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katakaluptastrophy · 8 months

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TLT meta post suggestion: explain the biblical significance of Paul to someone who knows jackshit about Christianity?

Paul is what happens when a clever person with establishment clout has a searing moment of metaphysical transformation that allows them to become a real nuisance...

The very TL;DNR version of Paul in Christianity (Bible!Paul, if you will) is that he was once an observant Jew called Saul who was involved in persecuting the early church. But one day, while enthusiastically doing this, he is struck blind by a huge flash of light and hears the voice of Jesus. From that point on he is known as "Paul", becomes an enthusiastic follower of Jesus, and helps to spread the gospel. Specifically, he is referred to as the 'apostle to the gentiles', taking the teachings of Jesus beyond its early Jewish roots to the wider Mediterranean world.

On a basic level, Necro!Paul being 'Paul' is probably a reference to that blazing moment of transformation - Bible!Paul is both continuity and change: the same passion, but expressed very differently. Well-educated, willing to cause trouble, and energised by something beyond the human norm.

But it's their speech to Ianthe where the Biblical stuff really starts to come through. It's worth noting that letters written by Bible!Paul (or 'written by him') account for nearly half of the books of the Christian New Testament and are hugely foundational in Christian theology.

And Necro!Paul's speech to Ianthe is full of Biblical references:

"I know how hard it is for you to kick against the goad," said the new person. "But there are more worlds than this. Come with us. We are the love that is perfected by death - but even death will be no more; death can also die."

That first line, 'kick against the goad', is a direct reference to Paul's 'Road to Damascus' moment where he hears Jesus:

I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them that were in company with me. And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. - Acts 26:13-15

To kick against the goad (or, in the slightly more colourful language of the KJV 'kick against the pricks') is to engage in an excercise in futility. It's a reference to an ox goad, a sharp instrument used to steer oxen in farming, which would hurt the animal if it tried to kick against it instead of following where it was being directed.

It's an acknowledgement that Ianthe is doing something that rubs profoundly up against the metaphysical grain, that her own proud self-direction will only hurt her in the end.

'More worlds than this' is a reference to Hamlet, which Dulcie of course also quotes in TUG. (Hamlet rather seems to haunt the question of the River Beyond, but that's not what we're discussing right now...)

'We are the love that is perfected by death' is, I suspect, meant to reference two different Bible verses. The first is:

Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. - Song of Solomon 8:6

Despite centuries of the church trying to claim that it's about the spiritual relationship between God and man, the Song of Solomon is now generally accepted to be a sexy poem about sex. So that's an interesting thing for the fusion of Palamedes and Camilla to quote... But perhaps more salient here is what's contrasted to the strength of love and death, which is jealousy and hell. Ianthe is being offered a chance at redemption - which is of course Bible!Paul's whole thing - which she summarily rejects. I'm sure, given NTN ending with Harrow going off to, one assumes, er, harrow hell, that this won't be relevant at all...

The other verse that 'love that is perfected by death' may be referencing is:

In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world. Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity. Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us. If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. - 1 John 4:17-21

The quotation in the Douay-Rhiems translation (apparently the preferred translation of lesbian necromancers in space, if Gideon the Ninth is anything to go by) is a little opaque, but 'charity' is an old timey way of translating 'love'. Essentially, this passage says that those who love God and are loved by God do not need to fear the day of judgement, and clarifies a bit about what it means to love God.

There are two things that are important.

The first is that this is from 1 John. There are five Biblical texts associated with St John: the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation, and three Epistles (letters). Revelation is John's vision of the end of the world - and if you're wondering whether it's relevant that The Locked Tomb features a guy called John who ends the world, yes, it is - but the Epistles were written right at the end of his life. And 1 John has two themes that might be relevant to The Locked Tomb: the first is the question of what it means to love god (spoiler: the answer is not 'dinner and a movie'), and the second is whether your actions matter.

