Interesting Verses

[tsth]

It was not man's job to "sanctify" and bring in. God does this by His Holy Spirit. God is the one Who adds to the churches numbers, when lost men hear/see God moving among the sanctified and believing men of God.

The men who come into the body, were the ones who "accepted" the message, not the ones who were "pursuaded" to accept the message. God's Holy Spirit, does not need to beg and plead thru other believers. His Word has power to pursuade all on It's own. That is how men were supposed to be added to the faith, not because of flattery,deceptions or hard-core coaxings. It's not necessary! Either men receive God's Word, or they turn away from it. But they should not be tricked by smooth talk.

Acts 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

1 Cor. 14:23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

(I am not speaking of just those who have the gift of tongues, which by the way, I do not. I am speaking about the function of the body to each other, and how it should affect an unbeliever who comes in. HE will either receive and react such as the reaction in vs. 25 above, or he will leave out of the body.)

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

BUMP!

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Massorite]

Haggai 2

11 "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No." 13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled." 14 Then Haggai said, "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord.

(What do you think the point was?)

In His Love,

Suzanne

The Israelites on many occasions have turned away from God to worship dead gods or to do that which was considered to be unclean. The rest of verse 14 says " and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there (at the temple) is unclean. So God is also talking about how the people, the work of there hands and their offerings are unclean because they people are spiritually unclean. When we don't have a right relationship with God we are unclean. When we have a relationship with God we are still unclean and defiled. Which is the purpose of Christ. That we may be considered clean in spite of our uncleanness.

[tah]

I am having a little trouble with the quote below.....

I have no desire to be difficult but I just see my life in Christ differently than our being unholy..

When we don't have a right relationship with God we are unclean. When we have a relationship with God we are still unclean and defiled. Which is the purpose of Christ. That we may be considered clean in spite of our uncleanness.

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Joh 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

sometimes I act in a sinful manner as we all do but that does not change my standing in Christ..

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Just a couple of Scriptures that I thought were appropriate for my view...

[EricH]

Haggai 2

11 "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No." 13 Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled." 14 Then Haggai said, "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord.

(What do you think the point was?)

In His Love,

Suzanne

My understanding of those verses is that God is speaking of building the temple but it also applies to us in the end times:

Haggai 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

So...we know He is speaking of the end of days, when the great shaking will occur. Only then will there be true peace. In that day, "If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?" meaning...."So is this nation before Me...and so is every work of their hands."

To me He is saying that if a house is full of spiritually dead people...do not touch them! Is our nation full of the spiritually dead, are our churches full of the spiritually dead?

God continues by telling us that:

2:17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to Me, saith the Lord

Some ask for blessings from Him but are spiritually dead. He wants us to repent and love Him.

.........Whirlwind

The reference to the shaking of the nations in Haggai 2:7 was in response to the people being discouraged that the size of the current temple was so much smaller than the one that was destroyed by the invading armies of Assyria and Babylon.

Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn't it seem like nothing to you?

Haggia 2:4 HCSB

The people were dejected and were tempted to quit working becuase everything seemed small to them compared to the past. God's answer was that they should keep working because He was with them and owns the gold and silver and will shake it loose from the nations.

Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel"-- the LORD's declaration. "Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land"-- the LORD's declaration. "Work! For I am with you"-- the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. "This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and My Spirit is present among you; don't be afraid." For the LORD of Hosts says this: "Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory," says the LORD of Hosts. "The silver and gold belong to Me"-- the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. "The final glory of this house will be greater than the first," says the LORD of Hosts. "I will provide peace in this place"-- the declaration of the LORD of Hosts.

Haggia 2:5-9 HCSB

Rather than being taken as judgement, this is a passage if encouragement. When we think our work for the Lord is insignificant, we should realize that He is in charge of everything, and it is not over, until it is over.