How Many Times Can You Say "YES BUT" ?

Three beliefs

CALVINISM, ARMINIANISM AND UNIVERSALISM

Do you profess to be a Bible believing Christian? All Bible believing Christians fall into one of three categories of Christian beliefs, known as Calvinism, Arminianism and Universalism. These are the three distinct and separate schools of Christian theology. With regard to salvation, every professing Christian inevitably falls into one of them, whether he understands or is aware of these terms or not. So, if you claim to be a Bible believing Christian, after you remove all of your denominational clothing, you are a Calvinist Christian, or an Arminian Christian or a Universalist Christian.

Each belief claims to be biblically based, and theologians have argued and debated the issues relating to them for centuries. However, the core differences between these three beliefs are irreconcilable.

There are five points in Calvinism, five points in Arminianism, and even five points in Universalism, which outline each of these beliefs. It is not our intention to go into a detailed complicated theological analysis of each point in each belief system, but only to highlight and summarise the core differences between them.

Universalism was the most widely held belief for the first five centuries, following the death of Jesus Christ. However, this all changed when the Roman Catholic Church, in the Fifth Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 553 A.D., pronounced anathema on anyone who believed in Universalism. The Roman Catholic Church reigned supreme and dominated the western world from the fifth century until the Protestant Reformation, which started in 1517 A.D. Currently, Universalism is a very small minority belief of perhaps no more than 2% of Bible believing Christians.

Calvinism was the most dominant and widely held belief of Protestant Christians from the time of the Reformation for hundreds of centuries up until the last century.

Arminianism has now overtaken Calvinism by a long way, and currently most Christian churches are Arminian in their belief.

What is Calvinism?

It is a system of theological belief promoted by the French man, John Calvin (1509-1564), and expressed in the document ‘Institutes of the Christian Religion’. Calvinism laid the foundation for the Reformed Theology of the Reformation period. Calvinism is the basis for the doctrine of many Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican and Reformed churches.

According to Calvin: before the beginning of the world, God predestined to save a certain group of people called God's Elect. God's sovereign will for the salvation of His Elect cannot be resisted or thwarted, as His irresistible grace ensures that all of them will willingly accept Jesus Christ at some point in their lives before they die. The non-Elect cannot come to Christ because natural fallen man is totally sinful and depraved. Salvation is entirely the work of God from start to finish. All believers (the Elect) will go to heaven, but all unbelievers (the non-Elect, the vast majority of humanity) will be judged by God and cast into hell where they will be tortured forever.

What is Arminianism?

It is a system of theological belief promoted by the Dutch man, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609). Arminius started out as a strict Calvinist, but later changed his views as stated in the document ‘The Remonstrance’. Arminianism is the theological basis for Methodists, Wesleyans, Nazarenes, Pentecostals, Free Will Baptists, Holiness churches and many charismatic churches. Roman Catholicism is also basically Arminian in its belief.

According to Arminius: Christ died for all people and God wills all men to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. However, God's will can be frustrated and thwarted by man and God's grace can be resisted by man's freewill. This is because it is left to each person to ultimately decide whether he wishes to be saved or not. Therefore, in order to go to heaven each person must choose to accept Jesus Christ before he dies. All those who die without choosing Christ (the vast majority of humanity) will be judged by God and cast into hell, where they will be tortured forever.

What is Biblical Universalism?

Origen of Alexandria (185-254 A.D.) is the earliest known Christian theologian to have written about Universalism, the belief that eventually everyone will be saved through the work of the cross. However, we do not believe that Origen had the full revelation of true Biblical Universalism.

According to the Bible: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, died on the cross to forgive the sins of the whole world, and He is the Saviour of the world. Father God is working out His Grand Family Plan for the Universal Salvation and Reconciliation of All through His Son Jesus Christ in Ages, in God's time and order.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order:
Which God are you serving?

The god of Calvinism sacrificed his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for his elect few only, and he predestined only his elect to be saved. This must also mean that he predestined, knowingly and willingly, to cast the vast majority of humanity (the non-elect) into hell to be tortured forever. This makes the god of Calvinism an evil god, infinitely and unimaginably more evil than Hitler could ever be.

