Think About It! - Blog

Do You Pray and Ask God About EVERY THING?

2011-02-06T20:21:00.005-05:00

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ teach that we should not pray to God for mercy on the sick (physical healing) .... because they say God is not a doctor. But ‘their’ apostle Paul wrote:

Phil 2:25-27 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ teach that we should not pray to God for ‘traveling mercies’ .... because they say God has ‘no will’ concerning trips. But ‘their’ apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 1:10-11a Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11a For I long to see you,

Furthermore, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach that Satan doesn’t care where you go either. But ‘their’ apostle Paul wrote:

1 Thess 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ teach that we should not pray to God about selling our house .... because they say God is not a realtor.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ teach that we should not pray to God for a job .... because they say God is not an employment agent.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ can give you a list of what NOT to pray to God about. But ‘their’ apostle Paul wrote to pray about every thing:

Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

I remember hearing ‘mid-Acts-ers’ snicker when Mr. W. lost his journal and told them he was praying that God would help him find it. Whether God helped him find it, or whether he located it because he kept looking for it .... who can say? But when he did find it, he gave God thanks and praise. The ‘mid-Acts-ers’ found fault with that and mocked him .... but “he had a verse”. That’s more than I can say for them:

1 Thess 5:18 In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Are You Willing to Suffer for Christ?

2011-01-30T22:55:00.002-05:00
Moses chose suffering for Christ .... being assured of the reward afterward:

Heb 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:
for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Jesus Himself endured the suffering of death .... knowing the joy that awaited on the other side:

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb 13:12-15 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
We look forward to glory in the new (Rev 3:12, 21:2), heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-24), the mother of us all (Gal 4:26):
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The prophets predicted Jesus would experience suffering followed by glory:

1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Paul lost all his worldly possessions for the sake of Christ .... but that pales in comparison to being in communion with the sufferings of Christ in His death:

Phil 3:8-11 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Paul and Peter both taught .... that those who suffer for Christ will be glorified:

Rom 8:17-18 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Those who suffer for Christ will be consoled:

2 Cor 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing,
that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Those who suffer for Christ will reign with Him:

2 Tim 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:
if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Suffering for Christ is evidence of one’s belief. God assured His saints of the impending judgment upon those by whose hands they suffered:

Phil 1:27-29 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries (also see Matt 10:28):
which is to them an evident token of perdition (also see 2 Thess 1:4-6), but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Ask yourself, do you really believe on Christ?
If the answer is no, then you will fall away in time of temptation.
If the answer is yes, then you will be willing to suffer for Him.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Waiting Patiently?

2011-01-23T22:49:00.002-05:00
God, through Paul, told the saints to patiently wait for Christ to come:

2 Thess 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God,
and into the patient waiting for Christ.

God, through Paul, showed that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be at the end .... in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Cor 1:7-10 So that ye come behind in no gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end,
that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing, (that would include the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as well as Peter, James, John, and ALL the apostles of the Lord)
and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye be perfectly joined together
in the same mind
and in the same judgment.

God, through James, taught the same truth .... thus, speaking the SAME thing:

James 5:7-8 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts:
for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The coming of the Lord is not imminent. It could NOT happen ANY moment. There are events that must occur FIRST .... BEFORE the day of Christ.

2 Thess 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (when the abomination of desolation is set up - Dan 11:31, 12:11; Matt 24:15; Mark 13:14):
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Whatever generation (Matt 24:34, Luke 21:31-32) sees the beginning of sorrows (Matt 24:8) .... will see the coming of the Lord and the end of the world (Matt 24:3). It will be a horrific time on the earth (Matt 24:21) .... but saints will know when their redemption is near:

Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

God, through Paul, encouraged the saints to patiently wait for the redemption of our body at the coming of the Lord:

Rom 8:22-25 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit (also see 1 Cor 15:20-24), even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

If you are alive during ‘that generation’ .... will you wait patiently for the coming of the Lord?

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

No More Sacrifice?

2011-01-16T23:32:00.004-05:00
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ say that Heb 10:26 is a different salvation program than we have today under grace. Since the verse is in Hebrews, they completely exclude it from anything to do with us. I completely DISAGREE.

Here is my current understanding of that verse, in the context of Hebrews chapter 10.

Sacrifices under the OLD testament could never cleanse the conscience of sins and had to be repeated:

Heb 10:1-4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

In contrast to the OLD testament, Christ was the sacrifice Himself for the NEW testament:

Heb 10:5-10 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which (the 2nd, or NEW, testament) will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

To recap, under the OLD covenant, sacrifices had to be repeated, and could never cleanse ....
but under the NEW, Jesus made 1 sacrifice, never to be repeated, that DID cleanse from sins:

Heb 10:11-14 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

God’s Spirit testified in the writings of the NEW covenant:

Heb 10:15-17 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us:
God’s Spirit had also prophesied long ago of the NEW (then future) covenant, when Israel was still living under the OLD:
for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Verse 18 is similar to verse 26 .... under the NEW testament .... in Christ’s blood .... there is no more offering for sin .... there is no more sacrifice for sin:

Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Because of Christ’s one blood-sacrifice .... man may now approach God in a ‘new’ way .... directly:

Heb 10:19-21 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

The brethren are encouraged on how to persevere through the last days of great tribulation and persecution, when the physical lives of believers will be threatened, when the time of Christ’s appearing is getting close:

Heb 10:22-25 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (what day? the day of Christ's appearing)

Jesus made one sacrifice for sins. It was sufficient. He will make no more.
If anyone ‘falls away’ or ‘draws back’ from it .... that is all there is or will be .... there is nothing else left for them but God’s judgment and wrath:

Heb 10:26-31 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Jesus told His disciples not to fear man, but to fear God .... which is the beginning of wisdom (Psa 111:10, Prov 9:10) and knowledge (Prov 1:7):

Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Heb 10:26-31 repeated the same principle written earlier in:

Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Heb 10:26-31 and Heb 6:4-6 are talking about the falling away .... before the day of Christ comes .... that Paul also prophesied about:

2 Thess 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means (also Matt 24:4): for that day (what day? the day of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

God’s Spirit, through Paul, specifically identified the time as being near the end when some fall away:

1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

The falling away was also taught by Jesus in the parable of the sower and the seed:

Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

When will the time of temptation be? I believe it will be at the end time, during great tribulation, when the man of sin/son of perdition makes war with the saints (Dan 7:21, Rev 13:7) .... and kills them (John 16:2) .... as anyone who will not worship the image of the beast or receive his mark in their right hand or forehead (Rev 13:15-18) will be killed:

Rev 3:10-11 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Maybe they will watch the executions (Rev 20:4) to be persuaded. Maybe they will be allowed 10 days to recant, to deny the Lord Jesus (Matt 10:33, 2 Tim 2:12), to save their physical life in this world (John 12:25) only to lose it eternally as they experience the wrath of God poured out without mixture (Rev 14:9-12):

Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Faithful saints encourage others who see them, to also be strong in the Lord:

2 Thess 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: (also keep reading through 2 Thess 1:5-10)

Paul’s writings prepared saints to stand in the evil day (Amos 6:3):

Eph 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Saints will need to be focused on persevering through all the hardships, and enduring to the end (Mark 13:12-13), and waiting patiently for Christ’s appearing (2 Thess 3:5, James 5:7-8), and keeping the faith so they will receive a crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:7-8):

Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

.... when ‘mockers’ (Jude 1:17-24) and ‘scoffers’ (2 Pet 3:3-4) stare and discredit them:

Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions;

.... when they help other saints in need (Matt 25:35-40, James 2:14-18), maybe because they can’t buy or sell:
and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

Paul encouraged the saints in the same way:

Rom 12:12-15 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Saints will lose their earthly possessions (Phil 3:8; Matt 6:31-34; Luke 12:15,22-23; James 5:6):

Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Saints will receive the promise of eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15), even as Paul, like the other prophets before him said .... suffering followed by glory:

Rom 8:17-18 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him (also 2 Tim 2:12), that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

It is absolutely necessary that one follow through to the end:

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (also 1 Cor 15:58, Luke 14:14, Heb 11:26)

The faithful will be rewarded .... but quitters will lose:

Gal 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

You are not singled-out for persecution. It will be world-wide against the saints of the most High God .... as they are worn out for 3-1/2 years (Dan 7:25):

1 Pet 5:8-10 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

When you’re tempted to give up .... take courage from those who went before:

Matt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Saints will need to be both diligent and wise, and not be deceived:

2 John 1:7-8 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (also Col 2:18)

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Every thing and every one will have to be checked out. Many will be offended and betray one another (Matt 24:13) .... but hang on till Christ comes:

1 Thess 5:21-23 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

.... and keep hanging on:

Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (also Heb 6:12, James 5:10-11)

It will pay off in the end .... and not until then:

Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

God tested Abraham’s faith with the issue of physical death (Heb 11:17-19).
CAN you do this? DO you do this? WOULD you do this?

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

These qualities of life go hand-in-hand:

Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

This is where ‘the rubber meets the road’. What would YOU do?

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

‘Waiting on the Lord’ will take on a sense of urgency in the end times. How often do you think of it?

Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Physical life and eternal death .... or physical death and eternal life ....
which would YOU choose?

Heb 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith (Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11):
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition;
but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Can someone change their mind?
I know I won’t .... what about YOU?

It will be helpful to fasten your eyes on the prize at the END of the race .... as both PAUL and PETER taught:

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter wrote that Paul wrote ‘of these things’ (in the context of 2 Peter chapter 3.
‘These things’ are
*the coming of the Lord,
*the day of the Lord,
*the day of God,
*when the heavens will be on fire,
*when the earth will be burned up,
*when there are new heavens and a new earth).
Paul wrote ‘of these things’ in every one of his epistles, thus, you can read ‘all his epistles’ and see them:

2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Many people who claim to be saved are totally unprepared for the last days ahead:

2 Pet 3:17-18 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

My advice is to study your Bible and get ready .... either way (Phil 1:21)! Be prepared, rather than stick your head in the sand by believing in a ‘pre-tribulation rapture of Paul’s converts!

Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord;
and whether we die, we die unto the Lord:
whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

We know what Jesus did .... what would YOU do?

John 15:13-15 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (also John 3:36, Rom 5:8)
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Would you lay down your life for Him?

Luke 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Who Has the Spirit of Christ?

2011-01-08T19:50:00.002-05:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are supportive of the truth that God’s Spirit dwells in us, since PAUL penned it:

Rom 8:8-9 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ will even agree that we have the Spirit of Christ, since PAUL wrote it, too:

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

However, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ are dismissive of the fact that the Spirit of Christ was in Israel’s prophets of the OLD testament. PETER wrote that, and ‘mid-Acts-ers’ divide it away. Do they think this is a DIFFERENT Spirit of Christ than the Spirit of Christ that Paul wrote of?

1 Peter 1:10-11 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ will admit that God gave us the Holy Spirit, since PAUL’s epistle says it:

1 Thess 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. (also 2 Cor 5:5)

But ‘mid-Acts-ers’ don’t like, don’t want, and don’t take, the SAME promise of the gift of the Spirit in JOHN’s epistle:

1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

PETER told the council of apostles and elders at Jerusalem that God gave the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles, the same as He did to the Jews:

Acts 15:7-9 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are constantly dividing and contrasting, in the name of ‘rightly’ dividing .... but the truth is, they are ‘WRONGLY’ dividing.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Knowing Who ‘He’ Is

2011-01-01T02:54:00.005-05:00
Many ‘mid-Acts-ers’ think 2 Thess 2:1 is about 2 different events, separated by ‘several more than 7 years’ of time. They describe ‘the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ as His 2nd coming to earth to establish a 1,000 year kingdom for the nation Israel .... and they believe ‘our gathering together unto Him’ is a ‘pre-tribulation rapture’ that occurs -- not AFTER (as is shown in the sequence of the verse) -- but way BEFORE Christ’s coming. They teach that a ‘pre-tribulation rapture’ will occur 7 years -- PLUS an unknown period of YEARS they call a ‘prophesied GAP’ covering the years of time for the events in Daniel chapter 11 to occur -- before the Lord’s return. You have to accept their paradigm first, in order to wrest a verse that way:

2 Thess 2:1-7 Now we beseech you, brethren,
by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto him,

Verse 2 presents a huge problem for them as it assigns the term "the day of Christ" to the events in verse 1, because of what follows in verse 3:

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Verse 3 makes the day of Christ NOT be imminent. The day of Christ CANNOT come until 2 things happen FIRST: a falling away, and the man of sin be revealed:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Verse 4 tells us how he will be revealed. It is by the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Dan 11:31, 12:11) and prophesied by Jesus (Matt 24:15, Mark 13:14):

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ really go berserk with verse 6. Out of nowhere, they insert ‘the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ’ into verse 6 to teach that ‘the presence of us on the earth is what holds back the wrath of God from being poured out’:

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Then in verse 7, they continue their folly with the same scenario, saying that ‘he’ is ‘the body of Christ that must be raptured before the 70th week of Daniel can begin’:

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Here is where we will start over, in order to see the pronoun ‘he’ in the context, flowing through the passage. We will even back up to chapter 1, where these same events are also found. Notice in the SAME sentence, that "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven .... taking vengeance" is the SAME DAY (the day of Christ) "when He shall come to be glorified in His saints" .... "in THAT day":

2 Thess 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints,
and to be admired in all them that believe
(because our testimony among you was believed)
in that day.

We are on the subject of "that day" ....
"when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven" ....
"when He shall come" .... as we begin chapter 2:

2 Thess 2:1-12 Now we beseech you, brethren,
by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 1:7,10),
and by our gathering together unto him (2 Thess 1:10),
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ (when Christ appears / comes .... to take vengeance on His enemies and be glorified in His saints) is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day (what day? the day of Christ .... when He appears / comes) shall not come,
except there come a falling away first (see 1 Tim 4:1, Luke 8:13, Heb 6:4-6),
and that man of sin be revealed (remember ‘who’ will be ‘revealed’), the son of perdition;

4 Who (that man of sin, the son of perdition) opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he (that man of sin, the son of perdition) as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he (that man of sin, the son of perdition) is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what withholdeth (withholdeth his true identity - that man of sin has been masquerading as a man of peace, but working deceitfully - Dan 11:23-24) that he (that man of sin, the son of perdition) might be revealed (when?) in his time. (what will reveal him? the abomination of desolation, when he proclaims himself to be God in the temple)

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work (see Matt 24:12, 13:41): only he (that man of sin, the son of perdition) who now letteth (this Greek word for ‘letteth’ is the same Greek word that was translated 'withholdeth' in verse 6) will let,
until he (that man of sin, the son of perdition) be taken out of the way. (how will he be taken out? the Lord will take him out!)

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed (this is who the entire passage has been talking about ‘being revealed’), whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (see Rev 19:11-16)

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (see 2 Thess 1:8-9)

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are defending a paradigm that will not hold up to what the verses say.

This is David Dowell saying, "Happy New Year and think about it!"

