PATrobas

The sign gifts of the Spirit were/are given to the church for its edification. However, Is. 28:11 is quoted in 1 Cor. 14:21 "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord." but this wasn't the gift of tongues but rather the Assyrians coming to invade Israel for their unbelief and they didn't understand the foreign language. They (Israel) were "unbelievers." So Paul goes on then to explain and compare Israel with those who refuse to believe the Gospel, " Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:" So, in answer to your question, No, I don't believe there is.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor. 4:7

Reminders - The House of God About 1500 BC God commanded Moses to construct a portable tent or tabernacle, where God could dwell to have fellowship with His people. The outer court held the wash basin and the altar of animal sacrifice. Within the court walls was a covered tent called the Holy Place which contained the altar of incense, table of showbread, and lampstand. Finally, inside that came the Holy of Holies which housed the Ark of the Covenant, the holy house of God. Around 960 BC David’s son Solomon built a stone temple for God in Jerusalem. It was a much bigger and more permanent building but held the same basic elements of the tabernacle, including the Holy of Holies where the High Priest met with God once a year to offer the blood of an animal sacrifice for the people. It was the center of worship where God’s people would go to meet with Him. Though this temple was grand and glorious, it was only an earthly shadow of the real dwelling place of God and His people in the heavenlies. Hebrews 9:1-28 Today, we have mistakenly replaced the Jewish temple with another building we call “a church.” Some of these places are wildly extravagant costing millions of borrowed dollars, housing gold and silver instruments of religious ceremony, priceless pieces of art adorning the walls, and imitations of the glory of God in stained glass lighting. These buildings, built to impress the world by a false holiness are what Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28 God is not opposed to having a gathering place to meet. Whether it is in someone’s house, a barn with hay bales for seats, or an unused pizza parlor, the place isn’t important, the people inside are. We shouldn’t think of our Sunday meetings as a place we have to go to meet with God, because God has come down and lives in us. We are now the tabernacle and house of God. We don’t go to a special place to pray; we pray in our spirit. We don’t go to a special place to worship; we worship Him in spirit and in truth. We don’t go to a church to meet with God; we are the church. We do go to a certain place each week to exercise our gifts and ministries from the Word of God to fellowship, to pray, and to break bread together. Final Thoughts: Paul called all the believers at each location “the church.” He never called a building the church. He wrote his letters to the people who were at certain places. Here are some examples: “Paul…Unto the church of God which is at Corinth…” 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 “Paul, an apostle, unto the churches of Galatia.” Galatians 1:1-2 “Paul…unto the church of the Thessalonians” 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Because we are members of God’s church, we are also called the body of Christ, and are individually called “saints.” Some examples of this are: “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called saints.” Romans 1:7 “Paul, to the saints which are at Ephesus.” Ephesians 1:1 “Paul and Timothy…to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi.” Philippians 1:1 The word saint means clean, separate, holy, and we have been made that way not by what we do but by what we have believed. All those who have put their trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for eternal life are saints according to the Bible. Wherever and whenever the saints gather, they, the people are called “the church,” the real house of God. John 14:23

Philp 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 1Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, :4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, :5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Reminders - Thank you The English words translated as grace, gift, thanks, and thanksgiving, are all derivatives of the one Greek word “Charis,” and are inter-related. Thirty-seven times in the New Testament we see expressions of thanksgiving, and all but once it is directed towards God, thanking Him for His provision. The ratio of 36 to 1 is notable, but that one instance used of personal appreciation to individuals makes it stand out as being that much more important, even to being recorded in scripture. Jesus always thanked God for the provision of food before eating it, and we see Him doing that at the last supper. We would say that He had said “grace” before the meal. “He took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24 Paul also expressed his thankfulness to God for His provision and resources. In 2 Corinthians 4:15 he thanked God for the abundant grace given, which caused many others to thank Him too. In 2 Corinthians 9:11, for the riches of His abundant provision. In Philippians 4:6, for answered prayer before receiving the requested thing. In 1 Timothy 4:3-4, for all food and meats that were now acceptable to be eaten with no dietary restrictions. Then, Paul encouraged us to give thanks for all things and in all situations. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 (and) “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Final Thoughts: Only once in the New Testament is thanksgiving expressed to people. That verse is Romans 16:3-4 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” Our mindset should always be to thank God first for what He gives and does for us. However, it is equally important to express appreciation to those whom God uses to bless us, and to graciously receive thanks from those who are blessed by us. We should be mindful to thank not only those obvious ministers who labor in the Word such as pastors, elders, and teachers, but also to those lesser seen or known members of the body who are working behind the scenes. Those who make sure the meeting room is clean and set up and taken down for our use. The audiovisual technicians. The computer and web site geeks. The prayer list keepers and pray-ers. The music and song leaders. The event organizers. The encouragers, the edifiers, the visitors, the greeters, the young people, and the old people. So, we should not only be thankful to God that saved us and provides for us, but also to those He used to make that happen and to those He is using along the way. Take a moment this week and from now on to tell Him and them, Thank You. “For the body is not one member, but many… But now God has set the members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him…[and] the members of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary, and those of the body we think to be less honorable, to them we give more abundant honor…” 1 Corinthians 12:14, 18, 22, 23

