Originally written in 2012. An open letter to the church.

 I originally wrote this in 2012. I still weep when I read it.

To those who have an ear to hear, it is an encouragement and a call to war.

Hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, not only to those who misguided the sheep but to the sheep as well.

I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such, we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

Illustration 

1: Sheep (Photo credit: James Good)

 I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

The prophets¹ have put forth the call to repent, but you have ignored that call, and instead, induced fear in my people.

Most will not receive this, but some will.

You have taken away their hope.

"To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: The amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the source of God's creation, says: I know what you have done, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. But since you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I'm rich. I'm wealthy. I don't need anything.' Yet, you do not realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you: Buy gold purified in fire from me so that you may be rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them so that you may keep your shameful, naked body from showing. Buy ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act. Look, I'm standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I'll come in and we'll eat together. I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne. Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22 GW)

The call for repentance has gone forth, and you have ignored it. 

The cry for hearts to turn to me has gone forth, and you have rejected it. I 

have sent my prophets, and you have mocked them.

I have sent my warnings upon this nation; do not put your hope in the idea that there will be more warnings. 

I do not recommend you ignore these warnings.

The time of my return, for those who are awaiting me, is now within minutes in my time frame. 

Will you ignore that too?

Pastors

I sent you as shepherds to lead and guide the flock, but you have failed. You have not only failed, but you have robbed my sheep and left them as fodder for the wolves. They wander around with no hope and direction. And even though I have told you that you are not in the darkness that this day should creep upon you, that is exactly what is happening to them.

Read Matthew 25.

Do not ignore this warning! Although everyone in this parable was invited to the same wedding, half were not ready. The oil is not the Holy Spirit, for you cannot buy a gift; therefore, the oil is passion and desire, and none of you have that.

The shepherds are foolish. They don't look to the LORD for help. That is why they won't succeed, and all their flocks will be scattered. (Jeremiah 10:21 GW)

You think you are a success if you have fame and fortune, but I tell you that the first shall be last, and there will be a payment to be made for the damage you have done to my flock.

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. (Jeremiah 12:10 LITV)

You love to call this time that is coming the Great Tribulation, and it is, but it is also a time of wrath. If you have played the fool with MY people, then you will be included in that wrath.

You can stand there glowering, in an attempt to rebuke me. I anticipated that, for that is what Pharisees do, but what in your foolish mind makes you think that you will escape the wrath of God?

“Woe to shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture says Jehovah. Because of this, so says Jehovah the God of Israel against the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, says Jehovah.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2 LITV)

“Shepherds, you should be leading the sheep. Start crying, you great leaders! Roll around on the ground in pain, you leaders of the sheep. It is now time for your slaughter. You will be scattered everywhere, like pieces flying from a broken jar.” (Jeremiah 25:34 ERV)

There will be no place for the shepherds to hide. They will not escape. (Jeremiah 25:35 ERV)

We were designed for hope; it is the reason we are here.

You shepherds that chose not to attend the flock have robbed them of hope. You have chosen to preach what people want to hear, and not what I have spoken to you.

“.., the eye of the Lord is on those in whose hearts is the fear of him, on those whose hope is in his mercy;“ (Psalms 33:18b BBE)

Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the LORD'S help. (Psalms 31:24 ERV)

Hope is the primary motivation that drives my people toward the end. Hope is the backbone of faith, based in faith, and the reason that we look toward a promised end and rescue from destruction.

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37 AMP)

You have not been bold enough to understand this statement, so I will declare it to you. Evil thoughts and violence filled the heart of every man, except one, NOAH. I placed him in the Ark, and I closed the door; then destruction came. In other words, tribulation came from people, and it was all around him, just as it is today.

You have eliminated the talks of hope because you do not believe my words.

Did you think that I would not notice such acts of treason?

In eliminating hope, you have proven your lack of faith and shown your distrust of my word, my life, and my resurrection.

You have robbed my people of hope by your unbelief.

Do you not understand that HOPE was then and is now an integral aspect of our beliefs?

