The Key of David

[dhchristian]

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isa 22:22)

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (rev. 3:7)

The Key of David is the full assurance of the faith, as was experienced by the fundamentalist movement. This was the very essence of what they were commanded to hold onto with endurance.Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Rev. 3:11)

Well in the endeavor to Hold fast, what ended up happening is that textualism took hold and closed that open door. Full assurance of the faith, which was the vitalizing experience of the Philadelphian church age became an intellectual doctrine rather than an experience thus closing the door that was opened by it in this church age. Full assurance is not something that can be taught, but must be arrived at and experienced and lived. This Key enabled discernment with spiritual eyes, But discernment turned Into something different when textualism took hold, Discernment became an adherence to certain doctrines as opposed to seeing with Spiritual eyes. What in effect happened was the Blindness of the Laodicean age to follow.

Even now, today many live in this false assurance, because they hold these doctrines intellectually they are right, but there is no life in them. No where is this more evident than in the attacks on "Lordship salvation". They Hold to the doctrine that Jesus is the Lord, But they have not made Jesus their Lord. He is their savior, but not their Lord for they themselves still rule the roost of their kingdom. They have not submitted themselves to His LORDSHIP and in effect have made their own understanding their Lord. If their understanding is not satisfied those who disagree with their understanding are heretical. This was the death of this church age.

The Expelled Holiness movement took up the mantle and Pentecostalism was born, which was Laodicean. The blindness remained, But the experience of "God with us" was restored, Life briefly returned as the flame was lit in their midst. They rightly sought the experience and from time to time discovered it and the flame flickered, but they never reached full assurance of the faith.  They saw growth and success and riches as their assurance as opposed to arriving at genuine full assurance of the faith, though in each of these cases there were several saints who did arrive, they were few and far between and their voices were overshadowed by the boisterous ones whose flamboyant "successes" nullified the Truth they were trying to present. Balaam's error took hold in this final church age as gain became godliness, and the voice of the true prophets were silenced by those who prophesied for personal gain and fame and wealth. Today they Live in the self deception and denial of there being a problem and are asleep.

There is coming an awakening by the grace of God. Not one that starts another church age, But one of Travail and Birthing, as the Woman begins to bear offspring, the saints. Many have falsely claimed the tribulation saints as cast offs of the rapture, those left behind. I say They are the Holy remnant of the church as the age of the gentiles come to a close and Israel is restored, and King will rule in Israel. Those who have the key of David will rule with Him.

God Bless 

[Eddy Crocker]

1 hour ago, dhchristian said:

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isa 22:22)

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (rev. 3:7)

The Key of David is the full assurance of the faith, as was experienced by the fundamentalist movement. This was the very essence of what they were commanded to hold onto with endurance.Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Rev. 3:11)

Well in the endeavor to Hold fast, what ended up happening is that textualism took hold and closed that open door. Full assurance of the faith, which was the vitalizing experience of the Philadelphian church age became an intellectual doctrine rather than an experience thus closing the door that was opened by it in this church age. Full assurance is not something that can be taught, but must be arrived at and experienced and lived. This Key enabled discernment with spiritual eyes, But discernment turned Into something different when textualism took hold, Discernment became an adherence to certain doctrines as opposed to seeing with Spiritual eyes. What in effect happened was the Blindness of the Laodicean age to follow.

Even now, today many live in this false assurance, because they hold these doctrines intellectually they are right, but there is no life in them. No where is this more evident than in the attacks on "Lordship salvation". They Hold to the doctrine that Jesus is the Lord, But they have not made Jesus their Lord. He is their savior, but not their Lord for they themselves still rule the roost of their kingdom. They have not submitted themselves to His LORDSHIP and in effect have made their own understanding their Lord. If their understanding is not satisfied those who disagree with their understanding are heretical. This was the death of this church age.

The Expelled Holiness movement took up the mantle and Pentecostalism was born, which was Laodicean. The blindness remained, But the experience of "God with us" was restored, Life briefly returned as the flame was lit in their midst. They rightly sought the experience and from time to time discovered it and the flame flickered, but they never reached full assurance of the faith.  They saw growth and success and riches as their assurance as opposed to arriving at genuine full assurance of the faith, though in each of these cases there were several saints who did arrive, they were few and far between and their voices were overshadowed by the boisterous ones whose flamboyant "successes" nullified the Truth they were trying to present. Balaam's error took hold in this final church age as gain became godliness, and the voice of the true prophets were silenced by those who prophesied for personal gain and fame and wealth. Today they Live in the self deception and denial of there being a problem and are asleep.

