Scriptural Tidbits Of Truth |
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Tidbit 13 Categorize this tidbit of truth under good news. Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Paul states that there were ages to come ahead of the age they were currently living in that was about to end. That age about to end was the first covenant age ending with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Obviously the Second Covenant Age was just in its infancy at this time. Matthew 24: 3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” The question is; does the Bible's prophecy specify those ages? Yes, as a matter of fact it does specify at least one age were "the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus," would be made manifest. That age was to follow another very specific age in the Bible that is revealed in the books of Daniel and Revelation. These two ages are in Daniel Chapter 2 & 7 and the book of Revelation. In those books we see an age measured by four gentile empires that are named. Babylon, Medo\Persia, Greece and Rome. Jesus called this age the times of the gentiles: Luke 21:24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Just for clarification. In the dozens of chapters of prophecy about the New Jerusalem as well as the literal city which was symbolic of the heavenly. They are very clear that the saints who are illustrated as New Jerusalem would be oppressed, enslaved, made war against and overcome in the whole world during the age of these four gentile empires. However, in the same prophecies about the age of the gentiles they say that it will be followed by an age of promise where the influence of the invisible kingdom of God is filling the whole earth. That age has over a hundred chapters of prophecy about all over the Bible. Now I want to be honest here how it blows my mind that these two ages are universally unrecognized as ages by our "best and brightest." It is really beyond my current comprehension that not one single of the narratives out there: pre, mid, post, ah or preter, etc grasp the clarity of these ages without which you cannot have a unified understanding of the Bibles prophecy. We know the dates of the age of the gentiles because not only does the Bible tell us when that age began and will end. But it is also history to us. 597 BC when Babylon conquered Judea to 1453 AD when what had been the capitol of the Roman Empire since 333 AD, Constantinople was conquered and the last Roman Emperor killed. This is not an arguable fact if you know the scriptures and will yield to them on this issue. If you will then you are a candidate to understand the 100+ chapters of the Bibles prophecy of a growing free world due to the influence of the saints that has been occurring since then. Why is this occurring now instead of before the fourth empire ended? Because the Bible was not available to the general population to read themselves before. That was what changed everything. Now am I saying there are no more ages ahead of this? No, but the Bible has no specific prophecies about that. This is the best of news folks. We are living in an age that you can research in the Bibles prophecy that clearly state the evil that ruled the world for thousands of years will be present but never rule the entire world again; and that the oppressors of mankind will slowly but surely come to nothing. Tidbit 12 Here is a tidbit of truth about the Bibles most dangerous mistranslation. Translating Greek into English requires understanding the context of the sentences you’re translating. The reason for this is because Greek words like English words mean different things and the meaning of the word depends on the context. I think that is the problem with the verse in question, the translators simply don’t understand the context. But in this case they went beyond picking the wrong word because they didn’t understand the context and where trying to make sense of it. They actually added a word that is not in any of the master copies that are used in all our translations. The verse in question is 1st Corinthians 5:5. This is the proper translation ESV 5:5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Here is a mistranslation that they add the pronoun, NIV: 5:5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Here is the sentence structure the Greek would be written in if the possessive personal pronoun “his” was in the original language: [the spirit his]. It is not in there and NT Greek is not written in any other way on this. The reason this is the most dangerous mistranslation in the Bible is because this is the only verse that if the pronoun [his] was in there, would imply that one can walk in any kind of sin as a Christian and still go to heaven. Now they will deny this but this verse is a basis of the once saved always saved teaching, “osas.” That there is nothing a true Christian can walk in, no matter how long they walk in it and never repent, that would keep them from heaven when they die. But this tidbit is not about the subject of the Lord's ability to keep his people and if they stray bring them back to repentance. It is about the meaning of the verse without the word added by the translators. You can see it in the next verse. 