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Messages - mikeforjesus

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General Discussion / Matthew 24 church fathers
« on: December 25, 2018, 06:16:47 pm »
24:1–14 Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple, of Troubles and Persecutions
Overview: Everyone who receives the Word of God is a temple. Every sin damages the temple, yet complete departure from God destroys it. Moreover, Jesus meant replacement of the material building of the temple with the unsurpassed mystical temple of Scripture, composed of the inspired words and phrases (Origen). Jesus meant the temple to be destroyed after his crucifixion, not in the consummation of the age (Cyril of Alexandria). In accordance with Jesus’ prediction, the Jewish temple stood while Christ and the kingdom of God dwelt among the Jews. When they departed from the Jews to the Gentiles, the temple collapsed (Origen). The temple of Jerusalem was to be destroyed, since the more beautiful and eternal temple, which is every practicing Christian, was being consecrated by the Holy Spirit (Hilary of Poitiers). The olives that were planted on the Mount of Olives are the Christian churches, which are taken care of by the farmer, the Word of God. It is this farmer who grafts branches of a wild tree, the Gentiles, into the good tree of the righteous (Origen). The disciples asked about the end of the world for our benefit so that we would know the signs of the coming end and would expect it eagerly. These signs, however, are to be interpreted not literally and chronologically but spiritually (Incomplete Work on Matthew). Jesus foretold the coming wars to strengthen his disciples (Chrysostom). Interpreted in a moral sense, this passage refers to the spiritual struggle and afflictions of anyone who is about to see the Word of God coming into their soul (Origen). Even the most grievous cooling down of love will not harm the noble and the firm (Chrysostom). The preaching of the gospel in the whole world is almost accomplished, so no one has the excuse of not knowing it (Jerome). Before the end of the world the church will be seduced by diverse heresies (Incomplete Work on Matthew).


24:1 The Buildings of the Temple

You Are a Temple.

Origen: Everyone who receives the Word of God into himself is a temple. Everyone who does not completely fall away from God after sinning but retains some vestiges of faith and devotion to the commandments of God remains a temple, albeit partially destroyed. Whoever fails to take care of his soul after he sins, however, but continues to walk away from the faith and from the life of the gospel is progressively alienated until he has fully departed from the living God. Then he will be a temple in which “there will not be left one stone” of the teaching of the commandments of God “upon another that will not be destroyed.” …
The temple of God was a building composed of distinct words, every Scripture from the Old Testament plainly having been constructed according to the historical sense. By their arrangement of words and phrases, Moses and the prophets built it in such a way that the beauty of the stones, that is, the meaning of their carefully chosen sayings, would command the admiration and praise of everyone. When the disciples of Jesus attempted to direct his attention to the structure of the temple, he responded by saying that this first, merely physical building must be destroyed by the Word so that another, more divine, more mystical temple might be constructed in its place. That other temple is the Scripture, as has already been demonstrated. Commentary on Matthew 30–31.

You See These Buildings.

Cyril of Alexandria: Some were pointing out to Christ the magnificent things in the temple and how it was adorned by the gifts that had been dedicated to God. For they supposed that Jesus would admire with them all there was to see, although being God he has heaven as his throne! He does offer a teaching concerning them, but he had already predicted that according to the times the temple would utterly fall. The Roman army is being gathered for this very thing, demanding the surrender of Israel itself as all Jerusalem suffers the punishment of the slaying of the Lord. For let me tell you, it came to pass that they suffered these things after the crucifixion of the Savior. But they did not understand the meaning of Jesus’ teachings. They supposed his teachings concerned the consummation of the age. Fragment 266.

24:2 One Stone Not Left on Another

The Kingdom Will Be Taken from You.

