The Rapture Force

We believe unto salvation. Because we believe then we receive the forgiveness of sins,and become reborn. A brand new slate for us who believe, that Jesus is Lord. That He was sent by God, that he was perfect,that He took our place and paid the price that we could never ever pay. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever {believes} in Him shall not parish but have ever lasting life. Believing what is it? it is faith,it is trust in God. It is a huge thing for us all. I will show you in this article how very important believing is.

We are told in one of my favorite verses that all things are possible to those who believe. Mark 9:23. The scenario is a father comes to Jesus and asks if you can would you please rid my son of the evil spirit within him that throws him on the ground and causes him to have seizures. I imagine Jesus incredulously looking at the father of the boy and asking, If I can? And then replying, all things are possible to those who believe. Then the father says to Jesus I believe, help my unbelief. So in other words, he thinks he believes, but then realizes he may not have that complete faith that is unwavering, so asks for help to believe.

We are allowed this as well. We who are His own, can ask for Him to help us to believe, that which we want more than anything to believe. We find in James 1:6-8 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. Many people say they do not believe in the power of the holy Spirit doing all the works and more that Jesus said we would do. I personally feel bad for these people they are living a life of lack, and really as it says here in James, cannot expect anything from the Lord.

Wow do you see that? Those who waver in belief, meaning they just cannot believe for some reason or another, wont receive anything. So now we have an answer as to why those people who do not believe in the power of the holy Spirit, to give us gifts of healing and prophecy and speaking in tongues, do not get those gifts themselves. One must believe to receive those gifts, and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Baptism means immersion Baptisma is the Greek word for it and it means immersion. Our English dictionary gives a loose translation. Saying immersion or sprinkling. Immersion in water is also baptism,but the gifts of the Holy Spirit only comes with immersion in the Holy Spirit. These, contrary to some peoples belief, are two different things.

Jesus said you must be born of water and spirit in John 3:5,6 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. This is very important obviously,for Jesus to say it. Paul, in Acts, 19:1-6 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Now the reason I was led to do this particular article was due to an argument or a debate 2 nights ago with two men, who insisted that they believe in the Holy Spirit but that there are no gifts given from this spirit in our time. I would like to say I was incredulous,but alas I have family who believes this way, and are also stuck under the law. They have no power in the Lord. They live lack luster lives devoted to working their tails off to be considered good enough to achieve eternity, and then claim they are not going to heaven due to their works. The law is not done away with but fulfilled. Meaning it is finished! There is no more to do to pay for your sins if you mess up. These people sadly do not understand that to live by the law one must also die by the law.

Paul in Romans 7 shows us the very weakness of the law. May I suggest everyone do an in depth study of Romans 6 and 7. It helps us to understand why it is we do not have to fight ourselves at all times to try and uphold the law. This link is a fabulous explanation of dying to the law, it is a very good explanation of Romans 6 and 7. http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4507.htm This is a whole other article though. I tell you the Lord had me going through, about 5 different articles I could do just off of this one subject,that leads to so many more possibilities.

At one point of the discussion about denying the power in the Holy Spirit, I brought up the verses in Matthew chapter 12:31,32. This says there is an unpardonable sin and that is the grieving of the Holy Spirit. These men, (and I have to laugh at them not even realizing what they are arguing here) said that this was being used by me in the wrong context ,that the men who were grieving the holy spirit were saying Jesus was possessed of demons and this was how He was able to cast out demons and heal the sick. But the argument from their point of view was that these gifts do not exist for us today the holy spirit does not do these gifts through us. After the apostles died the gifts were done away with.

To me they are doing the same thing as those pharisees! They are arguing against the holy spirit doing the healing and speaking in tongues through us, and doing all manner of miracles and signs and wonders. But my question then has to be, if it is not the holy Spirit doing these things through us, then who do they say it is, doing these miracles and signs? The correct conclusion has got to be satan. The men were telling me how Jesus was telling the pharisees how stupid and foolish their notion was that it could and or would be demons doing these things. I agree with Jesus,but I cannot understand how these men, who vehemently deny there is power in the Holy Spirit that works today, figure it is foolish for the pharisees but not for themselves to believe, any other than the holy Spirit, is doing these works that are purely and certainly of God!