There is coming an awakening by the grace of God. Not one that starts another church age, But one of Travail and Birthing, as the Woman begins to bear offspring, the saints. Many have falsely claimed the tribulation saints as cast offs of the rapture, those left behind. I say They are the Holy remnant of the church as the age of the gentiles come to a close and Israel is restored, and King will rule in Israel. Those who have the key of David will rule with Him.

God Bless 

It’s one thing to win Spirits like I see many of the churches doing. It’s quite another thing to win souls. 

Proverbs 11:30,

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

Luke 21:19

¹⁹ In your patience possess ye your souls.

Also the scripture that so many people misinterpret. 

Mathew 24:13,

But the one having endured to the end, he will be saved.

The end has already been from the foundation of the world but that end must be manifested in your life as a reality. That end is different for every soul according to his or hers state or their faith. 
 

The end is the end of your self or your personal day of Pentecost when your a consumed sacrifice upon the altar of God proved by the fire or cloven tongues like as fire. Everything else before this is dead.

The Adamic nature our death decree must be put to naught by the second Adams nature which is our law of life decree. 

James 2:14

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹

Saying the sinners prayer doesn’t mean anything if your works or your life doesn’t manifest it. A tree scripture says is known by its fruit. I can throw all the terminologies of scripture around and think I’m saved. I can quote scripture all day but is that really my proof that I’m saved as well?

I don’t think so! Every spiritual reality if it be real will have its manifestations to prove itself. An about knowledge doesn’t make God know you.
This is when he tells these type of souls depart from me (I NEVER KNEW YOU!) But you will say I knew all about you, doesn’t that count? I don’t think so.

I can say I have a cure for cancer. But if I really did have a cure for cancer could I really just stand back and watch people die knowing I could save or help them? 
Knowing all about the Lord is equivalent to saying a so called sinners prayer and quoting scriptures and doing spiritual and physical things of the letter of scripture. These so called Christians go through all the motions of a so called Christian but denies the power of God.
 

Their denial of the power of God is manifested by them not presenting a physical and spiritual evidence of their so called salvation or experience in their everyday life. 
They may try to manifest it legalistically but power is not behind their actions.

Their are 3 states of the Christian walk. A servant, son, and bride. Servants receive rewards and are outside of the gates heaven only to come in and out at certain times as manifested by this verse.

Psalms 109:4,

 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And-into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

This is the servant. He will be deprived of the presence of the Lord except through some act of his or hers. A son has already received his inheritance as his God given Birthright.

A bride is the state that a soul knows God personally as a friend like David did. David was called the friend of God whose heart was perfect before him. His actions weren’t perfect but the state of his heart was. This state of a Bride are those who possess the Key of David where no man openeth or no man closeth.

This means these kind of souls will always exist in the heart of God with no deprivation of God and his Kingdom as manifested by the contrast of servants coming in and out by their acts of praise and thanksgiving.

These meanings are also manifested in the story of Mary and Martha. 

Luke 10:38-42 

Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Marthaopened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Its revealed through this story that Mary had chosen the better part or other translations say she has chosen the best part. The best part is to be like Mary was like the state of a bride having and possessing the key of David.

[Justin Adams]

Yet another doctrine...

[Eddy Crocker]

11 minutes ago, NzKev said:

There are two verses That speak of the key of David that you quoted then tried to make your own doctrine from
 

The one who holds the keys has the authority. So the key of David implies control and Authority of David’s domain, which was promised to the Messiah in both the Old and New Testaments

Some Verses I thought of That I think relate to the Topic

^{Luke 1:32} He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David^:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 

^{Acts 13 :35} Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

³⁶ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

³⁷ But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

³⁸ Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

³⁹ And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

 

1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

² Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

³ As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

⁴ Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

⁵ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

⁶ From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

⁷ Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

 

 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
 

 

The key of David is the place and position that David held with God yes. Remember that position and what scripture says of David. 
 

1 Samuel 13:14 

¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lordhath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

 

Acts 13:22 

²² And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

These two verses says that David is a man after God’s own heart.

1 Kings 15:5,

Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Psalms 101:2,

I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

These 2 other verses talk about the state of perfection of Davids own heart unto God.

Remember Jesus is referred to as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Wherever there’s a King there must be a Queen. Who do you think the queen is?

The queen is the Bride of Christ. That’s why she only has that special place in the husbands heart which is her bride the Church. This is why she has the key of David where no man openeth or closeth.
 