I promised that hope would come, and then guaranteed that promise with my body as the payment when it should have been your body on that cross.

Do you not understand that the riches of heaven are only yours because of the fulfillment of hope?

Paul challenged the Sanhedrin based on a solid understanding of this hope.

But Paul, when he perceived that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part Pharisees, cried out to the council (Sanhedrin), Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; it is with regard to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am indicted and being judged. (Acts 23:6 AMP)

While you have refused to instill hope in people, Paul was willing to be chained because he grasped the hope grounded in Jesus.

This is the reason therefore why I have begged to see you and to talk with you, since it is because of the Hope of Israel (the Messiah) that I am bound with this chain. (Acts 28:20 AMP)

Abraham – One of the main reasons we are here, had hope.

There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, "You will have many descendants."
(Romans 4:18 ERV)

Your deficient decision for Jesus Christ, demonstrating your lack of faith, has caused my Church to not know who I am.

Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. (Romans 5:2 ERV)

Several translations put it this way: “this grace in which we stand,”, Without hope none of them will stand.

And what is it that they might have the need to stand in?

• Faith in adversity;

• Faith in my name;

• Faith in the application of my Word and Name in bringing life to others.

No, you have not taught them that.

They cower and cringe in fear, and if not cowering, they think that they are gods. Where would they get that idea? Because instead of preaching hope and faith, you preach a message of lust and idolatry.

You created a monster that will be your destruction. You only have one option, and that is to repent.

Time is short, and my patience with you has grown thin. The last days are upon us, and you need to clear your hearts and minds now. You need to restore the broken and lost to health. Ignore this, and I will not ignore your wrongs.

The Assyrians are upon you already, and you do not even know it. They will show you no mercy, and they will dash your children upon stones before your feet.

Repent in humility and weeping, and I will restore you. Turn from me, and I will throw you to the winds.

If you are so minded, share this with the pastor of your choice. Share this with the sheep of your choice.

I do not wish to see you miss out on the in-gathering of the church to himself, but lacking zealous passion, you may. You will deeply regret that, as it will be hell for those still here.

Open your Bibles and read the second chapter of Joel. Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and declared that Joel's prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing. God opened the door that day to the amazing.

Should you choose to turn to him, he will turn to you.

Open your mouth and determine, as watchmen upon the wall, that this destruction is not happening on your watch.

Declare, in the Name of Jesus Christ, the risen one, that there will be peace and safety everywhere your foot stands.

Declare sanity over this nation while you are upon it.

Grow a backbone and act like the man and woman of God you were designed to be.

Sons of Adam, and Daughters of Eve, I am calling you out. You know who you are. You have heard the calling in your ears for some time now.

What is holding you back? 

Fear; fear is of the devil and does nothing more than incapacitate you.

Do something.

• Shout,

• scream,

• cry out,

• repent over a broken nation.

• Still the enemy and the avenger.

Have the guts to do something, for you do not have the time or the luxury to be silent.

Hold your tongues, and I will hold you responsible. Their blood will be upon your head. (Find it in scripture.)

Cease to be lethargic and uncaring. Awaken to righteousness.

Do something.

• Be a fire that will not go out.

• Cause a few people to regret the fact that you walked into the room, and make a few glad that you did.

Men and women of God should be the last thing on earth that the unbelieving would ever want to mess with and the first person that they call.

Walk this earth as the prophets walked. BE BOLD, and show the world what the power of God is all about.

DEAR GOD, IT'S TIME.

¹Jonathon Cahn, The Harbinger, Subtitled “The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future,” The Harbinger is published by FrontLine, an imprint of Charisma House. - This is only one of the voices, but if you will take the time to verify and compare, you will see that the Spirit is telling all those that will listen to say the same thing.

It has been a little over 7 years since I wrote this. I still weep when I read it. To those who have an ear to hear, it is an encouragement and a call to war.

Hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, not only to those who misguided the sheep but to the sheep as well.

I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such, we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

Dead to sin, alive to God. Romans 6:1-9.