‘Further Revelation’ From the ‘Risen, Glorified Lord’

2010-12-27T19:05:00.003-05:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ emphasize that Paul was the apostle who received ‘further revelation’ from the ‘risen, glorified Lord’. Although it is an undeniable fact that he did .... it is also true that, so did the other apostles, for it was the 11 that Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. Jesus’ 11 apostles also received ‘further revelation’ from the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ (being the ‘same’ ‘risen, glorified Lord’ that blinded Saul):

Matt 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:14-20 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Although Paul was the last to see the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ .... he was, by far, not the ONLY one to see Jesus after His resurrection glory, as we will read in 1 Cor 15:8 below:

1 Cor 15:1-8 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas (that's Peter), then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
After giving the gospel Paul received (1 Cor 15:1,3),
the gospel he delivered (1 Cor 15:3),
the gospel he preached (1 Cor 15:1),
the gospel that the Corinthians received (1 Cor 15:1),
the gospel they stood in (1 Cor 15:1),
the gospel they were saved by (1 Cor 15:2),
and the gospel they believed (1 Cor 15:2),
(which was that Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3),
was buried, and rose again the 3rd day --- according to PROPHETIC scriptures ALREADY written) ....
and after giving the list of more than 512 men who had seen the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ (1 Cor 15:5-7) .... Paul said he, lastly, saw Jesus also:
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ elevate Paul to a ‘different’ apostle with a ‘distinct’ gospel message of salvation .... but Paul himself testified that he was the ‘smallest’ of them (not in size or stature) because of his awful history of such damage against God’s church:

1 Cor 15:9-10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (Notice: The church of God existed BEFORE Paul.)
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Paul testified that it made no difference .... if it was him or any of THEM .... they all preached the ‘D,B,R’ (Death, Burial, Resurrection) of Christ .... and the result was that folks were saved:

1 Cor 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’, listening to the Cunning Royal Jester and his Jokers, think Paul had a ‘unique’ gospel .... a gospel given solely to him by the ‘risen, glorified Lord’. They question (whether vocally or silently) anyone’s testimony if they claim to have been saved using scriptures other than the epistles Paul wrote. I shudder that I was deceived by ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine in ‘time past’, ‘but now’ I am so thankful that I am out of that mess. In ‘the ages to come’ I will try to prevent others from being ensnared by their paradigm. ‘Mid-Acts’ teaching can be defeated by believing the WORDS in the VERSES.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

The Kingdom of Heaven or The Kingdom of God?

2010-12-23T07:54:00.003-05:00
Before we begin this study, be advised that we will not hold church service on Sunday, December 26, in lieu of the Christmas holiday, as we spend time with our family and friends.

Examine the following 2 references together .... back and forth .... and notice all the SAME things. Especially see that they are the SAME account by 2 different men, but the same Spirit:

Matt 4:12-19 Now when Jesus had heard
that John was cast into prison,
he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
Repent:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee,
saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea:
for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men.

Mark 1:14-17 Now after
that John was put in prison,
Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea:
for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me,
and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Comparing all the similarities in these 2 companion passages proves that the kingdom of heaven IS the kingdom of God. Realizing this fact may change your doctrine .... IF you believe the Bible and are not blindly following a man with a chart and a paradigm!

Since the time of John the Baptist, men have preached the kingdom of God:

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached,
and every man presseth into it.

Jesus instructed a certain man to preach the kingdom of God:

Luke 9:57-60 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Jesus’ 12 disciples preached the kingdom of God:

Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Paul (Acts 20:16) preached the kingdom of God:

Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God,
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Jesus spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Philip preached the the things concerning the kingdom of God:

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Paul disputed and persuaded the the things concerning the kingdom of God:

Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Paul expounded and testified the kingdom of God:

Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging;
to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

Paul worked unto the kingdom of God:

Col 4:11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

The Thessalonians suffered for the kingdom of God:

2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ believe the Cunning Royal Jester who teaches them that ‘the kingdom of God’ that Paul preached is different than the ‘kingdom of God’ that everyone else preached. What a disaster of confusion!

Not only that .... but they deny that the kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God .... in spite of the scriptures (Matt 4:12-19 and Mark 1:14-17).

For all the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ who claim ‘grace’ to do whatever they want to do, but secretly celebrate the holidays for fear of what ‘each other’ might think if they knew .... I will say (without it being "Christ-Mass"), "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

2 or 3 Breastplates? How Many Helmets?

2010-12-18T10:49:00.003-05:00
According to ‘mid-Acts’ heresy, the apostle Paul has a ‘distinct’ ministry that sets him APART from all the other prophets of the holy scriptures. The Cunning Royal Jester is a pied piper, teaching that Paul has a ‘unique’ message (see Acts 26:22). He is leading unsuspecting followers into an abyss of apostasy. For example, consider the armour of God:

Eph 6:13-17 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on
the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take
the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In ‘mid-Acts’ wrested understanding, this means that Isaiah’s armour must be ‘different’ than Paul’s armour:

Isa 59:17 For he put on
righteousness as a breastplate,
and
an helmet of salvation upon his head;
and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Even though the words are essentially the same in Isaiah and Paul, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ must maintain separation between them to keep up their paradigm. Dare no one question them about the ‘other’ breastplate Paul described? Is this yet ‘another’ breastplate to be ‘distinguished’ from the breastplate of righteousness, notwithstanding the helmet is still salvation?

1 Thess 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on
the breastplate of faith and love;
and for
an helmet, the hope of salvation.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ completely ignore the twisted mess their perverted doctrine makes.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Who Was Preaching Peace?

2010-12-11T20:17:00.003-05:00
When Peter preached the ‘first’ recorded sermon to the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house .... he described the word God sent as preaching PEACE by Jesus Christ:

Acts 10:34-43 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: (also see Acts 15:9, 1 Pet 1:17)
35 But in every nation he that feareth him,
and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, (The gospel of Christ was sent to Israel first, as Paul also testified in
Rom 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek.")
preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 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.
(Peter preached about Jesus’ death and resurrection on the 3rd day.
This was the gospel of Christ.
This was preaching peace by Jesus Christ, as Paul also testified in
Rom 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:")
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day,
and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. (Jesus was then the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ that gave His disciples the command to preach what the prophets had written concerning salvation through faith in Him):
42 And he (the ‘risen, glorified Lord’) commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

That was the same good news that Paul preached (also see 1 Cor 15:3-4):

Acts 26:22-23 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer,
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead,
and should shew light unto the people,
and to the Gentiles.

Even at Pentecost, Peter reminded his audience of Jews (Acts 2:5,36) that God’s promise also included the Gentiles:

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you,
and to your children,
and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Peter was not the only prophet to preach peace, to the near and the far.
Isaiah also prophesied peace to both the Gentiles and the Jews:

Isa 57:19 I create the fruit of the lips;
Peace, peace to him that is far off,
and to him that is near,
saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

A favorite passage of ‘mid-Acts-ers’ is Eph 2:11-18, which they try to make be ‘the mystery given only to Paul’ .... but comparing Isa 57:19 with Eph 2:17 shows ‘this message’ was previously taught by Isaiah in prophecy:

Eph 2:13-18 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, (He is the Prince of Peace, see Isa 9:6) who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off (that would be the Gentiles),
and to them that were nigh (that would be Israel).
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Paul taught that the gospel of peace is part of the whole armour of God (Eph 6:13-17), which believers are to wear:

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Paul also testified that Isaiah wrote about the gospel of peace:

Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Ezekiel also prophesied the covenant of peace .... for Israel ....
but Paul extended it to also include the Gentiles:

Ezek 37:26-27 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
27 My tabernacle also shall be with them:
yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (That is the same promise that Paul applied to the church of God, in
2 Cor 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.")

Jesus prophesied peace for His disciples (John 13:35), who are called ‘Christians’ since Antioch (Acts 11:26):

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Yes, both Paul and Peter preached peace by the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thess 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

1 Peter 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity.
Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Unto Who? Unto You!

2010-12-05T01:34:00.003-05:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ have made a big deal out of Paul’s use of the little phrase "unto you" in Gal 1:8-9, to try to defend their ludicrous position that Peter preached a different gospel than Paul preached, and still not be cursed. They have said things like, "He was just saying that to the Galatians .... Look at the "unto you" .... He was only talking to them about what someone was preaching to them, and Peter didn’t take the gospel to them."

Gal 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Peter did, in fact, write to the strangers scattered throughout Galatia (1 Peter 1:1).

Was the message of Christ dying and rising from the dead that Paul preached in a synagogue of the Jews .... "unto you" .... ONLY for THEM?

Acts 17:1-3 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging,
that Christ must needs have suffered,
and risen again from the dead;
and that this Jesus,
whom I preach unto you,
is Christ.

Paul testified that the SAME Jesus that died at the end of His earthly ministry .... was the SAME Jesus that rose from the grave .... and was the SAME Jesus that he preached .... "unto you".

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ need to re-think their "unto you" exemption:

1 Cor 15:1-11 Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved,
if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, (that is, Peter)
then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;
of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James;
then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they,
so we preach,
and so ye believed.

The plain and simple truth is: If Peter .... or the 12 .... or James .... or any of the apostles .... or more than 500 other brothers, preached a different gospel than Paul preached to ANYONE .... then, according to the scriptures .... they would be accursed.

Like it or lump it .... but don’t try to change it!

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

You Heard It First Here!

2010-11-28T17:11:00.003-05:00
During my many (previous) years of being a ‘mid-Acts-er’, I NEVER once heard anyone, with scripture, address the issue of global warming endangering Planet Earth. But since I came out of ‘mid-Acts’ heresy, and began studying my whole Bible without the Cunning Royal Jester’s paradigm, I found God’s promise concerning the temperatures and seasons, when Noah came off the ark:

Gen 8:18-22 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
22 While the earth remaineth,
seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat,
and summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.

At a recent conference, I listened as a so-called ‘heavy-hitting grace preacher’ brought up Gen 8:22. No credit was given, and certainly none was necessary, but I hardly think he dug it up on his own. Regardless, I wish he would take many other verses I have pointed out, where he stands in denial to the doctrine of God .... such as

• Abraham is our father:

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

• New Jerusalem is our mother (going to come down from heaven to earth - Rev 21:2-3, 3:12):

Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

• When we belong to Christ, we are Abraham’s seed:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

• When we belong to Christ, we are fellow-heirs with Abraham’s children by faith:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

• That was what the mystery of Christ, that was given to Paul for the Gentiles, was about .... that we have the SAME inheritance with them ‘Abraham fellows’:

Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,
and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

• The mystery of Christ placed us Gentiles in the SAME body with Israel:

Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,
and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

• The mystery of Christ made us Gentiles partakers WITH those who were already sanctified by faith in Christ:

Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,
and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There were JEWISH saints who were ‘in Christ’ before Paul:

Rom 16:7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Clearly, when the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road, He sent him to the Gentiles so THEY could have INHERITANCE AMONG THEM who were ALREADY sanctified by faith in Christ:

Acts 26:14-18 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Can we see this truth in other scriptures that verifies saints were already sanctified by faith in Christ .... before Paul was saved? Yes.

John 17:17-19 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Can we see the truth that Jesus taught ‘oneness’ for His saints .... before Paul was saved? Yes.
Is this being of the same body (Eph 3:6-b)? Yes:

John 17:20-23 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

There is only ONE body, not two. We are of the SAME body (Eph 3:6-b):

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, (also see 1 Cor 10:17 below)
and every one members one of another.

In the CONTEXT of what happened to ISRAEL .... Paul said those things are examples for US:

1 Cor 10:1-17 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples,
to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
In the CONTEXT of ISRAEL .... Paul said that in communion we share the cup (the blood of Christ) and the bread (the body of Christ) WITH them:
16 The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break,
is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body:
for we are all partakers of that one bread.
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

When the Lord Jesus returns from heaven, He will come with ALL His saints .... NOT ONLY those who have believed through PAUL’s ministry, as the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach:

1 Thess 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

There is not a corner on Gen 8:22:

Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth,
seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat,
and summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.

Just remember, there is an account in scripture of a girl who followed Paul and said some right things, but Paul rebuked a spirit of divination out of her:

Acts 16:16-18 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Paul Was First What?

2010-11-21T22:15:00.004-05:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ wrongly use Paul’s "me first" statement to say that Paul was the ‘first member’ of the body of Christ. However, the verse says nothing whatsoever of the sort:

1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

In the context (which often ‘mid-Acts-ers’ don’t like to be bothered with), Paul was the main sinner .... not that he was grossly immoral .... but that, he was leading the rebellion against the Lord Christ, and persecuting His church. The point is that God had mercy on His arch enemy first, namely, Saul of Tarsus .... as an example to others who realized they were unworthy of God’s grace in Christ:

1 Tim 1:12-16 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious:
but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

A favorite verse of ‘mid-Acts-ers’ is Rom 15:8 which they use to make the point that Jesus was Israel’s minister -- as if He is NOT (was not) ours. However, in the context, the very next verse shows that Gentiles being saved was according to PROPHECY ("as it is written") -- NOT mystery (as the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach). The point, here again, is that the Gentiles, who were God’s enemies, are now offered God’s mercy. That is what Paul experienced:

Rom 15:8-12 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy;
as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Prophecy also includes the day of God’s wrath and judgment against His enemies .... those who don’t care for God’s longsuffering mercy toward them:

Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

Paul taught the saints at Rome about the mercy of the LORD .... again, according to PROPHECY .... while he referred to Moses:

Rom 9:14-26 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Paul clearly applied the PROPHETIC truths to us, that were given to Moses and Pharaoh, as examples of His mercy on the Gentiles:

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Verse 24, about ‘us Gentiles’ ties in with verse 25, which is PROPHECY given through Hosea, initially for Israel, but now expanded to include ALL those who by faith are in Christ:

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ constantly focus on the GRACE of God, and rarely, if at all, bring up the issue of God’s mercy toward us:

Rom 11:30-32 For as ye in times past have not believed God,
yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
God’s mercy is much more than anything our minds could imagine:
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,
that he might have mercy upon all.

It is because of God’s mercy that we Gentiles are offered eternal salvation:

Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

We will also experience the rich mercy of God when Christ comes for us:

Jude 1:20-21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Paul being the first member in the body of Christ is NOWHERE in the holy scriptures. ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ ought to give that nonsense up. There were believers who were ‘in Christ’ before Paul:

Rom 16:7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Regardless of what ‘mid-Acts-ers’ say .... being ‘in Christ’ is the same thing as being in the body of Christ.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!

Could YOU Be Jesus' Disciple?

2010-11-12T01:38:00.002-05:00
Isaiah prophesied concerning the coming of Christ .... among those who would follow Him. They were called 'disciples' even back then:

Isa 8:14-15 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

The same Hebrew word that was translated ‘disciples’ was also translated ‘the learned’. Thus, we can conclude that a disciple is a learner:

Isa 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

A disciple is one who has been disciplined to learn obedience:

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Ananias was a disciple, who was sent to give sight to Saul after he was blinded on the road to Damascus:

Acts 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

Although people were fearful of trusting Saul, Barnabas assured them not to worry because Saul really was a disciple:

Acts 9:26-29 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.

Timothy was a disciple:

Acts 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Since Acts 11, disciples are called Christians:

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Paul regularly kept company with men who were called disciples:

Acts 21:15-17 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

Would you receive disciples gladly like those brothers did? ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ distance themselves from folks who call themselves ‘disciples’ .... because they SEPARATE the body of Christ .... in the name of ‘right’ division. Jesus said that the character trait of ‘love for the brethren’ would be an obvious indication to everyone to identify His disciples:

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Could you be His disciple and learn of Him to love your brothers and sisters in the household of God?

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Are ALL the Saints in Christ?

2010-11-07T22:44:00.002-05:00
Paul INCLUDED all the saints as being ‘in Christ’ .... yet ‘mid-Acts-ers’ want to DIVIDE the saints by those saints who are ‘INSIDE of Paul’ against those saints were ‘OUTSIDE of Paul’. GOD’s word does not make that DIVISION among God’s saints:

Phil 4:21-23 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
The brethren which are with me greet you.
22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.
23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

1 Cor 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Cor 13:12-13 Greet one another with an holy kiss.
13 All the saints salute you.

