Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: timothy

  • Time Beyond Years – Omega

    Revelation 1:8 KJV

    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.

    ἄλφα - Alpha first letter of Greek alphabet - Christ is the Alpha to indicate that he is the beginning and the end
    Alpha

    Briefly, we considered creation (day 1 before measurable time). 

    Look at the timeline of man’s history as if the mark on the left is creation. Suppose man (adam) is a second mark and Noah a third. Then Abraham and Moses followed by David, with generations and centuries unmarked.

    In the middle of the line a notable mark of the division of time follows which we note as B.C. (or BCE) and A.D. (from the Latin: Anno Domini – ‘In the year of our Lord’).

    Before this dividing mark of time between BC and AD, David has reigned and the Prophets have spoken.

    THEN..

    Jesus Christ is born, teaches, crucified and resurrected (a challenge to mortal time). 

    His life as God With Us (Immanuel) delineates a beginning to these last days.

    Our timeline of these last days endures through persecution of the faithful while the Lord wins repentant sinners.

    But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. – 2 Peter 3:9

    Following the fall of Rome and rise of false prophets the church witnesses the way of Christ Jesus.

    History records the printing of the Bible, reformation of the faith and enlightenment of mindful godlessness.

    The nations learn of Christ, empires rise and fall toward an inevitable end, the omega of time. Christ IS near in the omega of these last days, the end of time measured by the created of the Lord God Almighty.

     Ω Ō, o’-meg-ah; the last letter of the Greek alphabet, i.e. (figuratively) the finality:—Omega.

    Observe any line, even a timeline of history.  

    It has a beginning (Α, ἄλφα) and it has an end (Ω, Omega). 

    Yet look beyond the visible beginning and visible end of the line and in your mind’s eye observe the infinite extension of that which is visible. 

    Look above (heavenward) and below: consider the expanse of so much which the line does not touch.

    apokalypsis the Gospel of Jesus Christ unsealed
    — Omega revealing the end

    Our created living souls can barely grasp it!

    The refracted light of our postmodern enlightenment clouds the clarity of the One true Light.

    Time and creation have cause. The Lord will surely accomplish His purpose and the saving of His own at the end.

    Before the Α, After the Ω

    And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

    Genesis 1:31

    One commandment from God to man, a simple life in paradise:

    “.. of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:17b

    Yet man chooses trespass to just one simple command from God. A just and righteous LORD must punish sin.

    The Lord God said.. to Adam he said: “.. for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3 excerpt

    Living toward life’s end

    LATER in Scripture - from a conversation of a righteous man.
    Although Job appears later in the Bible his place in the timeline of history is closer to Abraham than to David.
    Job 7:

    “Has not man a hard service on earth…? 

    … so I am allotted months of emptiness,
    and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

    When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’

    But the night is long,
    and I am full of tossing till the dawn.

    5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
    my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
    6 My days are swifter.. and come to their end without hope.

    7 “Remember that my life is a breath;
    my eye will never again see good.
    8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
    while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.

    17 What is man, that you make so much of him,
        and that you set your heart on him,
    18 visit him every morning
        and test him every moment?

    Why do you not pardon my transgression
    and take away my iniquity?
    For now I shall lie in the earth;
    you will seek me, but I shall not be.” – Job 7:21 

    The time and place of punishment

    Luke 16:

    … and in Hades, being in torment… And he called out, ‘… have mercy on me.., for I am in anguish in this flame.’

    ᾅδης – hadēs

    • What do you expect of inevitable death and deserved hell? 
    • (Or do you yet claim blemished goodness with eyes that will not see death?)

    Hell [Hades] holds captive many living souls by the certainty of our own sins.

    Roman, Hellenist and Hebrew understanding of Jesus’ mention of Hades fits the definition:

    1. name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions
    2. Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead
    3. later use of this word: the grave, death, hell

    Yet note a subtlety of the root word of Hades: 

    From the negative participle of Alpha and εἴδω – eidō, a word meaning ‘to see’ or ‘to know.’

    And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. – Revelation 20:1

    Do you yet see our vulnerability to the punishment for sin after our end without Christ?

    “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. – Ezekiel 12:2

    After the Omega, saved in Christ

    The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.. – 1 Timothy 1:15

    The gospel εὐαγγέλιον of John:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…

    But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

    .. and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

    “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ)...

    Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

    If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

    For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

    Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

    And this is the judgment:

    the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

    Omega – for those with eyes to see

    apokalypsis the Gospel of Jesus Christ unsealed
    Omega revealing the end
    Revelation 22:

    Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb…

    “And behold, I am coming soon. 

    12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

    “Come.”

    And let the one who hears say, “Come.”

    And let the one who is thirsty come;

    let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

    20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

    Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

    21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

    Amen.

  • Times of Difficulty – 5

    Times of Difficulty – 5

    Godlessness in the Last Days

    2 Timothy 3:

    But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

    2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

    File- This Sept. 6, 2012, file photo shows Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon, (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
    Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos richest man in the world with a net worth of $90.6 billion

    Many lovers of money worldwide, with the richest residing in the US, France, Spain, Mexico, China and Hong Kong.