The god of Arminianism sacrificed his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all people, and he wills all people to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, but he has made himself helpless to save all people by allowing man's freewill to override his will in salvation. Against his will, the god of Arminianism is forced to throw the majority of humanity into hell to be tortured forever, because for one reason or another, they failed to accept Jesus Christ in this life before they died. Even worse than that, the god of Arminianism knowingly and willingly created human beings with the full foreknowledge that the vast majority of them would reject salvation and end up being tortured in hell forever. This makes the god of Arminianism both an evil god, as evil as the god of Calvinism, and a weak god who allows the will freewill of fallen man to override his will in salvation.

The God of the Bible sacrificed His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world. He died for all people; past, present and future, and He wills all people to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. He has unlimited wisdom, power and love to save all people in His time and His order. Ultimately, all people will freely and thankfully accept the gift of salvation in this life or the next life, and be reconciled to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This makes the God of the Bible the all-powerful, loving, wise, just, merciful, forgiving and gracious Father God.

Conclusion

Make no mistake about it. You are profoundly affected by how you understand these three beliefs: Calvinism, Arminianism, and Universalism. Your understanding of God's sovereignty, His love, His justice, His righteousness, His forgiveness and His Grace are all fundamentally governed and coloured by each belief system.

People who believe that God will punish unbelievers in hell forever or annihilate them limit God’s sovereignty, power, love, forgiveness, grace, and the very Gospel of Jesus Christ itself. They deny that Jesus Christ is indeed who He says He is, the only begotten Son of Father God and the Saviour of the world.



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from godsplanforall.com

He Is The Victor Over All Death

He is more powerful then death....

Every Knee Shall Bow

Can you see what that says? It does not say some shall bow; it does not say 90% shall bow; it says "that to Me every knee shall bow." Read the scripture for yourself. Isaiah 45:23 "I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath."

Yes, but what does it mean? It means that the word of God will not return without doing what it set out to do. The result being that every knee shall bow and that every tongue shall take an oath. That is 100% success.

The Hebrew word for "oath" is shaw-bah and it means to pledge allegiance to. Every person who has ever existed will bend their knee to God, and pledge allegiance to Him. If you bend the knee to someone, that shows honour and respect. If you pledge allegiance to someone, that shows loyalty. Why would people being tormented in hellfire want to show God honour, respect and loyalty? Supposedly they are only there in the first place, because that is what they would not do. And how can all show God honour, respect and loyalty, if some are eternally dead? It does not make sense.

David said at Psalm 145:21 "My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, (YHWH) and all flesh shall bless His holy name." The Hebrew word for "bless" there is baw-rak, and it means to bend the knee, as an act of adoration. Who will bless His holy name? Who will bend their knee as an act of adoration? All flesh.

Why would all flesh bend their knee to God in an act of adoration, and pledge allegiance to Him? Because at that time, as his name YHWH (He causes to become) indicates, He is the cause of everyone having eternal life. That is living forever, with life as God has it. He has satisfied the desire of every living thing. Universal Salvation. Would you not honour the Person who had done that for you? You would, and you will. And what is more, you will do it because you want to do it, and not because you are made to do it.

I would like very much to tell you at this point, that God is going to give every one absolutely every thing that they have ever dreamed of. But I am sorry I can not do that, because that would be a lie. The reality is that God is going to give you far more than you could ever dream of. There is no one like God (YHWH). 1 Corinthians 2:9 says that "...Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." You can not begin to know the wonderful life that God has made possible for you. It is already yours; you are all going to have it - every last person who has ever existed. Nothing can stop it. The plan of God for everyone is Universal Salvation, and it can not fail.