Peter is not unlike Paul. He said many of the very same things Paul said:

1 Peter 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity.
Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To compound their problem, adding insult to injury, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ go farther to insinuate that no one can be saved today by any other minister, OTHER than Paul .... because he wrote of ‘my gospel’ (Rom 2:16, 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8). ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ stop reading this next passage after verse 4 .... so they don’t have to notice HOW MANY other men preached the SAME gospel that Paul preached:

1 Cor 15:1-11 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they,
so we preach,
and so ye believed.

Paul himself also showed that it made NO DIFFERENCE which minister led someone to the Lord .... so why do the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ make such an EXCLUSIVE issue out of it?

1 Cor 3:5 Who then is Paul,
and who is Apollos,
but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man?

All His saints? All His saints were ALL included THEN:

Psa 31:23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

All His saints? All His saints are ALL included NOW:

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

All His saints? All His saints will ALL be included in the AGES to COME .... when the Lord comes:

1 Thess 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Are ALL Christ’s saints in Him? Of course, they are! Where else would they be?

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Is Your Name Written There?

2010-10-28T23:47:00.003-04:00
Even back thousands of years ago, around the beginning of the old testament .... Moses knew that God had a book with individuals’ names written in it, and that his own name was in that book. Interestingly, if anyone broke God’s 1st and 2nd commandments (1-to have no other gods before Him, and 2-to not make any idol - Exo 20:1-6) .... would be blotted out of God’s book:

Exod 32:31-33 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Daniel also knew of God’s book with God's people's names written in it:

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Paul was the 1st person to actually tell the ‘title’ of God’s book that has names written in it. It is called 'the book of life'. Paul wrote of believers' names being written in the book of life:

Phil 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

John recorded the words Christ (Rev 1:18) told him to write ....
to the angel of the church in Sardis (Rev 3:1),
about keeping the names of the overcomers in the book of life:

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,
but I will confess his name before my Father (Matt 10:32-33),
and before his angels (Luke 12:8-9).

During the last half of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan 9:24), the beast will persecute and kill the saints for 3-1/2 years (Rev 13:5-7). Everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life .... will worship him:

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The book of life will be opened when the dead are judged. Anyone whose name is NOT written in it .... will suffer the 2nd death:

Rev 20:12,14-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

No one will enter that great city, the holy Jerusalem, that will descend out of heaven from God (Rev 21:10) .... unless their name is written in the book of life, which John personalized again, as belonging to the Lamb:

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:
but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The last words in the Bible .... have to do with
• the book of life
• the 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus, and
• the grace of the Lord Jesus:

Rev 22:18-21 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Is your name written there?
On the page white and fair?
In the book of God’s kingdom?
Is your name written there?

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Words to Think About

2010-10-22T22:55:00.003-04:00
On separate occasions, I have heard some ‘mid-Acts’ preachers talking about "good words." One said ‘rapture’ is a good word. I wonder .... how did he determine that? I suspect it was in order to defend his paradine of a pre-tribulation catching away (instead of the BIBLE’s time ‘at the last trump’). Another ‘mid-Acts’ preacher said ‘pastors’ is a good word. I expect he wanted to keep with man’s tradition (rather than following GOD’s words through Paul). He would not admit he was wrong, even with a plain verse staring him right in the face:

1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

Those ‘mid-Acts’ men are unfaithful ministers to the Lord’s word in the KJV:

1 Cor 4:1-2 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries (The Greek word translated 'mysteries' - plural - is also translated 'mystery' - singular.) of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Paul used the phrase "good words" once. But he cautioned saints not to be deceived by them:

Rom 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

God does not want His saints to be ‘simple Simons’:

Prov 14:15 The simple believeth every word:
but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

When the simple believe GOD’s words, they get understanding:

Psa 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light;
it giveth understanding unto the simple.

The Bible is the words of God. Every word is important:

Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Prov 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

False prophets changed the Lord’s pure words:

Jer 23:36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

The days will come when God’s words will be scarce, even unavailable:

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

We need to take in Jesus’ words, and stay away from those who not to obey the words of Christ. Do you know anyone that teaches NOT to follow Jesus’ words? A group of them identify themselves as ‘mid-Acts’ who claim to follow only ‘selected’ words of Christ, namely, those words through Paul. Yet Paul described to Timothy the men who disregard the Lord’s words:

1 Tim 6:3-5 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Paul told Timothy to remember his words:

2 Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Peter and Jude told the saints to remember the words of the Lord’s apostles, to whom He gave His word .... not just Paul's words:

2 Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

Jude 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

We can and should apply the words of the Psalmist to our own words:

Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

They Don’t Believe God and They Don’t Follow Paul

2010-10-19T00:04:00.001-04:00
I saw a ‘mid-Acts’ website that said the only offices today were “missionaries (which were evangelists), and pastors/bishops, and deacons.” When I researched the Greek words, I wondered why he didn’t use “ministers/deacons” since the Greek word is used of ‘deacon’ twice, but of ‘minister’ 22 times. The Greek for ‘bishop’ is never translated ‘pastor.’ The Greek word for ‘pastor’ is used of ‘shepherd’ 17 times, and ‘pastors’ once (Eph 4:11).

The KJV Bible only shows 2 offices: bishop and deacon:

1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1 Tim 3:10, 13 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Years ago when I brought up the subject of the correct ‘Pauline’ word for the regular preacher in a church assembly today, being a ‘bishop’ instead of a pastor .... I was shocked by the stiff-necked resistance among the ‘pastors’ of ‘Pauline’ grace churches. Initially, I believed it to be an innocent oversight, or possibly the fault of following ‘tradition’ of Protestant denominations, in their effort to be called by a different name than the ‘bishops’ of Catholics and Mormons. But the more I talked about it, the more stubborn the ‘pastors’ became. Several of them went so far as to make mockery of some who admitted their error and amended it, by asking questions like, “When will you get your hat and collar?” Two prominent ‘co-pastors’ even changed their titles from ‘pastor’ .... not to ‘bishop’ (still refusing to submit to their supposedly cherished ‘Pauline’ authority) .... but to ‘elder’ on their weekly church bulletin. An admission of guilt, to be sure, but only half-hearted and partial. Trying to make a switch without being noticed or calling attention to it? If you have egg on your face, it is best to admit it, wipe it off, and get on with your ministry. The more you resist, the more hypocritical you appear. Saying one thing like, “We believe the KJV Bible is the very words of God in the English language for all matters of faith and practice. We believe Paul is our apostle,”) .... and doing another by denying to accept the ‘name’ of the ‘office’ you fill? That was not the case for the word ‘dispensation,’ was it? The verse is straight-forward, standing alone (1 Tim 3:1), and other verses even support it as well (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:7, Phil 1:1). But ‘mid-Acts-ers’ ran to Acts where they tell others is ‘forbidden ground for doctrine’ (chapter 20) to grab the mention of a flock (not even the word ‘pastor’) applied to the Ephesians, which they never touched with a 10-foot pole during my nearly 30 years of association with them. They apply a double standard, and it makes them look foolish.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Who Is the Mystery of Godliness?

2010-10-07T15:49:00.003-04:00
The Cunning Royal Jester teaches that 1 Tim 3:16, is the ‘body of Christ’ (which-he-says is ONLY saints who have believed through PAUL’s ‘distinctive ministry’). ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are trained to think that twisted way. Just logically reading through the verse, it is Jesus Christ.

1 Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
received up into glory.

Anywhere ‘mid-Acts-ers’ read the word ‘mystery’ in Paul’s epistles, they selfishly put themselves in it. They claim the ‘mystery’ is always talking about them, without attention to the other words in the verse or in the context.

Jesus Christ: “God was manifest in the flesh,”

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Jesus Christ: “justified in the Spirit,”

John 1:32-34 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Rom 1:3,4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.

1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Jesus Christ: “seen of angels,”

Luke 2:10-14 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Heb 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Mark 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Luke 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

Jesus Christ: “preached unto the Gentiles,”

Luke 2:30-32 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Rom 15:8-12 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy;
as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Gal 2:8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me (Paul) toward the Gentiles:)

.... the mystery of godliness .... that ‘WHO’ .... was .... “preached unto the Gentiles”?

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Jesus Christ: “believed on in the world,”

John 1:6-7 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John 4:40-42 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

John 11:47-48 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

John 17:20-21 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Rom 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his (Abraham’s) sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Jesus Christ: “received up into glory.”

Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

1 Peter 3:22 Who (Jesus Christ) is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ believe without question, any and every thing the Cunning Royal Jester tells them. They should get their head out of the sand or where ever it is, and believe GOD’s word instead.

1 Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
received up into glory.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ ought not try to take the LORD’s glory to be their own.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name:
and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

The GOSPEL and the Integrity of Grace?

2010-10-02T11:47:00.002-04:00
‘Mid-Acts’ preachers often say, “The Bible says what it means .... and it means what it says!” I even featured the phrase on the front cover of a book I wrote. Though now, I agree with the slogan, I disagree with my own book. The point is, THEN I believed the motto, but I was not listening to the VERSES .... instead I was allowing a man with a chart and a paradigm to tell me the meaning of my Bible. I trusted his study and accepted it. He was (and still is) guilty of inserting concepts into verses and drawing conclusions that are not in the scriptures. When I finally woke up to his antics, I began a renewed sense of reading the (KJV Bible) words .... and hearing what GOD said .... without imposing pre-conceived doctrines into them. To my surprise and horror, I have found that I had been injecting a spin, even though it was unintentional.

During an annual summer conference, a featured nightly preacher (who doesn’t even accept the title of the office of BISHOP that he holds) repeatedly talked about ‘defending the integrity of grace.’ He taught what he believed, without regard to what the Bible actually said.

Twice, Paul wrote about his defence of the gospel:

Phil 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Phil 1:17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

The GOSPEL is what is to be defended. God, through Paul, gave the gospel several names .... but it is all the SAME GOSPEL. He called it the gospel of the grace of God:

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

It is important to see that the gospel Paul preached (Gal 1:11) WAS WRITTEN in the scriptures of the prophets. In the epistle to the Romans, ‘the gospel’ was called by 4 names. ‘The gospel’ was called the gospel of GOD (also see Rom 15:16 and 1 Peter 4:17):

Rom 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

‘The gospel’ was called the gospel of His Son:

Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

‘The gospel’ was called the gospel of Christ (also Rom 15:19 and 29):

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

‘The gospel’ was called the gospel of peace (also Eph 6:15):

Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

It is the GOSPEL we are to defend. When false brethren went in privily to spy out the liberty the churches of Galatia had in Christ, Paul put a stop to it (Gal 2:4-5). They were trying to pull them back under the old covenant law rather than enjoy their new testament grace:

Gal 1:6-7 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

We ought not PERVERT the gospel.
I hope you are careful to say what you mean .... and mean what you say.

This is David Dowell, saying, “Think about it!”

The Son of Man Will Come With Clouds in His Day

2010-09-24T23:34:00.003-04:00
The Cunning Royal Jester and his Jokers make a DIFFERENT coming out of the coming of the Lord that PAUL wrote about .... from the coming of the Lord that all the rest of the writers of scripture wrote about. They do that, not because the verses indicate to do so, but to protect a paradigm they call ‘the pre-tribulation rapture’.

The Old Testament writers taught that the Lord will come with clouds.

Daniel had visions that the Son of Man will come in the clouds of heaven to establish His kingdom:

Dan 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

The day of the Lord will be a day of clouds:

Joel 2:1-2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

The day of the Lord will be a day of clouds, and also a day of wrath:

Zep 1:14-15 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

The New Testament writers taught the same thing.

When the Son of Man comes, He will come with the clouds of heaven:

Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds [nephele] of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus told the high priest that even unbelievers would see His coming in the clouds:

Matt 26:62-66 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds [nephele] of heaven.
65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

Paul also taught that the Lord will return from heaven in the clouds:

1 Thess 4:16-17 For 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:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds [nephele], to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

John testified that at the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1), Jesus will come with clouds, and everyone will see Him. It will NOT be a ‘secret, mystery’ coming for ONLY those saints who have trusted Christ through Paul’s ministry .... that no one else will notice:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds [nephele]; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

‘Mid-Acts’ preachers teach that ‘the Jesus’ that appeared to Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus was the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ .... and that He was ‘ANOTHER Jesus’ from ‘the EARTHLY Jesus’. (This could specifically be heard on a recorded message entitled ‘Timing Is Everything’ by the 'IL associate teaching elder' earlier this year. That particular message may, however, since have been removed. It was preached shortly after my message on the context of 2 Tim 2:15 having to do with getting the resurrection in the wrong place and overthrowing people's faith.)

In Acts 1, after Jesus was risen and glorified, He went back to heaven.

Notice that the scripture specifically says He is the SAME Jesus:

Acts 1:10-11 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

How did Jesus go into heaven? He was taken up into heaven with clouds. (FYI, in the Greek, the singular ‘a cloud’ and the plural ‘clouds’ is the very same word.):

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud [nephele] received him out of their sight.

The day the Lord comes back from heaven in the clouds .... will be HIS day.
Paul taught that when the Lord comes, in HIS day, there will be BOTH the judgment of the wicked and the glorification of the just ....in the SAME day (in the SAME sentence):

2 Thess 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Whether you call it the day of the Lord, He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether you call it the day of Jesus, He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether you call it the day of Christ, He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, along with the other Biblical writers, all teach that the Lord will come in clouds. ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are wrong to DIVIDE Christ or His day.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Only ONE

2010-09-21T05:42:00.002-04:00
In the name of ‘rightly-dividing the word of truth’ .... ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach that the ‘earthly Jesus’ was ‘another Jesus’ .... a ‘different Jesus’ from the ‘risen, glorified Lord’ Who appeared to Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus. But that is WRONG-DIVISION:

1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him;
and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Christ is not divided:

1 Cor 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

The KJV scripture verses would "put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" .... but not so for the ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ who are KJV in name only -- not in practice (see 1 Tim 3:1):

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

What Would It Take to Shut You Up .... Or Are You Even Talking?

2010-09-17T00:48:00.002-04:00
There are some things we ought to ‘open up’ about! Paul requested the saints at Ephesus to pray for him to ‘speak out’ the mystery revelation God gave him. He was already imprisoned for it .... but he still did not want to cease and desist, even in jail:

Eph 6:18-20 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Many of us quit defending every word of God in the KJV or we stop talking about sound doctrine, if we just suspect others are whispering about us. At even the slightest hint we may be ruffling some feathers, how quickly we drop the sword of the Spirit and retreat! But not so with Paul. He and Silas may have been 'disturbing the peace' .... but they were preaching peace:

Acts 16:19-25 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Being cheerful during great distress and persecution (bodily harm) is certainly noble, and entirely possible, when walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. In the context of writing about a bishop’s responsibility, Paul described some folks that should keep their mouths closed:

Titus 1:9-11 (vs. 7, "A bishop must be" ....) Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Paul told ‘who’ needs to shut up. It is certainly not the bishops!

What does it take to shut you up? Or are you even talking?

