Christine

@Yowm, @Not me, @frienduff thaylorde, Hello there, Thank you for responding to my post. You are all singing from the same song sheet I feel, so I hope you will not mind my answering you all in one post. [Sorry Yowm for not responding to you earlier, but I missed your entry somehow until now]. 'Not me', quoted James 4:15, 'if God wills': which is in line with all of your thinking regarding the words of Hebrews 6:3,'If God permit'. * In the OP, my application of Hebrews 6:1-3 to myself, was of a personal nature, but within the context in which it comes, there is a far greater significance to it, and one that I hope my personal application will not distract from. * God's will is that all should go on to maturity, for remaining a babe is not good (1 Cor.3:1-3), I agree. Yet, the words, 'if God wills', and 'if God permits' I believe are quite different. God being willing does not prevent someone acting contrary to His will, but God not permitting makes forward movement impossible I feel. * Do you understand what I am saying? * The awesome nature of the verses which follow, are sufficient reason for God to prevent forward movement, should the one deciding to make that advance be insufficiently equipped in their inner man to make the move. * Consider what happened in the case of Esau as an illustration (Heb. 12:16-17), and also Numbers 14:28-45 (Hebrews 3&4), and Luke 9:62. Remembering that those in Numbers 14, were a pardoned people (Numbers 14:19,20), yet it was not possible to renew again unto repentance that people, pardoned though they were. * They will be resurrected to enter into the promises made to their fathers in that yet future day, yes: but were not permitted to enter into the promised land in their lifetime, but died in the wilderness. * The context is regarding Hebrew believers, who were wavering and dangerously close to falling back into Judaism. In Christ Jesus Chris

I agree @Adstar, The reason being given in the verses that follow:- '... 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.’ (Heb 6:4-6 ) * This having particular application to the Hebrew believers of that day. Their spiritual welfare was God's concern. * This is where the application to myself in those early verses (see OP) stopped. In Christ Jesus Chris

‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” And so, after He had patiently endured, He obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb 6:13-20) 'And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, “By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.' (Gen 22:15-18) * Blessing to Abraham and His seed: and through Christ, 'The Seed,' that should come forth from Abraham's seed, all the nations of the earth will yet be blessed. Praise God! Thank you, In Christ Jesus Chris

‘Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, .. and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, .. and of laying on of hands, .... and of resurrection of the dead, ...... and of eternal judgment. ........ And this will we do, if God permit.’ (Heb 6:1-3) Hello there, These verses mark a turning point in my Christian experience. I remember listening to a speaker talking about the the need to 'go on' unto maturity. I really wanted to go on, it was an urgent desire. Yet I was stilled by the words, 'if God permit'. I realized that I would go on only 'if God permit', or when He knew that I was ready to do so. When I was strong enough 'in my inner man' to make the journey into what would be a 'faith' position, where Christ would be all and in all. Into the unsearchable riches of Christ. 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.’ (Eph 1:17-23) ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph 3:14-21) Have you any thoughts to share? In Christ Jesus Chris

‘And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen 2:7) Praise God!

Hello there, All that has been prophesied regarding Israel will come to pass. Peace does not mean necessarily lack of conflict, but the peace that only God can give, regardless of circumstances. ‘Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, "The LORD bless thee, .. and keep thee: The LORD make His face shine upon thee, .. and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, .. and give thee peace." And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them." (Num 6:23-27 ) Praise God! In Christ Jesus Chris

‘and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, .. and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, .. and there was not a man to till the ground.’ (Gen 2:5) Praise God!

These are the generations .. of the heavens .... and of the earth when they were created, in the day ( or 'when' ) that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,’ (Gen 2:4) * generations: = 'family history' (there are 14 in the Bible)

'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.' (Gen 2:1) Praise God!

‘And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’ (Gen 1:31) Praise God!

‘And to every beast of the earth, .. and to every fowl of the air, .... and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: .. and it was so.’ (Gen 1:30) 'It was so' - Praise God!

'Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto Him, “Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said unto them, “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, .. and the lame walk, .... the lepers are cleansed, ...... and the deaf hear, ........ the dead are raised up, .......... and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ............ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.’ (Mat 11:2-6) * These miraculous healings bore witness to the person of Christ: being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy such as Isaiah 34:5,6; they also echo the words read by the Lord from, Isaiah 61:1-2a, in the Synagogue at Nazareth in Luke 4:17:21. Praise God! * Thank you for your input, @Retrobyter, it is appreciated. In Christ Jesus Our risen and glorified Saviour, Lord and Head Chris

Dispensationalism, is merely a means to an end. That end is the knowledge of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord. To know God's will and purpose, and what He requires of us in this present administration. That we may walk and worship in a manner that is pleasing to Him, and bring glory to His Name. May His Name be glorified! In Christ Jesus Chris

‘So God created man in His Own image, in the image of God created He Him; male and female created He them.’ (Gen 1:27) Praise God!

Yes, I agree, @Marilyn, The Lord knows, and that is what matters. We can look forward to being in His presence, the recipients of the loving-kindness of God the Father in Heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in the age to come, and live 'looking' for His appearing, when we too will appear with Him in glory. In Christ Jesus Chris

‘And God said, Let Us make man .. in Our image, .... after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, .. and over the fowl of the air, .... and over the cattle, ...... and over all the earth, ........ and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ (Gen 1:26) Praise God!