The second thing that might be relevant here is that just before this in 1 John 4, there is a warning about not heeding false prophets. Specifically, it warns about the antichrist. You know, the thing Necro!John says he was repeatedly accused of being? The point is that love - love properly understood - can protect you from the wiles of the antichrist. Probably not a relevant theme as we head off into the 'you have not yet begun to witness the horrors of love' book where people are presumably facing down a pretender god...

The final part of Paul's speech to Ianthe - 'death will be no more' - is also Johannine: this time from Revelation:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. - Revelation 21:4

This comes from a section where the Biblical John watches as the old world is destroyed and the new Jerusalem descends from Heaven. Death and sorrow are ended, and the righteous will rule with God. The sinful have a less fun time of it, involving fire and brimstone and 'the second death'. If that sounds familiar, it's because Necro!John cribbed that particular bit when making up his shoddy Space Catholicism (TM). (The implications of this really deserves a much longer treatment, so watch this space...)

One of the nice things about Tamsyn Muir's Biblical parallels is they're not generally exact. But it's perhaps relevant to note that amongst Bible!Paul's rather dramatic adventures are quite a few instances of casting demons out of people, starting at least one riot, shipwreck, and an "Incident at Antioch". Also...it's probably not relevant that the writings of St Paul were the turning point in the conversion of St Augustine...specifically a section about how the end of the world is nigh so you'd better get your act together...

All in all, Paul is...a very niche joke about Plato, hopefully not a joke about Dune, and mostly very, very apocalyptic. A new beginning at the end of the world! An offer of redemption to those swimming against the current! A warning to false gods! A sign that the end is nigh! All of which suggests Alecto the Ninth is going to be a wild ride (as if we didn't know that already).

#the locked tomb #tlt meta #tlt paul #john gaius

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queen-esther · 7 months

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Speaking as someone who grew up in a heavily Christian community, it makes me sad how much the people around me just…I don’t know, lost their faith in the last decade or so?

When I was little, my parents were really big on having us go to church. They were church hoppers in that they didn’t commit us to a single denomination and just kind of tried out different churches in town, but they still went out of their way to make sure their babies were baptized, that we made it to somewhere on Sundays, that my older brother and I went to Sunday school classes and participated in the church choir and watched VeggieTales and had church friends to play with and all of that. This sort of kept up with the next two kids—we weren’t so active at church anymore, but those babies were still baptized, we still talked about God and Jesus in the home, my parents sent me and my older brother to a Christian summer camp one year. But then, by the time my youngest two brothers were born, we just didn’t go to church anymore, not even on holidays. Jesus was an afterthought on Christmas and Easter. The youngest two were never even baptized. As of two years ago, my youngest brothers didn’t even know what Good Friday was for, let alone know anything about the Bible. We transitioned from being a fairly devout household to being all but agnostic.

I knew a lot of girls growing up who were very devout Christians in school. They were in youth groups, they made pledges to save themselves for marriage, they went to church every Sunday, they knew their Bible verses left and right. Now, I look at their profiles on Facebook, and most of the ones who didn’t unfriend me over Roe v. Wade being overturned are pretty much secular libfems now who will bite your head off if you even so much as hint that you don’t support abortion or the LGBT agenda.

There’s also generally just not as much open talk about following Christianity anymore. Growing up, my teachers who were Christians were open about it, but of course in a “this is my personal belief, but you don’t have to agree with me” type of way. Now, one of the teachers on my grade level team mentioned to the rest of us that she goes to a Baptist church with her husband, and she felt like she had to sound sheepish and apologetic over even mentioning it, I guess because she felt like there would be some snarky remark or demand for an explanation if she didn’t?

As a kid, I used to hear about how the end of the world would be devastating for non-Christians, and I always thought, “Well that’s silly! Who could reject Jesus?” Now I’ve grown up and am seeing the very same people I once considered to be intense believers reject Him like it’s no big deal at all.