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

1+1=1

2010-09-09T23:43:00.009-04:00
In Paul's first epistle to the saints at Corinth, he (by inspiration of God) continually scolded them for arguing over which minister brought them to the Lord. He expressed the UNITY of the body of Christ .... regardless of who the minister was that led them to faith in Christ:

1 Cor 1:10-13 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith,
I am of Paul; (Today, these are the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ .... ‘Paul followers’. They believe that people are only saved by what-they-call "Paul’s gospel" .... which they see as a DIFFERENT, UNIQUE gospel, from the gospel message by EVERY OTHER preacher in the Bible, including John the Baptist, JESUS Himself, and ANY of the apostles and prophets.)
and I of Apollos; (‘Mid-Acts-ers’ say he was in "Israel’s program" because at first, he knew only the water baptism of John - Acts 18:24-25. They do not allow for any believer that would be ‘of Apollos’ to be in what-they-call the ‘body of Christ’. They nicknamed one of their own Apollos, because they think he is "an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures" .... but they exclude any saints who would follow Apollos’ teaching as "not being in the body of Christ".)
and I of Cephas; (‘Mid-Acts-ers’ claim Peter preached ‘another gospel’ from the gospel PAUL preached. If that were REALLY the case, then Peter would be accursed, according to Gal 1:9)
and I of Christ. (‘Mid-Acts-ers’ won’t even classify a follower ‘of Christ’ to be in the ‘body of Christ’. That, in itself, is very weird. ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ look down on anyone, call them ugly names, and say they don’t understand the scriptures (rightly-divided) who claims to follow Jesus. They think anyone who says they are ‘of Christ’ .... is following ‘another Jesus’ .... Jesus in His ‘earthly ministry’ .... who they also think preached ‘another gospel’ .... being, the gospel of the kingdom .... in what-they-call "Israel’s program".)
13 Is Christ divided? (No, He is not, and neither should His body be.)
was Paul crucified for you?
or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

The saints at Corinth were arguing about which minister brought them to faith in Christ. GOD’s answer was that it did not matter. The carnal ‘mid-Acts-ers’ need to get that. The example is given over Paul and Apollos. Paul was one minister, Apollos was one minister .... yet 1 + 1 = 1 .... Paul and Apollos are ONE:

1 Cor 3:3-8 For ye are yet carnal:
for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions,
are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith,
I am of Paul;
and another, I am of Apollos;
are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul,
and who is Apollos,
but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted,
Apollos watered;
but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing,
neither he that watereth; (Which minister is irrelevant)
but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: (Do you believe God? Paul -- who 'mid-Acts-ers' think started a NEW program called the 'body of Christ -- and Apollos -- who 'mid-Acts-ers' say was in 'Israel's program' -- ARE ONE! They are 'all' in ONE BODY!)
and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

In the same letter, for yet a third time .... Paul, by inspiration of God, showed that it did not matter WHO preached the gospel of Jesus Christ .... the point was, they believed it! We will see this in 1 Cor 15:1-11.

Paul plainly expressed the gospel he preached was that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the 3rd day. He testified that THIS gospel was already written in the scriptures:

1 Cor 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Then Paul named many others who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1 Cor 15:5-7 And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James;
then of all the apostles.

Then Paul named himself also .... to be included in the group:

1 Cor 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Paul felt unworthy, and he worked harder than anyone else to make up for wasting God’s church in time past (also see Gal 1:13). He was thankful for the grace of God:

1 Cor 15:9-10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Then Paul showed that it did not matter WHICH preacher gave the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection .... whether it was PAUL .... or ANY of the rest of the men he mentioned .... the Corinthians believed the gospel that they preached:

1 Cor 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they,
so we preach, and so ye believed.

A few chapters earlier, Paul taught them that they were ALL one:

1 Cor 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Whether Paul’s disciples, or Apollos’ disciples, or Peter’s disciples, or Christ’s disciples, or the 12's disciples, or James' disciples, or all of the apostles’ disciples, or more than 500 other brothers' disciples .... it did not matter .... because they were ALL ONE in the body of Christ!

1 Cor 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

One Greek Word, Aphesis

2010-09-04T02:46:00.004-04:00
The Greek word [aphesis] is written 17 times in the scriptures.
It is translated:
remission - 9 times
forgiveness - 6 times
deliverance - 1 time
liberty - 1 time.

[Aphesis] is a release from bondage or imprisonment, forgiveness or pardon, remission of the penalty. It is linked with repentance, and with Jesus, and with His blood.

In the synagogue at Nazareth, when Jesus read the prophecy written by Isaiah, it showed remission and forgiveness of sins .... through HIM:

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance [aphesis] to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty [aphesis] them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus indicated to the audience that HE was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, and that they were eye-witnesses of it:

Luke 4:20-21 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

When Jesus ate the Passover Supper (Luke 22:15) with His disciples, He taught them that HIS blood would be the atonement for their sins .... as the blood of the NEW testament:

Matt 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission [aphesis] of sins.

After Jesus’ sacrificial death as the Lamb of God (John 1:29,36), and after He rose again from the dead .... He appeared to His disciples, and encouraged them to start at Jerusalem, as home base, and spread the gospel of His death and resurrection EVERYWHERE. They were eye-witnesses of His death and resurrection, as well as the expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1) to the Gentiles:

Luke 24:46-48 And said unto them, Thus it is written,
and thus it behoved Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission [aphesis] of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Peter preached to Jews that had gathered in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5). Israel needed to ‘change their mind’ (repent) about Who Jesus truly was, and accept Him as their Christ (John 1:11,12):

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [aphesis] of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Again Peter preached the death and resurrection of Jesus. He also presented the glorification of Christ. Israel could repent and be forgiven of their sins, when they placed their faith in Jesus Christ:

Acts 5:30-32 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness [aphesis] of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

When Peter offered forgiveness through Jesus Christ, he also included the Gentiles. Peter said that ALL the prophets prophesied of Him:

Acts 10:42-45 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission [aphesis] of sins.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Paul (Acts 13:16) was talking about how the people that lived at Jerusalem and their rulers fulfilled prophecy by demanding the death of Christ. Paul was a witness of the Lord’s resurrection. He, too, extended the gospel of Jesus Christ, with remission / forgiveness under the NEW testament, to everyone for justification that was not available under Moses’ OLD testament:

Acts 13:37-39 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness [aphesis] of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Paul warned his listeners of prophecies (Isa 29:14, Hab 1:5) that would come upon them, if they didn’t believe on Jesus Christ:

Acts 13:40-41 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

When Jesus commissioned Saul on the Damascus Road, He informed him to preach to the Gentiles, so they also could be forgiven:

Acts 26:15-18 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. (the SAME Jesus, not 'another Jesus')
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness [aphesis] of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Paul’s epistles show forgiveness / remission .... in Christ’s blood, the blood of the NEW testament (2 Cor 3:6) of which we are able ministers:

Eph 1:7 In whom (the Beloved) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness [aphesis] of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Col 1:14 In whom (the Father’s Dear Son) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness [aphesis] of sins:

God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Jesus the Son. Jesus’ blood paid for all the sins that were being ‘held’ for payment under the OLD testament. The animal sacrifices were only temporary, until the Better Sacrifice came:

Rom 3:24-26 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission [paresis] of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

God applied the blood of Jesus back over the OLD testament sin, because the required animal sacrifices, could never cleanse from sin:

Heb 9:15-22 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood;
and without shedding of blood is no remission [aphesis].

In the OLD testament, God required animal sacrifices. They ‘held back’ God’s judgment against sin, but animal blood could never offer complete release:

Heb 10:2-4 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Only One, Jesus’ blood, can bring remission / forgiveness for sins:

Heb 10:14-18 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission [aphesis] of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ divide between remission and forgiveness .... even though one Greek word [aphesis] is translated both ways.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

Record Harmony?

2010-08-27T03:46:00.009-04:00
During Sunday Evening Story-Time on July 25, 2010, with the ‘teaching elder’ of Illinois (AKA the Cunning Royal Jester), in his continual struggle to divide the second coming of Jesus Christ into 2 great installments .... he proposed that ‘the events are similar, but the distinctions don’t match.’ He acclaimed people who ‘understand the distinctive ministry of Paul’. He was attempting to separate THE appearing of Jesus Christ .... by saying that Paul wrote of a DIFFERENT coming .... than the 4 gospels record. To test the validity of the ‘teaching elder’s supposition, let’s begin among Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

1. Matthew and Mark say He will come ‘in’ the ‘clouds’ (plural) .... but the Greek words that were translated ‘in’ are different.

2. John wrote He will come ‘with’ ‘clouds’. So would the IL ‘teaching elder’ make a distinction here? Will His coming ‘in’ clouds be different than His coming ‘with’ clouds?

3. Luke records that He will come ‘in’ ‘a cloud’ (singular). Does the IL ‘teaching elder’ think His coming in plural clouds is different than His coming in a single cloud?

Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son of man coming in [epi] the clouds [nephele] of heaven with power and great glory.

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with [meta] clouds [nephele];
and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in [en] the clouds [nephele] with great power and glory.

Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in [en] a cloud [nephele] with power and great glory.

Oh, the IL ‘teaching elder’ says THESE ‘distinctions that don’t match’ are all talking about the SAME event. But when PAUL shows Jesus will come from heaven, and the dead and alive are taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord .... then the IL ‘teaching elder’ teaches that 'that coming' (he calls the 'rapture') is an entirely different coming, more than 7 years BEFORE the coming recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What extreme denial .... to protect his paradigm!

1 Thess 4:16-17 For 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:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in [en] the clouds [nephele], to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Now, let’s consider more verse abuse from the IL ‘teaching elder’.

Matthew and Mark both say His angels will be sent to gather together His elect from the four winds. However, Matthew says it will be from one end of HEAVEN to the other .... but Mark says it will be from the end of the EARTH to the farthest bounds of HEAVEN. So would the IL ‘teaching elder’ create 2 separate gatherings here .... one from heaven to heaven, and the other from earth to heaven? Oh no, he would say THIS ‘distinction that doesn’t match’ are is talking about the SAME event.

Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

But when PAUL wrote about the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him .... the IL ‘teaching elder’ makes THIS a different coming and a different gathering of a different group of elect.

The IL ‘teaching elder’ also makes a point to say that in Matthew and Mark, it is the ANGELS that gather together the elect .... whereas, in Paul's writings, he says that the LORD Himself will give His personal attention and He does the gathering. But he is wrong, because NEITHER of the VERSES in Paul's writings say WHO will do the gathering:

2 Thess 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

1 Thess 4:16-17 For 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:
17 Then 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.

Next, we read about the sound of a trumpet at the Lord’s coming.

Matthew wrote about it and so did Paul. But the IL ‘teaching elder’ says Matthew’s trumpet is an angel’s trumpet, not God’s. Well, the angel is God’s angel, and the trumpet is God’s trumpet. Just like the IL ‘teaching elder’ teaches that Moses’ law (Heb 10:28), the law of Moses (Acts 28:28 and 21 other times) .... is actually God’s law, the law of God. But the IL ‘teaching elder’ is not even consistent with his own principles, when he then says, Paul’s trumpet is God’s trumpet, not an angel’s trumpet:

Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels
with [meta] a great [megas] sound [phone] of a trumpet [salpigx],
and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [en] the last [eschatos] trump [salpigx]: for [gar] the trumpet shall sound [salpizo], and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

In the previous verse, the Greek word [en] was translated ‘at’ .... and in the next verse, the same Greek word [en] was translated ‘with’. Do you think the IL ‘teaching elder’ would consider THIS ‘distinction that doesn’t match’ important enough to make 2 different trumps of it? Well, he doesn’t. But he does make 1 instrument sounding 2 times, so he can have a last trump (albeit, invented) and not have to take the last trump in the scripture, in Revelation, because the time of its sound does not fit his paradigm:

1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with [en] the trump [salpigx] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Since the Cunning Royal Jester has changed from years of teaching 3 toots to currently teaching just 2 toots, his Jokers are following suit.

When the 7th angel sounds the 7th (last) trumpet, God’s kingdom will come:

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

When the 7th angel sounds the 7th (last) trumpet, the mystery of God (also see Col 2:2, Eph 3:3-9, Col 4:3) will be over:

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice [phone] of the seventh angel, when he shall begin [mello] to sound [salpizo], the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

There is also the issue about both the dead and the alive.
Jesus taught His disciples that not everyone will be dead when He comes:
Luke 9:26-27 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

But when PAUL wrote that not all believers will be dead .... that some will still be alive, when the Lord comes .... the IL ‘teaching elder’ says THIS was previously UNKNOWN information:

1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In 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.

My point is, that God REVEALED His secrets to the prophets (which includes Saul/Paul in Acts 13:1) .... and they harmonized His revelation to His righteous saints that fear Him:

Psa 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Prov 3:32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Dan 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Matthew wrote that Jesus said He will judge in His kingdom when He comes:

Matt 16:27-28 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Matt 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him,
then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Yet when PAUL wrote of the judgment of the Lord of both the alive and the dead .... at His coming and His kingdom (even in the one sentence) .... the IL ‘teaching elder’ takes a quantum leap by dividing ‘Paul from Paul’ when he teaches that Christ’s appearing will be a ‘pre-tribulation rapture’ (the 1st great installment?!) that will occur more than 7 years prior to the Lord’s 2nd coming (for Israel) when He will establish His kingdom on earth:

2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

John also described the Lord’s coming in judgment and vengence:

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

When PAUL recorded prophecy about the Lord’s coming in judgment to make war against His enemies and be glorified and admired in His elect .... both "in that day" .... AND 'with His angels' (like Matt 25:31) .... the IL ‘teaching elder’ splits apart this ‘distinction that doesn’t match’, too:

2 Thess 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints,
and to be admired in all them that believe
(because our testimony among you was believed)
in that day.

The IL ‘teaching elder’ said ‘The 2nd coming was a man-made term’.
Hmmmm .... maybe it could be ‘the 2nd appearing’ instead?

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Are you one of them who looks for the Lord’s appearing? Looking for it does not necessitate that it is imminent, any day now .... but that you have a stedfast hope, knowing He will come:

Phil 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Peter also wrote about looking for the day of the Lord to come (2 Pet 3:12-14).

Many times I have heard the IL ‘teaching elder’ preach, "Things that are different are not the same!" He uses that whenever HE wants to, then whenever he doesn’t want to use it, he flips it and goes the other way, to say that all the records don’t have the same information about the same event, but they give different facts.

Later in his message, as the IL ‘teaching elder’ attempted to link several passages, with different information, about the same event. There he did an ‘about-face’ and said the scripture ‘sort-of sprinkles stuff through .... a little information here and there’. What double-talk!

I have documented 83 times where at least 2 of the 4 gospel accounts record the same events, without the exact same details, but God’s records are in complete harmony. The IL ‘teaching elder’ teaches that the coming, appearing, trumpet, gathering, judgment, kingdom, last days, grace, mystery, revelation, etc. of which PAUL wrote .... were all separate things from the same things that anyone ‘outside of Paul’ wrote.

With all this evidence in scripture that proves the IL 'teaching elder' is wrong, no wonder he threw his arms and hands up in the air during this past Sunday evening's message, and bewailed, "So what if I'm wrong?"

1 Cor 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

I would rather be prepared. How about you?

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

Wait a Minute .... or Wait 2,000 + Years?

2010-08-23T00:44:00.007-04:00
John the Baptist preached the kingdom was near:

Matt 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus Himself preached the kingdom was nigh:

Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus commissioned His disciples as the 12 apostles (Matt 10:1-2) and sent them out with the message of the kingdom being close:

Matt 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The phrase "at hand" from the Greek word [eggizo] means ‘to bring near, to join one thing to another, to draw or come near to, to approach’.

The Greek word [eggizo] is used 43 times. It was translated ‘draw nigh’ 12 times, ‘be at hand’ 9 times, ‘come nigh’ 8 times, ‘come near’ 5 times, ‘draw near’ 4 times, and miscellaneous 5 times.