It is because they do not believe, that they do not receive these gifts. Proverbs 23:7 as a man thinketh so does he. So in other words if a man, or woman for that matter, decides for themselves that there are no longer any gifts of the Holy Spirit, then they cannot receive those gifts. Let us look at the power of believing for so many during Jesus walk upon the earth. Matthew 8:13 Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have Believed.” His servant was healed in that hour. Matthew 9:28 When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you Believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

See it was their very believing that reaped the benefits. They sowed belief and they received a great harvest for believing. Let’s go on! Matthew 21:22 and all — as much as ye may ask in the prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ Oh dear now look at that! Out of the Lord’s own mouth. How do men mere men argue with the logic the truth coming from the Truth’s mouth? There is so much more. Mark 5:36 But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only Believe.”This last verse is talking about Jesus bringing the 12 yr old girl back to life. He knew they had to believe in order for Him to bring her back from the dead.

Let us go on. Mark 11:23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain,’Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but Believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. This is another of my favorites. It is so very important to understand the things we can do as long as we believe. So yes those people those word of faith preachers, not only are they trying to get through to you that believing is the most important thing you can possibly do for yourself and for ministry. But they are also trying most often to get you to understand,if you do not have this kind of faith,you must go after it. You must seek it with all your heart mind and body. The Lord gives nothing to anyone,we must work for all of it. Faith is progressive it is not just given to you. Faith is enlarged and grown and stretched in trials and troubles and sickness and even in health.

I do not look down my nose at word of faith preachers. Instead I covet that kind of faith. Word of faith preachers are not sitting idly by, they are working for every ounce of whatever they have. They are not telling you wrong by saying you get what you believe for. They are telling you the truth. Jesus said Himself, whatever you believe without wavering, that you will receive. If your praying for and hoping for, let’s say healing of cancer,You had better have some serious unwavering faith. Because the moment you waiver in your believing for it,is the moment you have to start all over again. If you covet healing then you need to study faith and pray for faith and ask God to help you to believe. Then trust Him for that faith and that help,and trust Him, that what He says He will do for one, He will do for all!

I went to a wonderful church that blew me away when they did the offering prayer. The pastor said, I am not going to beg for your money and force you, for the Lord likes a cheerful giver. But more importantly, we believe that the Lord wants this church to prosper in all it’s ways, and therefore we believe the Lord will make sure we are funded and all our needs are met. Now that is a wonderful church! I have always believed if a church has to beg and make those in the church feel guilty about tithing, then something is just not right in the church. Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, Believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. See the Lord goes on here in the same vein as the previous verse. It has to be very important to receive what you seek if he goes on and on about that very thing.

Mark 16:16 He who Believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disBelieves will be condemned. Mark 16:17 These signs will accompany those who Believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; Oh wow now wait a second!!! Jesus is not talking about the apostles, He says here, “those who Believe”! Did Jesus lie? Of course not! Let us not be ridiculous. Jesus did not lie, and He had to continue to equip the church to enlarge the Kingdom. We can, none of us, do anything on our own. It is only the Holy Spirit living in us that can do all of the things we do. I challenge any person, any one person in this world and or who reads this to tell me when and where does Jesus or the apostles say that the gifts will die with them?There is no such verse or conversation.

I want to look at what happens when people do not believe. First off we see in Mark 16:16 that he who disbelieves will be condemned! Then now let us look at Jesus in Nazareth as a man fully into His ministry,and what happens when the people disbelieve in Him and in the power He wields. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. Mark 6:4-6 See He could do not mighty works. In the parallel verses in Matthew it states, 58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

So though I know and believe with everything in me that God can and will do whatever miracles He wants to, when and where He chooses,will not, due to unbelief. As a man thinketh so is he, comes to mind. In this context though it is unbelief or negativity. Also Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So think about this too out of the abundance of your heart the mouth speaks. So the abundance in those hearts of those people, that refuse to believe in the very amazing and awesome power of the Holy Spirit, is unbelief.God is never changing, what is good for one person is good for another. God is no respecter of men,not even the apostles had anything more special than any man or woman in the world today.