Reminders – Terms, Timing, and the Last Days There are terms that we use frequently that have well known definitions to us. But to those not familiar with the language of the Bible and how the Bible defines them, these terms can be confusing at best. A commonly used yet misunderstood term is “born again.” Jesus explained what this was in John 3:1-16, culminating with the most well-known verse of the Bible, “For God so loved the world…,” affirming that those who would believe in His death, burial and resurrection would receive everlasting life and be born again spiritually from above. “Salvation” and “saved” are similar terms that describe what has happened to those who have been born again. The root word for salvation in the Greek is “soter,” meaning “savior,” and the Hebrew word is Yeshua, which is the origin of the names Jehovah and Jesus. Both names refer to the one and only savior or deliverer, and literally mean “Jehovah is salvation.” God has delivered the world from the results of Adam’s sin through the death of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Then He raised Him from the dead as Lord to give eternal life to everyone who believes this good news. God has done all the work to save us. The only requirement to receive it is belief. Another misunderstood term is “last days.” We often hear, both from the pulpit and the media, that we are in the last days. The unbelieving world likes to poke fun at Christians by characterizing them as bearded, robed, and sandaled nut cases carrying a sign saying “Repent! The end is near!” What they don’t know is that they are fulfilling the prophesy in 2 Peter 3:3-4 “…that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” So, when exactly are the last days? The term in the New Testament epistles speaks of the last days of the church, which began at Pentecost and will cease at the rapture. The last days for the Jews also began at Pentecost but will include the last 7 year “Great Tribulation” period. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost was given for the nation of Israel and describes Joel’s prophesy of the last days including God’s dealings with them during the “day of the Lord,” the period from the great tribulation until the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign as King of the earth. We have not yet seen the fulfillment of Joel’s prophesy of signs and wonders in the earth, of blood and fire and vapor of smoke, and of the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood. Joel 2:28-32 As the church, we should not be looking for the signs of the great tribulation or the anti-christ, but rather we are to recognize that we are at the very end of the last days, and to be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 3:13 Final Thoughts: God’s timing is perfect. He is never late in His dealings with mankind, and if we are willing, He will use us just at the right time to minister the Gospel to others. We are not to orchestrate the timing but rather commit ourselves to Him, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, Romans 12:1 to become useful tools in His hand and in His timing. As Mordecai told queen Esther, “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 In other words, God will accomplish His will no matter what, but He would like to use you “for such a time as this.”

I think of it as this: the faith of Christ is presented to us as a decision making aid when the will of God is presented for us to do. The moment we agree with Him (as to His will,) we obey the directive, the faith of Christ is imputed to us becoming "our" faith, which in turn is our trust in the will of God. Faith has become our trust.

