1‭-‬5

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
2 Timothy 4:9‭-‬10‭, ‬14‭-‬16

The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. The second epistle unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second time.
2 Timothy 4:22

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; while it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:12‭-‬19

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:4‭-‬12

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 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

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Hebrews 12:14‭-‬17

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Jude 1:24-25

Kingdom Principles

Many mix principles which ought not be mixed. This is an aim to highlight and make plain at least one or two of these which are simple yet momentous.

At first glance, many if not most will likely question this, but everyone who understands the principles of God’s Kingdom will shortly recognize the truth here.

Those in Christ belong only and fully to the ultimate & only superior Kingdom which is the Kingdom of God and of His Messiah.

While we as these yet live in this world, we belong and follow only the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. This Kingdom has overcome and subsumes all the kingdoms of this world. So, we are able to live and function in the world and in the world systems with far greater eternal wisdom than those in the world so long as we remain committed in heart and word and deed to the principles and truths of the Kingdom of God. We are able to excel in the mastery of subservient kingdoms and even to master principles of these subservient kingdoms even for developing excellence and success within those subservient kingdoms. However, we must never allow the principals of greed and corruption and lust, which are the prevailing corrupt principals of all the world systems, to infect us at all in any way.

In this way, by God’s grace and favor, there are seasons in which God may grant and even guide His chosen servants to function with great favor and wisdom, success and diligence in positions and places that appear to be in world systems. However, the prevailing principals of the Kingdom of Heaven NEVER become what the prevailing money driven principals of the world systems are.

The children of the Kingdom of God ought to win friends with unrighteous mammon. However, all who become friends with unrighteous mammon itself are no longer children of the Kingdom of Heaven. Rather, they have become children of the evil one, friends of the world systems and enemies of Shaddai.

Living His Story

God has written His Story
We are living His Story

We are surrounded by tens and dozens, scores and hundreds all around us
Even in our immediate evangelical communities who are living out His Story
Walking out His Story
Written on our hearts.
Living out His Story that He wrote in Advance.

Today is no different.
Everyday is Today.
Today is the only Day we have.
We have been given all these precious gifts.
These talents.
This community.

And so we go, we tell, we live His Story.
We impart Life and Evangel.

Today we shared the Ancient Words with Ali.
Ancient Words Ever True.
We shared more of His Story with a dozen and more students.
Words of Life.
Changing Me and Changing You.
We spread this message far and wide.
With Mohammed, with Nicholas, with Ali…with all who will hear
We have come with open hearts.
Let the Ancient Words impart
Life and Evangel.

What more can we say.
If we were to record all the things which were said
All the conversations,
Even if we were to attempt to capture all the amazing opportunities
All the pictures and videos in the world could not contain all the lives being impacted
Light never knows how far it shines.

Time would fail to tell of

Sousan and her brother Shakur
of Daniel and Mansour
Malik and his friend Galal
And their other friend Mohammed
Of the other Mohammed and his older sister
and their relative, Zahra
of Ali from Lebanon
of Mohamedou from Senegal
Yohanly & Karen from Mexico
of Grace and Amelia and Roderick

And so we rejoice and give thanks
We recognize this great blessing
As we continue living His Story

Exposed by the Light

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Ephesians 5:13

We have so much more to say about these things but so often we are unable to hear these things yet because we are still struggling with bondages. So let us pay more careful attention to the word spoken to us as sons. The world speaks of addictions and bondages but these bondages are of the kingdom of darkness. We however are no longer darkness but light in the LORD. So, listen, and be set free in JESUS Name. He whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and wherever the Spirit of the LORD is there is liberty. For we are now the LORD’s bond servants, and in His great mercy He has called us friends. And that is who we are, if we walk as He walked.

We declared unto you the great power of God available in Christ and in His WORD, even to be devoted to these things in Ephesians 5. However, none have fully availed themselves of this power of God, and so we must begin with more elementary things which is suitable.

And so we step back, if only for a brief interlude to reference Eph 4:29 & Ps 119:11.

We step back first to discuss 2 simple words here in beginning with Ephesians 4:29.

“Do not let – any unwholesome talk – come from your mouth…”

“Do not”

This itself is a bomb blast to expose the dangers of an overly sinful concept of addiction. This idea itself can be a bondage.

We have the ability in Christ to say no. This is the command of our God. He teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and sinful desires.

*HE* said, “Go and sin no more.”

*HE* said, “Do not…”

We are not to profess that we are slaves to Satan. There is depth in every verse, but a culture bound in slavery and limited by their language is also limited in their understanding and in their ability to think because of that language limitation.

The words of God have clear instruction and show us God’s power both to will and to work in our lives in contrast to the bondage of addictions and slavery.

Now how are we to have accountability? 

When we talk, we are to be open and honest, but when we talk we are to first be transformed from the inside out or else we simply remain in bondage and go deeper in bondage and drag others into our own bondage too.

So we are to be honest and truthful, never dishonest but rather to expose sin. But must we wallow in sin? So we must acknowledge that there is certainly a paradox in this but we must overcome evil by good. So open confession in full honesty but immediate rejection of bondage and turning to the truth. 

In other words, recognizing that honesty about bondage is essential and also that in the process of talking about bondage, we can go too far and continue too long, AND our hearers must also have their armor on. This is because one man’s honesty will be the devil’s fiery darts which pierce another onlooker and lead those without their armor on into immediate sin and bondage themselves. 

This is somewhat like the aimless arrow of 1 Kings 22:34 killed wicked Ahab, king  of Israel.

Prov 5 & 6 have still more power from God in every verse too.

And we have not even touched Ephesians 5 because we had to remind you first that God did not tell us to purify ourselves as we are pure if we are in bondage and unable by His power both to will and to do according to His God pleasure which is in Christ JESUS. He has given us power and authority in Christ to say no so that we are NO LONGER addicts in recovery. God forbid!

And so we declare even regarding our life and doctrine and this worldly lie about bondage and addiction.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29

Certainly, those who are in bondage are in bondage, but it is for freedom that Christ has set us free, no longer to be burdened by a yoke of slavery.

And so it is that we are able to declare with the LORD

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Ephesians 5:13

June 29, 2023 – Field Notes

People of the Books
Summer 2023
Parks & Campus
Evangelism & Discipleship
In full gear

Summer book table evangelism is kicking at HFC

Many students heard the good news today for the first time. Many accepted various books, bibles and tracts. Many also came for scheduled and unscheduled time slots and engaged in vibrant Bible studies.

Arabic, Spanish, Muslim, Christian.

Yesterday our Hindu friend Shrey also stopped by again.

JESUS IS LORD!

For a Depressed Brother

The very worst thing that could happen from beginning right now to give thanks for everything is that everything would get even worse in our circumstances and we would stop giving thanks. But if we start right now giving thanks in everything no matter what, then the worst thing that could ever happen is that things could get worse and we would actually become thankful in everything. This is because giving thanks from our heart no matter what actually transforms us. So in reality what happens when we truly begin to give thanks to God right now for everything no matter what is that we immediately begin to be transformed from within by God’s grace and mercy. When we continue to do this and right now begin openly to open our mouths in thanksgiving to God no matter what our circumstances are, He is faithful and has already blessed us with life and music to worship Him and 1000 blessings every day that we do not even see until we begin to give thanks to Him, right now and never stop no matter what.

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