You Are A Living Sacrifice.

Rev 1:5…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

 

Christ loved us.

Christ washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Christ has made us kings and priests to God, to his Father.

 

Kings and priests?

 

Let's read a quick note from a commentary by Albert Barnes-

 

'But instead of βασιλεις και ἱερεις, kings and priests the most reputable MSS., versions, and fathers have βασιλειαν ἱερεις, a kingdom and priests; i.e. a kingdom of priests, or a royal priesthood. The regal and sacerdotal dignities are the two highest that can possibly exist among men; and these two are here mentioned to show the glorious prerogatives and state of the children of God.'

 

This makes a lot of sense given the following verses-

 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

 

As priests of God and Christ we will reign in the kingdom.

 

1Pe 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. 

 

We are built up a SPIRITUAL house- an holy priesthood!

 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

 

We are a chosen generation, a ROYAL priesthood…a peculiar people…

 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

 

Our bodies ARE LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE unto God.

 

What we are to become is something so incredibly amazing we can hardly understand at all how it will be possible. Surely, only the amazing powerful love of our God can change us vile creatures into something holy, something royal- in a kingdom of priests. The alteration that will take place in us is all but unbelievable.  We are told to PRESENT our bodies-  living sacrifices.

 

LIVING SACRIFICES. We are not called to the sacrifice of death. We are called to be LIVING SACRIFICES.  What do you suppose this means?

 

We are surrendered to God right now as we live!

 

A sacrifice is the giving up of a life by dying…a living sacrifice must be the giving up of a life while living. We surrender ourselves. We die to self.

 

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

Crucified with Christ but we LIVE.

 

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

 

Deny SELF…follow JESUS.

 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

 

CRUCIFIED the flesh- the affections and lusts-- WE still live, crucified!

 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

 

We are NEW creatures! How can we be new except the old us is gone?

 

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

 

(DEAD- we are DEAD to self and ALIVE to CHRIST! Truly we are living sacrifices!)

 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 

Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 

Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 

Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

 

We are to be made a kingdom of priests! We are to be royal with Christ! We are risen with HIM, He makes us new creatures! All by His mercy, all through His grace, His forgiveness, His love!  TO HIM BE THE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN!

 

 

Blessed Beyond Measure.

Rev 1:5…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood…

 

Who washed us from our sins in his own blood?

 

Rom 3:24  Being JUSTIFIED freely by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS

Rom_3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his BLOOD, to declare his righteousness for the REMISSION OF SINS that are past, through the forbearance of God

 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us. 

Rom_5:9  Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED by his BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by JESUS CHRIST to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Eph_1:7  In whom we have REDEMPTION through HIS BLOOD, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of his grace

 

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his DEAR SON: 

Col_1:14  In whom we have REDEMPTION through HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins

 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not REDEEMED with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

 

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have WASHED THEIR ROBES, and made them white in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB. 

 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN.

 

Psa_51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

 

Psa_51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

 

Our SAVIOR had to die so we could live. Our Savior's love for us is so pure, so extraordinary we can scarcely comprehend it even a little bit. The depths of His love for us, His spoiled creatures, had Him who knew no end, Him who never suffered, take on the very flesh of His creation and all that it entailed. Our flesh is subject to pain, Jesus was subject to pain as He, a God who created us, bore our flesh upon Him who had known no flesh.

Our Savior entered the world of flesh as a baby born. He felt the first pain of hunger which caused Him to cry out for sustenance. He knew our pain first hand. He lived the life of a human being and came face to face with temptations just as we do. While we might say He couldn't know our temptations due to technology and the like- all the temptations have a base source and those base sources have been since sin entered our world.

 

Our Savior, God in flesh, allowed the flesh to be ripped from His bones and His blood began to spill, and it didn't stop spilling as He was hung on the cross.  His blood dripped from the open wounds, from the whip split skin covering His body, as He suffered the agonies of dying. The blood, the blood of God the Son, the powerful blood of cleansing left the dying body of our Savior and spiritually cleanses us even now.

 

We are blessed beyond measure.

First Begotten of the Dead.

First Begotten of the Dead-- (Remember we are blessed who read, who understand, who keep- so let us dive into the heart of scripture with prayer to comprehend the deep things of God.)

