Message of the Month

                                             8/1/09

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. ( Philippians 3: 17-21 )

In verse 18 we see Paul weeping. Even though Philippians is known to be a book of joy, we find Paul weeping. Paul was not weeping for himself though he had far more persecutions than any of us will ever endure. In Corinthians 11: 23-27 Paul tells us that he was beaten. He was thrown into prison many times. He received 39 stripes from the Jews. Three times he was beaten with rods. Three times he was shipwrecked. He was stoned, he was often weary, sleepless, hungry, thirsty, cold, and naked. Even with all this Paul was not weeping for himself or for what Rome had done to him. Instead Paul was weeping for those that had become enemies of the cross. He was weeping for their souls. He had a submissive mind, and people could not rob him of his joy in Christ. Not only did Paul have a submissive mind, but just as important Paul also had a spiritual mind. He was brokenhearted over what those around him were doing. He was not only brokenhearted over the lost but he was brokenhearted over how some who called themselves Christian were living. He called them enemies of the cross.

Paul knew that Christians are able to do as much damage to the Kingdom of God as the lost can. He told the Corinthians, “You are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. You are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tables of flesh, that is the heart.” ( II Corinthians 3: 2-3) Christians are watched and read by everyone they come into contact with. In I Peter 2:12 Peter tells us to walk among the lost so that they observe our good works and glorify God. The sinner watches your life. When he find evil there he speaks against all Christians. When he hears your profanity, listens to your dirty joke, sees your Playboy magazine, watches your temper, he is turned away from the God you are supposed to be following. You are to live so that when the lost try to find evil in your life they cannot. They should only find God manifested in your life and so they will be drawn to Him. Many Christians in Corinth were not living as they should. They were a poor witness and drove the lost away. They, in effect, were enemies of the cross.

There were also those who were enemies of the cross because of their false god. Their god was their appetite or, as Paul calls it, their bellies. They were following after their carnal lusts. They were worshiping the good life. They felt that there was no God and that they were the judge of all things. Man was the epitome of evolution and was the supreme being. They would fit very well with the modern philosophy of the 21^st century, even down to fact that they were glorying in their shame.

They were displaying their perversion and glorying in it. Today people are even going on television with it. I am appalled at what I run across on television. Even in the advertisements you will see things that just a few short years ago was considered pornography. Man is living Romans 1:32. Not only do we see the vile things going on, but we so often approve of them. Many Christians they don’t approve, but in effect you do when you watch inappropriate things on the internet, in movies, or on television, when you buy or read inappropriate material, when you laugh at dirty jokes, and so on. Does this behavior draw the lost to Christ or turn them away. You are either on God’s side, or you aren’t. You can’t have it both ways.

Today there is a group that is bent upon removing God from our society. They feel that God is a threat to their way of life, America, and the world. They have launched a campaign to remove God from every aspect of society. They have made a good stab at it. They have succeeded in removing Him from schools, from our government, and from many public places because it offends them. They have become like Israel was so many times. They want to do what is right in their own sight. They are unwilling to have anyone in authority over them. They want to decide what is right and what is wrong and they are determined to set their own standards. You only have to look at our society today to see the degrading level to which it has sunk. We, as Christians, are not of this crowd. Our citizenship is in heaven. The Bible calls us sojourners. Our names are on the citizenship roll of God. They are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We may ask why that is so important. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. ( Rev 20:15) Those whose names are not written in the Book will be judged by the law. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the Law through the body of Christ. (Rom. 7:4a) All mankind will be judged by the law. Man by himself cannot fulfill the law but as Christians it has been fulfilled for us. “Do not think I came to destroy the law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” ( Matt 5:17) Christ Jesus was telling us that He will fulfill the law for those that accept His sacrifice for their sins. We are free to chose if we want to stand before God alone or stand before Him covered by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. (Romans 8:1) Citizenship in heaven is very crucial to us. If our citizenship is in heaven, there will be certain characteristics that will be evident to those in the world.

