Jesus - God With Us

Emmanuel Is My Favorite Name For Jesus. None of the other names, as beautiful and as accurate as they are, come close to saying as much about Him as Emmanuel (God With Us). Of course, most people describe God With Us as representing His birth and earthly life as Jesus of Nazareth. This is correct, but such a limited definition it seems almost insulting. You see, He was God With Us at creation, when, through Him all things were made. He was God With Us since creation in his visits to various leaders between creation and His birth. He is God With Us since Pentecost when He poured out His Spirit on all flesh and still does so to all He calls. He is God With Us even to those who don't follow Him because in Him we live and move and have our being and all things are held together by His Word.

Essence Of Christianity: God With Us is the essence of Christianity, where He literally takes up residence within us, giving us His Spiritual guidance and power. We have a present reality called eternal life. We have the mind of Christ. We are seated with Him in Heaven. He intercedes for us. His Spirit prays for us. Because His anointing is in us, we need no one but His Spirit to teach us. All of this is the opposite of religion.

Opposing Religion: With religion, God is distant and we must sacrifice our behavior, time and money to earn our way to Him. With Christianity, we were distant and God loved us so much He sacrificed Himself to be with us. With some religions, God is under us, in that, if we do or say certain things, He must respond by blessing us in one way or another. With Christianity, God is with us, wanting us to have every good thing, answering our every prayer by granting what we ask unless He has something better in mind for us. There is no religion where you're able to participate in the Divine nature, but that is the nature of Christianity.

Spiritual Community: God with us means that our Deliverer, Redeemer, Good Shepherd is within all of us at the same time. His power makes us so close as to be one body, no matter how far apart we are. As His people, His love shines through us to reach the world and draw them. His power protects us from harm, even from death. His Spirit works through us and empowers prayer and other miraculous works that heal people, overthrow evil, feed the hungry and proclaim His everlasting love. With all that within us, how pitifully we live, barely allowing ourselves a glimpse of the true riches He's poured on us. Jesus, please forgive me for knowing this and yet not knowing, not bearing fruit in keeping with the vast promise of You who live within me. Help me to overthrow my sin nature and live in the true power and glory of You, so I can finally know what your name means...God With Us.

Glen Williams is an Ordained Minister, Founder and CEO of E-Home Fellowship (EHF), Inc. and Webmaster for http://www.web-church.com. He has been active in ministry since 1989. You can comment on his articles at Web-Church Christian Forums.

Is The Pre-Tribulation Rapture In Revelation 3:10?

Questions, questions...If there were not some difficult questions that the Scriptures themselves raise regarding the so-called "pre-tribulation rapture" , fewer people would give this theory the nod. I prayerfully submit the following explanation of a passage in Revelation that seems to point toward pre-tribulationism.

Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Question: Isn't it God's will to remove His Church to Heaven from this final trial?

Here the "hour of trial" is called by the pre-trib people, the Great Tribulation, and the Philadelphia Church becomes the "end-time church" in the church-age theory, and the faithful are thus promised they will not have to go through this Tribulation because, it is further assumed, they will be "caught up" before that time comes.

Problems with that view:

1. Can we prove that the "hour of trial" is the full three and one half years? Could it not just as easily be the terrible day of His coming ? Then indeed the saved will be caught up to be with Jesus.

2. To make Philadelphia the end-time church is to make Laodicea the church of the Tribulation, a group of "losers" who suddenly turn into martyrs for the cause of Christ.

3. Is it not possible that this message is indeed given to a church known in the days of John, and that the promise was kept? Did not Philadelphia

escape the last times altogether?

4. Are there not churches in every generation who can claim this promise of escaping the judgment of God if they are faithful?

5. Is it not possible at the very least, that God is able to keep His People from harm in the midst of judgment? Was either Noah or Lot removed from the earth? Do not the 144,000 escape Satan's plan? When the bowl judgments fall, is it not stated explicitly who is being targeted? Other

than persecutions allowed , are God's people ever harmed when God is pouring wrath on His enemies?

As Schwertley points out, it is not proper to make the promise given to an individual church in Asia some generalized promise for all churches of all time. As he says, " The church of Smyrna is told that they 'will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death.' (Rev.2:10) They are not promised protection from the coming time of tribulation." To make the behavior of a particular church in Asia Minor universal in its application "is to render the commendation to the Philadelphians meaningless."

