Further to the above.
--------------------------------
Once Saved Always Saved, with questions

Col 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Please tell me how it is possible to loose that which is hidden with Christ in God.?

2Ti 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Please explain why these words of Paul cannot possibly apply also, to all Christians?, are you saying that He is not able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Be very careful how you answer this question,, you could be calling God a liar.

Jud 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you* from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

Are you saying that He is not able to keep me from stumbling, And not able to present me faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,  Be very careful how you answer this question,, you could be calling God a liar.

Psa 34:7 The angel* of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them

I find the above Scripture verse to be both encouraging, and comforting, I hope you do also

Phl 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Tell me is He able to do this, or not, is it dependant on me giving Him my permission?

What about the following verses.

Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,

Am I, a mere human able to prevent God's will being done?

Jhn 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Jhn 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Jhn 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
Jhn 10:30 "I and My Father are one."

Eternal life is everlasting life, and as Jesus says above, they who have it "shall never perish". How then can you possibly say that they will perish, when Jesus says they will not?

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Note that the word "glorified", is written in the past tense, because from the Divine view point in eternity, it has already happened, do not try to understand it, but take God at his word. A real genuine article born again Christian is eternally secure. God has said so, I believe Him, and that's good enough for me.

Jhn 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Jhn 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Jhn 6:39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
Jhn 6:40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jhn 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Jhn 6:54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Note: Jesus says "I will raise him up at the last day." 4 times in this chapter, I think He means it don't you?

Please tell me how anyone can read the above six verses, and still maintain that, "Salvation can be lost"? The Fathers will is that Jesus should not lose any of those who come to Him. Is Jesus able to do His Fathers will, yes, or no? This is not a case of you not losing your salvation, but of Jesus not losing your salvation. You carn't , and He wont.

1Jo 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1Jo 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1Jo 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Note. see my comment on "Eternal life", above, also note Eternal life is what you have now if you are a real Christian, and not something you may get later on if you behave yourself properly.

Jhn 17:2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should* give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
Jhn 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

See my comment on "Eternal life", above.

1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Once more, is He able to do it, or not? does it depend on me, or on Him?

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword
Rom 8:36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."*
Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Would you agree than the expression "nor any other created thing," would include myself,?  if so then it is impossible for me to be able to lose my salvation, and thereby "separate myself from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 
Once more, is He able to do it, or not? does it depend on me, or on Him?

Edwin.

Thank you Deborah for your reply.

What you had to say brought to mind the following verses of Scripture.

Col 1:19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell

Col 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 

I am unable to locate any verse that indicates that two thirds of that fullness departed just before the crucifixion.

And therefore, I must conclude that all three persons of the Trinity suffered the excruciating agony of that horrible death.

In which case how could the Father possibly have forsaken Him?

Bless you.

Edwin.

 

Subject: Psalm 22.

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When our Lord Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?", He was not if fact complaining, but was drawing the onlookers attention to Psalm 22, in which the following verses appear,

Psa 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

Psa 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

In other words He was saying, "Read what David wrote some 1,000 years ago, and long before crucifixion was even thought of, it's happening right now. You are seeing the fulfilment of Scripture prophesy".

Note: "For dogs have surrounded Me". The Jews always referred to Gentiles as, "dogs".

Mat 15:26 And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

The Cross was surrounded by Roman soldiers, Gentile dogs.

At that time, whenever a Rabbi wanted to draw attention to a particular passage of Scripture, he always quoted the first few words, as there were then, no Chapter and verse divisions.

Bless you.

Edwin.

What the Holy Spirit will do.

What the Holy Spirit will do, and Why then are there no instructions on how to obtain, "The baptism of the Holy Spirit"

Lets have a look first at what Jesus had to say about the Holy Spirit before He was given, and then what Paul had to say after He was given,

Jhn 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 
Jhn 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 
Jhn 14:17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 

Jhn 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 
Jhn 16:14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 
Jhn 16:15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. 
Jhn 16:16 "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." 

Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 
Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 
Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 
Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 
Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

You will have noticed that neither person made any mention of an additional blessing that could be obtained by going deeper, and seking to be baptized in the Holy Spirit ?

Does God's Word give instructions on what Christians are expected to do, or can ask to have done ? Well yes of course it does, for example see,

1Cr 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 
1Cr 11:24 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." 
1Cr 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 
1Cr 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 

Jam 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 
Jam 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 
Jam 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 

Why then are there no instructions on how to obtain, "The baptism of the Holy Spirit" ?

Bless you.

Edwin.

Words of Encouragement.
 
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
 
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be [fn] against us?
Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Rom 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [fn]
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
Rom 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
ESV Footnotes:
(8:31) Or who is
(8:34) Or Is it Christ Jesus who died . . . For us?
 
1Cr 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1Cr 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1Cr 2:11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
1Cr 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
1Cr 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Cr 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Cr 2:15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
1Cr 2:16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
 
Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Eph 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1Cr 10:13 No temptation [fn] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted [fn] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, [fn] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 

NIV Footnotes:
(10:13) The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

May the Lord continue to bless you, and keep you safe.

Edwin.

A problem with time.

I once said,

I believe that Jesus was crucified on Thursday not Friday, for the reasons given below.

Our Lord Jesus said that he would be in the grave for 3 days & 3 nights i.e. 72 hours, however, the Gospel accounts indicate a period of only 37 hours at most. Can any one help me resolve this.

Thank you

Edwin.

I was then asked the following question.

Please give the scripture verse where Jesus said three days and three nights, and also state how you arrived at 37 hours.

Thank you for your questions. For 3 days and 3 nights, please read,

Mat 12:40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The 37 hours or thereabouts is arrived at as follows.

Read the four Resurrection accounts and you will find that our Lord rose from the dead at around dawn on the first day of the week i.e. 12 hours from the end of the Sabbath, then there are 24 hours during the Sabbath, and may be up to an hour on Friday.

In that part of the world, and at that time of the year sunset, and sunrise were close to 6 pm and 6 am. Jesus was on the cross from 9 am to 3 pm. Now read John Ch. 19 v 31.

There was about 3 hours to take down his body, prepare it for burial, transport same to the tomb, replace the stone, and seal it. I hope this helps you to understand my reasoning.

Allow me to suggest a possible solution. First of all look at Exodus Ch 12 vs 1-20. And also Leviticus Ch 23 vs 4-8. Now what are the salient points.

The Lamb is to be selected on the 10 th day, but not killed until the 14 th day, why 4 days?, answer later on.

The Passover continues on into the Feast of unleavened bread which is a feast of 7 days duration, with a Sabbath at each end. Now what does this teach me about the week in which our Lord allowed himself to be killed.

That there are 2 Sabbaths in this week, the Sabbaths are at the start, and finish, ie the first, and last, the alpha, and omega. Speaking of the Lord God himself.

What is leaven but a picture of sin, therefore no leaven indicates no sin, what is the duration of this feast, 7 days, what does 7 indicate, Divine perfection ie no sin..

So the lamb points forward to the time when the Lord God himself, who is sinless will lay down his life during a week which has 2 Sabbaths in it.

Now let us see if the Gospel accounts indicate a 2nd Sabbath that week. Look first at John Ch. 19 v 31. "For that Sabbath was a special Sabbath" why special?, could this suggest an additional Sabbath that week, well now look at Matt Ch. 28 v 1.

Here is a problem as most English translations read Sabbath, but have a look at the Greek text, and you will find that it is a plural noun ie Sabbaths.

Now if we assume that Friday was the other Sabbath, and move the crucifixion back to Thursday, then we have 3 nights, but only some 61 hours, and still not 72 hours, however if you use Divine time measurement, and not human time measurement, ie "There was evening,and there was morning one day" and I can find 3 evenings, and 3 mornings then I will have 3 days.