She will always exist with her queen her Husband. She we not be deprived of her husband by a coming in or going out of his presence. She will continually be by his side like Mary was unlike her sister Martha was as a servant. 

[Blood Bought 1953]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:53 AM, dhchristian said:

n age to follow.

Even now, today many live in this false assurance, because they hold these doctrines intellectually they are right, but there is no life in them. No where is this more evident than in the attacks on "Lordship salvation". They Hold to the doctrine that Jesus is the Lord, But they have not made Jesus their Lord. He is their savior, but not their Lord for they themselves still rule the roost of their kingdom. They have not submitted themselves to His LORDSHIP and in effect have made their own understanding their Lord. If their understanding is not satisfied those who disagree with their understanding are heretical. This was the death of this church age.

PART ONE of a Post That was never Intended to Be So Long.............. Tsk....Tsk.....Do we need to relearn the Lesson Of What happens when one  “ Assumes” stuff when they Do not  know what they are Talking about? You assume so much about my Type, I think it’s time you get a little Education about those you think have no inclination to make Jesus  anything beyond a Savior.? Ready to go? Great.!

The Bible says that “ Anyone that asks to be Saved WILL BE SAVED.” That is a Promise Of God .We All know that is  impossible for God to lie. Right? I acted on that Promise nearly fifty years ago.God made that Promise, not me.I DID my part — I asked. I actually have the Faith to Believe that God will do HIS part— Save Me.To put it crudely , the monkey is squarely on God’s back to see that I will make it to Heaven... That means  that if there is anything out there that I could do to damn myself, God will have to see to it  that I  Never do it, lest He be a liar.Simple Enough, right? On the other hand, if there is something out there in this big old bad world that I must PERFORM,  in order to STAY Saved- you name it——————

repenting from all of my sins before I die, getting Water Baptized, tithing , going to Church , eating this and avoiding that, worshipping on the correct day of the week, living a good life, or making Jesus the Lord Of my Life , Making sure that HE “ rules the roost” and NOT ME—— it makes no difference WHAT it is —— I came to Him through His Son , Jesus Christ , by Believing the Gospel Of Jesus Christ and RESTING In it. So....according to yet Another Promise , God HAS to SAVE ME to the UTTERMOST. Or He is a liar.And once again , it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie, right? Right.

Back in a sec......please skip ahead past Eddy and Alive .....they won’t mind a bit! lol......

Edited May 19, 2020 by Blood Bought 1953

[Eddy Crocker]

6 minutes ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

Tsk....Tsk.....Do we need to relearn the Lesson Of What happens when one  “ Assumes” stuff when they Do not  know what they are Talking about? You assume so much about my Type, I think it’s time you get a little Education about those you think have no inclination to make Jesus  anything beyond a Savior.? Ready to go? Great.!

The Bible says that “ Anyone that asks to be Saved WILL BE SAVED.” That is a Promise Of God .We All know that is  impossible for God to lie. Right? I acted on that Promise nearly fifty years ago.God made that Promise, not me.I DID my part — I asked. I actually have the Faith to Believe that God will do HIS part— Save Me.To put it crudely , the monkey is squarely on God’s back to see that I will make it to Heaven... That means  that if there is anything out there that I could do to damn myself, God will have to see to it  that I  Never do it, lest He be a liar.Simple Enough, right? On the other hand, if there is something out there in this big old bad world that I must PERFORM,  in order to STAY Saved- you name it——————

repenting from all of my sins before I die, getting Water Baptized, tithing , going to Church , eating this and avoiding that, worshipping on the correct day of the week, living a good life, or making Jesus the Lord Of my Life , Making sure that HE “ rules the roost” and NOT ME—— it makes no difference WHAT it is —— I came to Him through His Son , Jesus Christ , by Believing the Gospel Of Jesus Christ and RESTING In it. So....according to yet Another Promise , God HAS to SAVE ME to the UTTERMOST. Or He is a liar.And once again , it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie, right? Right.

Back in a sec......

I think you got the wrong section this section is about the Key of David. I had to look back at the heading after I seen your post to see if I was still on the Key of David Topic. Lol you dumbfounded me for a moment.

[Alive]

Ya--@dhchristian--I have seen the 'David Company' doctrine before. Long time ago. I also saw the 'Gideon Company' doctrine long time ago.

There is nothing new under the sun, my friend. These are just a means of creating that 'speciality' thing that puffs folks up to believe they are more than they are.