You might say, "Well, now you are going beyond what the scripture says, because it definitely says that those things are prepared for those who love Him." Well done; it does. But you see, God is love, and the full scope of love is that love is active and passive. For example, God loves - active; that is where God personally is doing the loving. God is loved - passive; that is where someone else is doing the loving. Love is incomplete unless it is both. Therefore if God is loving and not being loved in return, you have a problem, because God says that love never fails. So if love never fails, and love is both active and passive, what has to happen for that to be true, is that when God actively loves, it has to bring a passive response, whereby those whom God loves, in return love Him. That is clearly seen from the scripture at 1 John 4:19 where it says, "We love Him because He first loved us." Active love has a return.

Therefore, if our love for God is assured on the grounds of Him first loving us, then every one who has ever existed will one day love God, who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. So if He loved the whole world, that is everyone, then one day the whole world will love Him. Cause and effect.

And if, as 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, those things are prepared for those who love Him, that will be everyone. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance to Him. Universal Salvation.

Yes what waits for all is even beyond what is written in Scripture. It does not end at the new Heavens and earth. God has the power to do what he said . Vilify all people from beyond death. Just believe Him. He is the Savior of all...not some.  He paid the price for all flesh and their sins in any aion, including the sins committed by flesh on earth when Christ rule in His Kingdom. Those sinners will yet rise from their ashes.


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For Israel Back Then or For You

Dear believer in Jesus Christ,

Do these signs accompany your faith in Him?

He said to them, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. 

These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; 

they will take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." 

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 

They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

Mark 16:15-20

"No...you say !"......Then why not?  

http://www.levendwater.org/frameset.htm?geloofsbelijdenis.html&site_map.html

Paul Completed the Word of God

Study Papers on "The Mystery"

"THE MYSTERY"- God's Sacred Secret To Complete the Word of God (Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:25,26)

vs.25 "...I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God; vs. 26..The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints:" (Col. 1:25- 26).

Translators in the main have selected the English word, "fulfill" or its equivalent, rather than the English word, "complete" (vs. 25). According to "Webster's New World Dictionary," (1968), the English word, "fulfill," means to carry out something promised, desired, expected, predicted, etc. To say the least, The Mystery was never promised, expected, etc. Consequently, to use the English, "fulfill," is like the blind leading the blind. It is said, "translators follow translators," a form of brainwashing. A case in point: The Douay Version of the Holy Bible, (which is an English translation of the Vulgate used by Roman Catholics) uses the word, "fulfill" (1578). The King James' Version, a Protestant version (1611), also uses "fulfill" -- you be the judge!

In any case, believers are instructed to "make all (saints) see (discern) what (is) the dispensation (stewardship, fellowship) of the mystery which hath been hidden from the ages in God..." (Eph. 3:9). A Christian gentleman, Mr. Moore, who was a Bible teacher from Canada, recently remarked, "the average Christian has not rejected The Dispensation of the Mystery - - he has never even heard of it!" Whether or not one agrees or disagrees with his assessment about rejection concerning the dispensation of the mystery is of small consequence, when compared with his latter comment, "never even heard of it." Regardless, Mr. Moore gave his opinion and personally, I find him not to be far afield. In fact, the gross ignorance of the mystery is very widespread - - it even affects the clergy itself. You are challenged to make your own inquiry and discover for yourself.

An old cliche states, "the more things change, the more things remain the same." Let's put it into our context: as it was in the days of our Lord's flesh, so it is now, - - " making the word of God of none effect through your traditions" (Mark 7:13) Tradition, when spiced with a little slander here and there, is and always has been the weapon of the Evil One (Gen. 3:1-6). Needless to say, he has not changed. In a word, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The best place to start with any difficulty is the source, e.g.., the Apostle Paul's last letter that he penned: "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me..." [They turned from Paul's teachings of The Mystery, but not from Christ. Ed.] (II Tim. 1:15) Please bear in mind that the heart of Paul's ministry proceeded through Asia. [The Philippians were not included in this group, as Philipi is in Macedonia. Ed.]

Just as the Colossian epistle states (1:25), this Post-Acts dispensation of the mystery was given, among other things, to complete (not fulfil - - see Webster's Dictionary) the word of God. THINK OF THAT! [There were no more revelations or word of God after "The Mystery" books were completed. Ed.] 