So here is how Romans chapter five closes:

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21 NLT)

God brings his law to “His people”, although they were not called Israel at this point, to show them how sinful they were.

Stop here and think about this for a moment. With little to guide them or show them a way to God, who were they?

By the time Moses, as a baby, comes on the scene, most were, for all intents and purposes, Egyptians.

What if the only remaining family, that still held to the oral history – a history that takes them back to, not just Abraham but creation itself, is the one that brought Moses into the world?

Do I know this for a fact, NO, but jump forward in time a bit, to where they have barely escaped with their lives from Egypt. Soon after setting up camp, Moses does not only the impractical but the impossible, as he goes up into the mountain without food and water. Gone for forty days the people effectively declare Moses dead.
Well, since God's man has to be dead, then it must be time for a return to what we know best, and they appoint Moses brother Aaron to make the god Molech for them. Didn't I just say Moses' own family may have been the only remaining link to the oral history of these people; and what do we see? Aaron gathers gold and fashions this half man – half calf altar; a hollow cavity with outstretched arms, that they used to sacrifice children.

Read through the account that Stephen gives to the Jewish council that is about to have him stoned to death.

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets, it is written, ‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.’ (Acts 7:39-43 NLT)

In his speech, he says, “you carried your pagan god's – the shrine of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made. ..” No one on the Jewish council disputed with Stephen over these words.

We are told in Exodus 32:28, that about 3000 men, and who knows how many women, died that day. Now, how sinful was Israel in this case? Sinful enough for at least 3000 people to die by the sword.

While that paints an ugly picture, Romans 5:20,21 has a more pleasant side to it.

“ But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”

That being said, let's look at Romans chapter six.

The NASB entitles this segment: Dead to Sin, Alive to God.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2 NASB)

What a great question: “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Well, it makes sense; if sinning causes God's grace to become more abundant, shouldn't we just keep on sinning, maybe God will love us more? Don't be foolish; sin will get you killed, and then you are no use to anyone.

Paul answers his own question when he says,

“May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Did you catch that? We who are in Christ, have died to sin. If you have died to sin, then theoretically, sin no longer exists to you. Sadly, we all know sin does still exist to us, so what is Paul trying to say? If you treat sin (Sin is an old English word meaning to miss the bullseye on a target – I include this terminology because it puts this idea of sin on an everyday playing field. It is common to all of us.) as though it is dead, then perhaps you won't go out of the way to act out in sin. Try applying this concept to road rage, or having your own way – this also covers selfishness and showing mercy to others as Christ showed mercy to you.

Paul has more on this dying to sin.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:3-7 NASB)

• “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”
  My statement was, We who are in Christ have died to sin. Did that happen because we got baptized? I don't think so, besides, there are many who did not get baptized, and yet this idea of dying to sin applies to them as well. So then, it leans itself to a spiritual concept. Since many of us cannot seem to comprehend this from a spiritual point of view, then it has to be put it into words people can relate to, such as:
  • Christ's death on the cross.
  • His baptism in the Jordan, and in death; and that takes us to His burial.
  • Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20a. NASB "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;”
  • Having risen from the dead, Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 15:5-7, that Christ appeared to over 500 people. I point this out as it adds to the tangible evidence.
  • And although this is a little less tangible for most, His ascension into the heavens.
    Acts 1:11 is one of those places that speak of this.
    “They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
  Sometimes, visualizing a concept causes it to become more of a reality to you.
• “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
  Paul is using the Greek word baptízō here. It is a word that carries the meanings of to saturate, and to overwhelm, but you cannot escape the fact that the word also means to immerse, submerge, and baptize. Based on this information, it is safe to assume that Paul is associating water baptism with Christ's burial. In that case, it should prompt you to think more clearly about what you are doing when you get baptized. There is an old saying that goes a bit like this, “I am deadly serious.”
  The phrase is intended to shock your thinking, as there are beneficial things that can kill you, like tractors and the edged implements that attach to them. While baptism is not going to kill you, you are putting yourself in the substitutionary state to demonstrate that you are burying the past, and rising to a new life in Christ. This life, whether you get baptized in water, or not, can, if you will let it, change everything about your life; in the Apostle Paul's case and in the lives of all the Apostles but one, it was deadly serious.
• “ For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
  This isn't just focused on death, Paul also focuses on Christ's resurrection. Our coming up out of the water represents such a moment of time. But here again, you probably did not grasp that concept the day you had your baptismal orientation.
  What happened that day that Jesus resurrected?
  The writer of the letter to the Hebrews goes into great detail how Christ Jesus:

