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Good morning. Today's video Great Cloud is on the topic of the fact that we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (KJV) All scripture is given by God and is profitable unto us in every aspect of our walk through this wilderness (the world) on our way to the promised land (eternal life). We have been given a great cloud of witnesses; all those who went before us; the greatest of these being our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (KJV) The scriptures testify of Christ from the beginning: the mystery hidden from the beginning of the world by the cloud that led Israel through the wilderness by day (given living water by the rock that followed them, which rock was Christ) and a pillar of fire by night, which lightened their way; but now it has been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, the cloud raining down on us the living waters through many witnesses that we might know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent to be the way, the truth and the life that we are to follow after having the eyes of our understanding enlightened by the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shining in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ by us, so that those also who follow after may come to the knowledge of the truth, and remain baptized into Christ by the cloud and by fire through the wilderness of this world so that they too may inherit the promised land, eternal life in Christ our Lord. God has and continues to lead and guide his people with a great cloud and with fire. God bless. You can view all previous videos by going to our YouTube channel Doctrine of Christ Ministry. Have a blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. Luke 18:18-19 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (19) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. (KJV)
Williams New Testament translation of Luke 18:18-19 18. Then a certain member of the council asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get possession of eternal life?" 19. Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me perfectly good? No one is perfectly good but God Himself. Why does mankind keep trying to make God in man’s image and likeness, and not the other way around; you know, the way God said He made it? You know, this man Jesus of Nazareth didn’t say he was God because that would have made him a liar now wouldn’t it? In fact he was quite explicit and plain in his speech to point out that he wasn’t God, but that he was here to point people to a realm where God operates, that being the spiritual one. Today we see so many people put on pedestals, placing themselves in positions of authority especially in the Church or what man calls a church, pointing people to their works instead of the completed work God had His Son do on our behalf. Oh you might have gotten saved at some organization or building, but keep in mind it was the word of God that brought forth this new life and not the person that was speaking on His behalf, because remember, God has spoken to people in diverse manners; one time through an ass so that someone wouldn’t make himself into one. Go to the source people, give credit where credit is due, that being to our Father in heaven and not to any man on this earth who claims special privileges because they may have spoke His word, or make claims of all the wonderful works they think they are doing on His behalf. John 14:28-29 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. (29) And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. (KJV) But the preacher last night said that Jesus was God, yet when I read what the Bible says it tells me something different. Get used to it folks, because the deeper you get into the word of truth the more complicated you see how mankind has made it, and how backwards the order is also according to man’s carnal reasoning. Jesus was a man, who just like you and I had to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in order for him to inherit eternal life. He was a man that was tempted in all manner as we are, yet chose obedience over sin, even to the point of the cross. A man that was conceived by the Holy Spirit, a pure blood line so that the last man Adam could be restored to fellowship with the Father just like the first man Adam was before the fall. Keep in mind people, that this Jesus of Nazareth was a man, a vessel that housed the Holy Spirit and set the example for us to follow, pointing people to the Father and His divine nature, and not to any man and his fallen one. Jude 1:16-19 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. (17) But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; (18) How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. (19) These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. (KJV) The whole point today is to keep in mind that when all is said and done, it is your heavenly Father that will have the last say so concerning your entrance into His eternal kingdom, not some loud mouth who keeps boasting and pointing people to their own works and creations. Bottom line, yes there may be people that have spoken words that brought life to your spirit, but remember it is God’s word that brought it, not mans’. So learn to rightly divide the difference so that you can go directly to the source of the river of life. These people that are being spoken of in the book of Jude are not those that deny God, well at least not in word, but rather those that claim to be of God but in works deny Him, pointing the people more toward their creations and not the new one that God began within you. Don’t put people on pedestals because they don’t belong there; all mankind, no matter who or what they claim to be; this is one bad decision, one temptation away from falling from grace into sin, no matter how strong or bullet proof they claim they are. Rightly divide the word of truth, learn to separate soul from spirit; in other words what is of God and what is of man. Many today that stand in the pulpits claiming to be working and speaking on His behalf are more self serving than God serving, pointing people to other people rather than pointing them in the direction of the Spirit. In fact many today still point and put most of their emphasis on a man named Jesus, rather than a man named Jesus Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father working as a mediator on our behalf. Knowing the difference between that which is of the flesh and that which is Spirit is vital in order for you to come to a clear understanding of God’s plan of salvation and how it truly operates; or as it is described in the Bible, a mystery. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (KJV) You know, once again God reminds us that He is not a man, nor is He the son of man, yet so many still try to claim Jesus was God despite what the word of God is clearly saying. The point is that we are the ones that were made in the image and likeness of God, not the other way around as so many think or try to dictate to God. The more you realize and allow God to be your one true source for strength and life, the less likely you will fall for mankind’s versions of who they think God is, based on their limited carnal thinking and not the unlimited mind of Christ that is available. So get rid of the pedestals people, because the higher you put someone on them and the higher they choose to climb them, the farther and harder the fall will be when reality hits you and them in the form of truth. Psalms 146:3-6 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (4) His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (5) Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: (6) Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: (KJV) God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. Things I ponder, things I have heard in the course of my life here on planet earth, so many things that are said, but in the end, who is really speaking, and what are the words we give ear to; are they spirit and life or are they words that are idle, useless and vain, lies that are intended to make one comfortable in their fallen state of sin rather than rising to the new creation in Christ that is available for all? All roads or paths lead to the same place, in other words all these different faiths and religions all end up in heaven; says who!?
Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (KJV) So how do you respond to life’s questions, and where do you turn to find peace; is it in the truth that sets one free, or do you just assume it is so because someone said it is? It’s true, all paths that are outside the realm of faith do lead to the same place, but according to the word of God it is not the place He intended for you to end up in. So while mankind has developed so many man-made religions and paths that they claim will lead to life, only one is going to get you to your intended destination because whatsoever is not of faith is sin. There are claims being made that there are millions, maybe billions of people that are going to go to heaven some day, even songs are written that claim “there is a whole lot of people going home”, but again I ask, says who!? Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV) Well that just answered my other question; if many are called then why are few chosen, and as I see in the above statements, many are choosing a losing path. What this tells me is the reason many miss the mark and are not on the chosen path is because they stay in the realm of the flesh and not the Spirit, following the crowd rather than our Lord. But they have a big following, their organization is the fastest growing church in the country, so that would clearly indicate they are of God, right, says who!? Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV) Oh my God, there’s the many again; you mean to tell me many are on the wrong path, but you’re talking about religious people, big name organizations that have done so many good works, haven’t they? Do you know the difference for yourself and are you able to rightly divide the word of truth so that someday when the Lord asks you, ‘says who?’ you will know and not guess that you are one of His. Better yet, how about today eliminating the question marks in your life so that you can eliminate the guesswork; especially when it comes to eternal consequences? Oh but I just wrote out a check to this big ministry I saw on TV because a big name personality told me I would be blessed financially, a hundred times in fact, well says who!? 2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (KJV) Will you look at that, there is the many that has been talked about; many that are preaching these prosperity messages and getting you to buy into their version or perversion of the gospel are nothing more than a factory making the people more like merchandise than Christ like. But they showed me all the good things they were doing, and all these wonderful miracles they were performing, and how many people they were winning to the Lord; oh my, that sounds just like the people I read about in Matthew 7:21-23. Well my words are not really that important that I spoke, after all I was just joking, right, says who!? Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (KJV) Our Lord said that the words that He spoke were spirit and life, words which He heard personally from the Father. Given the fact that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and is there to mediate on our behalf, would it not do you good to give ear to what He is saying and not what man keeps spewing out? Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (KJV) With all that the Lord has done on our behalf, with all that God has provided for mankind to partake of and have fellowship restored with Him, is there any excuse why when it comes time to stand before Him that when you are asked ‘says who?’ you can boldly answer, says you? God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
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