30 Nov 2009
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WELCOME BACK. WE NOW CONTINUE WITH PART 155 IN OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS”.
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Imprisonments is an English word that is a translation of the Greek word p-h-u-l-a-k-a-i-s that usually refers to a jail or prison.
Arrests and imprisonments were common experiences where evangelists were incarcerated under the pretense of disturbing the peace.
Governments that consider the state and/or state officials to be the only authority, consider the promotion of religion to be a crime(s) against the state.
This is the environment in which many generations of believers risked life and limb to promote and or to preserve Scripture and its teachings.
At times, those who claimed to be in positions of leadership within the Christian Church allied themselves with the power of the state resulting in some of the darkest periods of Church history.
Religious-oriented individuals and organizations and spiritually-oriented individuals and organizations have ALWAYS been at odds with each other (Galatians 4:29).
History has shown that religious persons are the most violent of groups in both the Christian Community and the devil’s world.
Scripture supports a co-existence, but separate function of the Church and State (Luke20:25/Romans 13/1Peter 2:13).
Nations will rise and fall at their APPOINTED times (Acts 17:26), but the true Church will remain (Matthew 16:18) on Earth until its Rapture (1Thessalonians 4: 17).
The laws of man must provide for the protection of rights and property of individuals in order to establish and maintain a stable society.
What issues are matters for the State to regulate and control and what issues are matters to be decided by the individual consciences of the individuals that make up the general population must be determined by the impact that such things have on the society at large.
Total control invites tyranny, total freedom invites anarchy.
The EVIL associated with the combined and unified power of the state and religion will reach its maximum when the antichrist will demand world-wide worship of the image that will be erected in the Temple in Jerusalem during the tribulation period to come.
Tumults is an English word that is a translation of the Greek word a-k-a-t-a-s-t-a-s-i-a-i-s which means a great uproar of emotion and behavior.
Such an uproar can take place in a public setting or private assembly of persons who, with opposing viewss erupt into intense argument and escalate into physical confrontations.
Spiritual light being introduced into the dark realm of religion is like introducing sparks to an environment of flammable vapors. An explosions is inevitable.
Labors is an English word that is a translation of the Greek word k-o-p-o-s which means to toil with weariness or trouble, draining one’s strength. It implies working to the point of exhaustion in order to complete the task at hand.
Born again believers are to be good stewards of all that God has given them. Our physical body is no exception to this principle.
What the believer must be careful of is that his exhaustion is not the result of attempting to accomplish divine good with human energy (John 15:5).
Sleeplessness is an English word that is a translation of the Greek word a-g-r-u-p-n-i-a-i-s meaning to lose one’s normal sleep due to being focused on the details of what is going on in one’s spiritual life in general or with the one’s ministry.
Here we have to be careful about what is causing us to be awake when we normally would be taking in our necessary sleep.
Resting is a principle that God instituted when He restored the earth’s surface that was destroyed as a result of a prehistoric angelic rebellion in preparation for the creation and inhabitation of Man (Genesis 2:2).
God did not rest because He was tired, as Deity does not get tired.
Humanity, however, cannot go without rest for very long without negative consequences.
Our humanity is a gift from God, and as good stewards, we are to take care of all that God has given us.
There are times when it is within the plan of God to place our humanity in harm’s way.
The plan of God called for the CRUCIFIXION of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Details of the crucifixion were prophesied in such passages as the 22nd Psalm written centuries BEFORE the event took place.
While many persons were crucified, the crucifixion of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ was unique.
It was unique as ONLY the sinless Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ was qualified to accomplish the SPIRITUAL death during the last three of the six hours that our Lord was physically alive ON the cross.
It was His spiritual death and not His physical death that resulted in the completion of the Work of Salvation.
This was announced by our Lord, prior to the physical death of His humanity (John 19:30).
Pastor Doug Laird
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