Why would God give to them liberally all those lovely gifts and then all of the thousands upon thousands that came to Christ in the times of the apostles witness,but not us? we who are the body of Christ, with Christ being the head He has all that power. Think of it this way,our head which is attached to our body, has all our abilities in them. Our subconscious mind does all those things we do not have to tell our bodies to do, but to move our arms our legs, to speak, to look in any direction we must think about it,right? So with Christ being our head,and we all being His body, we have that power too. He gives it to us!

Every time I hear or see or read of someone saying oh that power died with the apostles,I cannot help but think of the verse in 2 Timothy 3:5,and I am using the living translation for this one,it says it so well. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! The KJV says it like this,Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. So why do we need to believe? It is so important to our very eternity to believe every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. People need to stop picking and choosing to believe what they want to believe and only that. God does not conform to your whims. Look at Romans 10:12 for there is no difference between Jew and Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. let’s look at that last part of the verse rich unto all that call upon Him! So He gives the same to all, the same riches, are for every one who calls upon Him. How wonderful that news is!

And let’s look at Romans 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: 9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.There it is again,our whole entire Christianity our eternity depends upon believing the Lord. If you do not believe in all of what He has to offer then you are losing out on so much! Your missing out on the very power that brought Jesus out of the grave alive! That power that conquered the grave lives inside of us. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwells in you. Amazing truths just amazing.

I pray for each of you that reads this that the Lord would stretch and grow your faith and that you will accept all truth about the Lord and His ways. I pray that you will live the abundant life Christ gave to us all freely,of His own will. it is the Lord’s will for us to all live lives full and wonderful and joyful and strengthened and powerful. If we deny the power of the Holy Spirit we deny truth,and our unbelief will in the end hurt us in so many ways.Believe brothers and sister Believe fully and completely in the truth,that is Jesus Christ.
Love in Christ Jesus,Tammy

Let’s first take a look at the verses we are going to be speaking about here. I pray that someone somewhere will get the message the Lord intended here. Especially one or many who believe in a pre tribulation rapture. This is a story of endurance and patience. Not one of Christians and non Christians as some suggest. These are all Christians being spoken of here. But five are the foolish ones, who did not endure till the end. They did not get filled up with knowledge and wisdom,they had some, but stopped short of the full preparation. When a Bride get’s ready for her groom she sometimes takes years, or a year most often to plan her wedding. There is nothing that is left out of the plans The Bride does not stop when half way finished with her plans. No she works her tail off, weeks and months on end to make all things right and have it all exactly perfect.

It is no different for us Christians. We are to go till the end. Until our Groom meets us. If we give up half way to the finish line then we have done it all for nothing. It would be as though we never began the race in the first place. We are told hundreds of times,throughout the word, he who endures till the end, shall be saved. How can one expect to be saved unless they run the full race? We are to give it every ounce of what we have daily, nightly, weekly,monthly, and yearly Until He comes. We are to occupy,meaning we are to be about the kings business, so when He comes He sees that we have indeed been made ready, that we have been doing our part of the deal so to speak.Salvation is not a one way thing. We have a huge part in our own walk with the Lord. If we stop walking with Him then we have been lost and it was all for nothing. There are many verses that explain this straight forward.If you are half way in the Lord and half way in the world, then you are none of His. He is all about My way or the highway honey!

