#1~ Acts 15:18 STILL TO COME 6-22-13
Today if the Lord be willing, I'm going to talk for a few minutes about coming events on Gods Prophetic calendar and the order their to come in according to the Bible. -- We'll go as far as we can today and take up again next time Lord willing.
Let me say that there are many calamites and disasters that have happen and will happened that are not foretold in His Word so I'm not referring to them.
* For our text today we'll read;
>Acts 15:18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
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~ God is never surprised by any thing, He knows all things, He often allows things to happen for reasons that only He knows, and He can cause certain things to happen today that may cause or even prevent certain events later on, perhaps many years later.
~ The very death of His Son Jesus on the cross over 2000 years ago is a great example, what He did then can and will get us to heaven one day.
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>Isaiah 55: 8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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* #1~~ RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH:
~ The next scheduled event on His Prophetic calendar is the rapture of the True Church, what I mean by "true church" is every one that's been born again of the Holy Spirit of God, every one that claims to be saved are not really saved at all, they don't understand what being born again means, they have a good dose of religion.--they might belong to some kind of organization, they'll say that they've been confirmed, been baptized, signed a card or any number of religious activities, just never have been born again.
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~ There's not any thing now that must come to pass before the rapture, it's next, it could happen now at any hour of any day, only God the Father knows when that day will be, nothing can hinder it or postpone that set time.
>Hebrews 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
> 1 Thess. 4: 13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, *(dead) that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus - -- will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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"Will God bring with Him,-vs.14" means, people that died saved, their bodies are buried some place but their saved soul went up to be with the Lord in Paradise, these will God bring with Him, at the rapture.--this is not the 2nd coming.
~ Picture your self standing at the grave side of your saved deceased loved one and the trumpet call is sounded, our loved one will quickly, "in the twinkling of an eye" suddenly before you can decipher what just happened, and at the same instance your self, both will be in glorified bodies and will go up to gather.
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* LISTEN- The certainty of the resurrection of Jesus is the basis for our confidence in a future resurrection.
The rapture ("catching up") of the true church (all believers in Jesus) is the next great event in the redemptive plan and purpose of God.
At the return of Jesus for His Church, the rapture, those who have died in Christ will come with Jesus (souls)
Those who are still living at that time will not have any advantage over those who have died in the Lord.
Those living will not "precede" the dead in Christ to heaven. These dead saints will rise first indicating the resurrection of the physical body and the rejoining of soul and body.
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>1 Cor. 15:51-53 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,* "die" but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
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~~LISTEN: the people that died lost, "never were saved", their soul went immediately to hell, their body is some where in the ground in some form or another, listen, when the dead in Christ are raised (the rapture) the lost soul will remain in hell for at least another 1007 more years, that is until the 7 year tribulation runs its coarse and also the 1000 year Kingdom reign of Christ.
~ I'm getting ahead of my self right here, but I must say this, the lost will be brought out of hell when its time for the White Throne Judgment of the lost to take place, listen, these poor people will be reunited with the old wretched body that they died in, they are not given glorified bodies to go into the lake of fire in.
~ Can you imagine what a sight this is going to be?-- some were blown to bits perhaps in war or maybe a car wreak, maybe burned to death, some had their heads cut off, some died of a crippling disease, any number of ways, but what they looked like when they died is what they'll look like when their old rotten body will be brought forth, some died and was buried at sea, maybe a large fish ate the body and it's no where to be found as for as humanly possible, but God will bring it all back together only to be cast into the lake of fire at this judgment of the lost.
~ There has never been a horror movie produced that can come close to this grotesque sight.
-- We'll talk more about the White Throne Judgment later--
~ Some of you may be saying, brother Brown God wouldn't do a thing like that, God will keep His Word!
> Ezekiel 33:11-- As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, -- God is talking here to Israel, but we can apply this to all people.
~He'll save every person that will call on Him to be saved, He wants all to be saved, but most will die lost, it's not Gods fault, they bring this on them selves.
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* Remember we're talking about events still to come, events that are still on Gods Prophetic calendar.
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~We've talked a little about the rapture of Gods True Church.
~What's the next thing after the rapture?
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#2~ THE JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS: -- THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.
>Rom. 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
~ There's a lot of saved folk that seem to think, "we'll I'm saved, I'm going to heaven now what?" they seem to think that that's the end of it, and it is as for as going to heaven.
~ Let me give us a very poor illustration, it's sorter like going on vacation to Hawaii we'll say, maybe you've always wanted to go and here you are, but you don't get to enjoy everything, maybe its like being in your room and just looking out the window, I know that's a bad illustration.
But if we live and work for the Lord Jesus after we're saved He will allow us to do many things for Him then.
~ And let me say right here, when I was in the marines back in 60-64, our ship stopped in Hawaii for a short time on our way back from Okinawa, personally I'd rather be in good old South Carolina than Hawaii sitting in a tree stand deer hunting.
>2 Cor. 4:6-- For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
>2 Cor. 5:9-10 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
~ Only saints washed in the blood of Jesus Christ will appear before this judgment Seat of Christ, not a single lost sinner will be at this judgment.
~Sinners will appear before the Great White Throne Judgment, 1007 later there about.
~ The "Judgment Seat of Christ" is one of rewards; believers are saved by grace and not by works, however, they will receive eternal rewards for good works they have carried out after their saved.
~ While it is true that for the Christian there is "no condemnation"
>Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, ---
~ God will still hold us responsible for the deeds done in the body, good or bad.
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>1 Cor. 3: 11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12Now if any man build upon this foundation (on Jesus) gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: * for the day *(judgment day) shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
~Man can not create "Gold, silver, precious stones"-- only God, -- neither will they burn.
"wood, hay, stubble" will burn- bad works.
14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, (on the foundation, Jesus) he shall receive a reward.
15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
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~If a man's work does not endure the consuming fire of God's judgment then he shall "suffer loss."
~ Everything he has devoted himself to in this life shall be suddenly swept away. -- Bad works--
~But he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. It is important to notice that such a saved man does not suffer the loss of his salvation, but the loss of reward.
~This entire passage is not about a man's relationship to Christ, but about his service to Christ.
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"Fire" This is figurative for judgment. More specifically, it speaks of the absolute righteous judgment of God. Fire is used here, not for its enlightening power, but its consuming power.
>Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
~So, just because a person is saved is not all there is to it, it is as for as going to heaven is concerned, but if we want Him to use us during His Kingdom reign and even into the ages to come we need to do good works for Him now that we are saved.
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>Matt. 25: 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:--
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~LISTEN-- The Lord Jesus is going to be over a world wide Government.
>Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, * unto us a son is given: * and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
~NOTICE- His NAME, not names.
7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. --
~ LISTEN-David will be His Vice Regent;
>Ezekiel 34: 23-24 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. -- PRINCE--means ruler.
~ All Governments must have an orderly structure, the Government Head will be Jesus, David will rule Israel under Him, David will not be over the Lords Church, the Church will be the wife of Christ, and He is the Head. At this present time we're the Bride to be, the marriage takes place near the end of the 7 years that we'll be in the air with Him. All this 7 years is the same 7 years that the tribulation is going on, BACK DOWN on the earth.
~You and I that are saved will rule and reign with Christ;
>Rev. 5: 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
~He will appointed Each of us a place out in the world to be in charge of, this is where our works now at this time plays such an important roll, He will appoint His saints as He sees fit.
~ There's much involved in our salvation, are there not dear heart? And I'm sure that the half can never be really told at this time, but He has given us much to think on and to look forward too.- ~ Please listen next time as we'll continue talking about what's on God Prophetic calendar.