There is Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday evening, Friday morning, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning 3 days.

Now what about that 4 days I mentioned earlier, if our Lord was killed on Thursday, then what day is 4 days earlier?, Palm Sunday of course.

The Triumphal Entry and what else was also happening on that same day, every family in the land was choosing the lamb to be killed, and now that Jesus had presented himself to the Leaders of the Nation they had four days in which to examine him to see if there was any blemish, or spot, and when they could find none, kill him.

May the Lord bless you all ,and keep you safe.

Edwin.

From the Church I attend.
---------------------------------------
THE HIDDEN MEANING IN “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”
 
Have you ever wondered what the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is all about? It is actually Christian code. In 16th-Century Europe, under religious persecution, Christians developed creative means to teach children biblical truth. One way was to use lyrics and song and “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an example:
 
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me … a partridge in a pear tree. “My true love” is God. The partridge is a valiant bird, willing to fight to the death to defend its young. The pear tree represents the cross. John 10:14-15.
 
On the second day … two turtle doves. Following the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph presented him at the temple in Jerusalem, offering the gift of two doves to honour God. Luke 2:22-24.
 
On the third day … three French hens. Only the rich could afford French poultry. These costly birds symbolised the three gifts given to Jesus by the wise men – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11.
 
On the fourth day … four calling birds. Like birds calling out with distinct voices, the four Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John call people to faith in Jesus as their Saviour. John 20:31.
 
On the fifth day … five gold rings. Five gold rings represent the first five books of the Bible. These books, known as the Law, are worth far more than gold. Psalm 19:9-10.
 
On the sixth day … six geese-a-laying. Eggs symbolize new life. Six geese laying eggs are the six days of creation when God, by his Word, brought forth life on earth. Genesis 1:1, 31.
 
On the seventh day … seven swans a swimming. Seven swans symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just as cygnets grow and change from “ugly ducklings” into beautiful and graceful birds, so do God’s children grow and change when they use their gifts to benefit other Christians. Romans 12:5-8.
 
On the eighth day … eight maids-a-milking. The eight maidens represent eight unique teachings of Jesus, the Beatitudes, which feed and strengthen us as milk nourishes a child. Matthew 5:3-10
 
On the ninth day … nine ladies dancing. Nine ladies are the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit produced in the lives of God’s children. The ladies dance joyfully and Christians rejoice over the life-changing fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23.

On the tenth day … ten lords-a-leaping. Lords were men with authority to command people’s obedience and they symbolize the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:3-17.
 
On the eleventh day… eleven pipers piping. Eleven pipers represent the eleven apostles who were chosen by Jesus and remained faithful to him (not including Judas who betrayed Jesus). Like children joyfully following a piper, the disciples followed Jesus. Mark 1:16-18.
 
On the twelfth day … twelve drummers drumming. Drummers beat out a loud, steady rhythm for marchers to follow, and the twelve points in the Apostles’ Creed sound the truths of the Christian faith.
 
Why not count down the twelve days of Christmas in your family? Not in code, but as it was meant to be. Happy Christmas everyone.
 
Edwin.

Subject: Psalm 22.

Psa 22:1 To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When our Lord Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?", He was not if fact complaining, but was drawing the onlookers attention to Psalm 22, in which the following verses appear,

Psa 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 

Psa 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. 

 In other words He was saying, "Read what David wrote some 1,000 years ago, and long before crucifixion was even thought of, it's happening right now. You are seeing the fulfilment of Scripture prophesy".

Note: "For dogs have surrounded Me". The Jews always referred to Gentiles as, "dogs".

Mat 15:26 And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

The Cross was surrounded by Roman soldiers, Gentile dogs. 

At that time, whenever a Rabbi wanted to draw attention to a particular passage of Scripture, he always quoted the first few words, as there were then, no Chapter and verse divisions.

Bless you.

Edwin.