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little yeast ferments the whole batch of dough? The issue is the church. If egregious sin by committed members is not dealt with but allowed to remain in a church, then the whole church will eventually become corrupt. They will eventually kick God out of the church. Been happening since the apostles established churches. The spirit that needs to be saved or preserved is the Holy Spirit and his work in believers or a church. This is why Jesus said gave these instructions: Matthew 5:29: If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. This is talking about members in a local church. Maybe even more so, "leaders," because the right eye and arm are often used as illustrations of the strength of a person. In this case the strength of a local church. Does this mean kicking out seekers from a church or other measures like in this case? Obviously not. It is talking about committed members, staff, worship teams, pastors, elders, deacons etc. You can see the warnings and the praises the Lord directs at the seven churches in the book of Revelation for further info on this subject. Tidbit 11 This one is just a bit broader than just a Tidbit of truth. People want to know though. Who are Gog and Magog in the book of Revelation and Ezekiel? They represent the peoples and nations in this present promised age that try to conquer the children of God in the free nations their influence founded, but fail. This is a pretty easy prophecy to see fulfilled in history. The Bible is explicit in its prophecy in Daniel and Revelation that there would be an age measured by four empires where believers everywhere would be oppressed, made war against and overcome. The four empires are named: Babylon, Medo\Persia, Greece and Rome in Daniel and Revelation. This is not disputable. The promised age that over a hundred chapters of prophecy is devoted to was to follow the destruction of the fourth empire. What brought this promised age about was the Bible getting into the hands of the general public starting right when the fourth empire fell. The Bible’s prophecy goes as far as giving us a date over 2000 years in advance when the fourth empire would fall. In Daniel 7 it says there would be an eleventh of ten emperors who would make war with the saints and overcome them for a time, two times and a half time. This number, 1260 is repeated in Revelation in relation to the time of the rule of the Roman Empire 5 times. Revelation tells us who the ten emperors are by telling us the eighth of the first seven is the son of destruction, or the prince in Daniel 9 that would destroy Jerusalem. That was Titus. From the first year of the age of these four gentile empires when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judea to the year Titus destroyed Jerusalem was that infamous number, 666 years. That number is revealed to us in Revelation’s prophecy of the Roman Empire’s division into an eastern and western branch and claims of Christianity. The next emperor after Titus is the first of the ten emperors of Daniel 7. The 11th of that ten is Septimius Severus who fulfilled Daniel 7’s prophecy about him precisely. From the first year of his reign 193AD to the end of the Roman Empire in 1453 AD is exactly 1260 years, just as the Bible foretold. Now to Gog and Magog. Revelation 19 was a prophecy of the coming of the Lord at the end of the age of these four gentile empires to fulfill the prophecy of the promised age. Revelation 20 is a prophecy of this promised age. Satan being bound and loosed is an illustration of the loss of his influence over the affairs of the nations due to the influenced of the Gospel and kingdom of God. The thousand years is an illustration of the kingdom of God filling the earth in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. The sea, death and hell giving up their dead is an illustration of the billions of people coming to Christ in this age. The lake of fire is an illustration of the end of the rule of death and hell over the nations. Now I go over these things in great detail in my book, The Bible’s Prophecy About The Free World.” Don’t think for a minute I am avoiding issues in this little post. Gog and Magog are the nations, peoples, political movements, dangerous and destructive ideologies who try to stop the expansion of the influence of the invisible kingdom of God in this promised era. That would include empires like the British Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon’s Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Kaisers and later the Nazi empires, The Imperial Japanese Empire, the Communist Empire. You see the difference in the age of the gentiles verses this promised age is that the bad guys always won and conquered the saints. In this age, even with all the setbacks the nations most influenced by the Bible beat back the bad guys and the free world continues to get bigger because as the next two chapters Revelation reveal: The river and tree’s of life which are illustrations of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit are working through God’s people illustrated as the New Jerusalem that are healing the nations. This is just as the prophecy of the reign of the messiah’s invisible kingdom on earth in Psalm 72 said. Psalm 72:3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” You see there are the poor and needy and oppressors during the messiah’s reign. Gogs and Magogs so to speak. But he in his own time is using the mountains and hills which in this case are an illustration of the nations under the influence of the saints and the Bibles principles to crush the oppressors of mankind. To crush Gog and Magog, which is just what the prophecies in Revelation and Ezekiel say. They will be destroyed by “fire from heaven.” But notice how it says they surround the camp of the saints. You know what that means? It means it looks like they are going to win, it always does, does it not? Looks like they are going to win right now also? Preaching to myself here, take heart. Isaiah 29 18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one [the oppressors of mankind] is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: Been happening since the general public [illegally] began to get their own Bibles to read 570 years ago. Tidbit 10 Just some friendly advice with this tidbit of truth: Mark 6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. Now if this is true of Jesus, that he was prevented from doing any big miracles by these peoples attitude towards him, How much more so is it true of his followers? If people that knew Jesus for years before he started his ministry found fault with him who was dang near perfect. How much more so can people find fault with those preaching and teaching the gospel, who have lots of faults? That is just a fact of life, that all of us, the greatest Christian teachers, evangelists, pastors, and prophets to the least of us have error. WE ALL have false teachings and false prophecy. (False teaching and false prophecy, same thing.) Want scripture for that? James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. 