Also, Jesus indicates strongly here that the time is about to happen. This is not talking about an end-time scenario, but the persecution of their own time, the difficult political situations of their own day. And the Philadelphian church was not "beamed out of the Roman Empire" but kept from the evil of the days, as Noah and Lot in their generations. Was it not Jesus who said to the Father, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." That's how it works: in the world, but kept from evil. That is what Philadelphia is no doubt being promised.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Odd Video, You Try and Figure It out

if you don't matter to God, you don't matter to anyone else, that statement doesn't make a lot of sense. If I reversed the phrase, if you don't matter to anyone else you matter to God. Something to think about.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

Hope in Religion

The Judgment of God

It is not a popular subject today. The pendulum of preaching has swung far away from hell-fire brimstone to a sentimental reading of Scripture that is just as diabolical as the enemy's first questionings of the truth of God. We have changed, church. The Scriptures have not. Here is what they say about the coming judgments.

Yes, I say the word should be plural. The best historical traditions of church teaching has seen in the Scriptures two very separate events, both called judgment. And in both cases it seems that the purpose of the gathering is to make public the obvious outcome of man's shortcomings, not to have a Perry Mason-like courtroom scene where the outcome is not certain until after the last commercial.

There are many differences between God's judgment meetings and our own. We have laws in abundance in America, for example. But a man can break those laws and still come out innocent. Innocent persons have been found to be guilty. Injustice and perversions of the legal system abound. That's why a trial here can take so long. Not so in the Heavenly Court. In that place God is judge and jury and author of the law. He knows exactly what is right and exactly what is wrong and who did what when, and with what motive. No need to drag this scene out. Unless a sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, mankind is guilty, and our God will make that eternally and painfully clear. Publicly.

But there is this thing of the "judgment seat of Christ," that both Paul and John talk about. It seems to have a different flavor, though it is a judgment. Let's go to the Book of Revelation, chapter 20.

John speaks clearly of a 1,000 year period of time, at the beginning and end of which will be a judgment that follows a resurrection. Jesus referred to this series of events as the "resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation."

At the first resurrection, or the one we refer to now as the rapture, when the dead in Christ are raised, there is a group of people brought forth that live and reign with Christ for the millennium. But not before they must be judged. Yes, the first things John sees in this picture are judgment thrones. Not one negative word is said in this passage. It seems that this is a judgment in favor of the saints. Jesus' parable of the talents, and others, tells us that varying rewards will be given out. It would seem to me that this is the time for that.

Though salvation is secure to those first resurrected, the judgment of little or no reward for service is a serious matter. Saints today should be running a race so as to do well at the finish line, a type of judgment, where crowns of victory are given out. Or withheld. A time of weeping and shame, but not eternal loss.

Far more horrible shall be the judgment of damnation. Men shall be resurrected at this time, also, according to Jesus and John (still in Revelation 20). Here "the rest of the dead", those not included in the first resurrection, shall be given bodies fit for destruction, eternally able to bear shame. Unspecified books will be opened. Will these be the 66 of the Bible, as a testimony against the works of men? Will they be minute details of every sinful action, inaction, and thought of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived? The Scripture does say that all of these people will be judged by their works, according to everything written in the books.

Yes, believers 1000 years earlier will be able to say that Christ bore their judgment on the cross. And that argument will be accepted. But unbelievers, those who never accepted the work that Christ did, will have to offer their own works. An offering that has never been accepted in Heaven.

The only puzzle I find in this passage is the mention of the Book of Life. If what I have concluded above is true, then there will be no one whose name appears in the Book of Life that is represented at that second judgment. Our works cannot justify us before a holy God.

But John says "anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." The way that's worded seems to open the door to some on that day actually being in that special Book, but by what provision I know not.

I certainly want my name to be in the Book now. The question I pose may be interesting enough academically, but as a matter of life and death, I don't want to take any chances regarding that second judgment. I trust my readers and listeners have come to that same conclusion.

Judgment. A very difficult matter to discuss. But a message that must be preached by the church to a world that becomes increasingly ignorant of the things of God. For whether man knows about it or not, God has appointed a day for that judgment, and a Man to supervise the proceedings. Judgment Day is coming. May the Day, and especially the Man, Christ Jesus, be preached.

As always, join me in prayer for the nation of North Korea, a land headed for judgment unless the Word of God is allowed in.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Dangerous Reactions to God's Truth

Christians who preach and adhere to the biblical doctrine of Christ are facing ever increasing danger for refusal to compromise their belief in God's word in exchange for a favorable reputation of being well liked. Nevertheless, those who believe and accept all of God's word are assured of the truth that the apostle Paul put forth when he said, "For do I now persuade men or God, or do I see to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (KJV, Galatians 1:10).

The Old and New Testaments of the Bible clearly illustrate the danger of sharing the full gospel of Jesus which proclaims both the mercy and severity of the Lord and his commandment to all men to repent (Matthew 4:17). Realizing the safety risks involved with an unwavering stance on the truths of the Bible doesn't deter the dedicated believer from proclaiming the gospel, but it should deter them from underestimating the ferocity that can be stirred in those with the spirit of rebellion.