• was restored to full Son-ship;
• made the heir of all things;
• now shines with the radiance of the Father;
• is the exact representation of the Father;
• upholds all things by the word of His power;
• as our high priest made purification of sins;
• has had all things put under his feet;
• and ever makes intercession for us.
• All this was done “so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”
  Paul opened this letter to the church in Rome by introducing himself as a slave of Christ Jesus. Many years ago, the singer/entertainer Bob Dylan came out as a Christian and made an album. One of the songs went like this, you may serve the devil, or you may serve the Lord, but you are going to have to serve somebody. Just know that you don't have to be a slave to sin; however, if you are, it was most likely a choice you made.

Now, since we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.

As we ended our last study on Romans with this:

“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7 NASB)

My mind takes me to a time when I was about 12 years old. Some of the boys from church that I tried to hang out with, went down front to accept Jesus Christ as their savior, and so I joined them; however, I cannot remember a time when I did not know Him – thank you, Mom. So, let’s say that at my age currently, I have always known the Lord.

If that is the case, how did I have such a catastrophic moral failure at midlife?

Doesn’t Paul say, that he who has died is freed from sin?
He does, and so the unmistakable fact is, the prodding that we have to sin is ever-present with us. The easiest way to understand “sin” is that it is genetic, passed down from Adam, and we will NEVER, while we live in these mortal bodies, be free from the attraction of and to “sin.”

If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:10-11 NASB)

And if we are giving this an honest look, then we have to admit that Paul also struggled with this embedded sin.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. (Romans 7:18-19 NASB)

Paul explains all this as we go, but let me try to follow my train of thought.

Since I can’t escape the sin that is a part of me – short of death, then my relationship with Christ must give me another solution, and it does.

Pay attention to the phrase, “for he who has died is freed from sin.” Obviously, I did not die, Christ did, but through His human activity that took place, and because of His death and resurrection, He eliminated all spiritual penalties associated with that sin; and, as the sacrificial lamb/scapegoat, He paid for and canceled all – past, present, and future compensation for sin – things that we habitually associate with God and punishment.

Note: this action on the part of Christ does not get you off the hook with local, state, and federal laws, although there have been instances where it has. The most significant impact Jesus’ death and resurrection has is when religious zealots want to try to put sin, and the guilt associated with that sin, back on you through manipulation. Hey, if you are going to a church that does that, GET OUT and find another church.

Moving on with Romans 6:8 – We shall also live with Him.

Romans 6:8-9 NASB Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

Symbolically, we died with Christ when we got baptized or believed with understanding.

In using the terminology "now if," Paul may be trying to assuage some doubts, that he has, with relationship some have demonstrated in Christ.

In my own family circle, we have one who did all the right and religious things; however, it did not stop him from cheating on his wife (several times.) Based on his actions, his fruit dies on the vine far too frequently. The Apostle John said something similar.

The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; (1 John 2:4 NASB)

And only a few paragraphs later, there is this cryptic passage.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:18-19 NASB)

Obviously, there are those in our congregations that really are not of us. But here is the problem with that, as Jesus said, we city folk can't tell a stalk of wheat from Downy Brome. Try to pull out the weed that looks very similar to wheat, and we may pull a few good stalks of wheat in the process. The details of this parable are found in Matthew 13:24-30 and I will leave you to pursue that.