The doctrine of the "faith of Christ" is found in many translations but best brought out in the KJV where the difference between faith "of" and faith "in" is most evident. Hebrews 12:2 identifies the originator of faith, Ephesians 2:8 identifies faith as a gift. Other interesting verses are: Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Act 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Col 1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. :29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Reminders - Fruit The word fruit has several meanings, its definition depending on the context of its use in the Scriptures. It’s first and most obvious meaning is a food produced from a tree or vine such as figs or grapes. “And God said, "See, I have given you…every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:29 The next meaning is similar, speaking of the resulting fruit from whatever seed is planted such as wheat or corn. “And other [seeds] fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bear fruit a hundredfold.” Luke 8:8 Next, the meaning is again similar, but speaks of the fruit of human reproduction. Hearing Mary’s voice, her cousin Elizabeth declared, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” Luke 1:42 Then, we get into the less obvious meaning of fruit as relating to that which is produced in man by God, “I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 As Christians, we are made to produce fruit, or good works, as Paul tells us that we are “…created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” Ephesians 2:10 and “[hearing] the truth of the gospel which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and brings forth fruit…” Colossians 1:5-6 Besides several other distinctions of the word fruit, we come to that which is produced in us by the Holy Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 Lastly, we have the fruit which is produced from the heart, coming out of our mouths, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 Final Thoughts: Returning to the aspect of fruit being related to our works, Jesus said this, “For every tree is known by its own fruit.” Luke 6:44 Meaning that a peach tree will produce peaches, not pine-cones. So then, because we are Christians, we will produce fruit, that is, good works. But our works don’t make us Christians, faith does. The works are only signs that we are saved, they don’t prove it. You can tie peaches to hang from a pine tree but that doesn’t make the pine tree a peach tree. “…for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 Think of it this way. The fruit of a tree does not determine or regulate what kind of tree it is; the tree governs what kind of fruit it will produce. Let me repeat that. The fruit of a tree does not determine or regulate what kind of tree it is; the tree governs what kind of fruit it will produce. The fruit is just a sign of the kind of tree it comes from. We must first be born again by faith and become a tree of righteousness. Only then will we begin to produce righteous, or good works. Works don’t make us righteous. They are only a sign of the kind of tree we come from. The Adam tree or the Jesus tree.

I agree that we are weak and it is only by His faith that anything can be accomplished through us. But I'd like to speak a bit about "mustard seed" faith. I don't believe Jesus was encouraging us to have "more" faith (than a grain of mustard seed) or even as much faith, but rather that if WE had any faith of ourselves, we'd misuse it. · And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this sycamine tree, 'Be plucked up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Go and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' " Luke 17:5-10 This is speaking of authority. Obeying our Master and Lord in what He is telling us to do. These verses all go together and are not divided by a heading as in some Bibles. I believe the point Jesus was making is that we don't have any faith of ourselves. If we did, then we would be doing stupid things like casting trees into the sea in order to show others how powerful we were. Instead, if we believe/obey God when He tells us to do something, it will be done, because He is doing it, not us. Philippians 2:13 He provides His faith to believe when He speaks to us. Then, if we agree with Him, (saying OK or Yes, Lord) He recognizes our agreement in accomplishing His will, and imputes it to our account, now calling it “our faith.” What matters is, will we hear His voice, and if so, will we believe it and obey Him? Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11 So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (the rhema of Christ) We hear Him tell us His will, we say OK, He does the work. If He told us to say to a tree "be cast into the sea" it would be done because He is the one doing it. And after doing whatever He says to do, We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. Blessings.

I'm all for free speech. I am just reminded of Philippians 2:3-5 is all: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. :4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. :5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Great addition, and as you point out the work that God did for us through Jesus is unfathomable. He is worthy.