Without controversy, the crisis of reality as opposed to historical tradition requires an answer. One either accepts the content of The Mystery written by an inspired apostle of God (II Tim. 3:16) or the findings of the uninspired church council's meeting some centuries later. That is, unless you count the inspiration of Satan himself (II Cor. 11:13-15) as the same as the inspiration of God.

When you consider all the circumstances of Paul's last letter, "...turned away from me" (II Tim. 1:15), you sense a prophetic forecast concerning the outcome of coming attractions, i.e., the church councils to come and the disastrous traditions to follow. [It appears those of whom he wrote had left The Mystery teachings and returned to following the traditional path. Ed.]

"History" - in Brief

ACTS PERIOD

From the conversion of Paul unto the close of Acts 28:28, the Jewish-Christian hierarchy in the visible church did not reject Paul, but they consistently resisted what Paul called, "My Gospel" (Acts Chapters 15 and 21, Rom. 16:25, 26; Gal. 1:11, 12; 2:2; etc.) This they did even though he affirmed their dispensational advantage (Rom. 3:1, 2; 9:4, etc.) Even so, at Acts 28:28, Israel, nationally, was placed in abeyance. They became "Lo Ammi," a Hebrew word meaning, "not my people" (Hosea 1:9; 3:4).

POST-ACTS PERIOD

Paul arrived in Rome in the Spring of 60 A.D.(?) He wrote his first three letters (Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon ), and sent them under the care of Tychicus [his fellow laborer in the Lord - Ed.], in 61 or 62 A.D.(?). His fourth epistle, Philippians, was written either in 62 or 63 A.D.(?)

According to the best accounts, Paul was then released from prison 63 A.D. - 64 A.D.(?) It was probably from Greece that he wrote I Timothy and Titus, desiring to winter at Nicapolis in 64 A.D.(?). He supposedly was rearrested and sent back to Rome in 65 - 66 A.D.(?) In Rome, he wrote his last letter to Timothy (II Timothy) 66 A.D.(?) He was executed in the Spring, 67 A.D.(?).

In any case, if these time frames are correct, the Mystery, which completes the whole canon of scripture, demonstrates the fallacy of so-called tradition relating to the times the books of the New Testament were written. Shortly after Paul's death, Jerusalem was destroyed - - 69-70 A.D.(?). 

From 70 A.D. until after the turn of the First Century, church history is a blank. (Eusebius, "The History of the Church.")

It is here that the first of the Ante-Nicean fathers began to write. The writings of these Ante-Nicean fathers, Eusebius' history, testify to the reality of rejection (II Tim. 1:15) in their silence concerning Paul and The Mystery. Any and all light would be "Petrine (of theApostle Peter) Theology," [which were addressed to "The Circumcision," i.e.,Israel and any Gentile proselytes during the Acts period, and concerned the hope of Israel - Ed.] along with the influence of St. James' Court (Acts 21:20). In fact, the best-seller books of the period (Ante-Nicean fathers unto the beginnings of the early church councils - 300-325 A.D.) should have a title, "How to Become a Successful Martyr." Any mention of Paul is manipulated and homogenized into former teachings; particularly so concerning the New Covenant and water baptism, etc.

Historical traditions and teachings which flow from the findings of the several church councils (300 A.D.to 325 A.D.(?) are:

Clergy rule, priestcraft, rituals, ordinances, with many grave clothes of Judaism retained and practiced today.

Established chronology (false), (particularly the writings of John, 85-100 A.D.)

Established holy days (false).

Plato's "Immortality of the Soul," along with other Greek philosophical thinking. [These false conclusions are the basis of cultic societies (I Tim. 6:16). Ed.]

Pagan superstitions concerning the unseen world, angels, etc.

Eastern and Western churches, the guidelines and authorities.

Self-sacrifice, a way for obedience to gain. Illustration: The practice of things, counted for gain. In the Acts Period, Paul personally lived as a Jew, religious-wise. To him at that time, it was counted as gain. Post-Acts things, prior to the Mystery, were counted as gain, NOW, those things are counted as loss, and as dung (Phil 3:4-8, 13).

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Col. 2:8.)