Ok here are the verses the only place that tells the parable of the Virgins,Matthew 25:

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. Preparation,stamina,perseverance. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. they took knowledge, wisdom and were prepared. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, (No pre tribulation rapture,He tarries that all who are coming to the Lord, will come) and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out. (Help us we do not know what to do,we were unprepared for the wait, the darkness got to us and we lost our way.) 9“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.(we cannot help you to see wisdom and truth and have knowledge)’10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil,(on their way to learning what they needed to be ready and to have stamina) the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

( I thought I knew you, but my sheep know my voice and they listen to me John 10:27,this is stated three times in John 10. The reason He would not know you, is because you did not listen to His words that were speaking truth to you,and preparing you, in the word, Instead you listened to strangers,and in those verses in John 10 it says ( my own would never follow a stranger! )

Those who believe it a pre tribulation rapture are not mentally spiritually or otherwise preparing for the darkness to come. They are not putting extra oil aside for the times coming because they believe they will not be here to endure it so therefore they are the picture of the foolish virgins.When the time is here and they are facing the terrors and the horrors they believed themselves to not be present for,their going to experience burn out rather quickly. They will have no ability to keep running the race, they will be unable to see their way clearly through the darkness, because they will be unprepared to withstand all the fiery darts hurled at them. And there will be darts flying at them from every angle. They will be shocked into immobility! With their understanding being why be worried? We are not to be here,the groom will not tarry He is coming any second.

when I read these verses, I get this same feeling from the Holy Spirit every time. That this is the preparation for the tribulation,the wise having prepared for it in advance, and the foolish not having prepared one drop,and their love waxing cold,towards the Lord,and their fellow brothers and sister. I believe some will actually accuse the Lord of lying to them and therefore will accept the mark, and will be the very apostates spoken of by Paul in the letters to the Thessalonians. I believe the oil outside of ourselves is actually the Holy Spirit He replenishes us as we go through tumultuous situations. He sustains us and whispers the word to our hearts that we already know such as say 1 Peter 4:1,2 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

And 1 Pet 4: 12-19 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

I take a lot of flack from some family and some friends, for my outlook on the end times. I do not rightly care! Seriously I look towards that Hope the Blessed hope, with every ounce of me. Filled with joy at the prospect of it. That is not doom and gloom friends it is the fulfillment of all we have been walking with the Lord for. It is that everlasting glorious appearing of our savior that we might be made into perfect beings immortal and Christ like. Never to ever worry about sinning again. What is gloom and doom about that I ask? We are told through out the NT that we keep going until the end, time and again we are told we must keep going even though we will experience fiery trials. Even though we will go through some times where we say Lord help me I cannot do this one more minute. Then we are reminded I can do all things let me type that again, I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. We in ourselves could never withstand all that is coming. So that is why we need that extra oil. The Lord has provided the truth to us and those who wish to adhere to the whole truth, and not hear what their itching ears wish to hear only. We are prepared at all times through His word for every single thing to come upon us.

We need to be ready in season and out of season,and filled with knowledge wisdom and strength that only comes from the Lord (The Word). Jesus suffered and each and every one of His apostles suffered. They were all of them persecuted,and all but one was killed for their witness of Christ! But Though John was not killed by anyone and died of old age, he was persecuted. We cannot think it a strange thing to think of the chances of us being persecuted to death. We are told through out the scriptures it is going to happen. There will be no excuse for those who are unprepared! And mere humans cannot give you that extra oomf your going to need, our words will sound hollow and meaningless to one who is suffering immeasurably. I don’t even care if you have decided I am nut’s for telling you this. My only hope is that some of you will retain this warning in your memory, so that when you are going through the hellish ordeals promised us, you will think back and maybe, just maybe, not become the apostate that is fully expected of believers in that time. Unbelievers cannot become apostate! Get that out of your head right away.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Time and time again we are told we will be persecuted. How does one come up with your getting away scott free?. How does one for one moment believe themselves better than the apostles? Each and every apostle as I said earlier was persecuted severely! Are you considering yourself better than the apostles,to not have to withstand,to not have to persevere? He who perseveres to the end he shall be saved.

Matt 24:13 The funny thing is Jesus through out the testimony of the end times,tells us we will be persecuted, we will be killed, we will be turned over by those we love. And no one denies Jesus is speaking of the tribulation here,yet they destroy, (to rip apart, to make useless.) the whole thing by insisting He is not speaking to everyone. That He is only speaking to the Jews. I have to point out one more time here God makes no distinction between the Jews and the gentiles. Galatians 3:28 says it all when it comes to that. We when we get saved as just like Jews. We get grafted into the olive tree. So if the branches of the olive tree can be ripped off how much worse for we who have been grafted in if we make a fool of the Lord,and His ultimate sacrifice? Let me show you the verse I speak of here.