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10yrsyart · 1 year

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i decided to try something a little different. i often have these discussions in my head as i’m studying the Bible, but Apologetics can be heavy in text and hard to understand. so i thought.. well, i’m an artist. maybe i can make this more palatable. (the place they are at is my mindscape for prayer)

there are tons of places to go from here, and maybe i will in the future. but as someone who is coming out of a foundation of anxiety, this particular message is important to me. there is no condemnation for those that trust in the Lord and His work. He is capable of helping us and carrying us to the finish line 💙

transcript:

10: Y'know Lord, a lot of people read Matthew 7:21-23 and get scared. “Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Jesus: “On judgment day many will say to M, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and performed miracles in Your name!' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' “ Let's think about this. What are the “works” of God?

10: Uhm.. oh! John 6:29, “Jesus told them, 'This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.' “ So then, they didn't really believe in You? You said You don't know them.

Jesus: Now read Matthew 12:50.

10: “Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!”

Jesus: My family are those who have been adopted through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:15-16 says, “You received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His children (…) For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.” These are the ones that I “know.” As for My Father's will-

10: Oh, I know this one. John 6:40, “For it is My Father's will that all who see His Son and believe in Him shall have eternal life.” So essentially, the people saying “Lord, Lord” weren't believers because they trusted in their works to save them, instead of Your work on the cross. And You said You don't know them to prove they don't have the Holy Spirit.

Jesus: They are similar to the crowd I speak to in Revelation 3:15-21.

10: Ah, the dreaded Lukewarmers. “You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing.' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Yikes.

Jesus: And what do I tell them to buy from Me in verse 18?

10: White garments, among other things..

Jesus: Psalm 51:7 says, “Purify me from my sins and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” And 1 John 1:7 says, “The blood of Jesus, (God's) Son, cleanses us from all sin.” You, for example, are already in possession of white garments. My blood through My sacrifice cleansed them when you believed.

10: So the Lukewarmers don't believe in You either, because they trust in their wealth and possessions instead of You. But they say they're Christians just because they do to Church, or because their families are Christian.

Jesus: Born Again believers with the Holy Spirit never have to fear rejection from Me or My Father. “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of those He has given Me, but that I should raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:3) As John 14:23 states, We will never take the Holy Spirit away once He's been given.

10: Once “Born Again”, no “unborning again” happening later, ey?

Jesus: Hahah! “No, I will not abandon you as orphans- I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

Jesus: “When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with Me where I am.” (John 14:3)

#Christianity #Jesus Christ #God #the bible #Bible Verses #bible scripture #faithstuff #faith #heaven #apologetics #religion #religious art #digital illustraiton #digital comic #comics #long post.#my art #me.

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onenakedfarmer · 29 days

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James 2:1-4 How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? … If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Matthew 25:41-45 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Zechariah 7:9-10 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.

Leviticus 19:34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

#xenophobia #christians #christian beliefs #christian behavior #MAGA #MAGAts #bigots #racism #racism in America #GOP #Muslim ban #Donnie D-Cups #Fuckstick von Clownface #Bible verses Christians reject #Bible verses christians hate

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doberbutts · 1 year

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Hey there! Before I begin, I totally understand if you aren't comfortable with answering questions about this. Feel free to delete this ask.

Would you mind describing the treatment of animals you saw when you were in Mennonite communities? I've heard Amish and Mennonite communities treat them more like tools than living creatures.....

Yes, Mennonites and Amish largely treat their animals as tools and a means to an end rather than like living creatures deserving of their own respect. Understand that this is very much hard-coded into the religion and culture itself, so it is a difficult mindset to combat. Even Mennonite-adjacent communities often treat their animals in a similar manner, even if they say that they don't like that type of ownership, because of the same.

In the Christian Bible, there are a lot of verses about man having dominion over the earth and nature existing to do two things: worship God and serve Man. And Anabaptists in general believe that the best way to worship God is through hard manual physical labor and rejecting any and all paths that make this labor easy. It's why the Amish don't do electricity, for a rather extreme example, but it's also why many of these communities seem addicted to the ideals of "work" and "discipline" being the way to a Godly life.

