The Book of Jude‏

Hello Friends!

Today, we live and serve in a culture that determines what is true by asking, "How do you feel about it?" As a result, the church is under attack for its stand on biblical truth. Sadly, many believers and even pastors are ready to lay aside doctrinal differences in order to build an ecumenical Tower of Babel. 

 

Wait! Truth matters to God – and it must matter to us as well! Jesus Christ is The Truth…

 

The Book of Jude

We must defend the faith that has been passed down to us through the Word of God! Jude encouraged his readers to earnestly contend for the faith and warned about immoral teachers and doctrines which were endangering the faith of the believers.

 

Jude's words challenge us – especially in today’s post-modern culture/church. He wrote:

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints – Jude 3

The book of Acts is known as the “Acts of the Apostles” – The book of Jude could be considered as the “Acts of the Apostates” as it is the only Epistle written with the expressed purpose of exposing false teachers, their false doctrines and their heresies that were leading believers away from the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

These words should awaken us today to the importance of spiritual discernment and of the need to know and embrace the core doctrines of our Christian faith. That's what the book of Jude is all about! 

 

Outline of the book of Jude:

Desires of Jude (1-2)

 

Declaration of War Against Apostates (3-4)

Damnable Outcome of Apostates (5-7)

Denunciation of Apostates (8-16)

Defenses Against Apostates (17-23)

Doxology of Jude (24-25)

My prayer is that you may read these Scriptures with a fresh commitment to stand in the gap, to defend the faith, and to protect the church from the many false teaching and doctrines of the day. May our Lord Jesus be glorified and His kingdom expanded!

 

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

The Christmas Story: Jesus Christ Born to Die‏

Hello Friends!

Merry Christmas!

 Our familiarity with the Christmas story should not obscure the mystery of the Incarnation – God becoming a man – which is of course the focal point of God's work in the world. 

Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God – came to save sinners from their sin and the wrath of God through faith in Him alone. This special season reminds the Christian that preparation for Jesus Christ's First Coming – His incarnation – was for this very specific reason:

             And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins – Matthew 1:21

No detail was left to “chance” – The Almighty's focused interest in Bethlehem is a reminder that we have the privilege of being a part of His eternal plan during Jesus Christ’s Second Coming – the Lion of Judah! This message is the only true eternal hope for this lost and dying world…

The Christmas Story: Jesus Christ Born to Die

The Apostles Matthew the tax collector and Doctor Luke wrote to us about the most amazing, miraculous birth in the history of the world. These intimate and personal Biblical accounts can be found in four chapters of the Scriptures: Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. 

 

Christmas is always a great day to look at the events of that day – 2,000 years ago – from the Scriptures. It allows us to receive the insight of God's Word in our hearts and minds. Thank you for sharing this special time with me today in honoring our Lord Jesus Christ!
 
Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS

Luke 2:1-20

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them:

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them

In Luke 2:12 there is an interesting statement:

"…and this shall be a sign unto you"

Dr. Luke also records what the angel said to the shepherds – that they would find the newborn babe, "God-man", Jesus Christ:

"…in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes"

During my recent studies in the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith, I learned why this would indeed be a "sign" to these shepherds. This “sign” was in an actual place located in the Shepherd's Fields called the "Tower of the Flock". In the Hebrew language, the phrase is known as "Migdal Edar". "Migdal" is Hebrew for "tower" and "Edar" is "flock" in the Hebrew language. This phrase is only used twice in the entire Bible - Genesis 35:21 and Micah 4:8.
 
In the Genesis 35:21 passage, "Migdal Edar" is referring to the location where Jacob pitched his tent after he buried his wife Rachel who had died in childbirth. "Migdal Edar" is on the road between Bethlehem, where Rachel was buried, and the city of Jerusalem, which is only three miles away.
 
The other mention of "Migdal Edar" or "tower of the flock" is found in Micah 4:8 and is a prophecy that the announcement of the Messiah would be at "Migdal Edar". This location, "Migdal Edar", has been known by the religious Jews for centuries as the place where the announcement of the "Messiah" would take place. "Migdal Edar" was a watchtower in the Shepherd's Fields of Bethlehem. It was a two-story stone structure built out in the fields. On the top story, a "priestly shepherd" would stand watching over the flock to make certain that the sheep were not being harmed in any way.
 