Romans 11:16 For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

The fullness of the Gentiles dear brothers and sisters, is not until the very last person who is not a Jew has been saved. Jesus would never go and celebrate while a part of His bride, His promised one, or ones are still being persecuted and ripped apart. Does it make sense that the party starts with out the full body being there? The wedding feast does not begin until the bride in full regalia walks in. The bride being every Christian who ever lived and every Jew who walked in the will of the Lord, since time began,made pure by her fiery trials. Made white by her acceptance of Her Lord,and washed clean by His very blood. We must be as pure and chaste as is possible to receive the prize,our Lord and Savior Our Groom!

The Lord our God would not give His son a less than pure bride. If a girl was not pure when she came to the marriage bed that marriage was annulled. Made void and her embarrassment was complete, because everyone would then know she was impure. She would be made ashamed! In the middle ages they would actually display the maidens bloody sheets out the window to show she had been pure. We cannot expect that the Lord would ever consider giving His son a bride, who still had hang ups and could not love even her enemies. We cannot expect our perfect Lord to wish any other than the purest most devoted to His ways,bride. The tribulation is to test and separate the goats from the sheep,the thorns from the wheat. Let us not forget that the Lord told us in Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

That sounds exactly like at the end. There is no two harvests there is but one,and that is the last day. Revelation chapter 14 verses 12 through 18 show us the harvesting,with the Lord our Savior our King of Kings,sitting on the clouds that He just rode up on,where the whole world is seeing Him and the trumpet has already sounded and here is the shout of the arch angel shouting reap for the harvest is ripe for reaping. Which says God looked upon the earth and sees His own reflection looking back at Him from His children’s faces. They have been purified through the fiery trials,the dross has been drawn off, they now reflect their Lord,and it is good.

God Bless you all,Love in Christ Jesus,Tammy

Chapter Six

1. What is the first “elementary” doctrine mentioned?

Repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

2. The second doctrine?

The doctrine of baptisms.

3. The third doctrine?

Laying on of hands.

4. The fourth doctrine?

The resurrection of the dead.

5. The fifth doctrine?

Eternal judgment.

6. What does the writer of Hebrews term these five doctrines?

The first principles, the beginning, of the doctrine of Christ.

7. What does the writer of Hebrews exhort us to do, with reference to the five elementary doctrines?

To leave them and go on to perfection, to maturity.

The writer means that we are to leave them and proceed further with our discussion of the Christian salvation. However, in the light of the statements in Chapter Two through Five, it also is true that we should press past them in actual practice and seek to enter the rest of God.

8. Beginning at verse four, what aspects of salvation had the Hebrew saints experienced already?

They had been enlightened.

They had tasted the heavenly gift.

They had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.

They had tasted the good Word of God; they had tasted the works of power of the world age to come.

9. What is impossible if people of such spiritual experience should fall away?

To renew them again to repentance.

10. What two things do such backsliders do to Christ?

They crucify Him again and they expose Him to public shame.

Numerous Christian teachers have attempted to prove that once a person has made a genuine of belief in Jesus he can never be removed from the grace of God. Their position is based on a concept of grace as a sovereign action of God unrelated to man’s response.

The premise that redemption is an abstract Divine act that does not depend on human response is one of the deadliest, most subtle of all the errors that have corrupted Christian thinking. The Divine redemption, from beginning to completion, is an opportunity. The believer can choose to pursue the continuing revelation of God’s grace or can, after having begun, ignore and neglect the further challenges and demands.

The Christian walk is a way of faith, a way of righteousness. Whenever a believer ceases to press forward in faith he stands in danger of falling back into spiritual death. Satan never ceases his attempts to deceive the Christian away from the path of light.

The believer who, after repeated admonitions of the Lord, does not begin to bear the fruit of righteousness, will be cut out of the Vine, out of Christ.