The fourth chapter of the book of Luke recounts a time when Jesus went into the synagogue on the sabbath. The scripture says he was given the book of Esaias to read aloud which he did. The passage he read spoke of himself and is recorded in verse eighteen. He read, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

Such words were soothing to the ears of those who listened attentively. Verse twenty-two says that the audience, "...Wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his (Jesus) mouth." However, when the very same Jesus began to remind them of truth they didn't want to hear, they became so enraged that they sought to murder the Savior that day. Luke 4:25-29 records that Jesus said, "But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. And rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong."

The same truth would have been well received by many Gentiles, however, they've been angered by other truths that caused no anger in Israel. Serious Bible students would do well to understand that when it comes to preaching the gospel in all the world, it's not a matter of the specific truth that angers a select group of people, but rather the fact that truth, in and of itself, often incites fury.

Thought-provoking Christian articles at: Heavenly Manna.

Certainly Not!

"This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live..."

The tyrant spoken of here in Acts 7 by the soon to be martyred Stephen, is Pharaoh, but he lives on in the persons of tyrants today. One that I know of kills all that oppose him, including their children. If he could he would wage war with the world and bring all under his dominion. In fact there is a man coming who will attempt to do just that.

In the parable of the vinedresser, Luke 20, Jesus says that the Judge of all will one day consume those who have dared to oppose His work. His audience, smug Jews who felt God could never oppose them, gasp, "Certainly not!"

Today equally smug Christians of the West hear of the tribulation that is coming to the entire planet, and fantasize, some through a carefully worked-out theology, that it can "never happen here." That the "poor believers over there" could become the one they see in the mirror every day is incredibly unbelievable to them. "Certainly not!" they would cry.

But it will come on all flesh, including believers'. The persecution, the suffering, homelessness, joblessness, pain, torture and death. It will come. Will this Western church survive it?

I hear of churches having "teaching" sessions built around a book written by some rock-and-rollers. I think, what if the church of my childhood would have had a small group meeting based on the life of Frank Sinatra? He claimed to have some religion after all. And Elvis! Why, he had whole albums of Christian music. Why was he not held up to us as a model? Will this sort of methodology change our world and prepare it for the test?

I see a parade in a town near here this summer. Three Christian floats. The first one, a band is playing rock music. No words. No message. Only rock. The hint: Come to our church, it's cool! Another one , more rock music. People singing words this time. But as is the norm with this kind of music, one couldn't make out what was being said. A third display was some simple children's tunes. All 3 had a chance to share the love of Jesus. They could have even had a short testimony of the saving power of the Lord. The people lining the street only saw the music wars, and the churches promoting themselves.

That sort of religion won't make it when antichrist rises. In the first round of terror, those groups will shut down and never be heard of again.

What about your church? What about you? What about me? Do we have the sort of community and personal walk with God that will walk us through the fire that is coming, unscathed?

They say that North Korean believers pray for us. It does seem that we are in the greater danger, doesn't it?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Why Read The Bible?

How easy is it for you to let dust collect on your Bible?

There was a time when I was first searching out the truth about Jesus Christ that I was embarrassed to let friends see the bible I had purchased sitting in my living room.

Then there was a season during which I was so proud to have my study bible laying open with a bookmark, highlighter and note paper nearby.

Then my bible started to just feel like an extension of my own body... always there, always ready.

Then the bible collection began... I wanted different versions, different purposes, different looks and different styles. A bible for my bedroom, a bible for the car and a bible just in case someone needs one.

And sadly... there has been a season in my life where my bible collected dust. How can that be?

Why read the Bible?

A. It shows you the right path.

B. It alerts you when you are getting off the right path.

C. It teaches you how to get back on the right path.

D. It empowers you to stay on the right path.

Isn't that what life is all about? Finding and staying on the right path? And isn't life always trying to get us off of the right path? The Bible is our Path Guide. We dare not let it collect dust - or worse yet, be left behind completely.

Joel Osteen and his father before him begin every service at Lakewood Church by leading the entire congregation in a simple prayer of confession and it starts like this:

"This is my Bible:

I am what it says I am;

I have what it says I have;

I can do what it says I can do."

When you open your Bible to spend some quiet time with your God - Do you believe that you are what the Bible says you are? Do you believe that you have what it says you have? Do you really believe that you can do what it says you can do?

How will you approach your Bible today?

About the Authors: Kelly McCausey and Sandra Jensen lead the Me Skills Discipleship Community, a private membership website for Christians who wish to enjoy a deeper relationship with Christ. Subscribe for free daily email devotionals at http://www.meskills.com