2 For WE ALL stumble, [err, sin, cause others to stumble] in many ways…. This is a problem is it not? If the miracle working God dwells in the spirits of real Christians, how do we gain access to those miracles through human beings who have so many faults? Well this is what I practice and it is the friendly advice I am giving in this tidbit of truth. I purposely, as well as I am able to minimize peoples faults, error, false teachings and prophecy and focus on Christ in them. This goes beyond being a person of good will and thinking the best of people. This is a spiritual endeavor and admittedly some people make this very difficult to do if not impossible in some cases. But it is do able. In doing so I have found I am the recipient of many blessings through other believers in whom Christ dwells. Christians in whom the power of God evidently dwells want to be a blessing to everyone around them. But if you shut them down because you find fault with them, how can they? The really sad thing about this is there are many millions of believers who don’t want to see the manifold manifestations of Christ and his power through people they rightly or wrongly find fault with. Personally, I don’t comprehend that seeing how I am always in need of some miracle. But I guess people have lots of sacred cows and stuff they fear they might have to let go of if they let Jesus show himself though someone they don’t want him to show himself through. So next time you hear some televangelist say something really stupid or false. Have the same grace you have towards your faults towards him or her. Realize the miracles that are happening are not because of the person’s righteousness but because Jesus died for the sins of the world and the power of his resurrection is manifesting him to the world through a mere human being who is not all that and a bag of chips. As best you can keep your eye’s on Christ in the person and not the faults of the person. You’ll be way better off in doing so. Tidbit 9 Categorize this scriptural tidbit of truth under: This is confusing. 1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. NKJV What I want to do in clearing up confusion about 1st John 3:9 and quite a few other verses like it is not to focus on the technical definition of what it means to not sin which deals with the fundamental motive of one's will. But rather, just the simple explanation of what the apostle means by born of God, born of heaven or born again. The Bible uses illustrations to explain truth. Born of God, heaven or again is an illustration. Many call the divine enlightenment and the power and life of God coming into their lives when they accept Christ the born again experience. Nothing wrong with that it is just not what John is referring to because as everyone knows new Christians who experience these things are quite apt to sin, just out of ignorance and lack of discipline as any other reason. What that means is that the born again illustration as John is defining it is not what most real Christians think it is. There is a rather simple explanation for this error. The Apostle Paul who did not sit a Jesus's feet like John and Peter does not use the same illustrations Jesus did. Paul uses the illustration of new born infants and children to describe new Christians. Jesus, John and Peter use the illustration of born again, from above or of heaven to illustrate mature Christianity. Can you see how that would confuse a reader of God's Word who does not know this? So what John is describing in 1st John 3:9 is not someone who has experienced a supernatural event when they accepted Christ but a mature Christian. Someone who started and continued in that supernatural life but over the decades has gained a good understanding of God's Word and has learned to walk in Christ in good will and a pure heart. 1st Timothy 1:5 Now the goal of out instruction
is goodwill from a pure heart; and a good conscience and a sincere faith,
As you can see these verses don't just happen automatically when one accepts Christ. It is something your heavenly father raises you to become and how one enters the fullness of the kingdom of God which is not talking about just going to heaven. The thief on the cross went to heaven. The illustration of being born again as Jesus, John and Peter used it is speaking about becoming a mature Christian who enters the experiential realm of the Kingdom of God on this earth in a way a new believer cannot. I guess this may convict a lot of people of sin and they may ask: Are you saying I am not born again? Yes I am saying you probably are not as John is using that illustration to define mature Christianity. But are you a heaven bound infant Christian, a child, a teenager, a young adult Christian as illustrated by Paul in his letters? Yes. But let us realize there is a maturity out there for us to be discovered if it is clear we have not arrived yet. Tidbit 8 Categorize this scriptural tidbit of truth under: Isn't this an example of the Bible contradicting itself? Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. KJV These are just two examples of many
hundreds where sickness, disease and many other ills were directly
attributed to God or his will in the Old Testament but in the New
Testament attributed to the devil. Acts 10:38 is a statement of the fact
that Jesus healed every single person from every sickness disease,
disability that came to him seeking healing and quite a few who did not.
