Mac and Scripture

For you mac and scripture buffs out there: I found a nifty software
that will really enhance your bible studies.

http://www.accordancebible.com/

It is incredible what they have included in it. Go and check it out!
At some point, I will own a copy of this exciting aid to dig still deeper into the sacred scriptures.

God And Messengers (Angels)

I read a passage today that illustrates how God, or, to be more precise, the divine, the invisible of whom Jesus is the image, how He dealt with Israel in the past. 

If we believe that the Supreme operates all in accord with the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11), we may sometimes wonder about the details of God's operations. Read Acts 7:35, where Stephan is speaking to the Sanhedrin in defense of false accusations that were leveled against him: 

This Moses, whom they disown, saying, 'Who constitutes you a chief and a justice over us?' this one has God commissioned to be a chief as well as a redeemer, a justice, with the hand of the messenger who was seen by him in the thorn bush. 

Quite clearly, Stephen points out that the apparition in the thorn bush was not God Himself but a messenger through which God, the Supreme, spoke to Moses. 

Can we, now, deduce from this that we, today, who are believers in Christ Jesus, have the same protection by messengers, or that God appears to us through messengers? 

No. 

The account of God's dealings with Abraham's posterity (or the Israelite race) passed on to us through Moses does not speak to us or make any promises to us who are the body of Christ (cp. Eph 1:22,23). The body of Christ is a distinct group of believers who are being called out today, and for which Paul became a dispenser (Col 1:21-27), consisting of Israelites and Gentiles (or people out of any nation other than Israel) (e.g. Gal 3:27,28; Eph 2:11-22). 

The destiny of the body of Christ is not terrestrial, which is Israel's lot (cp. e.g. Gen 12:1-3, Ex 6:2-7), but celestial (Eph 1:3,4; 2:6; Phil 3:20,21; Col 3:1-3). Today, in the ecclesia ('church'), everybody who chases after anything that is terrestrial (e.g. building the kingdom on this earth now, or wanting to see angels or the like), is an enemy of the cross of Christ (Phil 3:17-19). 

We are to display, in the oncoming eons, the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus among the celestials (or heavenly realms) (Eph 2:6,7). Through us, God makes known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials the multifarious wisdom of Himself, in accord with the purpose of the eons (Eph 3:10,11). 

Consequently, since we are objects for a display among the celestials, those beings that God used so often to administer to Israel, and our realm is inherent in the heavens, no messenger of God or any other terrestrial apparition will come to us. We walk by faith, not by perception (2.Cor 5:7). If we look out for any terrestrial signs, we are enemies of the cross of Christ. 

Thanking God for Everything?

I am realizing over and over again that man, in his disposition to the flesh, does not naturally thank God for whatever He may send in the way. 

Right now I am feeling pretty elated, having finished and hold my presentation, and am on an extreme hight spiritually. I am thanking God in my spirit. But how often do I go through tough times and then forget God or don't thank Him in Worship? How contrary is this behavior to truth! Read Job 1:20-22: 

Then Job arose, tore his robe and sheared his head. He fell to the earth and worshiped. And he said, Naked I came forth from the belly of my mother, and naked I shall return there. Yahweh, He gives and Yahweh, He takes away. Blessed be the Name of Yahweh. In all this, Job neither sinned nor ascribed anything improper to Elohim. 

Consider this! Job had just experienced the worst attack of Satan himself on all his dear possessions. All! All destroyed or dead. But instead of accusing Yahweh initially, he falls down to worship Him! How worthy of imitation. 

Beautiful, it is right on the spot if we say that all Evil and Good comes from our God! He is the ultimate Cause for things! He alone is the King who rules over all, and pursuing a purpose of love with all! 

Now to the King of the eons, the incorruptible, invisible, only and wise God, be honor and glory for the eons of the eons! Amen! (1.Tim 1:17) 

Nifty

Ok, no sleep for at least 20 hours now. Yea, pretty much. I got up at
about eight yesterday and haven't been able to get to sleep until now.