Obviously, the ‘birth’ Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about was a ‘spiritual birth’ .... and the ‘kingdom’ one would ‘see’ (know, perceive, behold, look) was a ‘spiritual kingdom’:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus taught that the kingdom could not be seen with physical eyes:

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!
for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

In fulfillment of prophecy (Zech 9:9), Jesus was celebrated as Israel’s King:

John 12:12-13 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

In the judgment hall, Pilate asked Jesus what He had done that the chief priests of His own nation had delivered Him to him. He was accused of being a political king .... but He wasn’t:

John 18:33-36 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world:
if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jesus was also charged with being a threat to Caesar’s throne .... but He wasn’t:

John 19:12-15 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Before He was crucified, Jesus already indicated that His kingdom was there:

Matt 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God
is come [phthano] unto you.

The Greek word [phthano] means ‘to come before, precede, anticipate’. Just to show you how that Greek word [phthano] is also used .... examine this next verse:

1 Thess 4:15 For 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 [phthano] not prevent [phthano] them which are asleep.

God raised Jesus from the dead, and gave Him all authority. For now, His kingdom rule is not over a physical territory, but over men’s hearts:

Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Many verses contain evidence that the fulfillment of the Messianic Psalms 2 and 110 prophecies began with the resurrection, ascension, and heavenly seating of Jesus as King (Acts 2:29-36, 4:25-28, 8:12, 13:32-33; Heb 5:5; Rev 2:26-27).

Jesus said the kingdom belonged to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:

Matt 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Paul and Barnabus encouraged the churches as they entered the kingdom:

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Ask yourself, do you believe God's word? The Acts of the Apostles is part of the Holy Bible. Paul preached the kingdom of God about Jesus, from Moses and the prophets:

Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him (Paul) a day, there came many to him (Paul) into his lodging; to whom he (Paul) expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him (Paul),
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

There is nothing about God having 'different kingdoms' .... or that says Paul preached a 'different kingdom of God' than everyone else.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

1 Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

Col 1:12-13 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1 Thess 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

If God had ‘postponed’ the kingdom, as ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach ....
then, from reading these verses, He obviously did not inform Paul of its delay.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

A Tangled Web

2010-08-13T01:55:00.003-04:00
I wanted to share a reply from a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher to this question I sent to several people:

"Where in scripture do we find the last trump spoken of in 1 Cor 15:52, so we can get a time for its sound?"

1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In 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.

In response to the question, I had a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher write to me about 1 Cor 15:23, and say that, "The coming of the Lord here at the end of the 70th week of Daniel is not well received by the nations. No problem, as He will deal with them in wrath." I could say that I agree with that. I believe that the Lord will come at the end of the 70th week of Daniel.

The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher also said that, "The last trump of 1 Cor 15:52 is spoken of in 1 Thess 4:16-17. The time of its sound is 1 Cor 15:23 "they that are Christ’s at his coming" This is where 1 Thess 4:16-17 occurs." Hey, I agree with that, too .... but as we go on, you will see that the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher does not agree with himself. He double-talks!

Now let’s read the passage:

1 Cor 15:23-28 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end,
when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

He also wrote, "It’s my position that the series of trumps in the book of Revelation do not occur in the dispensation of grace. They are part of the Prophetic Program John records in the book of Revelation." I do not agree with that. Here is where he begins to tie himself in a knot.

He wrote, "1 Cor 15:52 does not refer to the 1st resurrection of the dead (at the beginning of the 1000 years) nor the 2nd resurrection of the dead (after the 1000 years are finished). 1 Cor 15:52 pertains to the resurrection in 1 Thess 4:16-17. This resurrection ends the dispensation of grace." Right there he just ‘invented another resurrection’ .... ‘a different resurrection’ .... to end the dispensation of grace .... that he does not count .... that he says comes BEFORE the 1st resurrection.

He wrote, "The resurrection of when they reign with Christ in the 1000 years occurs at the end of 1 Cor 15:24. This is the resurrection of Rev 20:5 referred to as the 1st resurrection. It is the first one in the time frame covered (the 70th week of Daniel) - it occurs at the end of the 70th week."

He wrote, "Paul covers the order of the resurrection for us, the body of Christ, in 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:16-17, and 1 Cor 15:52. This resurrection ends the dispensation of grace and then God will resume the prophetic program."

He wrote of 1 Cor 15:23, "they that are Christ’s at his coming" (See Thess 4:16-17 and 1 Cor 15:52, which ends the dispensation of grace and triggers God’s resumption of His Prophetic Program.)

1 Cor 15:23-24 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher thinks ‘this coming’ is a ‘non-counted’ resurrection at the ‘rapture’ that ends the dispensation of grace. Then AFTER ‘this secret coming’ .... he inserts ‘7 plus’ years .... for what-’mid-Acts-ers’-call a ‘prophesied GAP’ of ? number of years, PLUS the 70th week of Daniel’s 7 years. THEN .... AFTER THAT, he says it will be the end .... and AFTER 'THE END' .... there will be a totally DIFFERENT resurrection (even though the VERSE does not mention one) at the END of verse 24:
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (Here he puts the ‘first’ resurrection of Rev 20:5)

Of 1 Cor 15:24, he wrote, "Note this is the time frame for Rev 19:19 through Rev 20:5 and the first resurrection. The book of Revelation pertains to the 70th week of Daniel and occurs after the end of the dispensation of grace."

I quoted the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher’s exact words, because I printed his e-mail. Now, in the words of Sir Walter Scott, I quote,
"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive."

2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Whether ‘mid-Acts’ preachers are deceiving people knowingly (realizing how irrational and unsupported their ridiculous claims are) or unknowingly (they themselves are deceived) .... either way .... they are teaching deception!

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

Look It Up and Looking Up

2010-08-06T00:03:00.002-04:00
According to a prominent dictionary’s definition,
the transitive verb ‘scoop’ primarily means ‘to take up or out’,
and in the same dictionary, the word ‘rapture’ as a noun, in its third meaning, rare except in theological use, means ‘a carrying away in body or spirit’.

The use of ‘scoop’ in a sentence stated, "Quickly, the man scooped a handful of water from the river."

Thus one could correctly express that Elijah was scooped up into heaven in a chariot of fire:

2 Kings 2:9-11 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

The dictionary describes a ‘scoop’ also being a ladle. It can bail or pull out.

The dictionary says a ‘scoop’ can dig or excavate.
Maybe, like graves opening?

Ezek 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

Maybe before one puts their own self in a quagmire (a difficult or precarious situation; a predicament) by mocking word usage and expression of others .... it would be a good idea to research! Whoever said a person didn’t study .... well, if the chide worked, why knock it?

This week I heard a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher bring up the fact that he had an ‘office’, but he avoided using the word ‘bishop’ (which I know he did use in the past). However, I couldn’t help but wonder if the recent conference affected his desire to do ‘a good work’ (as a ‘bishop’) so he could fit in with all the ‘brothers’ (as they were all introduced to the pulpit) and be accepted with his buddies, who CLAIM to be KJV while using the word ‘pastor’ of The Living Bible for their title.

Many statements that ‘mid-Acts-ers’ make are not scripturally accurate.

For example, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ say: Paul was the first member of the body of Christ .... because he said, ‘In me first’.

But the VERSE says nothing about the body of Christ or being the first member of any church:
1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ say: Saul could have/would have been the Anti-Christ .... and was probably just as bad as Anti-Christ.

But the VERSE makes no mention of any connection between Anti-Christ and Saul:
1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ say: Timothy had faith in the message given to him by Paul .... but Lois and Eunice had faith in Israel’s program.

But the VERSE says the faith that Timothy’s mom and granny first had, was also in him:
2 Tim 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ act like Jesus shouldn’t stand up from His throne until He makes His enemies His footstool .... to be in accordance with ‘Israel’s prophecy program’ they have assigned .... even though Stephen looked up and saw Jesus standing when he was welcomed into His presence. Can the LORD not STAND when He wants to stand .... or does He have to STAY SEATED on His throne for 2,000 plus years, until He STANDS to pour out His wrath?

Acts 7:55-56 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Speaking of looking up .... when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, Jesus instructed the saints to look up to see Him coming in a cloud, bringing their redemption:

Luke 21:24-28 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Also speaking of looking up .... Paul showed believers looking up to heaven to see the coming of the Lord .... which, in Eph 4:30, he called "the day of redemption" .... and in Rom 8:23, he said we are "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body":

Phil 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Paul presented our looking up again at the appearing of the Son of Man in glory .... just as Jesus told His disciples:

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Peter also described looking for God’s day:

2 Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Jude wrote about looking for eternal life that Christ will bring:

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

My advice is to look it up to make sure you know what words you’re talking about and to prevent ‘mid-Acts-ers’ from wresting verses on you, and keep looking up to the Saviour in heaven Who will bring redemption!

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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In Me First?

2010-07-30T00:04:00.005-04:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ go to this one verse (1 Tim 1:16) as a ‘proof-text’ that Paul was the first member of a ‘new’ church .... that BEGAN with HIM .... called ‘the church, the body of Christ’. However, there is no mention of a church in the context .... not a NEW church, not a PAULINE church, not a body of Christ church, not ANY church:

1 Tim 1:12-17 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious:
but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief (Greek [protos]).
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy,
that in me first (Greek [protos])
Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering,
for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
17 Now unto the King (NOTICE: Paul called Jesus ‘King’ .... which I have NEVER heard any ‘mid-Acts-er’ do. They make all references to Jesus being King as King of the JEWS, not us.) eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

POINT # 1: In verse 16, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach that Paul was the FIRST person to be saved into a DIFFERENT church. But the same Greek word [protos] translated ‘first’ in verse 16, is translated ‘chief’ in verse 15. If the same ‘mid-Acts’ formula was used in verse 15 (like they use in verse 16), they would have to say that Paul was the FIRST sinner.

POINT # 2: Paul said he was the chief of sinners .... NOT because of "the works of the flesh" as in Gal 5:19-21, since "as touching the law" he was "a Pharisee" and as "touching the righteousness which is in the law" he was "blameless" (Phil 3:4-6). Paul was the ‘main’ sinner .... because he was the ‘main/principal’ opponent of the church (also see 1 Cor 15:9, Gal 1:13).

POINT # 3: A insightful key in 1 Tim 1:12-17, can also be seen by the repetitive words, "I obtained mercy," (1 Tim 1:13,16). Paul also applied the issue of ‘obtaining mercy’ to the Gentiles because of Israel’s unbelief (vs. 30) .... then he spread it back on Israel (vs. 31) .... and then over all without distinction (vs. 32):

Rom 11:30-32 For as ye in times past have not believed God,
yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed,
that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,
that he might have mercy upon all.

Peter likewise referred to the same old testament prophecy as Paul did and Peter used much of the same language as Paul did:

1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; (also see Titus 2:14) that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness (also see Col 1:13) into his marvellous light: (also see Phil 2:15)
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: (also see Hosea 1:10, 2 Cor 6:15) which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

POINT # 4: Another important topic in 1 Tim 1:12-17, is that Jesus Christ showed all longsuffering (1 Tim 1:16) to the ‘chief/first’ of sinners. Paul expressed the same principle in Romans:

Rom 9:22-26 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known,
endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy,
which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only,
but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, (Paul quoting the old testament, and applying it to the Gentiles also) I will call them my people, which were not my people;
and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people;
there shall they be called the children of the living God.

POINT # 5: The Greek word translated ‘pattern’ (1 Tim 1:16) is also translated ‘form’ in 2 Tim 1:13. It is an outline, a sketch, a summary exposition, an example that the same grace and mercy Paul was given, would not be wanting to others who would believe. ‘Jesus showing longsuffering’ was the pattern .... not Paul. He was just the recipient of it:

1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy,
that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering,
for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

There are several doctrines taught in 1 Tim 1:12-17, but ‘Paul being the first member of a new church’ is certainly not one of them.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

The ‘Old-Time Religion’?

2010-07-25T00:26:00.042-04:00
Religion, in the Biblical sense, is defined as the Jewish faith and worship. It is also known as Judaism. Saul was well known for his zeal. Before he came to his own personal faith in Christ, he thought people who followed Jesus should be stamped out. He actively chased them down:

Acts 9:1-2 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Paul addressed the message of salvation, not only to Israel, but to anyone else that feared God:

Acts 13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

People who followed ‘the old time religion’ needed to move to faith in Christ:

Acts 13:42-47 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up,
many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas:
who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Those who didn’t believe on Christ felt contentious rivalry:
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you (Jews): but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
God charged Paul and Barnabas with an old testament quote from Isa 49:6:
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

After Saul/Paul’s conversion, the Jews hunted him with intent to kill him because they thought he was preaching against their OLD testament religion:

Acts 21:27-31 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

When Paul was allowed to defend himself before them, and they heard him speak in the Hebrew tongue, they got silent and listened:

Acts 22:3-5 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Paul told king Agrippa that he observed the strictest, most precise precepts of the Mosiac laws and traditions:

Acts 26:2-5 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

Jesus indicated that those who felt righteous needed to see themselves as sinners, and not trust in their heritage (John 8:33,37,39):

Luke 5:29-32 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus gave an example of a Pharisee and a publican. Pharisees recognized a standard of belief and life in oral tradition, who sought for distinction and praise by outward observance of external rites and forms of piety, such as ceremonial washings, fastings, public prayers, and alms giving. They were a faction of a larger group and possessed great influence with the common people. Publicans were tax collectors, ill-regarded of the Jews:

Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Paul was also a Pharisee .... who had been confident in his flesh:

Phil 3:4-7 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But he had to repent (change his mind) about those things and trust Christ:
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

When Saul was on the warpath against believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, he even chased them when they fled his persecution:

Acts 26:9-11 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ('Mid-Acts-ers' make that 'another Jesus'.)
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when
they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Paul did not sugar-coat his personal history. He acknowledged what he had done against the disciples of the Lord. When he was a part of the Jew’s religion, he excelled more than anyone else, like we would think of a valedictorian at the very top of his class:

Gal 1:13-14 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

Even ‘mid-Acts-ers’ acknowledge, that God gave only one religion, which was for the Jews. However, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ make a point to say that they (the 'mid-Acts-ers') "are not religious" .... as if religion was some awful thing. The Jews’ religion was their OLD testament, which was good:

Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

The law is spiritual (Rom 7:14), and we become dead to it when we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 7:4). The law does not 'cease' from being good; it is just that the believer is no longer under it (Rom 6:14):

1 Tim 1:8-11 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11 According to the glorious gospel [euaggelion] of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

When announcing the birth of Christ, the angel of the Lord told the shepherds that the joyous gospel would be for everyone:

Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings [euaggelizo] of great joy, which shall be to all people. (not just the Jews)
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

The ‘old time religion’ was to show men their sinfulness, until Christ came, Who is the end of the law to every one that believeth (Rom 10:4):

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed (that is, Christ, in Gal 3:16) should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The law pointed the way to faith in Christ:

Gal 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (just like Abraham our father, Rom 4:11,16)
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Now that Christ has come and taken away the law for the believer (Col 2:14) .... we serve God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Rom 7:6).
The ‘old time religion’ has been changed into ‘the new time religion’ which is pure and, before God, undefiled. We are able ministers of the new testament (2 Cor 3:6) because of Christ's blood (1 Cor 11:25, Heb 9:15). We have the inheritance now (Gal 3:29):

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction (also 1 Tim 5:3), and to keep himself unspotted from the world (also Eph 5:27, 1 Tim 6:14, 2 Pet 3:14).