So... if animals exist to serve Man and worship God, and the best way to worship God is through hard manual labor and rigid discipline (read: punishment) for anyone who steps out of line, it follows suit that the animals are not treated particularly kindly.

Don't get me wrong. These communities are also filled with horrific human rights violations. From child labor to forced marriage and impregnation to abandonment of the elderly and disabled to rampant domestic and sexual abuse to denial of education and medicine... this is not just an animal problem. I know I'm running an animal blog, but it's really important that if I talk about the way they treat their animals, I also have to talk about the way they treat the women, the children, the elderly, the disabled, and anyone who dares think outside of their strict rules. The care for the animals is just a symptom of the same problem.

It is my experience that the Amish are worse about it than the Mennonites, but they are also sort of cut from the same cloth so various communities of either can really vary widely. Animals are expendable. They serve their purpose and then they die and the owners get a new one. Dogs, cats, horses, livestock, doesn't matter. Most of these animals are not pets and, even if they are, they are not pets in the same way that my dogs are pets. If they get sick, letting them die or killing them outright is usually the path taken instead of medicine. If medicine is used, it's what can be purchased from a trip to the local farm store, not actual doctors and prescriptions.

Unfortunately, pretty much every attempt to fix this problem has been met with "it's my religion" and thus it continues to be an issue. Again, I have to stress, this is a religious problem, there are very specific verses they are using to justify this. It also does not help that their religion teaches that "the world" (anyone outside of their local church community) will try to lead them astray by telling them their religion and religious practices are morally wrong, and so pretty much any "hey maybe don't work the horses on the plow until they literally fall over dead" or "hey maybe breeding hundreds of dogs per year with no vet care or oversight is not the nicest way to do this" is met with "THE DEVIL is trying to tell me THE WAY I SERVE GOD is WRONG, clearly this is an attack directly on my soul" and not like. "Maybe you are right and I should be nicer to my animals and not work them to death and provide vet care when they're sick and injured"

This is why I call both Amish and Mennonites cultists. You have to have experienced the religion and culture firsthand to understand how this all hooks together. It's not so simple as just improving the law because these communities believe they are not bound by the law in the first place.

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yeslordmyking · 2 years

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Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. [ Read devo thought and prayer for this Bible verse ]

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bills-bible-basics · 15 days

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Build on the Right Foundation Graphic 07 #Christian #BibleStudy #Jesus Visit https://www.billkochman.com/Graphics-Library/ to see more. Article: "Who is Building Your House?": https://www.billkochman.com/Articles/who-is-building-your-house-1.html "No Other Foundation But Jesus" KJV Bible Verse List: https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/verse184.html "Jesus is the Rejected Cornerstone" Bible Verse List: https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/verse152.html "I Am He" KJV Bible Verse List: https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/verse392.html "Fall Upon the Rock or Be Ground" KJV Bible Verse List: https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/verse461.html "Crushing Rock and Rod of Iron" KJV Bible Verse List: https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/verse011.html https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/build-on-the-right-foundation-graphic-07/?feed_id=202780&Build%20on%20the%20Right%20Foundation%20Graphic%2007

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christianbelievers · 4 months

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OCCUPYING UNTIL HE COMES

“Occupy till I come.”

(Luke 19:13 KJV)

As we wait for the Lord to return, some of us may be wondering, “What should I be doing until He comes?” It’s a good question, one that every Christian should ask themselves.