C. E. McLain 10/26/87.

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In regards to the resurrection from the dead, each will be brought back to life

"EACH IN THEIR OWN ORDER."

The following is the most profound and exciting message I have ever heard
and been taught by the Holy Spirit ! ENJOY....

God will raise the dead .....each in their own order.....
http://godstruthforall.com/audio/library1/abetterresurrection.mp3

Abetterresurrection

Unknown Artist - Unknown Album

Abetterresurrection

godstruthforall.com

God's Higher Plan Just Read and Believe

God has a plan that was his in the mind of God and not revealed until it was given to Paul in prison near the end of his life.  It is right there for you to read. Has God chosen you before the foundation of the aions-ages to believe it?  I pray He has chosen for you to have the blindness of the traditions of men removed right here and now.

• Please consider the following facts concerning this hope with your Bible.
  
  (I.) OUR HOPE IS THE APPEARING OF CHRIST, NOT THE COMING OF CHRIST.
  
  In Titus 2:13 he wrote; "Looking for that blessed hope, and the GLORIOUS APPEARING of the Great God and our
  Saviour Jesus Christ.
  
  
  II Tim.4:1 says; "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
  at HIS APPEARING and his kingdom".
  
  II Tim. 4:8 says: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
  give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love HIS APPEARING"
  
  I Tim. 6:14 says: "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until THE APPEARING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
  
  Col. 3:4 says: "When Christ who is our life, SHALL APPEAR, then shall you also APPEAR with Him in Glory.
  
  Please note that the Hope of the Prison Epistles is the "APPEARING OF CHRIST", NOT "THE COMING OF CHRIST".
  
  When Paul wrote his Acts Epistles, under the New Covenant administration, his Hope was the Second Coming of Christ, a
  hope that could be FOUND in the O.T. scriptures. He mentions the coming of Christ 10 times in his Acts epistles
  
  Check them out and see for yourself. - I Cor. 1:7, 4:5, 11:26, 15:23, I Thess. 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23, II Thess. 1:10, 2:1.
  
  But when the dispensation changed at the close of the Acts period; the Hope also changed from the Coming, to the Appearing
  of Christ. As a matter of fact, the word "Coming" referring to the Second Coming of Christ DOES NOT APPEAR ONE TIME
  IN THE 7 PRISON EPISTLES OF PAUL whereas, it appears 10 times in the 6 Acts Epistles of Paul. Also, the word
  "APPEARING" referring to Christ's appearing to the Church IS NOT MENTIONED ONCE IN THE ACTS EPISTLES,
  but is mentioned 6 times in the Prison Epistles.
  
  
  Throughout the Acts period, Paul looked for the Second Coning of Christ and encouraged all believers to be ready for it, but
  then suddenly after Acts 28, HE NEVER MENTIONS IT AGAIN IN HIS 7 PRISON EPISTLES . This alone ought to convince
  any fair minded believer that a CHANGE TOOK PLACE in Paul's Hope.
  
  
  Consider this also, if the Coming of Christ is our Hope today, why doesn't Paul mention it at least once in his post-Acts-epistles??
  And if the hope of the Acts believers was the Appearing of Christ, why doesn't he mention it once in the Acts epistles ??
  
  
  I believe the answer is simple, the Appearing and the Coming are not the same event, or hope; and Paul did indeed write about
  and preach two different hopes. One simple way to know that these hopes are not the same is that they are spelled different. But
  let us look more closely at some of these differences.
  
  
  There is a world of difference between Christ's Appearing and His Coming; and if our Hope is His Appearing, we ought to know
  what those differences are.
  
  (II.) OUR HOPE IS THE APPEARING OF CHRIST ABOVE THE HEAVENS, NOT HIS COMING IN THE CLOUDS
  OF THE AIR.
  
  When describing the Coming of Christ in His Acts Epistles, Paul said that Christ would descend from Heaven and come down into
  the clouds of the air.
  
  In I Thess. 4:15-17 he wrote: "We which are alive and remain unto the Coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
  For the Lord himself shall DESCEND FROM HEAVEN with a shout... and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
  together with them IN THE CLOUDS to meet the Lord IN THE AIR."...
  