The sheep raised in the Shepherd's Fields of Bethlehem were destined for the "temple sacrifice" three miles away. Also, these sheep must be without blemish or spot – perfect condition in order to be sacrificed. Bethlehem's "shepherd's fields" was the holding pen for the sacrificial lambs.
 
The bottom floor of "Migdal Edar" was for the "birthing" of these lambs. From the beginning, these lambs must be perfect. The "priestly shepherd" would take the newborn lamb and wrap it in "swaddling clothes" to keep it from harming its limbs. After wrapping the baby lamb, the shepherd would lay it in a "manger" until the newborn had calmed down.
 
These priestly shepherds knew of this procedure and when told it would be a sign, they re-called Micah 4:8 and with haste, as noted in Luke 2:16 - ran to see the newborn Jesus, the Son of God!

The miraculous first coming of Jesus sets the stage for the awesome second coming of Jesus. Therefore we can rest assured He will keep His promise – Maranatha!

In closing:

In Luke chapter 1, the angelic messenger identified Jesus, the Christ-child in four ways:

• He would be the son of Mary – Making Him fully human (1:31)
• He would be the Son of the Highest – Making Him fully divine (1:32)
• He would be the Son of David – Giving Him royal lineage (1:32)
• He would bear the title Son of God – Giving Him equality with the Father in all things (1:35)

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins – Colossians 1:13-14

All of the roles the Savior Messiah was called to fulfill are made possible in these divine, distinct expressions of the Sonship of Jesus Christ – the perfect God-man!

I love the Christmas story! Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
 
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Nelson Mandela & Desmond Tutu‏

Hello Friends!  

As you no doubt are already aware, Nelson Mandela died on Thursday, December 5^th, 2013. Mr. Mandela was without a doubt a great Civil Rights and Activist leader and his transformation from terrorist to icon is truly unprecedented. But is there more to the story? The truth be told, in a word – yes. 

Mr. Mandela was considered a charismatic leader, who was often celebrated in American media as an heroic icon in the struggle for freedom and human rights. For years, it has been known that he was a radical leftist and well known Communist who was imprisoned for carrying out acts of terrorism during the Apartheid era. The bizarre contrast is seen in that some American pastors remember Mandela with fondness, while at least one South African minister, Peter Hammond, reminds the world of what he really represented:

http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/nelson-mandela-was-a-radical-marxist/

That said, it is not our intentions to be unkind or disrespectful to the Mandela family, we here at EC desire only to share the many facets of Mr. Mandela’s worldview and associations that would suggest a much different picture than what is traditionally touted today within many Christian and conservative circles…  

 

Nelson Mandela & Desmond Tutu

Many evangelicals are praising Mandela as someone to admire and emulate. Should this be the case for a man who held to a communist worldview? 

 

Mandela often praised Karl Marx and worked with the South African Communist Party (SACP). There were close ties between Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) and the SACP. Mandela’s organization also received support from Beijing and the former Soviet Union.

 

During the Cold War, both the State and Defense departments dubbed Mandela’s political party – African National Congress – a terrorist group that carried out guerrilla warfare and was on the U.S. terror watch list until 2008. Why did our government correctly have him on this watch list? Here is a NBC News article that provides some of these and other details:

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/07/21794290-us-government-considered-nelson-mandela-a-terrorist-until-2008

What did Margaret Thatcher say about Mandela? In the 1980’s Lady Thatcher caused controversy when she refused to back sanctions against South Africa. In 1987 she said that anyone who believed the ANC would ever rule South Africa was “living in cloud-cuckoo land”.

 

Sadly, Mandela’s wife, Winnie, was also a known proponent for having tires put around the neck of her opposition, having the tire saturated in gasoline and then lighting it on fire. She eventually returned to Soweto and became a part of the ANC campaign against the regime. The following is a disturbing quote:

"We have no guns – we have only stones, boxes of matches and petrol," she told a township crowd. "Together, hand in hand, with our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country." – Winnie Mandela

This practice was known as “necklacing” – a very slow, excruciatingly painful death. Here is more information on Winnie’s life:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/06/nelson-winnie-mandela-marriage

It is a also known fact that former Communists have verified these reports on the activities of the Jesuits/Communists in hijacking the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, seeking to create civil unrest and to “agitate to the point of conflict” – just as they did in South Africa. Does the name Saul Alinsky sound familiar? Race-baiting and class warfare are classic tactics of these menaces.

