Share some examples of what you would consider false teachings, today.

Some of the examples of a false teaching today we find in the Scriptures will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires and they will divide us.

Peter tells us:

·      false prophets will secretly introduce destructive heresies;

·      even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them and these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up;

·      With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable;

·      they are experts in greed--an accursed brood; and left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam.   

Paul tells us that they teach contrary to the teaching we have learned.

Why would Jesus our Lord have to restore all things when He returns to the earth and sets up His Kingdom at the start of the Millennium, from Ezekiel?  Does that mean what we are doing today is not right?  Ezekiel says many things will be restored and it starts with the Temple will only be open on the Sabbath Say, feast days and New moon.  The feast of Tabernacles and the Passover on the night of the 14^th will also be restored. Something I have to think about.

Blessings

Stephen

(Jude 1:18-19 NIV)  They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." {19} These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

(Rom 16:17-18 NIV)  I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. {18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

 (2 Pet 2:1 NIV)  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.

(2 Pet 2:3 NIV)  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

 (2 Pet 2:14 NIV)  With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood!

(2 Pet 2:15 NIV)  They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

(Acts 3:21 NIV)  He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

 

 

How would I define a “false teacher” and discern false teachings?

A false prophet or teacher or minister will teach false teachings for power, money, personal objectives, and things along this line.  We are told by Paul to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”  If we study the Scriptures and know and do what the Scriptures says, we can spot a counterfeit from the real thing.  A leader that does not teach the truth is a false teacher.

John tells us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets are here.  We are told that false Christ and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.  Peter tells us “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them and in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.”  From Matthew says “false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect.” 

The bottom line is that there are only two “ways of life” a person will follow in their lives, the Way of Life and the way of death.  One way is following the teachings, examples, commands and the scriptures on the Way of Life we are to follow.  These are the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  The false teacher will teach parts of the way of death in little things that will then add up.  These will lead to the works of the flesh.

Blessings

Stephen

(1 Th 5:21 KJV)  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

(2 Pet 2:1-3 NIV)  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. {2} Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. {3} In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

(Mat 24:24 NIV)  For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.

(1 Pet 3:15 NIV)  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

(1 John 4:1 NIV)  Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

 

How would you explain the implications of the phrase, “whenever the rights of God are lightly treated – the rights of men can fare no better?”

I find that this is a very interesting statement, when the rights of God are lightly treated, then the rights of men can fare no better.  I am going to look at this from a different point of view.  The rights of God are what Jesus our Lord taught, commanded and instructed for His people to do. Jesus is teaching a “Way of Life” for His people to live by and if we do not live by His “Way of Life”, then we treat lightly the rights of our High, Creator God.  These rights are the results of the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  If we as a people do these things then we will not treat lightly the rights of God.  Or, we know when we as a people to not live the “Way of Life”, we will live the Way of Death that Satan teaches.  Jeremiah tells us there are only two ways of life for God’s created beings.  If we live the “Way of Death,” we will have the works of the flesh is our lives and we will not recognize the rights of our High, Creator God.  So, which way are we living today.

Blessings

Stephen

(Gal 5:22-23 NIV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

(Jer 21:8 NIV)  "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.

(Gal 5:19-21 KJV)  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, {20} Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, {21} Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

 

 

How would you characterize the leadership of failing nations?

The leadership of a failing nation is characterize by not following the Law of God, being ungodly in all of their ways.  They are not following the Way of Life that Jesus taught, lived, teachings, and judgments.  It is not just the leadership but the people themselves have become ungodly.  The leaders and people do not obey the commands of Jesus because they do not love Him.  The only way we can show our love for Jesus is to obey His commands and teachings.  The people and the leadership (definitely the churches today) “pick and choose” which commands and teachings they will observe.  When Jesus our Lord returns to set up His kingdom during the millennium, He will restore all things as they were supposed to be and then all people will observe His commands and teachings.  John explains it the best when he said this is love for God, to obey his commands.
Blessings

Stephen

(John 15:10 NIV)  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

(John 14:23-24 NIV)  Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. {24} He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

(1 John 5:3 NIV)  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

 

What does it mean to you to be God-fearing?

There are so many ways and Scriptures that talks about God-fearing and what we are to do.  God fearing just means “reverence” to God.  Jesus tells us in Luke 12 to fear him.  We find that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and when we do this, we will hate evil.  What is evil, but works of the flesh and what is against the commands of our Lord, Jesus.  If we fear the LORD, then we will find great delight in his commands.  Oh, so difference from what the churches teaches today.  We need to learn to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  We need to let the Holy Spirit lead us in all understanding on the proper way to fear and become a real, God-fearing person.