There is, however, a context to Paul's statement that he makes in Romans 6:8-9, as he is referring to what he had previously stated when he said, “he who has died is freed from sin.” Spiritually, in God's eyes and the record books, this is blatantly true; if I can accept that Christ died for me, and believe - another way of saying, have faith in all that He has done for me. (That is really quite a mouth full.)

What is it that gives first Paul, and now I, the understanding that we are now free from sin? Romans 6:9

“Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death is no longer is master over Him.”

Jesus Christ is never going back on the cross. The price He paid was enough; not the kind of enough that barely gets you through, but the kind that is seen as over-achievement.

Pay attention to the words “death is no longer master over Him.” While it is true that Jesus has conquered death and it is no longer master over Him, for the time being, death, and all its ramifications, still exist. Not only that, but humans continue to sustain injury and cease to breath; and, people still have the option of choosing spiritual death over life, this essentially brings about their separation from God. If death is no longer master over Him, then death means separation from God, and no longer has control over those of us who have chosen to follow after Him - Jesus Christ.

Paul makes this point about how our relationship is in Christ, repeatedly.

Romans 8:38-39 NASB For I am convinced that neither death nor life, ... will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:22 NASB (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ, all will be made alive.

Ephesians 2:13 NASB But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

I am of the belief that this information should be retaught frequently because we forget who we are, and who we belong to. Remember, YOU are in Christ and dead to this world. As one who struggles with anxiety and depression, then I am talking to me as well. 

Have you ever heard someone say, "Thanks, I needed that." Well, I needed to hear this again, and so do you.

I shall be blessed by the will of God to come to you. Romans 1:8-12.

When I was young, I rarely found a trek through the Bible interesting. I suppose that had more to do with the person who was doing the teaching and their personality. I often find my character to be a bit quirky, and that adds a flair to my teaching efforts. In many ways I see things differently; I like to call it putting flesh and blood on the biblical characters. Perhaps that adds a bit of undue negativity but we all came out of the same mold, and therefore, struggle with similar issues.

An example of this is my perception of Paul when he says; I unceasingly make mention of you in my prayers. How do I take this, especially when my trust-er is slightly broken? Paul had a history of throwing himself into his work; and, there is this tenacity that we find when we learn of his interactions. By paying attention, I have learned that I can trust Paul, just as I trust God and His word.

With that being said, let's dive in.

Romans 1:8-10 LITV  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of in all the world.  (9)  For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how without ceasing I make mention of you  (10)  always at my prayers, beseeching if by any means now at length I shall be blessed by the will of God to come to you.

• “ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,” ...For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how without ceasing I make mention of you  (10)  always at my prayers,”

Paul tells us why he prays unceasingly for them.

• “Because your faith is spoken of in all the world.”

This sentence is a positive accolade.

Here are some verses that say something comparable.

2 Corinthians 3:2-4 LITV  You are our letter, having been inscribed in our hearts, being known and being read by all men,  (3)  it having been made plain that you are Christ's letter, served by us, not having been inscribed by ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not in tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart.  (4)  And we have such confidence through Christ toward God;

Paul had a similar conviction about the church at Colossae; and, therefore, prayed unceasingly for them.

Colossians 1:9 LITV  For this cause also, from the day in which we heard, we do not cease praying on your behalf, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

And we can contrast Paul's thoughts against John's, as John says:

3 John 1:3 LITV  For I rejoiced greatly at the coming of the brothers, also bearing witness of you in the truth, as you walk in truth.

John's audience bore witness to the truth and walked in it.

• “beseeching if by any means now at length, I shall be blessed by the will of God to come to you.”
  So Paul has an earnest desire to be able to come and “visit” with them. I doubt that ever happened.

Romans 1:11-12 Moffatt NT (11) For I do yearn to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening — (12) or, in other words, that I may be encouraged by meeting you, I by your faith and you by mine.

• “For I do yearn to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening,”
  What that spiritual gift is we are not told. Later in this letter to the church in Rome Paul begins to clarify the idea of giftings.

Romans 12:6 NET. And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.