Thesis of the Book of Hebrews is that we will be made a partaker of Christ on the condition that we press forward to the land of promise, to the rest of God, to the fullness of our inheritance in Christ. Hebrews was written to experienced disciples who now were losing their fervency.

The expression “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” must be interpreted in the light of the whole Book of Hebrews. It appears that these seasoned Christians were beginning to neglect their salvation and were not pressing into the rest of God, the perfection of salvation that is the mark of maturity.

The spiritual forces that govern the earth are so powerful, the currents so strong and swift, that is not press forward is to be swept backward. The experienced saint who loses the white heat of fervency slowly but surely loses ground. Satan works slowly and unremittingly. Before many years have past the believer who once had been a prophet of God is now living in the flesh. His spiritual life is dying.

Whether he would be able in this condition to rekindle his love for Jesus is questionable. We have known of a man in this condition. What at one time had been a vibrant Christian was now a shell of a man, sick, terrified that he had sinned away his day of grace. Our counsel to him was to sit in church every time the doors opened and hope that God would have mercy on him and give him the grace to repent and pray.

Our relationship to the Lamb of God is that of Bride to Bridegroom. We may stumble a few times, in which instances the Lord will pick us up so we may continue our journey toward His palace. But if we fall away, spurning His love, there may come a day when He loses interest in us.

We know of the parable of the prodigal son and the blessing this has been to countless sinners who have come to themselves and returned to Father’s house.

We know also of a faithless Israel who sinned until there no longer was a remedy and they lost the Glory that had been theirs. Twenty-five hundred years later they still are trying to retain control of their land and their holy city.

If we neglect our salvation we will not escape punishment and severe loss of inheritance–if not something worse!

11. What kind of ground does God bless?

That which drinks the rain that comes on it and brings forth crops fit for those for whom it has been tilled.

12. What is true of ground that brings forth thorns and thistles?

It is rejected. It is near a curse. It will be burned in the end.

13. What are some of the things that “accompany salvation”?

Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and a pressing forward in the Spirit each day toward the fullness of the inheritance that is in Christ.

If these “things” are not accompanying our Christian experience, then salvation is not occurring. Faith apart from such works of righteousness is dead.

14. What was God remembering concerning the Hebrew Christians?

Their work and labor of love in serving the saints.

Evidently these Jewish saints were hospitable toward the traveling ministries, and were doing all that they could to assist Christians who were in need.

15. How can we make ourselves sure of our hope of salvation?

By being diligent in the work of the Kingdom of God, by following and imitating the believers who through faith and patience are becoming heirs of the promises of God that are in Christ.

Notice that our hope must be made sure. We inherit the rest of God, the land of promise, only as we respond to God’s salvation with faith and patience. Salvation is not an arbitrary Divine action; rather, it is an opportunity to regain what was lost in Eden. God has given Jesus to us to help us drive Satan from our inheritance. Jesus helps us and guides us in every detail. But we must obey Him at each moment or the process ceases.

Prayer is not merely asking God to give us what we desire. Prayer is the way in which we enter the program of redemption, seeking the Lord’s will, and receiving strength and guidance so His will may be done in our life.

16. By whom did God swear, when He made His promise to Abraham concerning Abraham’s descendants?

By Himself because there is no one greater to swear by.

17. What trait of character was Abraham required to exercise in order to inherit the promises that God had made to him?

Patience.

18. Why did God confirm His promise with an oath?

So the heirs of the promise would be convinced of the unchanging nature of God’s intention.

19. What two “immutable” (unchangeable) things give us strong “consolation” (encouragement)?

God’s promise plus the oath that confirms the promise.

20. What is the “hope ” of the Christian pilgrim?

That his soul will be saved (Hebrews 10:39) and that he will inherit the fullness of the blessing promised to the descendants of Abraham.

21. Where is our soul anchored?

In the Most Holy place behind the veil, being fastened there by our hope.