    Proud and arrogant men and women rule companies and financial interests more powerful than countries.

    We sense the extreme poverty of so many without knowing the truth of many billionaires like Carlos Slim Helú who dominates more than a country just devastated by yet another earthquake.

    Borderless prisons of poverty abuse the starving and obliterate opposition.

    Difficulty in these last days

    How many rulers of this temporary darkness are without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit and more?

    Evil rulers of countries and military forces threaten apocalypse, condone persecution and order elimination of those who oppose them. Is the Lord God their God?

    Hardly a mention of evil in these trying times. Yet one word describes all – godlessness. 

    Meanwhile international headline news conglomerates skew our focus toward consumption, power and fleeting fame. 

    Signs of the End of the Age

    Enlightened ones speculate with futily about global warming and disasters of ‘mother nature.’ 

    Earth did not create us, aliens did not plant us and apes did not conceive our ancestors. Yet idolatry abounds in these times of difficulty.

    When hurricane approaches or disaster strikes do any dare mention ‘acts of God?’

    Matthew 24:

    Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

    3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

    4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

    6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

    7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

    9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

    11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

    12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

    14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

    No One Knows That Day and Hour

    In two millennia since the beginning of these last days, in recent centuries of these last hours, in passing minutes of threatening signs:

    Has your love grown cold? Will you endure to the end?

    Is your gospel of the kingdom of Christ Jesus a testimony of truth, an anchor of belief and hope of love?

    37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…

    Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida, wreaking destruction

    44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

    2 Peter 3:

    … scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say,

    “Where is the promise of his coming? …”

    5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

    7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

    Remember 9/11
    2,996 deaths

    10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

    For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…

     

     

  • Credentials for Christ

    Credentials for Christ

    It seems I am unqualified by all measures for employment in the service of Christ.

    I have no Doctor of Divinity. I’ve never been on a church staff or even served time as a youth pastor. My vocations have been beyond the walls of the church in the everyday lives of common men. My family life has been less than exemplary and my pedigree is more related to the place where I came from than my zeal for the Lord.

    (And after all, why would your church hire a tent maker to answer phones or schedule your meetings?)

    Suppose your church needs some help with its important ministry. You draw up a job description (which we will get to later) and a man applies with credentials not suited to what you had in mind. In fact, his resume reads like he was either paid to work by some rather ungodly organizations or volunteer to learn pastoring from some rather hypocritical religious types.

    Saul of Tarsus

    Paul and Aquilla tent makersResume:

    Occupation: Tent maker

    1. a lesser known Christian you may not have heard of
    2. a former corrupt tax collector
    3. a former boat owner and hot-headed sailor

    Roman-Provincia_SyriaOkay, our search committee doesn’t particularly agree that this guy from Tarsus of Cilicia is a good fit.

    How about a local candidate who fascinates our religious and political rulers? He has a religious following of his own and good teaching credentials. Let’s go hear a sermon of his. (Maybe he will join our staff.)

    7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,

    viper“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

    Alright, maybe this Baptizer is not the best guy for our seeker-friendly church. (Too bad we can’t find a faithful minister like those proven Prophets of the Old Testament.)

    When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” – 1 Kings 18:17Elijah reward

    On the other hand, Elijah was opposed to the leaders of Israel. The King sought to kill him. Besides, Stephen, who Saul had heard testify, had asked:

    Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

    NO. I don’t think our Pastor wants a Prophet in the pews. Forget a guy like John the Baptist greeting our newcomers. Matthew and all government officials are definitely out of contention. An unemployed fisherman who is ready to draw the sword at the first sign of opposition won’t work. (And who ever heard of this reference, Ananias, other than this Saul of Tarsus candidate?)

    Choosing ministers for the work of the church is not as easy as we might think.

    So what are the qualifications?

    A first qualification is from the Lord:

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3

    A Christ follower and leader of the church must be changed. (Have we even asked or witnessed evidence of the Holy Spirit?)

    Returning to the record of scripture, we know, of course that Paul was appointed by Christ Jesus and approved by Peter.

    After many years of preaching, teaching and persecution, the Apostle Paul instructs the church by pastoral letters to other church leaders.

    1 Timothy

    5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

    Pray for All People

    2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

    Qualifications for Overseers

    3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

    Qualifications for Deacons

    8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

    NOT qualified

    Who then may be qualified?

    Not that we are sufficient  of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

    Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

    Second letter of Paul to the Corinthians 2:3:5-6 KJV

    Grace: such a loving kindness of the Lord.

    It is only by the grace of Christ Jesus that any man should serve the church in obedience to the will of the Lord. It is by grace that we are saved. It is by grace we should be called to lead. It is by grace that through our own acts of mercy and grace that another soul might come to know the surpassing grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

    By grace and discernment of Christ’s love we humbly draw near as a church of forgiven souls seeking to share the Gospel of the grace of the Cross of Christ Jesus. May the Lord lead us with an open heart and willing walk to follow those who walk alongside our church in the roles of leadership.

    Peace, grace and mercy be with you, beloved brother, dear sister in the Lord.