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ don’t want to be religious? Frankly, I’m not surprised.
When I observed the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ haughtiness toward what-GOD-called ‘a good work’ .... that is, ‘the office of a bishop’ (1 Tim 3:1) .... the title of the very ministers they claim to be .... written by God through the very apostle they claim is THEIR apostle, whom they claim to follow .... in the very KJV Bible they claim is the final authority, as preserved in the English language .... when I saw that pride excercised against a plain, straight-forward verse of scripture .... it cracked the door and light came in. They substituted The Living Bible’s word ‘pastor’ for the KJV word ‘bishop’. Then I realized they WOULD be unfaithful to God’s word, and though it discouraged me to discover their unfaithfulness, it encouraged me to look closer to see what other verses they may be changing. It saddens me to say that I found many. So very many, in fact, that I am no longer a ‘mid-Acts-er’. My desire is to stand against that, and help others before they fall into that trap. I am a Bible-believing, grace preacher, with no influence from any 'isms' or other theology. All my studies come from the KJV, and the only study tools I use are a dictionary and a lexicon. Do you know what I mean? "Maranatha!" Next Sunday’s message will expose some of their false doctrines, and I will continue to do so in the future.

Those 'mid-Acts' preachers, who claim to be KJV, cannot claim 2 Tim 2:2 with honesty and faithfulness. My desire is to be faithful and to gladly take all of God's word. I am truly KJV.
2 Tim 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
How many times must one cheat on their spouse to be an adulterer? Every time they substitute 'pastor' for 'bishop' they are unfaithful to the KJV. You can read it all over their websites. Substituting 'teaching elder' or 'brother' for the office does not cut it either. They gave sorry excuses, saying they did not want to use 'bishop' because of 'false religions' that use it, and because of demographics - those 'false religions' that are in their local area - and they did not want to be associated with them. The 'mid-Acts-ers' have tried to make this a personal issue of mine instead of a KJV issue, to try to divert attention away from their lack of faithfulness. One of the men they look up to (now saying he is a 'teaching elder') said from the pulpit at the conference in Tennessee, that 'bishop' was correct. Then he said something different when he went back up north, and he even went so far as to say that "the apostles and prophets today .... are your Bible" (from Eph 4:11). I wish the 'mid-Acts-ers' were as faithful with the word 'bishop' as they are with the word 'dispensation' in the KJV 4 times (1 Cor 9:17; Eph 1:10, 3:2; Col 1:25) .... even though the same Greek word [oikonomia] is translated 'stewardship' in the KJV 3 times (Luke 16:2,3,4).

'Mid-Acts-ers' who claim to be KJV are constantly striking at mainline denominations (although I do not agree with their teaching either) .... however, those denominations call themselves SHEEP, unlike 'so-called KJV mid-Acts-ers'. Sheep have pastors/shepherds.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"

What's Mine Is Mine!

2010-07-16T01:52:00.003-04:00
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ make a DIVISION between what-they-call ‘PAUL’s gospel’ .... and ‘any other’ gospel mentioned in the scriptures. They tout the 3 times Paul used the phrase ‘my gospel’ as ‘proof’ that he had a unique revelation from God that was different from all other messages of God’s good news.

Firstly, Paul used the term ‘my gospel’
.... in the context the day of judgment:

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

A few verses earlier (Rom 2:7-15), Paul was more specific about ‘the day’ when God will judge the soul of every man, whether good or evil:

Rom 2:5-6 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

Paul was not the only one who prophesied that God will expose what is hidden on judgment day. Solomon did:

Ecc 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Matthew did (Matt 6:4,6,18). Mark did (Mark 4:22). Luke did:

Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Neither was Paul the only one who prophesied about Jesus Christ being the Judge. John did also:

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Peter (Acts 10:44) also prophesied that God appointed His Son as Judge, as he preached faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, for anyone who believed to be cleansed from their sins:

Acts 10:38-43 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.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness,
that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
　
Secondly, Paul used the term ‘my gospel’
.... in the context of being stablished in Christ:

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

James taught the saints to be stablished, as they wait for Christ’s return:

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Peter also instructed believers to be stablished, as they endure suffering for Christ’s sake:

1 Peter 5:10-11 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ preach that Paul was saying he had distinctive information of salvation, and in order to be saved, a person must trust Christ through Paul’s writings. But the scriptures don’t teach that. In fact, Paul gave a list of men who preached the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection .... just as he did:

1 Cor 15:3-8, 11 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James;
then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
11 Therefore whether it were I (Paul)
or they (Cephas = Peter, the 12, over 500 brothers, James, all the apostles),
so we preach, and so ye believed.

Thirdly, Paul used the term ‘my gospel’
.... in the context of Christ being from David, and of His resurrection:

2 Tim 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

This was not, as 'mid-Acts-ers' contend, part of PAUL's distinctive message. Peter also testified of the same thing at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-28) .... saying that David knew of God’s promise concerning Christ, too (Psa 132:11):

Acts 2:29-32 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; (see Psa 132:11)
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Matthew taught that Jesus Christ was the son of David (Matt 1:1).
John the Baptist’s father Zacharias also related Christ to David (Luke 1:69).
Luke recorded the birth of Christ in the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:4).
Isaiah prophesied of Christ Who would rule on David’s throne (Isa 9:6-7).

Paul scolded the saints at Corinth for DIVIDING because of which preacher led them to faith in Christ .... yet that is an offense where ‘mid-Acts-ers’ excel:

1 Cor 1:10-13 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith,
I am of Paul;
and I of Apollos;
and I of Cephas;
and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Though Apollos only knew the water baptism of John, Aquila and Priscilla expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. Then he helped those that had believed through grace (also see Acts 15:11), and mightily convinced the Jews publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ (Acts 18:24-28). In Christ, there is ‘no difference’ (Acts 15:9 - Peter said it first; Rom 3:22, Rom 10:12) .... and it makes ‘no difference’ which preacher anyone heard to introduce them to faith in Christ:

1 Cor 3:5-8 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I (Paul) have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth (Paul) and he that watereth (Apollos) are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Clearly, Paul ‘was one’ with Apollos.
They were both ‘one’ in Christ (Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 10:17, Eph 2:16, Col 3:16):

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

There is only ONE faith .... and everyone who is Christ’s is in it:

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, when Paul penned the words ‘my gospel’ .... he wasn’t being selfish, as the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ are on his account. Paul included other preachers, as Apollos and Peter, to show the unity of believers who belong to Christ:

1 Cor 3:21-23 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas (that’s Peter - John 1:42), or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

When Paul used the phrase ‘my gospel’ .... he did not mean he had the only message of salvation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection .... as ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ unashamedly make Paul’s 'my doctrine’ phrase be a DIFFERENT doctrine than other men’s doctrine:

2 Tim 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

With that method of what-they-call ‘rightly dividing’ .... then Jesus had His own separate 'My doctrine’ too:

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ already have 2 Jesus’. They say ‘the earthly Jesus’ is ‘another Jesus’ (2 Cor 11:4) from ‘the risen, glorified Lord’ who spoke to Paul. If they realized that Paul used the phrase ‘my God’ 7 times .... they’re liable to make Paul’s God be a DIFFERENT God than all the other Biblical writers’ God .... just like they do with Paul’s term ‘my gospel’:

Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (also Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4, 14:18; 2 Cor 12:21; Phil 1:3, Phile 1:4)

When Paul used the phrase ‘my gospel’ .... he did not mean he had the only message of salvation through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection .... as ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach.

Paul didn’t have the attitude, ‘what’s mine is mine’.
Neither should anyone teach, ‘what’s Paul’s is Paul’s’ and no one else’s.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Jesus is the Rock of My Foundation

2010-07-08T23:50:00.004-04:00
.... His banner over me is love (Song of Solomon 2:4)

Moses knew that after his death Israel would corrupt themselves and turn aside from the way which he commanded them to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and to provoke Him to anger (Deut 31:27,29). So Moses reminded all the elders of their tribes, and their officers (Deut 31:28-30) that the LORD was their Rock:

Deut 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Israel angered the LORD to jealousy with strange gods (Deut 32:16). They were taught by Moses that ‘the Rock’ brought them forth and formed their nation:

Deut 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

God was provoked and judged them according to their works:

Deut 32:20-21 And he said, I will hide my face from them,
I will see what their end shall be:
for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God;
they have provoked me to anger with their vanities:
and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Israel’s God was not like the strange gods of the heathen:

Deut 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

Since I am no longer a ‘mid-Acts-er’ applying only Paul’s epistles .... now I can enjoy all the Bible .... rather than always saying, "That was just for Israel," when reading OLD testament scriptures:

1 Sam 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

2 Sam 22:2-3 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

Now I can be comforted by passages that praise the Lord. Rather than constantly dividing them away from me, now I sing the old hymn "Constantly Abiding":

2 Sam 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? (also Psa 18:31)

2 Sam 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. (also Psa 18:46)

Now that my ‘mid-Acts’ BARS have been removed, I am free to appreciate verses other than those Paul wrote:

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psa 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Psa 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

The last words of David recounted that God was Israel’s Rock (2 Sam 23:3).
Isaiah prophesied that Israel would stumble and be offended by their Rock:

Isa 8:14-15 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

In the context of the Gentiles attaining the righteousness of faith, and Israel stumbling at their Rock (Rom 9:30-32), Paul used ‘OLD testament’ prophecy to show ‘NEW testament’ fulfillment:

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Isaiah taught this truth. Paul taught it. The Psalmist taught it:

Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

.... and Peter taught it:

1 Peter 2:6-10 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (also see Isa 28:16)
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, (also see Matt 21:42)
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (also see Titus 2:14); that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (also see Acts 26:18, Rom 13:12, Eph 5:8, 1 Thess 5:5):
10 Which in time past were not a people (Eph 2:11-12), but are now the people of God (1 Cor 15: Rom 9:24-26, 2 Cor 6:16): which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (Rom 11:30-32)

Israel stumbled and fell on their Rock. Isaiah said so:

Isa 8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Paul said so, too:

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Paul identified the ‘OLD testament’ Rock personally as Jesus Christ, and told the ‘NEW testament’ church of God which was at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor 1:2) to take a lesson from the church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38):

1 Cor 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:
and that Rock was Christ.
1 Cor 10:6 Now these things were our examples,
to the intent we should not lust after evil things,
as they also lusted.
1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

In the context (Matt 16:13-17), when Jesus asked His disciples about Who they thought He was, Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then He told Peter that He the Christ was the foundation ROCK, the corner stone, of the ‘NEW testament’ church:

Matt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ think they have nothing to do with ‘that’ church. They assign it as being ‘Israel’s prophecy-program church’, even though PAUL wrote that we are ‘able ministers of the new testament’ (2 Cor 3:6).

Peter knew the Rock was the only means of salvation:

Acts 4:11-12 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

In the context (1 Cor 3:10), that Paul laid the foundation, where Christ had not been named (Rom 15:20), Paul assured the saints that Jesus Christ was the ONLY foundation:

1 Cor 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Paul explained that we Gentiles are not shut out anymore, but now we ALL, as saints of God, as the people of God, grow TOGETHER upon the ONE solid foundation, upon the SAME Rock, Jesus Christ, laid by God’s apostles and prophets:

Eph 2:19-21 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Isaiah wrote to Israel of ‘the Rock’ that begat them and of Abraham their father .... but now Christ is also our Rock, and Abraham is also our father (Rom 4:11,16; Gal 3:26,29):

Isa 51:1-3 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you (also see 1 Pet 3:6): for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Unlike the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ .... I am prepared to be there. Are you?

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

The Last Days or The Last Day?

2010-07-01T22:31:00.005-04:00
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ divide nearly everything! Several years ago, as I sat at lunch with a main leader of the ‘grace movement’ (as they call it) .... I mentioned that both Peter and Paul wrote of ‘the last days’. He immediately took charge of that issue, and told me that there were 2 sets of ‘last days’ .... and that Peter’s ‘last days’ were different than Paul’s ‘last days’. He said Peter wrote about ‘the last days’ for Israel’s program, just before the 2nd coming of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom .... and Paul wrote about ‘the last days’ for the body of Christ, just before the rapture of the church and before the tribulation and Daniel’s 70th week. At the time, I nodded my head and smiled. But I had already been wondering WHY ‘we’ always made the same phrases and the same words -- be different things. Privately I had begun to question ‘mid-Acts’ doctrines of 2 appearings, 2 comings, even 2 Jesus’.

Both the prophets Isaiah and Micah wrote almost the exact same words about blessings ‘in the last days’:

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

At Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy about both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ events that will happen ‘in the last days’:

Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in [en] the last [eschatos] days [hemera], saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(FYI: When we reference Joel (Joel 2:28-32), the phrase ‘in the last days’ is the word ‘afterward’.)

Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Paul warned about fierce, troublesome times ahead. If ‘the body of Christ’ was NOT going to be on Planet Earth during ‘the last days’ .... why would God prepare the saints, to whom Paul wrote, for them? He wouldn’t! That’s why the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ invented 2 sets of ‘last days’. They don’t want to ‘endure’ ‘the last days’ .... they don’t ‘want’ to be here then .... so they make 1 set of ‘last days’ for Peter, James, and John (together) .... and they create a completely different set of ‘last days’ for Paul:

2 Tim 3:1 This know also, that in [en] the last [eschatos] days [hemera] perilous times shall come.

This context also shows the persecution of the righteous:

2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

In the very next chapter, the context near ‘the last days’ is the appearing of the Lord to judge and reward in His kingdom .... when He raises the dead and changes the alive (1 Cor 15:50-54):

2 Tim 4:1,8 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at [en] that [ekeinos] day[hemera]: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

James wrote about ‘the last days’, in the context just before the coming of the Lord. His writings also reveal the approaching danger when the wicked will persecute the righteous and put them to death, just as Jesus also prophesied (John 16:2, Matt 10:21, Mark 13:12, Luke 21:16). James’ context is also about the Lord’s judgment when He comes:

James 5:3-10 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for [en] the last [eschatos] days [hemera].

(FYI, notice that the same Greek word [en] which was translated ‘in’ in Paul’s 2 Tim 3:1, was translated ‘for’ in James 5:3.)

4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. (see Jer 12:3)
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Peter wrote about 'the last days', also in the context about the coming of the Lord and His judgment of the wicked, and the bringing of new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet 3:13):

2 Peter 3:3-4,7 Knowing this first, that there shall come in [epi] the last [eschatos] days [hemera] scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Last night I heard a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher make a division between ‘the last day’ (singular) and ‘the last days’ (plural). He said, "The last day has to do with the resurrection and judgment .... but the last days is something else."

Interestingly, the Greek words are the same .... whether ‘day’ is singular or ‘days’ is plural.

John also wrote about ‘the last day’ (singular). It had to do with judgment .... which we already saw about ‘the last days’ (plural) in Joel, by Peter in Acts, by Paul to Timothy, by James, and by Peter in his epistle:

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him
in [en] the last [eschatos] day [hemera].

When John prophesied about ‘the last day’ (singular), it also had to do with resurrection .... which we already saw in the context of ‘the last days’ (plural) by Paul to Timothy.

(FYI, in these next 2 verses, there is not a Greek word for the word ‘at’. It was added and included with the words ‘the last’.)

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:
and I will raise him up at the last [eschatos] day [hemera].

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last [eschatos] day [hemera].

(FYI, in this next verse, the same Greek word [en] that has been translated ‘in’ was translated ‘at’.)

John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again
in the resurrection at [en] the last [eschatos] day [hemera].

‘The last days’ or ‘the last day’ .... of persecution before the Lord returns, and when Christ appears with resurrection and judgment .... the point is, not to think you can divide yourself apart .... but, to be ready, come what may!

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Did the Law End for Good?