Reminders – Jesus Paid for the Sins of the World We use the word “trinity” frequently to describe Almighty God. Trinity simply means three in one. But the Jehovah’s Witnesses, in trying to prove that Jesus is not God Almighty, are quick to point out that the word “trinity” is not in the Bible, and they are right, it’s not. But the fundamental truth that shows God is a triune being comprised of the Father, the Word (who is Jesus,) and the Holy Spirit is taught and shown throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Just because a common word or phrase isn’t found written in the exact words of the Bible, doesn’t mean that the Bible doesn’t teach the truth of those words. Even so, this week I was surprised to learn that another phrase I use frequently is not found in the Bible. That phrase is, “Jesus paid for the sins of the world.” The words “paid,” “payment,” and “pay” are never used in reference to what Jesus did on the cross. However, there are several other words used in the Bible that are related to the words “paid, payment and pay,” that carry the same meaning. The first is the word bought, as in, “You are bought with a price,” and, “…there were false prophets (and) false teachers…even denying the Lord that bought them.” 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1 Next is the word “redeemed” which means, “to buy with the payment of a set price.” “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,” Galatians 3:13 and, “you were not redeemed with corruptible things, (such as) silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 Next is the word “ransom,” “(the Son of man, Jesus) …gave himself a ransom for all.” Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6 Then, we have the word “purchased,” which is the act of paying the ransom, “…feed the church of God, which He has purchased with his own blood.” Acts 20:28 Finally, the word “reconciled,” which is the result of purchasing by paying the ransom, “…when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” Romans 5:10 and, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,” 2 Corinthians 5:18 So, the point of all this is, that Jesus paid for the sins of the world, even if those exact words aren’t written in the Bible. Final Thoughts: There are two other important words related to payment. “Wages” and “gift.” “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 The price that must be paid for our sin and sins is death. It is what we deserve. This is God’s justice. Thankfully, Jesus made that payment and offers eternal life to us as a gift. We don’t deserve it. This is God’s grace. The truth is, that Jesus died on the cross in payment for the sins of the world. He was buried in the earth proving that He was dead. He rose alive from the grave and is alive right now, waiting to return. The question is, do you believe that Jesus paid the full price for your sins? Do you have eternal life? 1 John 5:13 says, “These things have I written unto you that believe…that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Very similar testimonies we have along with present methods. I find practicing Romans 12:1&2 each morning prevents me from complaining too much when hard circumstances come, and rather see them as divine encounters. Thanks for sharing, (and the painful reminders of sharp pointers and rulers across the knuckles) - blessings.

If this forum site was open primarily so that the world would come and be saved, then the topics should only be the Gospel, for that is all they could understand. If it is primarily for Christians to learn and grow, then the topics should reflect and be based on the truth of Scripture. I understood this forum to be of the latter. If that be so, then to express scripture as one sees it should not be limited and let others judge whether it is sound doctrine or not. If a member of the Mormon church, or the JW's, or Roman Catholic church should be here reading, then they should be exposed to the false teachings of their denomination and be shown scripturally why they are false. If they are truly members of the body of Christ and just lack Biblical teaching, then they should be honest enough to seek and ask questions. If they aren't saved, then these topics will definitely offend them. If they go, they go, just as the followers of Jesus did when they didn't understand His meaning of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He didn't apologize nor go running after them. The three groups I mentioned above are cults and preach a false Gospel of works salvation among other gross errors. I was raised through High School in the RC church until I was born again through the preaching of the Gospel by two door-to-door preachers who were bold enough to tell me the truth. They didn't point out RC error but told me I must be born again to enter heaven. After I was saved I was glad to be taught the truth about what God delivered me from; Religion. I agree with B Judson's doctrine and though he may come across as rough, I would hope he is being rough on the RC church's teaching, not on RC's as people. Paul put it to Timothy this way: 2Tim 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, :25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth :26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. And to the churches of Galatia he said this: Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: :7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. :8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As in my original post, Jesus said some hard things.

It is KJV. But you are right about the plural. I changed it for readability. Sorry, I didn't see your first post.

Yeah, I guess I'm not good at how to respond yet...still new to this web site. As to your response, no matter how good Enoch, Elijah or Job appeared to be, they were still born dead in Adam and God had to declare them to be righteous by faith. Again, Rom. 3:23 NONE righteous, no not one. We all started out this way and can only be saved by faith in the finished work of God.