Just knowing that there are a variety of gifts probably doesn't help most people. In Acts chapter eight, Peter and John, after hearing about Philip's work in Samaria decided to go there and contribute what they could. We find out the Philip was then baptizing the new converts. It is an assumption, but a good one, that this water baptism.
Acts 8:14-17 NET. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. (15) These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. (16) (For the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) (17) Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans and they received the Holy Spirit.

Again, what did Paul say to the church in Rome?

Romans 1:11 NET. For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

What is my keyword here? Impart - To give, grant or communicate; to bestow on another a share or portion of something; To confer; To communicate the knowledge of something; to make known.

So, through the laying on of hands, we can impart, not only spiritual gifts, but bestow, confer, and make known – to the best of our/God's ability, the information concerning those gifts.

In the case of Peter and John, the first realization they had of the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost. Is it possible that they had to learn by trial and error, or did they have a teacher? The best was Jesus, but aside from the examples He left them, we do not see Jesus teaching them directly about hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. The point here is that there is hope for us.

• “ that I may be encouraged by meeting you, I by your faith and you by mine.”

This letter to the church in Rome is what Paul says to, not only this church body but to your body as well. Obviously, Paul is no longer with us, but we who follow Christ are now His hands and feet, and we are compelled by this to encourage others and impart or convey any of a variety of spiritual gifts.

Often, a simplistic reading only shows you what seems like selfish motives, such as Paul's comment - “that I may be encouraged by you,” so it becomes necessary for us to pursue the context of the passage. Since Paul has given us his thoughts on multiple occasions - in his letters to the churches, we can understand that he cares about those that have come to follow Christ. Considering who he was and his personality that is difficult at best to comprehend.

The annoying part of this process was a technique that my mother loved to push at us when we had a problem with someone. She would say, you need to ask God to change you. Now, why would I do that when clearly they are the problem? Mom would be relentless, and in time I would pray that prayer. Much like a wound that had been bothering you for weeks, and you suddenly realize that it was gone, this change would take place in me, and I would begin to see those people who caused me grief differently. I can only explain this as God intervening to change my heart.

Merely telling you these things triggered a string of memories; memories in which I felt hatred toward certain people. In all honesty, I held this hatred, in many cases, for years, but something changed, and almost without notice I found myself able to see the value in them, and I cared for them. No, it did not happen all at once, or overnight, but with some, it did happen. Apparently, we can change.

The Bema seat of Christ; what is it? - 2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ

We hear this phrase constantly in religious circles. It is an aspect of our mean-spirited nature, and is often used to obtain compliance or to get us, the body, to do more, especially when it comes to “soul winning.” You know what? God can win souls just fine without us. In many cases He invades the dreams of those He is trying to persuade, and from what I have seen, it works quite well. If you are interested here is a link to Amazon.com and Tom Doyle's book about such things.

Dreams and Visions, by Tom Doyle

The passage that gives us this reality check about judgment upon followers of Christ is:

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB 10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

As usual, we need to break this down.

• “For we all must appear...”

The consensus, as I perceive it, at least from the leaders who feel we need to be reminded of how bad we are, implies that lacking enough merit, we are going to hell.

This heavy handed attitude instantly conveys some huge assumptions.

1. A major assumption is that there is some separate judgment, in which you stand fearfully before a throne, where Jesus/God looms ominously over you.
2. This angry portrayal also assumes that this judgment is a win or lose situation where you can be rejected from heaven because you did not witness enough, or act like some great evangelist.
3. We also convey the idea that God is mad at you and awaiting an opportunity to come crashing down on you, a person that He calls beloved.

Do any of these make sense? The answer is NO; however, we do not base our theology on whether things make sense to us personally or not.

Don't get me wrong, the Word of God was meant to be understood. Since we are deeply entrenched in selfishness anything or anyone telling us we are wrong tends not to make sense, because we, at that moment, are choosing not to understand. It is a choice, or we are blinded by the veil Satan puts over us, preventing us from seeing the truth.