Hello @Retrobyter, Thank you for correcting me. You are of course correct. I do get mixed up concerning this period. * Yes, I do know that 'Christ' is the same as 'Messiah'. * Thank you for explaining this. I have heard of this, but have not had it explained so clearly before. * No I did not know that the role 'King of Israel' includes the role of Judge, although I know that it is Christ(Messiah) that will Judge, and that it will take place during the Millennial reign and beyond. * Can you please tell me, where are we told in Scripture that God's throne is in 'the New Jerusalem' above, where it is currently being built? * Or that we must set our affection on things that are in the new Jerusalem? * It is my belief that Christ (Who is our life) will appear in glory (or in brightness) where He is now, at God's right hand, prior to the resurrection. For this is the Hope of the Church which is His Body, 'the fullness of Him that filleth all in all' (Eph. 1:22,23) * I agree that this will take place prior to the millennium. * Ephesians 4:10, tells us that the Lord ascended, 'far above all heavens', doesn't it? * (Psa 103:19) The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. * I have copied your notes regarding 'heaven', including your conclusion, to consider off-line, before I make comment on it. Thank you for the time and trouble you took to reply to me, and with such thoroughness. In Christ Jesus Chris

‘And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.’ (Gen 1:25)

Hello @Behold, The verses you have chosen are lovely, and we rejoice in them, but this thread is intended for going through a particular book of the Bible at a time, at present it is Genesis which is the book through which we are passing, each entering a verse following on from the other. Thank you.

‘Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; ... (Est 2:5) Hello Dan_79, The verse above is the first usage of the word that I could find, and in the margin of my Bible, in relation to this, it ways, 'a certain Jew' = a man (Heb. 'ish'), a Jew. The contrast between Judah and Israel was lost in a strange land; and, as Nebuchadnezzar's campaign was against Judah, so 'Jew' became the name used by Gentiles. Hope this is of help to you. In Christ Jesus Chris

Hello @Berean, I hope you will not consider my response to be superfluous, for you have received some good responses already, but in the appendix of my Bible there is a helpful description which may be of use to someone. The Kingdom (or Sovereignty) of God 1. Has God for its Ruler, 2. It is in heaven over the earth, 3. It is unlimited in its scope, 4. It is moral and spiritual in its sphere, 5. It is inclusive in its character (embracing the natural and spiritual seeds of Abraham, ‘the heavenly calling’, and the ‘Church’ of the Mystery) hence:- 6. It is universal in its aspect: 7, It is (in its wider aspect) the subject of New Testament revelation; 8. And will be eternal in its duration. Within the love of Christ our Saviour. Chris

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.’ (Col 3:1-4) Hello @Retrobyter, I find myself in agreement with what you say regarding everything, other than that quoted above, concerning The New Jerusalem being our eternal home. For as a member of the Church which is His Body, which is the subject of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, and the basis of 1&2 Timothy and Titus: my hope is to be found in Christ, in Heavenly places at God's right hand, for that is where the All Spiritual Blessings which I will share with fellow members in eternity, as recipients of the loving-kindness of God, in Christ, rest. The New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb, which comes down out of Heaven to The New Earth. In Christ Jesus Chris

‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature .. after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth .. after his kind: and it was so.’ (Gen 1:24) Praise God! Praise His Holy Name! For He spake and it was done!

‘ ... Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ... ‘ (Heb 12:1) Hello there, Yesterday morning I met with four other Christian friends, to discuss a portion of Scripture together. We met in the cafe of a local beauty spot, overlooking a lake, our Bibles open before us. Our conversation was one of such happiness in the Lord, that it could not help but be a positive witness to those sharing the same facilities. I pray that it will have been so. During the discussion, we touched on the state of the dead, and one of our company referred to, 'the great cloud of witnesses', of the verse above, to justify her belief that believers go immediately to heaven when they die. Obviously believing that they are in heaven and witnessing our faith in operation today. I had considered this several years ago, but needed to refresh my mind about the passage again, so did not make comment. As you will know the great cloud of witnesses refers to the Old Testament saints commended in chapter 11, for their witness to the power of faith, who by their lives showed their faith in action, even to the laying down of their lives. This morning I have been reading about these 'elders' who 'obtained a good report through faith,' (11:39) . The word, 'report' and 'witnesses' are related, and refer (in the Greek) to witness borne, and given with the mouth, or by the laying down of the life. They have nothing whatever to do with the eyes. These elders bore testimony through their faith, and the whole of chapter 11 is given in order to encourage those to whom it was written to endure the great suffering they were going though. The argument is that others had endured and been engaged in the same fight in former days. The examples chosen are those which exhibit this endurance, which only a living faith in the living God could produce. Moses and the others all 'endured as seeing Him, Who is invisible.'but now, in chapter 12, we see the greatest example of all, and are exhorted to run our course with endurance, looking away from all others who so endured, to Him Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. To endure and await God's time. Praise His Holy Name! In Christ Jesus our risen and glorified Saviour, Lord and Head. Chris

‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom 8:1-2) Praise God! This is true! * What a blessed position we are in, in Christ Jesus, aren't we? In Christ Jesus our risen and glorified Saviour, Lord and Head. Chris