I assure you, that being 'In Christ of the Father' is the ultimate. This is all we need--the Cross. That is why Paul said he would know only Christ Crucified among the converts.

1Cor. 1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 

1Cor. 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

 

1Cor. 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

Gal. 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

 

Gal. 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

Gal. 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

[Blood Bought 1953]

PART TWO...............Even now, today many live in this false assurance, because they hold these doctrines intellectually they are right, but there is no life in them. No where is this more evident than in the attacks on "Lordship salvation". They Hold to the doctrine that Jesus is the Lord, But they have not made Jesus their Lord. He is their savior, but not their Lord for they themselves still rule the roost of their kingdom. They have not submitted themselves to His LORDSHIP and in effect have made their own understanding their Lord. If their understanding is not satisfied those who disagree with their understanding are heretical. This was the death of this church age.

Back with more ....sorry for the interruption 

If one desires to besmirch God’s Way Of Salvation ,which is  just basically imitating the one man we know FOR CERTAIN was “ Justified” and thereby SAVED ( because Jesus Said so ) , all we have to do is cry out, like that evil Tax Collector did, “ Lord, have Mercy on me a Sinner!” He made no agreement to Partner-In with God and vow to make Jesus “ Lord Of My Life” or “Ruler Of my Roost” from now on.Did I miss something in that story tood by Jesus Himself? I thought not.

I turned to God as a Lost Sinner nearly 50 years ago, and because of that simple Faith, God Put His Holy Spirit in me and SLOWLY started transforming me into “ the image of His Son”, as He Promised He would .....I changed nothing , worked at nothing .....He did everything of ANY importance.....I could have changed my “ outside of the cup” to prove to others I was Saved. I never went that route. I just went about being myself and Lo and Behold, without my doing anything to “ help God out”, I found that He had been Transforming “ the inside of the cup”.

Just like now, I went about doing what I wanted to do and because of the Indwelling Holy Spirit, God saw  To it that  HIS Wants became my own .....crazy, isn’t it? I changed nothing.....He changed so very much. He is STILL changing me......I do MY part, as Paul said, continuing and finishing in the same exact manner that I started — Faith. “ From Faith To Faith”.  How does Paul say a “ Righteous” man should LIVE? NOT by trying to be a good boy or keeping the Law.....Paul said that the JUST shall LIVE by Faith ! I don’t live my life running around trying to keep laws, constantly muzzling my true self  or trying to be “ Worthy”. I am “ MADE WORTHY” by the Blood Of the Lamb . THAT issue was settled a LONG time ago in my Christian Walk. Knowing that Truth made me “ A Free Man in Christ”. A Free Man does whatever he wants to do , right? Now watch out—- here comes one of those “ Christian Paradoxes” again! This “ Free Man” wants nothing more than to be  SLAVE to Christ. It sounds like utter insanity , doesn’t it? Christianity sure is wild, isn’t it? 

Now...getting back to you Lordship Salvation guys who think my misguided,  Easy Believism, hyper -grace, Sin and get away with it , Spawns Of Satan types have no desire to have Jesus as Lord in our lives ......you who think that we insist on being the Boss, accepting Jesus as Savior But NEVER as the Boss....never the Ruler, never the One in charge......yes all of us that insist on “ Ruling the Roost”, the inference being we have this Enormous Desire to go out and Sin up a Storm , seeing as to how we just  KNOW we can go out and sin all that we want to and “ get away with it.” Such a display of utter , ignorant HOGWASH! For the sake of Salvation, all of my sins are on the Cross , Forgiven.THAT is GRACE. That   Spirit  that is changing me for the better is the  same Spirit that makes Sin absolutely sickening to me. If I so much as step on a bug I feel awful. I would rather cut off my arm than hurt somebody’s feelings. When I sin, as we all do, God knows how to take me to the “ wood shed”. I know your ilk is scared to death that somebody like me may go out and have some “ fun”: and “ get by”...... but please just trust me on this .....I don’t get away with ANYTHING ......nobody else does either .

So I hope I have enlightened you just a tad. You  Lordship Guys  are big on your “ Submission to Jesus as Lord”.......So I declare here and now that I am a bigger “ Submitter” than all of you Guys and Gals! I can do whatever I desire and still be Saved because of the two things that save everybody—- you and I alike —- God’s  Grace and Our Faith. Yes , I am Free to what I desire. What do I desire? To be the outright SLAVE to my LORD and Savior- Jesus Christ! Try and top THAT for letting Jesus be both LORD and Savior.