 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: A False Prophet in Modern Times

In a recent story concerning world renowned former Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the controversial minister of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, has said:

"I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven... I would much rather to go the other place (i.e. Hell)." – Desmond Tutu

This statement from Mr. Tutu was in support of the launch of the United Nation's global “Free & Equal” campaign to promote gay rights.

 

Archbishop Tutu achieved international recognition because of his fight against apartheid during the 1980's and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. In 2009 President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Tutu has long been a supporter of ecumenism, abortion, and homosexuality. 

 

The Bible is clear that those who practice homosexuality will not go to Heaven:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Dear friend, if that describes you, please know that God can forgive any sin. You must repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ alone to save you.

 

Mr. Tutu has written a book brazenly titled “God is Not a Christian” which exposes his anti-Biblical view of the one and only Lord God of creation. What does the Bible tell us about false prophets, and how do we recognize them in the Church?

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple – Romans 16:17-18

Don’t be deceived by these wolves in sheep’s clothing. We must be very mindful in our support and adoration of sinful man and his quest for power and control.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? – Jeremiah 17:9

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Daniel 12: Biblical Insight and Knowledge‏

Hello Friends! 

In the last chapter of the Old Testament book of Daniel, we see Daniel is told to seal up the book of revelation he has received and to conceal the words he has been told. These words have been given for the benefit of those of us who are living in the end times – today – and reveals God’s prophetic plan for the ages. Let’s take a brief look at this excellent prophetic chapter…

 

Daniel 12: Biblical Insight and Knowledge

This final prophetic chapter of the prophet Daniel describes the end times as having a great increase in knowledge but lacking stability and direction. The increase of travel and knowledge in the last days will not produce righteousness in man nor will it serve as a guiding light to our lost and sinful world. Here Daniel is told to “seal the book until the time of the end” and is given a glimpse of the future:

But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase – Daniel 12:4

 It was not for Daniel to fully understand all that was to come:

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand – Daniel 12:8-9

The revelation Daniel has been given will indeed provide the Lord’s wisdom and insight for those Christians today who have a true desire for Biblical knowledge, discernment and insight. What is the difference between “insight” and “knowledge” found in Daniel chapter 12? Great question! 

 

Throughout the Scriptures, a number of biblical texts speak to this matter. As the Scriptures proclaim, “insight” comes only to Christians – believers in Jesus Christ who have repented of their sins, heed the Word of God and hence benefit from the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives. “Knowledge” is the general information available to all – regardless of spiritual condition – in which most often does not originate from the Scriptures nor from the Holy Spirit.

 

“Insight” is the God-given wisdom, discernment and understanding to believers of what is happening and how it is being used of God to achieve His overall divine, providential plan and purposes – spiritual and eternal. 

“Knowledge” is the assimilation of facts and information which is available to all people. However, for the unbeliever, they do not posses the ability to see beyond that which is material, physical, and temporal. A brilliant unbelieving scientist may have great knowledge, while a Christian manual laborer with little education may have great God-given insight.

 

Knowledge has given us the atomic bomb and a vast arsenal of lethal weapons. However, it has not – and will not - given us true lasting world peace!

The complete “end-times” details – the Seven Year Tribulation, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, the Great White Throne Judgment (unbelievers cast into the eternal Lake of Fire) and the New Heaven & New Earth (for believers) – would later be written by the Apostle John in the New Testament book of Revelation.

 

As is quite evident today, we clearly see our society and the world as a whole declining in morality and decency. In fact, Jesus Christ had much to say in this regard as His disciples inquired of Him as to the timing of His return to earth:

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come – Matthew 24:3-14

The only true and lasting “peace” this world will ever know is when the Prince of Peace Himself physically returns to earth to establish His 1000-Year Millennial Kingdom:

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years – Revelation 20:4

The Books of Revelation & Daniel will be guiding lights for those Christians with insight in these deceptive and wicked last days. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Reasons for the Puritan Migration‏

Hello Friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

No group has played a more pivotal role in shaping America's foundational values than the New England Puritans. The seventeenth-century Puritans contributed to our country's original sense of mission, its work ethic, its moral sensibility. Most importantly, the exultation God's Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Puritans also discerned and despised the Jesuit Order, which to this day, seeks to subvert the kingdoms of this world under the rule and authority of Rome and her false religious system - particularly the worship of the false Christ sought through the "Mass." 