 

We cannot overlook the messages in the beginning of this book of Revelation. It would be so easy to gloss over the greeting as if it is standard and of no real need for further comprehension. We need to rethink this because we are called to comprehend, not just read.

 

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; AND from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 

Rev 1:5  AND from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

 

Reading the two verses together it is clear that the three Gods are being named here-

 

God - the Father- Is, Was, Is to Come.

God - Holy Spirit - Complete Spirit, Whole Spirit, Perfect Spirit.

Jesus Christ - Faithful Witness, First Begotten of the Dead, Prince of the kings of earth.

 

God the Father-

 

Vs. 4 'him which is, and which was, and which is to come'

 

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

 

Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 

 

Gen 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 

 

Rev.1:5-

 

Jesus Christ -

Faithful witness.

First begotten of the dead.

Prince of the kings of the earth.

Loved us.

Washed us from our sins with his blood.

 

Now let us delve deeper.

 

First begotten of the dead-

 

Jesus being the first begotten of the dead is mentioned two times in the New Testament- Col. 1:18 and Rev. 1:5. Jesus was not the first to be resurrected from the dead- He raised Lazarus from death. If you read the verse in Col. 1:18 it is made clearer what is meant by Jesus being the first begotten of the dead.

 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

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. 

 

Jesus - before all things.

Jesus- by Him all things consist.

Jesus- head of the body.

Jesus- the head of the church.

Jesus- the beginning.

Jesus- the firstborn from the dead.

 

Jesus- In ALL things He might have PREEMINENCE.

 

Preeminence (def) - the fact of surpassing all others; superiority.

 

Jesus in FACT does surpass all who were raised from the dead. It was because of Jesus being made our Savior before the worlds were-

 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

 

-that any were able to be raised from the dead at all. If Jesus had not been begotten as the Son before the foundation of the world, we would not have had any hope at all. He was the surety of humanity should we fail to fulfil our intended position. He alone made death temporary to eternity through Himself. All who were raised from the dead were raised from the dead by the One who would die for all- by the One who would die for them. His death surpassed all deaths, His resurrection surpassed all resurrections by making them all possible.

 

Act 26:23  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. 

 

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 

1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

 

This is truth! And we need to comprehend truth!

 

More on ALL of this tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD. By HIS WILL!

Grace and Peace from Jesus and the Seven Spirits.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

 

Please, Lord, help me to understand this prophecy in the way I need to understand. Bless me, Lord as I read, as I hear the prophecies, and keep what I learn as You will. Truly may Your coming be soon!

 

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne

 

John was told to write to the seven churches. Seven is a number of perfection, a number of wholeness, of completeness in the Bible. Do an internet search on it for more details. Were there seven churches in Asia at the time of John's writing? Yes, but there were also many more churches than just seven. These particular messages to the churches were for their day and time as well as for the church of God throughout all time.

 

Grace be unto you and peace from HIM (JESUS) which IS, which WAS, and which IS TO COME. 

 

Grace and peace.

 

(Wiki)

In Western Christian theology, grace is "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it". It is not a created substance of any kind. ... It is an attribute of God that is most manifest in the salvation of sinners.

 

(Encyclopedia)

PEACE (IN THE BIBLE) The Hebrew word for peace, šālôm, translated in the Septuagint most often by the Greek word, eirēnē, has a wide semantic range including the notions of totality or completeness, success, fulfillment, wholeness, harmony, security and well being.

 

Grace from our Savior is undeserved by us. Grace saves us.

 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

 

We are saved by the GRACE of our Savior. Is it any wonder to be greeted with the words- Grace and peace from our Savior is something amazing. Grace be unto us! Peace be unto us! To say- Grace be unto you is to say - this gift of salvation be given to you. Grace, the gift from Jesus our Savior.

 

Our Savior's peace given as a greeting- wishing, hoping for this peace to be with someone is yet another gift.

 

Joh_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.

 

Jesus' peace is NOT as the world gives.

 

Joh_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.

 

We are going to have TRIBULATION in this world but we can be happy through that tribulation because our happiness, our peace is to be found in Christ Jesus who overcame this world.