22. Who made a place for us behind the holy veil?

The Lord Jesus, our eternal High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews through out, assures us that since the Jews who were rescued from Egypt and still complained and moaned and railed against God and even after seeing the miracles the Lord performed over the forty year wilderness experience,lost their inheritance,that we surely can too. Also I want to point out something that is often over looked.
The angels who fell with satan can never be returned to the Lord,or gain eternity in heaven ever again. If the angels who are above us, we being just a bit lower than they are in our being, can never regain their standing with God,then how does one expect that it would be any different for us? If we turn away from God after tasting being in and walking in the Holy Spirit,how and why would He give us another chance?

I have to say I do not care about being right for myself,no I care about you all getting this right so that when the multitude of tribulation comes to you,you will not turn away thinking you are forever safe. What a terrible thing it would be for you who has been running the race thus far to give up just before the finish line,and lose all the gain you made. To stand before Christ and have Him say depart from me you who are iniquity I never knew you.

I will finish with this from Hebrews 10:26-31, 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, “The Lord will judge his people”. 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews in it’s entirety explains as well that the old covenant laws of Moses have been done away with that the new covenant with Christ as that covenant obliterates the law from having to be observed outside of ourselves. Meaning He wrote those laws on our heart and the Holy Spirit as long as we keep in fellowship and growing,helps us in every way to not transgress.There is no more need for sacrificing for sins just repentance. If you sin and you do it one willingly and two without feeling the need for forgiveness then you are in danger of hell fire.
To this writer and reader,these verses these chapters in Hebrews explains thoroughly we can give up our salvation.

Love in Christ Jesus Tammy

when at first I was confronted by the Lord about my fake Christianity,I saw truth and was rewarded with a brand spanking new life,I became born again. I praise the Lord for calling me out,and cleaning me up. I am forever grateful to Him for seeing my heart and knowing better than I, that who I thought I was was not the real thing. I did not want to be a fake Christian. The Lord showed me through a series of books that I just was not who I thought I was.

One morning I was laying in my bed praising the lord with all that I had in me,and I asked Father can you please just show me, give me a glimpse into eternity? That was enough said a very simple request turned into the most amazing experience one could ever imagine. I cried,I laughed,I shook and my soul quaked within me. My tears flew in every direction,From A Laying Down Position!!! I say it that way because I want you to understand the craziness of the tears flying in every direction at once. Up Down and outward! When I say my soul was quaking,that is not even enough to describe how my spirit seemed to be trying to climb right out of me. My body stood still but my spirit was dancing within me. My heart felt as though it would explode with the Love pouring into and out of it from, and for my God.

I saw the Lord in profile kind of, and then I was transported to His position,not in His place but seeing us all the way He sees us,with a lens of pure love. I saw the spirit connection that radiates out of Him directly to our hearts, and from our hearts to Him. We are amazingly small compared to our God,and yet so huge with His love. I found myself thinking I wish everyone on earth could see this! There would be no one anywhere who could refuse this amazing Love! It was a truly amazing experience I wished would never end. Unfortunately it did end but while I was in this experience,it felt like I was there for a long long time. A moment with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years, like a moment with the Lord, is so profoundly true. When I came back to life as we know it, it had been mere moments,but oh the joy, the huge amounts of joy that filled me that day and many after, was just mind blowing.

I pray that each and every one of us would experience this amazing never ending Love. I hope that everyone who is the Lord’s through Christ,can experience this absolute exhilarating intoxicating Love,before they die. After we have gone from this body,of course we will experience this Love first hand,but it is a major hope of mine for as many as can worship the Lord with all their might, might experience this wonder. The thing that is craziest of all of it was my spirit trying to climb out of me so to speak. It recognized it’s true home, and wanted to be there forever.

That is part of how I know I will be here for the end. I know there is much work for me to do in the Lord and for the Kingdom’s cause. The Lord filled me with His love for people,He actually showed me that love. He gave me to know His heart, to feel if only a little drip drop, His heart for His children. He gave me to know He desires a relationship with each and every person on this earth. He gave me to know His sorrow at so many refusing this relationship.

Please wont you come and be His? Please will you not consider His absolute amazing love that cannot be fathomed by the human heart? Come to Him and have perfect peace and rest.