 

The following article is an excerpt from Robert Charles Winthrop’s work titled “Life and Letters of John Winthrop” and is an excellent “starting point” for understanding this very important "pre-American" migration in its true historical context. Enjoy!

Reasons for the Puritan Migration

 
Today, eight million Americans can trace their ancestry to the fifteen to twenty thousand Puritans who migrated to New England between 1629 and 1640.
 
Few people, however, have been as frequently subjected to caricature and ridicule. The journalist H.L. Mencken defined Puritanism as "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy." And particularly during the 1920s, the Puritans came to symbolize every cultural characteristic that "modern" Americans despised. The Puritans were often dismissed as drably-clothed religious zealots who were hostile to the arts and were eager to impose their rigid "Puritanical" morality on the world around them.

This stereotypical view is almost wholly incorrect. Contrary to much popular thinking, the Puritans were not sexual prudes. Although they strongly condemned sexual relations outside of marriage--levying fines or even whipping those who fornicated, committed adultery or sodomy, or bore children outside of wedlock--they attached a high value to the marital tie. Nor did Puritans abstain from alcohol; even though they objected to drunkenness, they did not believe alcohol as sinful in itself. They were not opposed to artistic beauty; although they were suspicious of the theater and the visual arts, the Puritans valued poetry. Indeed, John Milton (1603-1674), one of England's greatest poets, was a Puritan. Even the association of the Puritans with drab colors is wrong. They especially liked the colors red and blue.

Although the Puritans wanted to reform the world to conform to God's law, they did not set up a church-run state. Even though they believed that the primary purpose of government was to punish breaches of God's laws, few people were as committed as the Puritans to the separation of church and state. Not only did they reject the idea of establishing a system of church courts, they also forbade ministers from holding public office.

Perhaps most strikingly, the Puritans in Massachusetts held annual elections and extended the right to vote and hold office to all "freemen." Although this term was originally restricted to church members, it meant that a much larger proportion of the adult male population could vote in Massachusetts than in England itself (roughly 55 percent, compared to about 33 percent in England).

John Winthrop (1606-1676) was a well-off landowner who served as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for much of its early history. Unlike the Pilgrims, Winthrop and the other Puritans who traveled to Massachusetts were not separatists. Rather than trying to flee the corruptions of a wicked world, they hoped to establish in New England a pure church that would offer a model for the churches in England. In this selection, Winthrop offers religious and economic arguments in support of moving to New England.

Reasons for the Puritan migration

1. It will be a service to the Church of great consequence to carry the Gospel into those parts of the world...& to raise a Bulwark against the kingdom of AnteChrist w[hi]ch the Jesuits labour to reare up in those parts. (emphasis mine)

2. All other churches of Europe are brought to desolation, & o[u]r sins, for w[hi]ch the Lord begins already to frown upon us & to cut us short, do threaten evil times to be coming upon us, & who knows, but that God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many whom he means to save out of the general calamity, & seeing the Church hath no place left to fly into but the wilderness, what better work can there be, then to go & provide tabernacles & food for her against she comes thither:

3. This Land grows weary of her Inhabitants, so as man, who is the most precious of all creatures, is here more vile & base then the earth we tread upon, & of less price among us then an horse or a sheep: masters are forced by authority to entertain servants, parents to maintain there own children, all towns complain of the burthen of their poore, though we have taken up many unnecessary yea unlawful trades to maintain them, & we use the authority of the Law to hinder the increase of o[u]r people....

4. The whole earth is the Lords garden & he hath given it to the Sons of men w[i]th a gen[era]l Commission: Gen: 1:28: increase & multiply, & replenish the earth & subdue it,...why then should we stand striving here for places of habitation...& in the meane time suffer a whole Continent as fruitful & convenient for the use of man to lie waste w[i]thout any improvement?

5...all arts & Trades are carried in that deceitful & unrighteous course, as it is almost impossible for a good & upright man to maintain his charge & live comfortably in any of them.

6. The fountaine of Learning & Religion are so corrupted as...most children (even the best wittes & of fairest hopes) are perverted, corrupted, & utterly overthrown by the multitude of evil examples...

Source:

R.C. Winthrop, Life and Letters of John Winthrop (Boston: Ticknor and Fick's, 1864), Vol. 1, pp. 309-311.