 

This greeting to the seven churches is a wondrous greeting.

 

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne

 

Jesus- IS, WAS, IS TO COME.  Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus always was, and always is, and Jesus will come to redeem us as He promised.

 

The seven Spirits before the throne of Jesus- the complete, whole Spirit, the Holy Spirit- through the Holy Spirit we are blessed with the Grace and Peace of our Savior!

 

More on this tomorrow. We need to truly comprehend the wonder of this opening to the book of Revelation.  The grace and peace of Jesus is urged upon us, all of us need the grace and peace of Jesus of that there can be no doubt whatsoever. Grace and peace- Jesus' gifts to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Need to Be Blessed.

We are given a book of prophecy called Revelation. The word revelation means- information revealed. If I tell you that I had a revelation I'd be telling you that something was revealed to me. You've heard the saying- I had such a revelation! And then after that you are told that what was revealed. It could be insight into some problem that needed solving, it could be comprehension of something that was puzzling, any number of things.

 

The book of Revelation was given to us- to you and I, to all human beings. The book of Revelation was given to us by Jesus. John wrote the words as they were given to Him by an angel.

 

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

 

We are blessed to read. We are blessed to hear. We are blessed to keep all the things we learn.

 

I need to be blessed.  Do you?

 

Intended Life.

Right to the tree of life.

 

What right do we have to the tree of life? When we talk about having the right to something we believe that it is owed to us, it our due, we deserve to have whatever it is. Our right to vote, again this is something we believe is our due. Our right to freedom, our right to exist, our right to so many various things by virtue of our mere existence. Having said this, we know there are a lot of things we have no right to. We don't have the right to something that belongs to another person. We don't have the right to hurt anyone. We don't have the right to know others thoughts. There are a lot of things we have no right to- just because we exist.

 

We do exist- this is fact-and we owe our existence to our Creators.

 

Our Creators created us with the hope we would use the power of choice they bestowed on us to choose the intended life rather than the a life we feel entitled to as our right. The intended life is a life in them, in God the Father, in God the Son, in God the Holy Spirit. A life lived for God, not a life lived for ourselves. A life willing to be sacrificed for others. The only right we have is the right to choose our own path, and that right was given to us by our Creators. We get to choose. If we choose God, He will grant us the right, the privilege to eternal life, the right to the tree of life. The intended life of mankind was nothing like the life we are brought into existence in. The hope, the faith, to believe in something we cannot touch is given to each of us as a tiny seed and we choose to either nurture that seed so it grows, or we ignore the seed, even destroy it. All are offered the choice, and by the grace, the power, the will of our God we accept the choice of the intended life over the life that is. Christ came preaching the kingdom of God, the truth of salvation, of eternal life- He taught the intended life. Treasures in heaven - the intended life.

 

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 

 

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

 

Rev 22:6  And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 

Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 

Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 

Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 

Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Rev 22:15  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

Rev 22:18  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: 

Rev 22:19  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. 

Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

Rev 22:21  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

The Dead Know Not Any Thing - Eccl. 9:5

The living know they shall die. That sentence is self-explanatory isn't it? I'm alive and I know that I will die eventually. I know my grandparents and parents have all died already. They knew they would die, their parents and grandparents before them had all died. People are born, they live and then they die- we know this. As we grow up we become aware of this as a fact of life, an unpleasant fact of life.  No one would dispute that this is the way of things. There doesn't exist a single person recently who has lived past 117 years old. In 1997 a woman died at 122 years old. We just don't have a very long life expectancy in the grand scheme of things. Factually the living know they shall die- it's inevitable.  The Bible says-

 

… For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6)

 

The living know they shall die- we believe this. The dead know not anything- we need to believe this. We were not created live outside of our flesh bodies. We were not given a spirit form that can be altered at will- such as that of angels. We all know our Bibles tell us about angels as men visiting various people. We all know our Bibles tell us that angels can be invisible, and or visible to man. We were not created in this manner- to be invisible. We were given flesh created from the dust of the ground, the same dust of the ground we return to after our death. We were not given a part of us cognizant without our bodies. Our bodies were created and our minds were a part and parcel of those bodies. The flesh of our minds, our brain matter is subject to death it does not go on thinking after death. Our thoughts perish with us in death.