Reminders – The Hard Sayings of Jesus Jesus said some hard things to those that didn’t yet have the ability to understand the meanings of His words. They heard and understood the language He was speaking but they lacked the power to comprehend His message. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus about new life, he understood Jesus’ words about physical birth, but he totally missed the message about spiritual birth and being “born again.” Jesus explained saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again.” John 3:5-7 Even after Jesus’ explanation, Nicodemus still did not understand, saying to Him, “How can these things be?” John 3:9 After feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish, a multitude followed Him, seeking to know how to get more free food. Jesus tried to tell them to look beyond physical food for life and to seek spiritual food for eternal life, saying, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, …I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die, …Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” John 6:27, 48-50, 53 Like Nicodemus, they were only thinking physically and they “quarreled among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” John 6:52 Again, Jesus tried to explain the meaning of His words saying, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63 Even though He spoke plainly to them, we learn that “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66-68 I don’t think Peter fathomed what Jesus meant any more than those that left, but he grasped enough to recognize the source of eternal life and remain with Him. Final Thoughts: To eat the raw flesh or drink the blood of an animal was an abomination to the Jews. To physically do what Jesus said was unthinkable, so they labeled Him a blaspheming heretic and had Him crucified. We, like Peter, know that the Word of God has the words of eternal life. But to unlock the meaning of those words that are written in the Bible and are heard in our hearts takes the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s neither miss nor dismiss the meaning of the words by failing to ask the author to reveal them, and then give us the faith to believe. Only then, can we do the hard sayings of Jesus.

Reminders - Clouds I live in the mountains and the clouds have been extraordinarily beautiful lately. Huge white cumulonimbus clouds gather all morning to ultimately form into dark thunderheads that roll across the afternoon skies. Eventually we glimpse flashes of lightning, which are followed by booming thunder and downpours of drenching rain. Then, as night approaches and the storms diminish, we are treated to incredible color combinations of reds, yellows, and oranges, while the setting sun gilds the upper edges of these breathtaking clouds. What a wonderful reminder of the glory of God! These clouds also remind me of the account in Acts of Jesus’ ascension into heaven when a cloud received Him out of the disciples’ sight. As they watched Him go, two angels said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11 Whether at the rapture when Jesus meets us in the air and escorts us to our new home, or at His second coming to the earth to establish His throne and kingdom in Jerusalem, we’re told that clouds will surround Him. As world events remind us that we are in the last days, let’s also use clouds as a reminder of Jesus’ soon return. He wants us to be looking for that event and alerting others of His imminent return. Jesus said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:28 And Paul reminded us to be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 Final Thoughts: There is a different kind of cloud not weather related that is also a reminder for us, “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.” Hebrews 12:1 This cloud speaks of the multitude of faithful Old Testament servants of God listed in Hebrews chapter 11. They had not yet received the promise of the Messiah, yet still walked faithfully while awaiting His first coming. We have the advantage of looking back and recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah but are still to walk by faith as they did, while looking forward to His second coming. Until then, we are also to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2

Reminders - One Another The term “one another” occurs 42 times in the New Testament. For instance, we are to: Have peace with one another Mark 9:50 Wash the feet of one another John 13:14 Have the same mind with one another Romans 12:16 Edify one another Romans 14:19 Receive one another Romans 15:7 Admonish one another Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16 Salute/Greet one another Romans 16:16 Care for one another 1 Corinthians 12:25 Serve one another Galatians 5:13 Bear burdens for one another Galatians 6:2 Be kind to and forgive one another Ephesians 4:32 Submit to one another Ephesians 5:21 Forbear and forgive one another Colossians 3:13 Comfort one another 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Exhort one another Hebrews 3:13 Provoke (to good works) one another Hebrews 10:24 Confess faults and pray for one another James 5:16 Have compassion for one another 1 Peter 3:8 Be hospitable to one another 1 Peter 4:9 Minister to one another 1 Peter 4:10 Be subject to one another 1 Peter 5:5 Have fellowship with one another 1 John 1:7 All these things that we are to do for the brethren can be summed up in Jesus’ commands, “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34 “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” John 13:35 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12 “These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:17 Fifteen more times in the New Testament, John, Paul, and Peter tell us the same thing; Love one another. Which of the things we are to do to one another do you think is most important? Final Thoughts: God supernaturally loved us while we were ungodly sinners, and His enemies. Romans 5:8-10 It still takes His supernatural power for us to love both our enemies and one another as commanded. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44