I have a presentation to hold. That accounts for the adrenaline that
is better than any drug. Sometime in my attempted "career" as a
teacher this has to stop, or I'll drop dead at some point soon when I
actually start teaching regularly in front of whole classes.

In my sort of vacuum before the actual day begins, I thought I
actually share a little pic with you, whoever this 'you' may be.

This is actually me crossing a lake in Colorado. I took a one week
back packing trip over there when I was spending ten months as a
German exchange student in Mid-West Wisconsin.

Really, I actually believe that I should at least try to get some
rest. My head starts to hurt, and I don't think that I'll be able to
concentrate much when I am going to hold my presentation at eight
thirty.

So long!

Spiritual Warfare

I have just experienced the most exhilarating thing. A few days ago I
send a link to a friend that contained an article headed 'Death, Dying
and Sin, and Resurrection'. The article proved from the scriptures
that death is not a state of consciousness, but rather a state of
complete oblivion for all mankind, whether believer or not.

(Here is the link in case you are interested: http://
www.fromthescriptures.com/death_dying/death_s1.html)

Today, this friend of mine, who lives in Spain and is of Romanian
background, came online and told me that she had read the article
finding it rather confusing, which is natural because the truths
about what death and sin really is are seldom taught among many
believers nowadays.

I then suggested to her that we could talk about these truths via
skype. We did. But it remained at less then a short conversation.
Suddenly, she had to break it all off because some visitor had
arrived. I thought, at that point, great, now that we want to talk
about the deeper truths of God, Satan is throwing in some nice
distractions, nicely placed.

Oh well, I went on, God, if this is how You want things, go ahead, I
won't resent your doings!

But, surprisingly, she did come back, after a short while, thank God,
and we got the opportunity to talk. Of course, we didn't go into the
topic of Death and Resurrection right on the spot, for she was rather
inclined to read up on it some more, going deeper into the scriptural
references of the text. But I could reassure her that death is a
state of oblivion (until resurrection) and that that is what scripture teaches!

Still, we had a good and long conversation about other scriptural
things, such as spiritual endowments (commonly called gifts), or the
role of man and woman in teaching, or false teachers (healers). It
was all pretty stimulating.

One of those days

Today is a day that didn't go as I reckoned it would go. I still
have a project to finish until Tuesday. It actually is a
presentation, a simple presentation that isn't even hard to prepare.
But somehow, this morning, when I sat in the university trying to get
it all together, I suddenly felt sick, dizzy, and I had to go home
for my bed.

It is one of those days that I sometimes would like to wish away.
Were you feel listless and down because your body just won't do
as you want. What is this for? Why? Again, this one word. Why.

'Our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a
Saviour also, the Lord, Jesus Christ, Who will transfigure the body
of our humiliation, to conform it to the body of His glory, in accord
with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to
Himself.' (Phil 3:20,21)

Our bodies here on this earth, in view to God's ideals, constantly
humiliates us because we cannot attain to that which God pleasing.
Our weakness, however, is part of God's plan with His creation. For
'we have this treasure (the light and power of the evangel) in
earthen vessels, that the transcendence of the power may be of God
and not of us' (2.Cor 4:7).

What is that about Hell?

Have you ever wondered whether there is Hell or not? I am sure any
one at some point in life comes up with the big 'Why-Question', and
may turn into a truth or answer seeker. Then, if this person happens
to live in the western world, he or she may encounter people who say
Jesus Christ is the answer to this great question. At the same time,
though, these Christians go on saying that if this person Jesus
Christ is not believed in, including His sacrificial death, eternal
torment is the portion of such a one.

This statement may either drive the seeker away, horrified, or drive
him/her into the arms of Christendom. But what if this isn't the
truth? What if Hell and eternal torment doesn't exist? What if it is
a great lie, perpetuated throughout history by human tradition?

Only the bible, the word of God, can give us answers to this
question. If God created a Hell for the unbelievers, it has to be
written somewhere. If it is not written, however, then it is not true.