HAS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE LOST SOME OF ITS GLORY SINCE FIRST DELIVERED?

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.. And all was very good" [Gen 1:1, 27 and 31]. ("And won't He give the Spirit to them that ask Him?" Luke 11:13) ...God's rescue from the outcome of "missing the mark" sin "was finished from the foundation/creation of the world" [Heb 4:3]. "My word that goes out from my mouth will accomplish all I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" [Is 55:11]. Perfect, makes no mistakes. Can lose nothing. Ultimately all will repent.. there may even "be weeping and gnashing of teeth" in "outer darkness" but - "In Christ all will be made alive! Each in his own order - those who are Christ’s at His coming, then the end when Christ hands the kingdom over to God the Father.. that He may be all in all" [1 Cor 15:22-28].

Sunday, January 31, 2016

For Whom Does The Bell Toll?


When Paul tried to tell the synagogue of Thessalonica the good news that Messiah had come, they "contradicted and blasphemed". Heck, they caused a riot and "attacked the house of Jason"!

They were unable to believe the good news of Messiah.

Now when Paul got to the next town he preached in, at the synagogue of Berea, "they were more noble, for they searched the scriptures daily to see if those things were so".

Is it too good to be true that God wishes all to be saved? Is it too hard to believe that His Word will return to Him fully accomplishing all which He desires and intends? Is it possible for a person, or persons, to conceive of a better outcome than God Almighty does? Is it possible for Him to be less than perfect? Does perfect lose anything? Make mistakes? Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Tim 4:10) "..to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe". And Jesus Himself said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth" (on the cross!) "will draw all men unto me". Is it really too good to be true? Is it truly easier to believe He will lose the majority of mankind? Will consign to annihilation, or worse, forever, even those who never heard the "good news"?

"Love never fails" - 1 Corinthians 13:8. Never, fails. All, should at least "search the scriptures" to see if it is really so. But! We need go back to the original words. The King's men (and others) have had a couple of preconceived notions. What does it hurt to search the scriptures to see what is so?

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Quintus Roscious Gallus


Quintis Roscious Gallus, later called simply Roscious, lived in the years of 134 - 61 B.C. (or B.C.E). He was a slave who became an actor "for his master's profit". But he was able to buy his freedom and became a famous "tragedian and comedian".

I was looking something up in my 1952 edition of "The New Modern Encyclopedia" and noticed his name and read the small two sentence paragraph about him. He lived before the days of Jesus. How would he have ever heard the gospel message and believed on Jesus in order to be saved?

The idea that nature somehow communicates the gospel to all those who've never heard it? ...Just doesn't hold water. There should be no going beyond the Word of God! The translators (men) have erred in some ways from the original languages of God's Word to us.

We can find Strong's numbers here, for the original words:
www.scripture4all.org/download/download_ISA3.php

And their meanings here - may have to scroll past the translations:
http://studybible.info/strongs/

Acts 17:11 - "These were more noble ..in that they searched the scriptures daily.. whether those things were so."

Tuesday, January 26, 2016