The question: Is this a contradiction in scripture? Here is a key
passage in understanding this. The Greek word for fulfill just to give you a few definitions of the basic word means: to make full, to fill, to fill up. To render full, i.e. to complete. However this particular word means to do this universally. So not only does it mean to fill up, like a glass half full getting filled up. It means in all area's such as: Jesus fulfilled the prophecies in the law, the psalms and prophets about the messiah. Jesus will fulfill the prophecies about the transformation of the world. Jesus will complete bringing nations into the obedience of the faith etc. What I want to focus on though is the idea of Jesus coming to fill up a glass that was half full. This is what you see in the sermon on the mount that Matthew 5:17 is part of. Jesus bringing the full truth about the meanings of the law and the prophets written in the Old Testament. That is why he is not doing away with what the Mosaic law and the Prophets said. He is clarifying them and decoding them. He is giving us the whole truth rather than than the partial and coded truths of the OT. Truth was only dispensed by God in measures at a time in the OT. That is what the true meaning of dispensations is from the Bible. This is what we see in Acts 10:38 verses Deuteronomy 7:15 and the hundreds of verses that say the same. God dispensing limited knowledge about the sickness and disease in the OT but Jesus bringing the full understanding on the subject. The way the Old Testament speaks of God being the author of sickness and disease is in the sense of him being the creator of the laws of nature. As it pertains to the subject when the creation, meaning people violate the laws of nature the natural effect is perversion, dysfunction and a devolution of the creation into sickness , disease, deadly viruses and bacterium, disability along with all the ills known to humanity. So there is no contradiction if one is looking on the subject with the proper knowledge. God created nature. If humanity violates the laws of nature just like what would happen if you put water in the gas tank of a car; then things are going to get screwed up. As one preacher said. God gave humanity the instruction manual, the Bible so we would know how to make out lives run properly according to the manufacturers specifications. That is the sense in which "God sends" sickness and disease. The reality is though; humans created these under the devils influence through the violation of the laws of nature. A great example is STDs. If mankind chose to walk according to the laws of nature and nature's God; if they took heed to the instruction manual, the Bible on how to operate our lives. If we kept our pants on till we were married to that one person of the opposite sex and stayed married. STD's would not even exist. The hundreds of millions tortured to death by them over thousands of years of human history would never had happened. The good news is that through Jesus the worlds violations of the laws of nature and natures God have been forgiven. We can be healed of the sickness and disease that we can get just by virtue of living in a fallen world with no fault of our own. Does this mean we can just violate the the laws of nature without consequence? Absolutely not. God's optimum, his good will is that the nations of the world do both. Walk according to the manufactures instructions as laid out in his Word to minimize the trouble humanity has caused itself but also to receive from above the supernatural and natural cures for the things that ail us. A prophecy of the messiah that was to
come: Tidbit 7You can categorize this tidbit of scriptural truth under: What in the world is he talking about?Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. NKJVThe "body" Jesus is referring to is a local body of Christ, a local church and can certainly apply to a denomination. Generally this is not talking about people who are just attending a local church as the local church is often a hospital for sinners to find their way. This is talking about people who are members by way of a commitment to the mission of a local body to participate and not cause the mission or their brothers and sisters personal harm by bringing sin into the church. This good will or love to one another and the cause of Christ is supposed to be reflected in the communion. Here are some examples of this put into
practice in the Bible. In Acts chapter 5:1-11Ananias and Sapphira sought
to purchase influence in the new movement. This was a very critical time
to keep corruption out of God's new church. The harshness of the quite
public, immediate and miraculous deaths of these two at the word of the
Apostle reflected this.
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© 2022 Daniel Martinovich |