Reminders – What name are you known by? People are sometimes confused when different Bible characters have the same name. The name Mary is a good example. God chose a virgin named Mary to become the mother of Jesus. After His birth, like all newlywed brides, she assumed the role of Joseph’s wife, and became the mother of James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude, along with several unnamed sisters. Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3 In addition to her, there are five other women named Mary in the New Testament. Mary Magdalene, Mark 16:9 Mary, a sister to Martha and Lazarus, John 11:1 Mary, the wife of Zebedee and mother of the apostles James and John, Matthew 27:56 Mary, the wife of Alphaeus and mother of another of the twelve apostles named James, Mark 15:40 Mary the mother of John Mark, Acts 12:12 and finally a Mary who labored much ministering to Paul. Romans 16:6 It is also difficult to distinguish between the four men named James. There’s James, brother to John, sons of Zebedee, who were two of the twelve apostles nicknamed “sons of thunder,” Mark 3:17 This is the same James who was martyred by Herod in Acts 12:2. Then we have another apostle named James, the son of Alphaeus, called James the less. Mark 15:40 Next is James, the father of the apostle Judas (not Iscariot.) Luke 6:16 And finally we have the author of the epistle of James, the half-brother of Jesus. This is the James who was converted after Jesus’ resurrection and became a leader of the church in Jerusalem as recorded in the book of Acts. 15:13; 21:18 All these multiple people having the same name is complicated, making it difficult to keep track of who is who. But there is one name that has precedence above all others, about which there should be no confusion, Jesus. This name is above all names. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 “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:” Ephesians 1:21 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 Jesus is identified as Emmanuel, or, “God, with us.” His name. His identity. His authority. Jesus is Lord God. Final Thoughts: We should be careful to be known only by the name of Christian, rather than be labeled by a denomination or favorite doctrinal teacher or stance. No denomination, no church, no supplemental book or teaching, no office holder or authority, no teacher, pastor, evangelist, or leader, will ever stand in our place, nor advocate for us, nor be our excuse at the Judgement seat of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:10 He won’t care if we’ve called ourselves a Messianic Jew, or a Catholic, or a Protestant, or a Charismatic, or a Calvinist, or an Arminian, or anything else. We will each stand alone and give answer to Jesus, about whether we believed Him. Our Savior by the cross, our Lord by the resurrection, the Judge of all. Acts 10:42 He alone is our mediator and advocate. 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1 So the question now is, what name are you known by?

I don't disagree with you concerning Peter, but as I stated and was talking about here is all "agape". We cannot "agape" in the flesh. It is God's love manifested in us only as we walk in the Spirit. Neither can we do the work of God in the flesh, or do the commands of Jesus. It is God who worketh in us both to will and do.(Phil.2:13)...and We have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.(2Cor.4:7). Thus was the point of my OP. Blessings.

Reminders - Love and Truth Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 To love here is not to have a sexual attraction, a strong affinity for someone or something, or to have a warm feeling of tender emotion. To love is action. To love is to walk in the Spirit. To love is to walk by faith. To love is to walk in the truth of Scripture. The Apostle John used the word love 49 times in his writings, 23 times in 1 John alone. Listen to some of these familiar verses; “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,” 3:11 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us,” 3:16 “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth,” 3:18 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love,” 4:8 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear… We love Him because He first loved us,” 4:18-19 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” 5:3 Sometimes we wrongfully equate obeying the commandments of Jesus as legalism. If we link the keeping of the law or the commandments as a means of salvation, then we would be correct to count it as legalistic, for it is written, “…for by grace are you saved by faith…not by works…” Ephesians 2:8-9 But John is not speaking of how one obtains salvation. He is speaking to those who have been born again and that they are to walk in love and truth. 2 John 1:6 says, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.” So, what are the commandments of Jesus that we are to do if we love Him? For us, His commandments are not written in tablets of stone, but rather they are the things He whispers in our spirits every day. They are the things He tells us to do moment by moment. “My sheep hear My voice…and they follow me.” John 10:27 Final Thoughts: As I said at the beginning, love is not a gushy emotion but obedient action. Love and truth go hand in hand. John cautioned the church to be careful not to receive or tolerate false religions or their teachers. He wasn’t talking about unsaved visitors to our homes but about those who purposefully come to your door, or come through your media device, bringing a false teaching or a false Gospel. Those who deny the deity of Jesus. Those who add works to the Gospel. He even went so far as to tell us not to invite them into our homes nor bid them “Godspeed” which means to bless them in their work. Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16 Thus we see love and truth come together. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 “If any preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:9 Love without truth, or truth without love will make our message unbalanced.