Blessings

Stephen

(Prov 9:10 NIV)  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

(Prov 8:13 NIV)  To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

(Isa 33:6 NIV)  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

fear:  3374. yir'ah, yir-aw'; fem. of H3373; fear (also used as infin.); mor. reverence:-- X dreadful, X exceedingly, fear (-fulness).

(Psa 111:10 NIV)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

(Psa 112:1 NIV)  Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

(Heb 12:28 KJV)  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

(Rev 14:7 NIV)  He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

(Luke 12:5 KJV)  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

 

 

 

What does our culture condone today that God condemns?

Paul in Gal 5 covers this dq about the culture and what they condone that is different from what God condemns.  Why, because we as a nation do not follow the commands, teachings and the Law of God that Jesus our Lord gave us.  We as Christians in the New Testament says we do not have to follow the Law of God but Jesus says different, in Deut 28, the Blessings and Cursing Chapter, what happens to an individual and a nation that does not follow the commands of God.  Paul tells us the following that our culture embraces today that God condemns.  These are strong words.

·      sexual immorality

·      impurity

·      debauchery

·      idolatry

·      witchcraft

·      hatred

·      discord

·      jealousy

·      fits of rage

·      selfish ambition

·      dissensions

·      factions

·      envy

·      drunkenness

·      orgies

Paul then said, “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Think what Paul just said,  That to me is very strong words.  This is why there is a law, so we know what sin is and we can repent of the above sins.

Now, if we are a true Christian, then we would be living the “Way of Life” with the fruit of the Spirit.  Paul also explains this in Gal 5. The Christian who has the Holy Spirit living in them, the fruit of the Spirit is:

·      love

·      joy

·      peace

·      patience

·      kindness

·      goodness

·      faithfulness

·      gentleness

·      self-control

Oh so hard to do on my own, but our Lord, Jesus living in us through the Holy Spirit is the only way we can have this fruit of the Spirit in our lives. 

Blessings

Stephen

(Gal 5:19-21 NIV)  The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; {20} idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions {21} and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(2 Th 2:9-10 NIV)  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, {10} and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

(Gal 5:22-23 NIV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

Nations divide the land of Israel.

When I look at how our leaders are assisting other to divide the land of Israel.  Joel 3:2, last part says, “divided up my land.”  We look at what land was given to Israel as an inheritance. When other nations leaders are trying to take it away from the inheritance that God gave, there is a strong judgment upon these nations leaders and people.  The term, land for peace is heard around the world and also in Jerusalem.  The far left liberals are behind this because they do not believe what Jesus teaches from the Scriptures in the Old Testament and New Testament.  We pray that Jesus will come quickly to stop the suffering upon the individuals (war, famine and pestilence)  in the world because of the decisions that our leaders are making about dividing up the land that contain the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) inheritance.

ps:  I read the end of the Book and we “WIN” under the rule of Jesus, our Lord during the millennium and all future. 

Blessings

Stephen

(Joel 3:2 NIV)  I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

Why there be sacrifices in the Millennial Temple

When I look at why there will be sacrifices in the millennium Temple, we know this is one of the most asked questions.  We understand that an Old Testament sacrifice does not pay for the sins of the people but make the priest, people and the Temple clean, where the Shekinah (Jesus) can stay and be around.  The Old Testament sacrifices are a memorial looking forward to the Sacrifice that our Lord, Jesus did on the cross and the millennium sacrifices looks back to the sacrifice that our Lord, Jesus did on the cross.

Ezekiel tells us that he saw the glory (Shekinah – Jesus) of the God of Israel coming from the east and enter the Temple in Ezek 43.

Jesus tells us through Ezekiel, there are certain sacrifices that are required.  Some of these sacrifices are:

1st - purify the sanctuary

2^nd - make atonement for the Temple.

3^rd - make atonement for the house of Israel

4^th - to make atonement for the people

When will this be done, but the prince will provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths--at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel and will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to all make atonements.  This is why there will be sacrifices in the Millennium Temple because Jesus tells us that it will be done. 

Blessings

Stephen   

(Ezek 45:20 NIV)  You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple.

(Ezek 45:18 NIV)  "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In the first month on the first day you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary.

(Ezek 45:17 NIV)  It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths--at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.

(Ezek 45:15 NIV)  Also one sheep is to be taken from every flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These will be used for the grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the people, declares the Sovereign LORD.

(Ezek 43:2 NIV)  and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.

(Ezek 43:4 NIV)  The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east.