 

Psa 146:4  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 

 

This is truth. When our bodies no longer have breath and we begin the process of death- decaying, our thought perish. I'm not talking about those who have been kept breathing artificially after they stop breathing, technically as long as they are still breathing the possibility - depending upon brain function- exists for them to still have thoughts. Without any artificial means of breathing for the unbreathing it doesn't take very long for those thoughts to perish, to cease. No amount of wishful thinking can force a person whose brain has died - to think again. How often people have to make the awful decision to terminate artificial means of keeping someone alive so their bodies can join their minds in death. They've devised ways to measure brain activity and therefore they can test and know when there is no brain activity taking place. Without activity in the brain- there are no thoughts.  After studying a bit on what it means to be declared brain dead (you can study it as well) it is clear no one believes a person is capable of thought at the point they are declared brain dead.  A living brain has a lot of activity going on, even during sleep.

 

We can believe the word of God when we are told that when a person dies their thoughts die as well.

 

The Bible you would imagine would go into great detail if a person at death was given a new form of existence, complete with their ability to keep thinking- as we comprehend the ability to think. I'm thinking right now, and if I died a minute from now and my thoughts were transferred from my brain of flesh into something else entirely so that I never miss a beat in my thinking- this is a huge deal! Why would God tell us that our thoughts perish upon death if they don't? Wouldn't God tell us that our thoughts live on in our new form?

 

We are told this--

 

1Th 4:16  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

 

The DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE.

 

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

1Co 15:52  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. 

 

WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP.

 

The trumpet shall sound and THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE.

 

The dead - those whose thoughts have perished will be raised and when they are raised they are raised with bodies that are incorruptible- no longer subject to death.

 

Please someone, anyone, please tell me why the dead need to be raised when Christ returns if they are already risen and have new forms and are thinking beings?

 

Raising the dead- there is no need to raise any dead if they've already been awaken from death's sleep, right?

 

Let's talk a moment about Enoch--

 

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 

 

Why was it necessary for Enoch to be translated to heaven in his flesh body- not seeing death- IF he had a better body awaiting him after death- a special spirit body with his brain? Enoch was translated and spared death- because death isn't some wonderful transformation into a new thought-filled existence outside of our bodies of flesh. He was given this miraculous blessing of being taken to heaven and never having to face death, and therefore never having to wait for the resurrection day.

 

And if Enoch was given this miraculous translation why weren't all of God's chosen men and woman given this miracle? Because it was an exception to the rule of fallen humanity.

 

Read this-

 

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 

 

Those men and women of God all had a good report through faith. They believed the promise of salvation and subsequent resurrection, the promise of eternal life, but had NOT received this promise.

 

Act 2:29  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. 

 

Act 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption

 

Nothing about David being in heaven, not a word.

 

They hadn't received the promise! They will NOT receive the promise without us.

 

Their bodies are long decayed in their graves, their thoughts perished, the hope they have is in the resurrection when Christ will call all of them from their graves into new life incorruptible.  Throughout all the entire earth those who died, those whose thoughts perished, those who had the promise of eternal life yet had not received it will be brought to life once more. They will rise into the air and meet their Savior there! By the grace of God may we be living as Enoch was living and translated, or if we should die may we be resurrected by our Lord and Savior, brought to life once again as the humans we were created and meant to be. Our Savior was resurrected in flesh incorruptible, we too shall be resurrected in flesh incorruptible, or given changed flesh if we are still living. Our flesh that is subject to decay will no longer be, no sickness, no imperfections, no flaws, nothing that reeks of sin's touch will mar us newly resurrected or newly changed.

 

There is NOTHING in the word of our GOD about us living on right after we die, as if death is nothing but a mere transformation. There are a lot of lies, a lot of Satan's idol gods who have fabricated such lies and the masses have been deceived as those who are supposedly God's incorporate the lies into the truth in order to deceive unsuspectingly those who desire to remain blind to truth, preferring lies.  May we NOT be deceived! May we know only God's TRUTH.

Help us, Lord to be YOURS, wholly YOURS in all truth!

 

All through Your amazing love, Savior, Jesus Christ, our LORD now and forever!!!!!!!