God has given each of us a gift, or gifts, that we can use to further His Kingdom. The Apostle Paul wrote much in his letters concerning these things. He wrote two letters to the Church in Thessalonica. In his first one, he wrote to them about the 1st resurrection of the dead which will happen just before, and coinciding with, the rapture of the Church. (1st Thess. 4:16-17) Paul concludes his letter by teaching them what they should do while they wait for the Lord’s return…

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” (1st Thessalonians 5:14-22)

Today a lot of Christians use the term “occupy” to describe our duty as we wait for the Lord. I believe they get this from Luke’s Gospel, in chapter 19, when using the King James Version of the Bible. In that chapter Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Minas. In the second and third verses we read…

“A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:12-13)

In the (NIV) New International Version of the Bible it reads…

"A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.” (Luke 19:12-13)

Occupy – Strongs definition: to busy oneself with, that is, to trade: - occupy. (G4231)

In the parable, Jesus (the Nobleman) gave his servants money to use for increasing his profits until he returned. In the case of the Christian, we are to put our “spiritual gifts” to work until Jesus’ return. The commentaries that I looked at, John Gills, Matthew Henry’s and others, all agreed with this view. In Romans, Paul taught…

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8)

Knowing this, let’s go back to what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

(1st Thessalonians 5:14-22)

“Warn those who are idle and disruptive” – John Gill wrote this concerning those who are disruptive… “Such who are contentious and quarrelsome, turbulent, headstrong, and unruly, that cause and foment animosities and divisions.”

“Warn” is a strong word, but there are cases when it is applicable, and necessary. False teachers are where I see this “warning” most needed. But in the average Christian circles it might be more of a differing opinion on something that the Bible teaches. The best place to start is always with the Scripture in question. Look at it in the context that it is written. Look into the Greek and Hebrew meanings of any words that might be causing the problem. When you’ve done all that you can do, pray about it, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you best discern the passages meaning.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13)

If a time arises when people become contentious about certain teachings, then it might be best to take the advice that Paul gave to Titus…

“Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” (Titus 3:9-11)

Concerning those who are idle, they can always be asked to pray for others. But if they have a spiritual gift given to them by God, it’s probably best to learn what that gift may be. Again, they should pray about it, and read what the Bible says about the different gifts. This should help someone see what gifts most represent their own qualities and talents. Advice: Start slowly, because God may have other plans for you. Always be open to what He wants you to do, and not only what “you” want to do.

If you know someone that seems idle, and not sure what they should be doing, ask God to open doors for them, and to give them spiritual eyes to see what His plans are for that person.

“Encourage the disheartened” – To these, John Gill suggests “speak a comfortable word to them, encourage them with the doctrines of grace, and the promises of the Gospel.”

Gill described who these “disheartened” or “feebleminded” (KJV) people are… “such as are not able to bear the loss of near and dear relations; are ready to stagger under the cross, and at the reproaches and persecutions of the world; and are almost overset with the temptations of Satan; and are borne down and discouraged with the corruptions of their hearts.”

Today the level of persecution is rising, for the Jew’s, and the Christians. And there will be many who may need a word of encouragement from time to time. And the “temptations of Satan” will increase also, causing many to stumble. Again, as Gill said before “encourage them with the doctrines of grace, and the promises of the Gospel.” Remind those who are in Christ that there is no longer any condemnation for them. (Romans 8:1)

“Help the weak” – The weak are those who may be new in their faith. Trusting in God can be hard at times for even the most mature Christians. Keep them close in your heart, prayers, and even physically. Spend time helping them to understand the things which are new to them. We live in a very tough world right now, and Christian mentors are needed more than ever.

“Be patient with everyone” – John Gill – “exercise longsuffering and forbearance with fellow creatures and fellow Christians.”

Many people have trouble giving up old habits. Some of those might include sticking to teachings they had been taught years ago, but are not Scriptural. With so many different denominations in the world, it’s easy to get tossed back and forth on the differing waves of bad doctrine. So we must be patient with people who have come out of them. We have to remember that we are no better than they, and that at one time we were some pretty bad sinners ourselves, totally lost on the things of God. The Holy Spirit will be the best teacher for many who are still babes in Christ.