Not the kind that never experiences problems of course, we always experience problems, but there is perfect peace to be had through all things we go through, in Him! Wont you become His so He can become yours? He is not looking for you to give everything,with Him not giving in return. NO!! that is not how God does things. He gives us so much more than we could ever imagine possible. We give ourselves to Him and He gives us back ten fold what we have given to him. Life and life more abundantly. Jesus was sent and freely came to be the one time sacrifice needed to pay the price for our sin nature. He is the Perfect spotless sinless wrinkle free Lamb of God!

It is only through Christ Jesus that we may enter into this perfect peace and rest. All you have to do is repent of your sins which means look away from them and see them for the separating factor they are. The things that separate you from God. Believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God,that He came and lived a sin free life,then took on our sin,became it,and died as sin. Then rose again having broken the yoke, the bondage of our sin life, and set us who accept all of this, Free!! Now Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father as an intercessor, always speaking to the Father on our behalf. When satan comes accusing us to the Father the Lord our savior Jesus says nope sorry they stand not accused, for I paid for that! Let us all frustrate satan. Let us who were accused for so long, be bought and paid for. Let your slate be cleaned white as snow. Let your sin be thrown as far as the east is from the west never to be looked upon again. Wont you?

See once our slate has been cleaned by Jesus blood, God never ever remembers it. He will never drag your sin out and throw it in your face. That is a human thing to do, and a shameful one at that. He will never hold anything against you again! Once you are made free, and continue on in the Lord Jesus, and get baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, there will never be another moment of condemnation for you again Romans 8:1. I must say being saved,baptized in water and the Holy Spirit are three different things. We are saved by accepting the gift that Jesus gave,which was his life’s blood. Then we are baptized in water to signify our death and resurrection into the new man/woman. Then we get baptized in the Holy Spirit to receive the gifts in the Holy Spirit. You will not have the gifts that the Lord has specifically for you, unless you also get baptized in the Holy Spirit. Completely separate from the acceptance of the Lord’s gift, eternal life.

Why should we desire to have the gifts the Holy Spirit provides? Good question! The answer is simple, to live the joy filled peaceful life and live it more abundantly,John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. He desires you to have a life filled with joy and abundance in all ways.To have peace and be comforted through all that life throws at us. A life free of the laws that religion puts us under. God is not looking for you to be religious, NO! He is looking for a religion free,relationship with you. He wants to fill your life with His grace,with His unmerited favor. Meaning we do not deserve this we cannot work for it,He gives it to us freely.

Let’s put it this way,a gift given to us is not ours unless we first accept it right? Right! So when Jesus came and gave up His spot in eternity He did this knowing full well the price He would have to pay to free us,because sin has always had to be paid for with blood sacrifices. Not just any blood but perfect blemish free animals blood. This is why Jesus is called the perfect lamb of God. This is why He came to earth as a man fully,to experience every temptation to sin,but remain sinless. He had to be born of a virgin, no man could be involved because sin is passed down through the man. So the virgin was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and then Jesus was implanted into her womb.

He truly lived a sinless perfect life. Then it pleased God to take He who was sinless and make Him our sin. He had to die in our place a perfect lamb with out blemish,(blemish being sin) or spot. His blood was spilled and the price was paid once for all time. Now no more sacrifice is necessary on God’s part. We must now accept the gift in order to have eternal life of joy and peace and rest and eternity with the Lord. Come my friends come to this wondrous amazing beautiful relationship. You will not regret it. I have not regretted one second of my life as a Christian. Each day i grow more and more in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. Each day my life is lived to the fullest no matter my circumstances.

Oh I pray that you will come into a wonderful relationship. Think about it no further procrastinate no more,we never know when life will end for us. Can we any of us, afford to procrastinate this decision? I promise you will not regret it. No one who has truly accepted the Lord has ever spent one moment in regret of doing so. Not one single person. There are millions of life changing testimonials out there. God is so loving and so freely gives love to us each and everyone individually. He desires you beyond measure.

Love you all in Christ Jesus,Tammy