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)

Acts: Pentecost & The Holy Spirit (2 of 2)‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to our two-part study from the book of Acts in which records the historical events of the first century church – specifically the "Day of Pentecost" – when those who believed were "added to the church" and whose true belief led them to eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

 

Let’s continue our search of the Scriptures to see what the Lord has to say about these very important and often controversial passages of Scripture…

Acts: Pentecost & The Holy Spirit

As we approach an often controversial passage of Scripture found in the book of Acts chapter 2, I would like to share several thoughts with you that may help each of us to better understand what actually happen on that awesome "Day of Pentecost" almost 2,000 years ago.
 
"Pentecost" is one of the seven Jewish feast days that God gave the Jewish people – the last of the four spring feasts. It was the day that the promise of Jesus Christ was fulfilled as He indeed said it would be, as the Holy Spirit – "the Helper" – would come to the new converts of Christ:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come – John 16:7-13

These believers of "The Way" would later become known as "Christians" at the city of Antioch:

Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch – Acts 11:25-26

In view of these verses, I would like for you to consider several thoughts I have gleaned in my study of this portion of scripture. We see on this particular "Day of Pentecost" there were Jews from "every nation under heaven" gathered in Jerusalem:

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven – Acts 2:5

Pentecost was a "pilgrim feast day" and the Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to observe this important "feast." By the way, this means that all twelve tribes were present in Jerusalem at this time. NOTE: There were no "ten lost tribes" as some skeptics have improperly taught!
 
Also, please notice that on the "Day of Pentecost" there was no such thing as people speaking in unknown "tongues" or "languages." The following passages give us a list of all the actual languages spoken that day:

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God – Acts 2:6-11

We notice in verse 11 that they were hearing in the native languages of the peoples gathered there that day – they heard them “speak in our tongues." That phrase is interpreted later where Peter – the preacher on the "Day of Pentecost" – gave the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, the complete "gospel" message – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it – Acts 2:22-24

Please note: These "tongues" spoken on the "Day of Pentecost" were not the unintelligible, babbling utterances that are quite evident in many churches today. In fact, these efforts of "speaking in tongues"  – unintelligible utterances – are commonly practiced in pagan rituals and false religions such as Hinduism. This unbiblical practice is nothing new. 

On this wonderful day, we learn that "about three thousand souls", were saved during this true move of the Holy Spirit:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls – Acts 2:41

There is one more controversial item that I would like to address in which Peter references in this chapter pertaining to the Old Testament Prophet Joel and his prophecy:

And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls – Joel 2:29-32

In context, Peter was not saying that Joel's prophecy was being fulfilled on that "Day of Pentecost." This prophecy is speaking of the Jews during "those days" when the remaining believers from Israel who have survived the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation period will have come to the truth of Jesus Christ as their Messiah – yet future.

It's also interesting to note that nowhere in Joel's prophecy does it call for "speaking in tongues" as is claimed through many teachings today. However, we do see that "wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath" will happen during the time of the Great Tribulation:

I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord – Acts 2:19-20

None of those "signs" happened on the "Day of Pentecost." In fact, we find that these "signs" and "wonders" will actually take place on earth as detailed by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation! However, what did happen on that wonderful "Day of Pentecost" was that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord" did get saved:

And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – Acts 2:21

One other thought about Joel's prophecy expounded upon by Peter in the book of Acts:

For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – Acts 2:15-21

These passages could not have been fulfilled on that "Day of Pentecost" because the ancient Jewish prophet Joel said that this prophecy would be fulfilled during the "great and awesome day of the Lord". That period known as "the last days" does not begin until after the Rapture of the Church and takes place during the Seven Year Tribulation Period leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. That's what Joel's prophecy is describing – clearly a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

The "Day of Pentecost" in Acts 2 was a great day for me as a Gentile! It marked the beginning of the "Church Age" also known as the Dispensation of Grace:

…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved – Acts 2:47

From that day when "the Lord added to the church" until the event of the Rapture, both Gentiles and Jews who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are made part of the "body of Christ"… The Church… His bride!

 

It is this "bride" – the Church – which Jesus Christ will shout for to join Him in the heavens at the Rapture. It is my belief that there are no Biblical prophecies that must be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church takes place. All Bible prophecy yet to be fulfilled will be fulfilled after the Rapture. The Rapture is imminent – it could happen today…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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