Paul goes on to say, “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”

Here he reminds us to watch out for those who might wrong us, either unbelievers or carnal Christians. A carnal Christian is one who is saved, but still acts in the flesh at times. Another name for them might be “immature” Christians.

Because of these wrongs that have been done to us, we must be patient and not looking to even the score. Instead we must pray for them, that God would help them to see the error of their ways. We are to show these people the same grace that God has shown to us. I love what Jesus said one time…

“If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matthew 12:7)

Interestingly, He was talking to the Pharisees. There are some Christians that tend to be like the Pharisees, having a “legalistic” view of things, and condemning those who don’t “act” the way they should. I think many of us have walked that path before, myself included. When we learn something new, we might tend to show others the error of their ways, thinking that we’re doing them a favor. If we’re not careful we can be a stumbling block to a new Believer. The Apostle Peter wrote something that I try to remember, concerning “anyone” who disagrees with us…

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1st Peter 3:14-17)

“Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”

Paul, to the Galatians…

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” (1st Thess. 5:16-22)

Let us all continue to “rejoice always” because of our great Salvation. No matter what happens to a Believer from this point on, no one can ever take away their gift of God’s Salvation. Our enemy has already been defeated. There is nothing that he can do to us outside of God’s Will for our lives. Our eternity is secure. Rejoice!

One of the most important things that I’ve learned in my walk with God, is that He loves to commune with us. Our prayer time is more special than we can ever imagine at this time. It reminds me of a scene from the movie “The Gospel of John”. It starts out where Nathaniel is praying under a fig tree behind his home. When Jesus is nearly to Nathaniels home…

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." He then added, "Very truly I tell you, you will see 'heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on' the Son of Man." (John 1:45-51)

I think that scene is my favorite from the whole movie. The look in Nathaniels eyes is amazing when Jesus says to him, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

“Praying continually” is the best way to grow closer to God, and become more like his Son Jesus. Are you curious what God is thinking when you talk to Him? Sometimes, I’ll bet it’s something like “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

“Give thanks in all circumstances” – There is good reason to give thanks to God in all circumstances…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“Do not quench the Spirit”

What exactly is quenching the Spirit? It basically means extinguishing, or putting out, as in putting out a fire. We quench the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, by doing things that diminish how we look to the unsaved world. Jesus taught on this very thing…

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you." (Luke 11:33-36)

What are some things that might quench the Spirit of Christ in us? There are some that we often do without even realizing it. One of those is gossiping. In the Book of James, we can see why gossiping can be so wrong…

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness.” (James 3:6,9)

That’s a sobering thought…to “curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

Paul pointed out several things that can quench the Spirit…

“For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” (2nd Corinthians 12:20)

Those words are written by Paul, but inspired through the Holy Spirit. Paul did not want to return to Corinth and find them acting in this manner. We should be thinking the same about Jesus’ return. Love is one of God’s greatest gifts. Walking in it will help us to avoid doing anything outside the Will of God, including all the things listed above.

“Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all”

This is a great exhortation, but one that is missing from many pulpits today. But without prophecies none of us would have any hope for the future, because Heaven itself is a fulfillment of prophecy.

Much of what it happening in the world right now, especially concerning Israel, was all foretold in the Scriptures. That’s what prophecy is, the foretelling of future events. Psalm 83 is a very good example, as it closely describes what is happening to Israel right now.

Sadly, most people have no idea what’s happening in the world. Most assume it’s “just life happening”. But if they understood the truth, many would be preparing for these things, including the Lord’s return. (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 5:1-11) Prophecy is not just for preparing, it’s also for warnings. These things should prompt us to share what we know with others. Not just the Gospel, but also the prophecies concerning the end times.

So, as it says above concerning prophecies… “test them all”. Study them. Ask God to help you discern what you’re reading, and what you’re seeing in the world. By doing so you will begin to see the world through God’s eyes, including the plans that He has for each of us.

Finally, “hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil”. I have a passage that will help along these lines.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

God Bless!

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