First, our conversation will be from heaven. Our conversation will glorify God. It will be pure and point to Christ. This is because they we mind the things of above. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. (Prov. 23:11) If your mind dwells upon corruption and filth, that is what you will become. If you think on things above that are pure, honest, and good, that is what you will become. Your conversation is a giveaway to your citizenship.

Second, we will have our values established by God. Having God establish our values governs our behavior and separates us from the world. Today in the political campaigns, we hear that each candidate has values common to the voting public. This is partly what is wrong with the world today. People are looking to what the majority believes to establish what they should believe. We, as Christians, should look to God to determine our values. This is done by searching the scriptures and letting the Holy Spirit guide our lives.

Third, as citizens of heaven we are also loyal to heaven’s cause. The cross condemns what the word loves and pronounces man guilty as charged. Paul weeps because he knows the end waiting for the guilty. His heart goes out to them. He is loyal to the cause of Christ. We are to preach the Gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, deliver the captives, give sight to the blind, set at liberty the oppressed, and preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18) This was Christ’s mission, and it should be ours. That is what heaven’s cause is, and that is what we should be loyal to. That is what our goal should be as Christians. If we are citizens of our conversation will be from heaven, our lives guided by heaven’s laws, be loyal to heaven’s cause, and we will be looking for heaven’s Lord. The Bible tells us He is coming again, and we know it is soon. The signs show us this. Scripture tells us what those signs will be just prior to His coming. Israel will be re-gathered in the land. The old Roman Empire will be brought together and become a strong power. Israel will become a cup of trembling to the world and will be besieged on all sides. A relatively new sign is that the power to destroy 1/3 of the world is in place. In Luke 21:7-36 Christ gives us a list to watch for. He says many will come in His name who are false. There will be wars and rumors of war, there will be earthquakes as never before, there will be extreme famine in the world, and there will be persecutions. The signs point to His coming very soon for those who make Him the Lord of their lives.

How do we get this doctrine? Now when He had spoke these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” ( Acts 1: 9-11 ) He will come in like manner. That is He will return in the clouds of glory, not on a white horse as in Rev. 19. Paul again confirmed this to the Thessalonians. They had been told that those that had died would miss this coming of Christ, and they were very distraught. Paul was reassuring them that they would not and explained it to them. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (have died), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For his we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ( I Thess. 4: 13-17 ) Christ is coming for His church, but not on a white horse like in Rev. 19. Also He does not come to earth at this time, but we meet Him in the air. Many ask, “When will He come? Will I go through the tribulation as described in Revelation?”

There are basically three beliefs on this, the pre-tribulation coming of Christ, the mid-tribulation coming of Christ, and the post-tribulation coming of Christ. All can present good Bible based arguments for their position. I believe in the pre-tribulation coming of Christ for many reasons. First Daniel was written in Aramaic up to the 7^th Chapter and then it changed to be written in Hebrew. Aramaic was the general language at that time. Hebrew was only for the Jewish population. Daniel switched to Hebrew when he began foretelling the tribulation time. Gabriel tells Daniel exactly who the tribulation is for and what its purpose is. “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. (Dan. 9:24) Gabriel says it is for the Jewish people and their holy city. It is not for the church. Jesus describes the great tribulation and then says to His followers, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) Apparently if you are counted worthy you will escape what He calls the days of vengeance. He says just before, that these days will come unexpectedly and snare all that dwell on the earth. He then says you can be worthy to escape them and stand before the Son of Man. It’s interesting that He ties escaping with standing before the Son of Man. Sounds to me like what has become known as the rapture. I have come to believe that true Christians will not see the tribulation.

The signs are in place, and the time is ripe for the one world leader to emerge, but we have hope. As Paul says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to himself.” (Phil. 3:20-21) “Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruption shall put on incorruption, and this mortality shall put on immortality.” (I Corinth. 15:52-54) Our weak frailty will be gone, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sadness. We shall be changed in a twinkling of an eye, and we shall see Him face to face. We have hope all because our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Let me ask you today, where is your citizenship? If you are not sure you can have that assurance today. Simply ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and make Him the Lord of your life. Then your name will also be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.