  
  But in Paul's Prison epistles when Christ appears to the Church, He does not descend from Heaven and come down into the air. Instead,
  He appears to the Church , and then the Church appears with Him IN GLORY where he is now seated at the right hand of God FAR
  ABOVE ALL HEAVENS.
  
  In Col. 3:1--4 Paul said: "Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God... When Christ who is our life
  shall appear, then shall ye also appear WITH HIM IN GLORY."
  
  After His resurrection Eph.4:10 says that Christ ascended up "FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS". The place He ascended up into is where
  the throne of God is located according to Col. 3:1. That place is called "Heavenly Places" in Eph. 1:20 and Eph. 2:6. It is also called "Glory"
  in Psa. 8:1 which says: "O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the Earth! WHO HAST SET THY GLORY ABOVE THE
  HEAVENS".
  
  
  God set His Glory and throne above the Heavens and when Christ ascended up "Far above all Heavens" He ascended up into Glory the
  dwelling place of God. And when Christ Appears to the Church He will appear to us IN GLORY ABOVE THE HEAVENS and in
  the same instant WE WILL BE RECEIVED UP INTO GLORY WITH HIM according to I Tim. 3:16.
  
  
  When the appearing of Christ to the Church takes place, he will not descend from Heaven down into the air . He will appear to us in Glory
  above the Heavens where the Church will be "received up into Glory" (ITim. 3:16) and changed (Phil. 3:21). Praise God for such a Hope
  as this! We have a Hope of being received up into a place where only one other person has ever gone, GLORY the dwelling place of God
  far above all Heavens.
  
  To sum up this point: Our Hope is not for Christ to descend frown Heaven down into the air, our Hope is for Christ to appear in Glory far
  above the Heavens.
  
  (III.) CHRIST'S APPEARING IN GLORY IS THE "BLESSED HOPE" NOT "ISRAEL'S HOPE"
  
  That which we want to stress here is that the hope of Christ's Appearing to the Church is not based upon Israel's Hope, promises or covenants.
  
  The hope that Paul preached and wrote about in his Acts epistles was based upon Israel's promises and covenants . It was the hope that
  God promised to Israel in the New Covenant. Paul was a minister of the New Covenant (II Cor. 3:6) and the New Covenant was made
  with Israel (Heb. 8:8). Therefore, the Hope of the New Covenant was the Hope of Israel. And this hope can be found in the O.T. scriptures
  
  
  There are people who have a problem believing that Paul would preach or have the hope of Israel, but Luke makes it clear that he did at
  least 4 times in the Book of Acts which he wrote.
  
  In Acts 28:20 Paul said to the Jews in Rome; "For this cause therefore have I called for you to see you, and to speak with you: because that FOR
  THE HOPE OF ISRAEL I AM HOUND WITH THIS CHAIN." Much has been said, denied and ignored about this verse, but one thing no
  one can deny and it's the fact that Paul preached the Hope of Israel and suffered for doing so . And when he does Luke makes it clear that the
  Hope was the resurrection God promised Israel in the Law and the prophets.
  
  In Acts 23 Paul stood before the council in Jerusalem and in verse 6 declared "I am a pharisee: of the HOPE AND RESURRECTION OF
  THE DEAD I am called in question."
  
  In Acts 24 Paul again stood before Felix in Caesarea and said to him in verses 14-15
  
  "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
  in the LAW AND THE PROPHETS: and have HOPE TOWARD GOD, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a
  RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, both of the just and unjust."
  