2010-06-24T22:13:00.017-04:00
God (through John) made the contrast between Moses and Christ:

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

God (through Paul) made the contrast between Moses and Christ:

Rom 10:4-13 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law,
That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith (also Phil 3:9) speaketh on this wise,
Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?
(that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep?
(that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? (What saith what?
What saith the righteousness which is of faith?
What saith the scripture?
What saith the law of Moses?
It is a quote from the OLD testament - Deut 30:14):
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
(What word of faith do WE preach?
The same word that was near Israel in the OLD testament,
the same word that was in their mouth,
the same word that was in their heart?
THAT IS .... the same word of faith, which WE preach.
PAUL brought that OLD testament word of faith .... into his CURRENT epistle.
We are able ministers of the NEW covenant (2 Cor 3:6), not the OLD one.
We preach Jesus and the resurrection - like Acts 4:2,33, 17:18; 1 Pet 1:3):
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. ('Mid-Acts-ers' won't use this verse for salvation. They say it pertains to ISRAEL, not us. "Well, 'mid-Acts-ers', what about the 'no difference' issue? Does that not apply to salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection? Sure, it does!")
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, (Paul quoting the OLD testament? .... and applying it in the dispensation of grace? Yes!)
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (another OLD testament quote - Joel 2:32)

Did the law end for good?

The OLD covenant of the law could not perfect the saints ....
so Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and kept the law perfectly;
then He died to pay the penalty of sin, bring in the NEW covenant of grace,
and give His perfect righteousness to all who believe:

Rom 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The NEW testament blood of the cross is what brings us close to God (Col 1:20).
The OLD testament law could not do that .... but the NEW testament did .... with its better hope:

Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did;
by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Look how much better .... in so MANY ways .... the NEW covenant is, than the OLD:

The NEW covenant has better things:

Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The NEW covenant is a better testament:

Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety (certainty, guarantee, assurance) of a better testament.

The NEW covenant is a better covenant .... based on better promises:

Heb 8:6 But now (a favorite phrase of the ‘mid-Acts-ers’, except they don’t want any Hebrews’ ‘but now’ .... they only want Paul’s ‘but now’) hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

The NEW covenant has the better sacrifice, Jesus Christ:

Heb 9:23-26 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

The NEW covenant has reserved better goods (wealth, possessions, property) in heaven:

Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

The NEW covenant has a better country .... a better city .... in heaven now (Gal 4:26) .... but will one day come to earth (Rev 21:2-4):

Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (also see John 14:2-3)

The NEW covenant has a better resurrection .... never to die again:
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (also see Rev 2:11, 20:6 and Matt 24:9)

The NEW covenant has a better thing .... being made perfect.
The OLD covenant could not do that (Heb 7:19):

Heb 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The NEW covenant of grace has Jesus Christ in the middle, making peace:

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The OLD testament gave an idea of the better NEW testament, but its continual sacrifices could never remove sins.
So Jesus Christ came and sacrificed Himself (Eph 5:2, Heb 7:27, 9:26) one time, for all time:

Heb 10:1-14 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Since Jesus Christ took away the OLD covenant .... to replace it with the NEW covenant.
Why would He go back to the OLD one? He won’t!
Why not? His sacrifice was good to sanctify all who believe .... one time, for all time:
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Jesus’ sacrifice was good forever.
There is never any need to go back to the OLD sacrifices:
12 But this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (also see Psa 110:1, Matt 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:43, 1 Cor 15:23-25, Heb 1:13)

Surely by now, this issue should be clear.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ perfected those who are sanctified forever. Why would He return to OLD testament sacrifices .... ANYTIME .... even in a "future millenial reign"? He won’t!
The ONE sacrifice He made .... was good forever:
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

What blessed truths to know about the NEW testament, which GOD (through PAUL) said that WE are able ministers of (2 Cor 3:6)! Yet ‘mid-Acts-ers’ DIVIDE them AWAY because they are in Hebrews. Because of their extreme and hyper-dividing, they refuse nearly 80% of the Bible (53 of 66 books) .... everything that PAUL did not write. They constantly cry, ‘Mystery, mystery, mystery’. But they are what is mysterious with their extreme and hyper-dividing. They will be ashamed for disregarding God’s word of truth (2 Tim 2:15) .... that they took a chart and a man’s word instead. How tragic! I know what I’m talking about since I did it for nearly 30 years. Thank God my eyes are now open.

Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Since .... "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom 10:4) .... then, why would God ever go back to an OLD covenant of LAW that could not perfect the saints .... AFTER we have had ALL these BETTER things? He won’t!

Jesus Christ made the law unable to judge us believers as guilty .... because HE bore the penalty of our sin:

2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Why would God reinstitute the law, after Jesus annulled it? He won’t!
Jesus Christ wiped away the law that condemned us, and got RID of it:

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Why would God bring the law back into effect after Christ took it away? He won’t!

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

How do all these scripture verses effect the ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ doctrine that Christ will reinstitute OLD testament sacrifices in the temple, and the Levitical priesthood, and circumcision, for 1,000 years?

Did the law end for good?

It was abolished and blotted out!
God said it; that settles it! I believe it! Do YOU?

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

A Mansion Just Over the Hilltop?

2010-06-17T21:01:00.006-04:00
I listened Sunday evening to a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ preacher ‘dividing away’ John 14, where Jesus told about His ‘Father’s house’ (which the preacher said was the temple) .... and .... lots of ‘mansions’ (which the preacher called apartments) there. That gave me a ‘daily’ thought.

I think this man tells impressionable people things they do not normally get from reading the verse .... and quite frankly, things that are NOT IN the verse. Rather than question HIS opinion, they are easily influenced to believe everything he says.

We will hold the context in John 14 as we reference other verses. Jesus assured His disciples so they would not be worried about the future. He wanted them to have an inner calmness of mind, without anxiety as they faced death for His sake (Matt 24:9, Mark 13:11-12, Luke 12:4, John 16:2, Acts 26:10, 1 Cor 4:9, 2 Cor 4:11, Phil 1:20, 3:10; James 5:6, Rev 2:10, 12:11):

John 14:1a Let not your heart be troubled:

Jesus guaranteed them of His peace:

John 14:27a Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

Paul also taught the saints that they had the peace of God (Rom 5:1, 14:17, 15:13; Eph 2:14-15,17, 6:15; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15):

2 Thess 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Back in John 14, the disciples were reminded not to be fearful (Matt 10:26-31; Luke 12:4,7,32):

John 14:27b Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Believers, in general, have always been encouraged to be brave in the face of adversity (Psa 118:6, 2 Thess 1:4-10, 2 Tim 1:7, Heb 13:5-6):

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

Go back in John 14. Faith in the God of the Old Testament .... had to be transferred over ....
to faith in the Christ of the New Testament:

John 14:1b ye believe in God,
believe also in me.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ change the words in the hymn ‘When We All Get to Heaven’ from being what the VERSE actually says:
"In the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place" ....
to be "In the heavens bright and blessed, Oh to see His loving face,"
because they think they’re going to heaven .... but not to any mansions there. Although God broke down the middle wall of partition here on earth (Eph 2:14) .... ‘mid-Acts-ers’ stay outside the great wall surrounding the city up in heaven .... so that the saints from what-they-call ‘Israel’s prophecy program’ .... will not get INFILTRATED by or MIXED up with .... who-they-think is ‘the body of Christ’. They do not acknowledge that ‘Jerusalem, which is above, is the mother of us all (Gal 4:26), even though PAUL wrote it (for God). They think they have no part in the new Jerusalem, which has a wall great and high (Rev 21:12). That’s enough for them to keep the Gentiles divided OUT! One ‘mid-Acts’ preacher told me the (deceased) body of Christ was up in, like, the ‘SKY’ of heaven .... on a ‘higher plane’ .... higher than those ‘Israel-prophecy-program saints’ .... who could look out the windows of their heavenly mansions .... way up higher .... to see the body of Christ up there higher. How absurd!

Back in John 14, Jesus told His disciples:

John 14:2a In my Father's house are many mansions [mone]:

When a preacher tells you that you don’t need to look at the Greek .... consider that he may be slighting you to trust whatever he says.

When I researched the Greek word for ‘mansions’ .... I found that is was used in one other verse, and translated ‘our abode’. We could understand that Jesus and His Father come unto those that love Him, and make their ‘mansions’ with them. Hmmmmm:

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode [mone] with him.

Why .... even our apostle PAUL taught that same truth .... and to beat all .... he got it from the OLD testament (a ‘mid-Acts’ horror!):

2 Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Yes, BELIEVERS are God’s spiritual house now:

1 Cor 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry,
ye are God's building.

Was Peter teaching that, too? He sure was:

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The preacher I heard Sunday also said that when Jesus spoke of preparing ‘a place’ ....
He was really talking about a position of ruling.
That is not what I get from reading the verse, back in John 14:

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.

That sounds more like a ‘location’ to me .... not a ‘position’:

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am (LOCATION), there ye may be also.

Paul explained that when Jesus comes back, His saints will rise to ‘gather .... assemble .... congregate’ in the sky (where the clouds are --- location). Wherever Christ goes .... we will go with Him.
In fact, whereever He IS .... we will be WITH Him forever.
If He rules in God’s kingdom on the earth without end .... so shall we ever be with the Lord. What a comfort from trouble and fear:

1 Thess 4:16-18 For 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:
17 Then 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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Back in John 14, Jesus gave His followers directions to their heavenly mansions. The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher said "a chart is a map, so you’d better get yourself a chart." Jesus reminded Thomas of ‘the way’ to mansions in glory. He didn’t give him a chart, nor a map .... it was belief in Him:

John 14:4-6 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Now that I’m no longer a ‘mid-Acts-er’ ....
I’ll sing joy what they disdain and change:

"I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we’ll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold!"

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Was John Elijah?

2010-06-10T22:41:00.002-04:00
While John was in jail, he received news about the things Jesus was doing. John wanted to know ‘if Jesus was "The Anointed One" (the Messiah, the Christ) .... or would there be another one coming?’

Matt 11:1-6 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come,
or do we look for another?

Jesus did not answer, "Yes," or "No." He responded to John’s questions by sending him a message to ‘read the signs.’

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Then Jesus spoke of who John was. He told the crowds of people that John was Elijah. Obviously, John was John, and not Elijah reincarnated. But the point is, that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the prophecy that was written about Elijah .... which begs the question,
"Must prophecy be taken literally?"

Matt 11:7-15 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. (Mal 3:1)
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it,
this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

After Jesus appeared on the mountain in glory, talking with Moses and Elias (Matt 17:1-9), in the sight of Peter, James, and John his brother ....
His disciples questioned Him about Elijah’s coming .... before His coming. He answered them the same way about John the Baptist. John was Elijah that would come before Christ. John was not Elijah in the flesh, literally .... but John was Elijah that the prophecy was written about:

Matt 17:10-13 And his disciples asked him, saying,
Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you,
That Elias is come already, and they knew him not,
but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.
Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood
that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

When Zacharias was executing the priest’s office before God in the order of his course (Luke 1:8), while he was burning incense in the temple of the Lord (Luke 1:9) .... an angel of the Lord, Gabriel (Luke 1:19), appeared to him, and foretold that he and his wife Elisabeth, both ‘well-stricken-in-years’ (Luke 1:7) would have a son whose name would be called John (Luke 1:13). The angel also prophesied:

Luke 1:16-17 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he (John) shall go before him (the Lord) in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

The angel showed Zacharias that his son John was the SPIRITUAL fulfillment of the prophecy that was written about Elijah:

Mal 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

John himself explained that he was not Elijah .... physically:

John 1:19-21 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then?
Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.
Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ have a problem here. They focus on not knowing Christ (Messiah) ‘after the flesh’ .... what about Elijah? What about John? John was Elijah .... but not in the flesh:

2 Cor 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:
yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Paul taught that Abraham’s children ‘in the flesh’ .... were not really Abraham’s children (also see Luke 3:8-9):

Gal 4:22-31 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons,
the one by a bondmaid,
the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;
but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants;
the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
(Now who does that apply to? Us? Paul applied it to the churches where there is neither Jew nor Greek - Gal 3:28.)
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture?
(Israel ‘after the flesh’ .... physical Israel .... is cast out.
Israel ‘after the Spirit’ .... spiritual Israel .... is the true heir.)
Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (also see Acts 26:18, Eph 3:6)
(Now again, who does that apply to? Us? Paul applied it to the churches that are ‘in Christ’ .... they are Abraham’s seed - Gal 3:29.)
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman,
but of the free.

Interpreting prophecy ‘spiritually’ instead of ‘literally’?
Jesus did it. Gabriel did it. Paul did it. Would YOU do it?

Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Who is now a Jew? It is not the ‘literal, physical, fleshly’ Jew:

Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Who is now circumcised?

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Who is now the circumcision? In time past, we were called Uncircumcision, but now we are the circumcision (Eph 2:11-12):

Phil 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Was John Elijah? Or should we look for another?
Jesus said he was. The angel of the Lord Gabriel said he was.

If YOU will receive it .... yes, he was.

Do you have ears to hear?

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Tribulation or Wrath?

2010-06-04T02:43:00.013-04:00
Paul encouraged the church at Thessalonica .... to imitate the churches at Judaea ....
as they were all ‘of the same body’ .... ‘in Christ’ (Eph 3:6):

1 Thess 2:14-16 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus:

Even though the Thessalonian saints were persecuted by the Gentiles ....
and the Judaean saints were persecuted by the Jews ---
they were all believers ‘in Christ’ .... suffering at the hands of unbelievers:

for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen,
even as they have of the Jews:

The Jews were responsible for crucifying their Messiah.
They also put to death all the preachers of Christ,
throughout time past who testified of Him.
They persecuted the apostles of the Lord.
They were hostile against anyone who would be saved:

15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus,
and their own prophets,
and have persecuted us;
and they please not God,
and are contrary to all men:

They tried to stop the gospel from going to the Gentiles, which made God angry at them. The UNBELIEVERS are the ones who will get God's wrath .... NOT His saints that are ‘in Christ Jesus’ (vs.14):

16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved,
to fill up their sins alway:
for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Those Jews were blind to the truth .... just like a false prophet that Barnabas and Paul had a run-in with some time earlier:

Acts 13:6-12 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man;
who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

Paul had some harsh words for him:

10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief,
thou child of the devil,
thou enemy of all righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Then Paul cursed him with blindness:

11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Whew! Sergius Paulus was amazed, but rejoicing:

12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Paul tried to get back to Thessalonica, but the devil blocked his way:

1 Thess 2:17-20 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again;
but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20 For ye are our glory and joy.

Continue in the next chapter to stay in the context.
Paul had Timothy to go in his stead and help the saints there ....
so they would not be overswept by all the opposition against them:

1 Thess 3:1-4 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother,
and minister of God,
and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ,
to establish you,
and to comfort you concerning your faith:
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions:
for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you,
we told you before that we should suffer tribulation;
even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Paul said they would suffer tribulation ....
and suffer tribulation they did.

Peter told "all that are in Christ Jesus" (1 Pet 5:14) not to be surprised because they were suffering for Christ’s sake, but to be happy anyway:

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Peter wanted them to realize they are not alone in suffering afflictions.
It happens to all the faithful ‘in Christ’:

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Before Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples .... the same story .... to expect persecution:

John 15:18-21 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. (see Matt 10:24)
If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake,
because they know not him that sent me.

Jesus said they would be persecuted ....
and persecuted they were.

‘Mid-Acts-pre-tribulation-hyper-dispensationalists’ think they are a ‘special’ kind of saint that God will deliver from persecution and tribulation. They divide ‘Jesus’ words to His disciples’, as ‘earthly’ and for ‘Israel’s prophecy program’ .... thus, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ separate them from what-they-call the ‘risen, glorified Lord’s words to Paul’ which-they-think are the only words that apply to them. But they are mistaken.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. (also see Rom 5:1, Eph 2:14)
In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus said they would have tribulation ....
and tribulation they had.