The idea that we must appear, as it stands, sounds more like a warrant for our arrest; an order that comes with a detrimental result. If you look at the word judgment in Greek, you find a much less threatening situation. One source, The Complete Word Study Dictionary tells us that it is: necessary, has need of, or is inevitable in the nature of things.

So if I reread this with Greek eyes, 1Cor 5:10 could just as easily say:

It is necessary, and, inevitable in the nature of things that we stand before Christ.

• "..before the judgment seat of Christ.”

Moffatt's translation puts it this way: “for we have all to appear without disguise before the tribunal of Christ, each to be requited for what he has done with his body, well or ill.

What does it mean to be requited?

Webster's dictionary gives us: REQUI'TED, Repaid; recompensed; rewarded.

Does this sound like you are being judged? Not hardly, but as we shall see, you can't take that sin-ridden body into the new kingdom. So, we apparently leave our bodies at the door (so to speak.)

• If I merely focus on the word judgment for a moment, I think we would all agree that it sounds ominous, but, as we have seen, it is a time of rewarding and repayment. The Greek word is bḗma and means “A step, i.e., a pace or footstep. By implication any elevated place to which the ascent is by steps.” (WSD)

We have another huge piece of information that can help us understand what and when this judgment/Bema seat is:

1 Corinthians 15:50-52 NASB 50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh, and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Consider what this says:

• First - ”Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;”

As we sit here reading this, we are flesh and blood. It is evident that we cannot take these bodies, as they are, into heaven.

Considering that we cannot take these bodies, with their built-in propensity to sin, why even have this conversation? We should understand by now, that Adam's treasonous choice caused us all to inherit something comparable to a damaged DNA string. In other words, you are not going to shake the effects this has on you. You can, however, overcome the influences of the sinful nature through the blood of Jesus Christ when you accept His life as yours.

• Secondly - "nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

An obvious observation, but the opposite of perishable is imperishable, and vice-a-versa. What does that mean? Slightly more than merely being subject to physical death. We, without the promise of life with the Father, are subject to an eternal perishing; a death we were not meant to endure. Hell, the fire that burns eternally was intended for Satan and his angels/followers.

• Third - “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,”
  A mystery? Is death a mystery? Not really, for everyone dies and we all know that. Some may try to evade its effects through cryogenics, but that has not worked as yet. Since the obvious factor is that everyone will die, except for those who are alive when Christ returns; then there has to be another implication; that this change will happen before our transference into heaven.

So where is the mystery? Perhaps it lies in the idea that the definition of death has changed to sleep, and that without “sleeping” we will migrate into the kingdom of God.

• Fourth - “ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;”

Currently, the Greek word we use to create the idea of the rapture is harpazo. It means a snatching away. Rapture, on the other hand, has no associated word in the Greek. We get our word rapture from the Latin Vulgate which uses the word rapio. Rapture also conveys the idea of a mass removal of Christ followers from the earth.

When is the last trumpet?

Obviously, there are several. Matthew 24 tells us of one:

Matthew 24:29-31 NASB "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30) "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31) "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

I can quickly determine that this is not the last trumpet call because of the phrase, “..immediately after the tribulation of those days..” That statement places this event approximately seven years after the rapture of the church. While it may be the last trumpet, it is not the trumpet blast being referred to.

There is one other clue to solving any mystery we find here, and that is the fact that the angels from God will gather His elect. These are Jews being spoken of here. Don't make the foolish assumption that everything the Apostle Paul said and did was directed at Gentiles, as the intentional preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles did not become a push until he made the plea to take his case to Caesar, in Rome.

What do I take away from all this?

That the bema seat of Christ:

• Maybe a seat of high position, that carries authority.
• The nature of this place and time is to reward not punish.
• It has much to do with leaving our broken natures behind.
• It will happen in that twinkling of an eye.
• And, as 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tells us, we are not taken our broken, selfishness into heaven with us. God will not allow that in there.

So, all of it gets burned up, attitudes, beliefs, traditions, and brokenness, in a moment. If you notice anything it will be the freedom and normalcy. Something we have never experienced.

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