  In Acts 26 Paul again stood before Agrippa and declared to him in verses 6-8
  "And now I stand and am judged for THE HOPE OF THE PROMISE MADE OF GOD TO OUR FATHERS: unto which PROMISE
  our twelve tribes,, instantly serving God day and night, HOPE TO COME. For which HOPE'S SAKE, King Agrippa I am accused of the
  JEWS. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should RAISE THE DEAD? "
  
  When writing the Book of Acts, Luke did not go into all the details of what Paul said when he preached the Hope of Israel. However, he
  does say that the Hope he preached was the one God promised the fathers of Israel and that it is found in the Law and the prophets.
  But when Paul wrote his Acts Epistles HE GIVES YOU THE SPECIFICS OF THAT RESURRECTION in I Corinthians 15:50-55 and
  I Thess. 4:14-18. As you read these two chapters, you can see all the details of what Paul said when he preached the Hope of Israel in the
  Acts period. Paul also wrote that he suffered for the hope he preached in I Cor.15:29-32 as Luke said he did in Acts 28:20 and Luke calls
  the hope he suffered for the hope of Israel . Keep in mind also that you cannot separate what he preached from what he wrote, or
  what he wrote from what he preached . PAUL WROTE TO THE SAME PEOPLE HE PREACHED TO AND VICE-VERSA .
  
  The resurrection that Paul wrote about in I Cor. 15 and I Thess. 4 is the Hope of Israel that Luke said Paul preached in Acts 23, 24, 26, 28.
  It was the Hope God promised Israel in the New Covenant and Jesus Christ a minister of the New Covenant like Paul (Heb. 8:6), also
  preached that Hope in Matt. 24:29-31. By comparing Matt. 24 with I Cor. 15 and I Thess. 4 you will see they are one and the same Hope.
  * (Note: for a detailed comparison of Matt. 24 with Mess. 4 see article "The Hope of the Acts Epistles".)
  
  
  God promised this Hope to all the seed of Abraham that He made the New Covenant with. Because all believers in the Acts body were
  accounted as Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29) and New Covenant saints (Gal. 4:22-31) they partook of this Hope as well as "the promises"
  God made to Abraham (Gal.3:16) and "the promise" made to him (Gal. 3:29). They also partook of "the fatness" of the good olive tree
  (Rom. 11:17) and Israel's "Spiritual things" (Rom. 15:27).
  
  But when Paul wrote his Prison Epistles under the dispensation of the Mystery, that began after the Acts period, all this changed.
  What is said about the Acts believers is not true of us.
  
  We are not grafted into Israel the Good Olive Tree and partake of her fatness, for the tree has been cut down!
  
  We do not partake of Israel's spiritual blessings, instead we have something better, which is all spiritual blessings in Heavenly Places In Christ (Eph.1:3).
  
  We do not partake of "The Promise of Abraham", but of "The Promise" of Eternal Life that God made to us before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 3:6 - Tit. 1:1-2).
  
  We do not partake of "the Promises of Abraham", but of the "Unsearchable Riches of Christ" Eph. 3:8).
  
  We do not call Abraham Our Father, neither are we his seed, for we have One Father who is God (Eph. 4:6).
  
  We are not New Covenant saints, but saints of another administration, and that of the Grace an Mystery, not promise (Eph. 3:1-2).
  
  Our Hope is not the Hope of Israel, but it is the Blessed Hope (Tit. 2:13) .
  
  The Hope of Israel preached by Paul in the Acts period was the Hope of the New Covenant administration made to the seed of
  Abraham. It is not the Hope of this administration of Grace.
  
  
  Like we have said before , WHEN DISPENSATIONS CHANGE SO DOES THE HOPE. When God committed the Dispensation
  
  of the Mystery to Paul and to us Gentiles, he revealed a new and different Hope than what he had previously , under the New Covenant administration.
  
  It is called : "The Blessed Hope - Tit. 2:13
  "The Hope of Glory" - Col. 1:27
  "The Hope of His Calling" - Eph. 1:18
  "His Appearing" - II Tim. 4:1, 8
  
  But under no circumstances is it ever called "The Hope of Israel"!

   ·  ·  · July 8 at 9:17am
  

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God's Desire For You....Will Be DONE

God's wish for you is for all to be saved and come to the fullness in the knowledge of the Lord. Scripture says He IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, so none will be lost. If none are lost, then all will confess He is Lord and come to fullness of the knowleged of the Lord. http://www.charleswelch.net/L019%20Eph%203%20Our%20Mission.mp3