'Mid-Acts-ers' believe that God is going to swoop them up and away off the planet before the time of great tribulation comes .... but they are wrong, and they will be unprepared to stand in the evil day (also see Amos 6:3), as instructed by Paul:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.

Tribulation or wrath?
BELIEVERS get TRIBULATION.
UNBELIEVERS get WRATH.

But when the Lord Jesus Christ returns from heaven in flaming fire (2 Thess 1:7-10), a blaze of glory, HE will give tribulation back to the ones who caused tribulation upon His saints:

2 Thess 1:4-6 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

In the day of wrath and judgment, GOD will give both tribulation and wrath to those that are EVIL.

But those that are GOOD will have glory, honour, and peace:

Rom 2:5-11 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Tribulation or wrath? In the END ....
UNBELIEVERS get WRATH --- AND --- TRIBULATION!
BELIEVERS get GLORY, HONOUR, and PEACE!

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Who Got God's Grace?

2010-05-28T00:19:00.005-04:00
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ have divided God’s grace into separate kinds of grace.

They teach that Paul ministered grace a different type of grace (a 'mystery-grace') .... than the ‘grace’ given to anyone ‘outside’ of his writings. Not long ago, one of their preacher’s message was assigned and based on MAINTAINING the ‘INTEGRITY of Grace’ from PAUL’s epistles. They strive to protect a paradigm of distinction .... even by making contrasting sorts of grace .... between what-they-call ‘Israel’s prophecy program’ and ‘the mystery program’ for what-they-call ‘the body of Christ’ (meaning only those who have been saved through PAUL’s ministry).

Noah got God’s grace:

Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Moses got God’s grace:

Exo 33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Gideon found grace (Judges 6:17) in God’s sight (Judges 6:11-24).

Those who walk uprightly are promised God’s grace:

Psa 84:11-12 For the LORD God is a sun and shield:
the LORD will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

God gives grace to the lowly:

Prov 3:34-35 Surely he scorneth the scorners:
but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

God gave grace and rest to the left-overs of Israel in the wilderness:

Jer 31:2-3 Thus saith the LORD,
The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness;
even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.
3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

God’s grace was upon Jesus when He was a growing child:

Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom:
and the grace of God was upon him.

Jesus was full of God’s grace:

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

A great number of believers, including the apostles, received grace:

Acts 4:32-33 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Barnabas saw God’s grace upon the church at Antioch:

Acts 11:22-23 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Lots of the Jews and Gentiles who had converted to Judaism (the disciples - as Acts 13:52) .... moved into God’ grace .... and carried on in it, as they were influenced to do so by Paul and Barnabas:

Acts 13:42-43 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

Peter made the statement that the Jews would be saved through God’s grace, just like the Gentiles:

Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Apollos, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, was a Jew (Acts 18:24), who knew only John the Baptist’s water baptism (Acts 18:25). After he preached boldy in the synagogue at Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and ‘expounded the way of God more perfectly’ to him (Acts 18:26):

Acts 18:27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

Paul preached the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25).
He declared all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27) , even to his own peril (Acts 20:22-26):

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul received God’s grace. He preached the gospel of God and Christ. ‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ have an awful time explaining away Paul’s separation unto ‘the gospel which was prophesied’:

Rom 1:1-6 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

God invited the saints to approach His throne of grace to receive grace:

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus died for our sins by God’s grace.
He is one with His brethren, those who are sanctified .... the church:

Heb 2:9,11-12 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one:
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

God’s grace will establish those who experience it:

Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;
not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

James testified that God is the source of all grace (1 Peter 5:10).
There is plenty of it to be bestowed upon the ‘poor in spirit’ (Matt 5:3):

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble. (also see 1 Peter 5:5)

Peter wrote of the grace of God that was prophesied to come in the end, when Christ returns, bringing salvation and resurrection of His saints:

1 Peter 1:10,13 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Good stewards receive God’s grace:

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

May the faithful brethren stand in grace.

PETER wrote of standing in grace:

1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

PAUL wrote of standing in grace:

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It is ironic that a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ preacher created a slogan of living the ‘GRACE LIFE’ from Peter’s phrase ‘the grace of life’ (1 Pet 3:7) .... and he signed a letter to me .... using Peter’s verse about grace (which he teaches is ‘prophecy-program grace’ that does not belong in ‘the dispensation of grace’):

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Why Peter, Not Paul?

2010-05-21T01:01:00.004-04:00
On his way to Damascus, to arrest the disciples of the Lord, and take them to Jerusalem to jail .... Saul was saved:

Acts 9:1-3 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

Saul immediately started preaching the very faith he once destroyed (Gal 1:23) .... in Jewish synagogues:

Acts 9:20-22 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

After Saul’s own conversion, the ‘hunter’ became the ‘hunted’ .... and he had to run for his life. He left Damascus and went to Jerusalem:

Acts 9:23-30 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
He was hounded there also, and fled to Caesarea:
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew,
they brought him down to Caesarea, (Keep this city in mind.)
Then went back home to Tarsus:
and sent him forth to Tarsus.

Peter was a traveling man. He went everywhere:

Acts 9:32,35 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
He visited believers in Lydda and Saron. He healed a sick man of the palsy there:
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him (the man Peter healed),
and turned to the Lord.

Peter stayed in Joppa, which was between Caesarea and Gaza, and 30 miles north-west from Jerusalem, one of the oldest towns in Asia, and the chief sea-port of Judaea. There he resurrected a dead woman back to life (Acts 9:36-43).

Acts 9:42 And it was known throughout all Joppa;
and many believed in the Lord.

Caesarea was the great Gentile city of Palestine, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, on the great road from Tyre to Egypt, about 70 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was the capital of the Roman province of Judaea, the seat of the governors and procurators, and the headquarters of the Roman troops.

HERE IS AN ‘IF-THEN’ QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT:

‘IF’ .... when God answered the prayers of a Gentile .... in Caesarea ....
where Saul had been (Acts 9:30) ....

and ‘IF’ .... God was starting ‘something NEW,’

namely ‘the church, the body of Christ’ (as ‘mid-Acts-ers’ claim)
with Paul (Saul) in Acts 9

‘THEN’ .... would it not be LOGICAL to expect that God would have ‘Saul/Paul’ be the one that God used to call these Gentiles to salvation?

But God did NOT chose Saul .... He chose PETER!!!

Acts 10:1-5 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, ("and call for one Saul, whose name will be called Paul" ---- NO! That is NOT what God said! The Lord did NOT tell the Gentile Cornelius to call for Saul (Paul) ---- even though he had CONVENIENTLY been in CAESAREA .... the very place where Cornelius lived)
and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

Peter preached .... not just to Cornelius alone .... but to MANY who were with him:

Acts 10:19-27 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea.
And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.

The news travelled back to the churches of Judaea which were in Christ (Gal 1:22). But Peter was scolded by some Jews for his Gentile visit and meal:

Acts 11:1-3 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

But Peter was prepared, as he had practiced his answer (Acts 11:4), that, without a doubt, it was God’s Spirit that sent him there with the gospel of salvation for Cornelius and all his relatives:

Acts 11:12-14 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

Although later, Paul experienced both similar rejoicing with the churches of God which in Judaea were in Christ Jesus .... and also the same harrassment from the Jews, as Peter received (1 Thess 2:14-16) .... it was PETER first, and NOT PAUL .... that God used to take the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ .... to the Gentiles:

Acts 11:17-18 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Later when Peter went to Antioch, Paul rebuked him caving in to Jewish pressure and dissing the Gentiles (Gal 2:11-14) .... but, initially, God chose Peter to go to the Gentiles .... before He chose Paul:

Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago (in Acts 10) God made choice among us, (God chose Peter)
that the Gentiles (plural, not just Cornelius)
by my (PETER's) mouth
should hear the word of the gospel (Peter preached the gospel whereby they were saved), and believe.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Who Is Your Husband?

2010-05-14T00:23:00.004-04:00
To be espoused to be married .... is to be betrothed .... to be promised.
During that time, a man and woman were already called husband and wife:

Matt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away (divorce) privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (also see Luke 2:4-5)

Under the Old Covenant/Testament, the LORD was a husband to Israel .... and the LORD will be Israel’s husband in the New Covenant/Testament:

Jer 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts (also see Rom 2:14-15, expanded to the Gentiles); and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (also see 2 Cor 6:16-18; Heb 8:10, 10:16; and Rev 21:2-3)

Israel was an unfaithful wife:

Jer 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

But God will tenderly draw her to Himself:

Hos 2:14-16 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness (Rev 12:6,14), and speak comfortably unto her.
15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. (as Jer 31:32 that we just read)
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi (affectionately, lovingly, my husband); and shalt call me no more Baali (my lord, master).

Hos 2:19-20 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever;
yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

The LORD is Israel’s husband:

Isa 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

In the Old Testament, the LORD described His relationship with Israel as a bridegroom and a bride:

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Isa 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

John the Baptist (the friend of the bridegroom) identified Jesus Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11, Acts 2:36, 15:11, 16:31, 20:21, 28:31) as the bridegroom:

John 3:28-30 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Now under the New Covenant/Testament (of which we are able ministers - 2 Cor 3:6), PAUL applied the espousal of Christ the husband .... to the church:

2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:
for I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Paul quoted Gen 2:24, Matt 19:5, and Mark 10:7, of a man cleaving to his wife, and called that holy union a mystery .... of Christ and the church:

Eph 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,
and shall be joined unto his wife,
and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery:
but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Again, Paul used the analogy of us (the saints) being married to Christ:

Rom 7:1-4 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

We were under the law (Rom 3:19), but now that we have faith (Acts 15:9-11), we are children of God and Abraham’s seed because we are in Christ:

Gal 3:23-29 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

PAUL told the churches of Galatia (Gal 1:2) that the holy city in heaven (new Jerusalem) is the mother of all of us saints:

Gal 4:26-28 But Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate (same Greek word as translated ‘the wilderness’) hath many more children than she which hath an husband. (also see Isa 54:1-8, Psa 113:9)
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

The holy city, new Jerusalem is like the bride coming to the bridegroom:

Rev 21:2-3 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (also see 2 Cor 6:16-18 and Jer 31:31-33)

The holy city is the Lamb’s bride and wife:

Rev 21:9-10 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

It is evident, that as saints of the Most High God ....
we can sing, "We’re all in this together!"

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.

Passover and The Lord's Supper

2010-05-07T00:27:00.004-04:00

When Jesus ate the PASSOVER with His disciples, it was the LAST supper He had with them before His death:
Luke 22:13-20 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Jesus promised that He would not eat the bread nor drink the wine of this supper again, until the day He does it NEW with them in His Father’s kingdom (Matt 26:29):
16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
He instituted the New Testament Memorial .... the bread as His body, and the cup as His blood .... which is now called the Lord’s supper (1 Cor 11:20):
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (also Matt 26:2,17-30, Mark 14:12-26)
The Lord personally gave Paul the Old Testament account of His last passover supper and its subsequent New Testament initiation to deliver unto the church of God which was at Corinth, them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor 1:2):
1 Cor 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Earlier in the same epistle, Paul brought the passover feast forward through Jesus, which is the bread and blood of the New Testament:
1 Cor 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (also Gal 5:9)
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump (also Rom 11:16, 9:21), as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul recounted Israel’s history of ‘spiritual’ eating and drinking .... as patterns, as models for us:
1 Cor 10:1-17 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples (Greek [typos]), to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (Greek [typos]): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (community - union) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body:
for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Some 'mid-Acts-ers' are confused, who TAKE the Lord's Supper, yet still claim that 'we saints' are DIFFERENT than 'them saints.' They try to SEPARATE the Lord's Table AWAY from the Old Testament Passover. They DIVIDE themselves completely OUT of the New Testament, as well. So WHY take what they believe is in 'what-they-call' Israel's program?
Other 'mid-Acts-ers' are also confused, who do NOT take the Lord's Supper, because they believe the Old Testament Passover and the New Testament Lord's Table are BOTH for Israel .... and have nothing to do with 'what-they-call' the body of Christ (which they believe to be just the saints that have been saved by Paul's writings in the dispensation of grace). They want no part of showing the Lord's death till He come (1 Cor 11:26) with the bread and the cup.
ALL 'mid-Acts-ers' are confused! When they try to DIVIDE the saints, and SEPARATE programs and destinies, etc. .... they are doing the exact OPPOSITE of what GOD joined together. Too bad they won't apply Mark:
Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
The Passover is for the Old Testament.
The Lord's Supper is for the New Testament.
We SHARE in FELLOWSHIP .... which is joint participation .... in the Lord’s Supper .... as we are MERGED (graffed - Rom 11:17-24) WITH Israel.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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Offices/Slashes

2010-04-29T20:59:00.004-04:00
I just read a ‘mid-Acts’ website that said the only offices today were "missionaries (which were evangelists), and pastors/bishops, and deacons." When I researched the Greek words, I wondered why he didn’t use "ministers/deacons" since the Greek word is used of ‘deacon’ twice, but of ‘minister’ 22 times. The Greek for ‘bishop’ is never translated ‘pastor.’ The Greek word for ‘pastor’ is used of ‘shepherd’ 17 times, and ‘pastors’ once (Eph 4:11).

The KJV Bible only shows 2 offices: bishop and deacon:

1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1 Tim 3:10, 13 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Years ago when I brought up the subject of the ‘correct, Pauline word’ for the regular preacher in a church assembly today, being a ‘bishop’ instead of a pastor .... I was shocked by the stiff-necked resistance among the ‘pastors’ of ‘Pauline, grace’ churches. Initially, I believed it to be an innocent oversight, or possibly the fault of following ‘tradition’ of Protestant denominations, in their effort to be called by a different name than ‘bishops’ like Catholics and Mormons. But the more I talked about it, the more stubborn the ‘pastors’ became. Several of them went so far as to make mockery of some who admitted their error and amended it, by asking questions like, "When will you get your hat and collar?" Two prominent ‘co-pastors’ even changed their titles from ‘pastor’ .... not to ‘bishop’ (still refusing to submit to their ‘supposed’ Pauline authority) .... but to ‘elder’ on their weekly church bulletin. An admission of guilt, to be sure, but only half-hearted and partial. Trying to make a switch without being noticed or calling attention to it? If you have egg on your face, it is best to admit it, wipe it off, and get on with your ministry. The more you resist, the more hypocritical you appear. Saying one thing ("We believe the KJV Bible is the very words of God in the English language for all matters of faith and practice. We believe Paul is our apostle.") .... and doing another by being ashamed, avoiding, and denying to accept the ‘name’ of the ‘office’ you fill? That was not the case for the KJV word ‘dispensation,’ was it? Oh, no! It was boldly proclaimed from the pulpit, even to the point of picking up and wearing a label of being 'dispensational.' The verse about a 'bishop' being a good work (1 Tim 3:1), is straight-forward, even standing alone, and other verses also support it as well (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:7, Phil 1:1). But ‘mid-Acts-ers’ ran to Acts where they tell others is ‘forbidden ground for doctrine’ (chapter 20) to grab the mention of a flock (not even the word ‘pastor’) applied to the Ephesians, which they have never touched with a 10-foot pole during my nearly 30 years of association with them .... and to beat all, they firmly contend that only Israel is ‘the sheep,’ knowing that the meaning of ‘pastor’ is ‘shepherd.’ They apply a double standard, and it makes them look foolish.

The website I saw had ‘pastors/bishops.’ If you believe that .... then be aware that ‘sheep/body’ is the same analogy.

This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.