Sorry this post is so long...... I have one more thing to add..... “ Lord” essentially means “ Boss”.......As a Slave to  Jesus , I do what my Boss says......Both Jesus and Paul say that ALL the Commandments come down to Loving others as we Love ourselves.....that is what I concern myself with..... The Ascended Jesus gave us just three things as Commandments.......Believe . Love. REST in His  Gospel Of Grace and NEVER add to it......Let’s concentrate on these three if you want to be a Commandment keeper...then discover that everything else will take care of itself.......but ONLY if you Trust Him......God Bless you.......Especially If you stuck out  this windy Post to the end......haha....

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Blood Bought 1953

[Eddy Crocker]

14 minutes ago, NzKev said:

You make stuff up Its quite Dangerous

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (rev. 3:7)

Scripture says He talking about Jesus.....You made this up, you said "she has the key of David where no man openeth or closeth." Scripture doesent say what youo say. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling certainly applies here

That’s the problem with allot of people interpreting the physical words themselves and not seeing the reality to where they point to. This was why Jesus spoke in parables.
Mathew 13:13
¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Its not the Meaning literally of what the Key of David is but its the interpretation of where it points to or the reality it expresses which has to do with the connection that David’s heart had to do with God, is the point of the key.

You are just scratching the surface. Words are just vehicles that are used to point us to a spiritual reality. The stumbling stone that God lays in Zion is at work in souls that stumble through the physical words of the Bible. The stumbling stone is the letter of scripture.
 

The very thing that’s used to bring someone in is at the same time the very thing that keeps them out of its reality. This is why the Jews missed Jesus because they interpreted the letter of scripture as though the messiah was going to come and set up a physical kingdom.

Just like they stumbled at the letter of scripture we do the same today. We condemn them but at the same time a finger is pointing back at us to condemn us for doing the same things. We are guilty today of how they stumbled back then.

[Coliseum]

2 hours ago, Eddy Crocker said:

That’s the problem with allot of people interpreting the physical words themselves and not seeing the reality to where they point to. This was why Jesus spoke in parables.
Mathew 13:13
¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Its not the Meaning literally of what the Key of David is but its the interpretation of where it points to or the reality it expresses which has to do with the connection that David’s heart had to do with God, is the point of the key.

You are just scratching the surface. Words are just vehicles that are used to point us to a spiritual reality. The stumbling stone that God lays in Zion is at work in souls that stumble through the physical words of the Bible. The stumbling stone is the letter of scripture.
 

The very thing that’s used to bring someone in is at the same time the very thing that keeps them out of its reality. This is why the Jews missed Jesus because they interpreted the letter of scripture as though the messiah was going to come and set up a physical kingdom.

Just like they stumbled at the letter of scripture we do the same today. We condemn them but at the same time a finger is pointing back at us to condemn us for doing the same things. We are guilty today of how they stumbled back then.

I get your point, but all we have are our words to express what the Spirit says to us. We try to explain with words, but many times they are inexpressible and fail. If I tell someone that underneath the fifth layer of the onion there is something I would not have been able to grasp unless I saw it for myself, then no amount of explaining will identify it---as you perceived it---unless that layer became visible. Hence, if I am a newborn believer for example, God does not expect me to see it. So each of us is at a certain, dynamic place in his journey with Jesus, and what he sees is equivalent to where he is. To suggest that a man is only seeing the surface may be true, but as you go on to explain what lay beyond, it is not up to your listener to understand you if he is not there. I cannot describe to a five year old boy how to write a check. That is why iron sharpens iron. When you share something with me, I must go back to God's Word to see if I can discover why you are saying what you are saying, and if I see a connection, I have that "ah ha" moment that we all get from time to time, given to us by the Spirit of God.

Therefore, when you say that, "The stumbling stone is the letter of scripture," then every single Christian must be included at wherever he is at. It is at that  very place I have gotten to that I begin to stumble until God permits another layer of the onion to be pealed back. No one has arrived; we continue with onion-pealing, stumbling and falling and getting up and moving on. That is the journey of the Christian.

The Jews missed it because they never wanted it. They tasted it and said, "Eh. It is tastes good, but I don't want to buy the whole meal. They saw what they could have had, but they said, "Yeah, I like the idea, but I'll go back to the Temple, where it's official, and sacrifice like i always have." They missed the greatest sacrifice. They didn't want it---and that is why they stumbled and never got back up.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Coliseum