Origen: After Christ predicted everything that was about to happen to Jerusalem, he who had preserved the temple left it, lest it collapse while he was still in it. The temple stood safe and secure as long as the Word and the kingdom of God were with the Jews, as did all things Jewish. Subsequently, however, the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles, as it is written, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to the nations who produce its fruit.” Both Jesus and the kingdom of God were then established among the Gentiles. Therefore neither Jesus nor the kingdom of God is to be found among the Jews, because they were abandoned “like a booth in a vineyard and like a hut in a cucumber field and like a city besieged,” on account of the crime they committed against Christ. Commentary on Matthew 29.

Not One Stone upon Another.

Hilary of Poitiers: The magnificent splendor of the temple’s design was shown to Christ immediately after he had warned of Jerusalem’s desolation, as though to move him. Yet he said that everything had to be destroyed and the scattered stones of its entire foundation demolished, for an eternal temple was being consecrated as a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. This eternal temple is the man who is made worthy of becoming God’s habitation through knowledge of the Son, confession of the Father and obedience to the commandments. On Matthew 25.1.

24:3 What Will Be the Sign of Your Coming?

He Sat on the Mount of Olives.

Origen: I regard the allegory of the Mount of Olives to refer to the churches of the Gentiles, among whom olive trees were planted. Each church is able to say, “I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God.” Perhaps also in this Mount of Olives, where the roots of good olive trees live, branches of a wild olive tree were grafted into the good tree in the place of those branches which had been “broken off for their unbelief.” The farmer residing on the Mount of Olives is the Word of God as professed in the church, which is Christ, who continually grafts wild olive branches into the good tree of our father Moses and the other prophets, so that having been strengthened by the holy prophets (whose prophecies they understood to refer to Christ), these new branches might offer more abundant, richer fruit than the first olive branches, which had been cut off and made useless on account of the curse which was in the law. Commentary on Matthew 32.

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General Discussion / Re: We must give careful heed lest we drift away
« on: October 24, 2018, 11:52:36 am »
The church seems to agree with that. They are not against success if it is not for yourself but to give most to the poor but how then can you succeed more to give to the poor? Because they are against even having any pleasure for yourself. But Paul says he richly gives us all things to enjoy. Some take that to mean we enjoy the little as long as we have Christ as David says I rejoice in you more than in the season their grain and wine increases. But Solomon says in Ecclesiastes we should enjoy the fruits of our labor for that is our portion

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General Discussion / We must give careful heed lest we drift away
« on: October 24, 2018, 11:42:23 am »
Hebrews 2:1-3
(1) Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (2) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, (3) how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

New King James Version   Change your email Bible version
These verses are similar to Proverbs 21:16: "A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead." The person who is neglecting his salvation is not deliberately setting his mind to turn away from God or His way of life. He is simply, through neglect, allowing himself to drift in that direction. He does not plan to go that way; he gets distracted by things in his life—by hobbies, work, rearing children, and a great many other things. No matter what it is, he allows himself to neglect what has been given to him.
The metaphor used here is of a boat that has slipped its mooring and is drifting within the harbor. Just drifting with the current.
Both of these verses point to a major problem we see in the end-time church of God. We may call it Laodiceanism, and that is a very nice "tag" to put on it. We can comfortably say the word, but are we aware that a Laodicean is a drifter? A Laodicean is somebody who is hanging on to the best of both possible worlds, as he sees it. He has one foot in the church and one foot in the world, and he does not realize that he is drifting.
This is the kind of person that God says He finds unpalatable—one He will spit out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).

— John W. Ritenbaugh

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General Discussion / 1 Timothy 3:15 Church is the pillar and ground of truth
« on: September 26, 2018, 03:55:15 pm »
1 Timothy 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The scriptures were chosen by the church and the scriptures can be rightly interpreted only by Christians
It is not clear whether it includes the holy synod or also orthodox laymen or any other Christian

Jesus said the gates of hades will not prevail against the church . Has only 1 church been able to preserve the truth throughout all generations or has the church only be made necessary to be one since the beginning
to choose the books of the bible and now through every believers input no matter what church you can more easily know the truth

Or does God still work to preserve the truth through one church yet still accept other Christians

It needs more study. You can not say just beceause of this one verse it is enough to convince one that there is only one true church. Atleast not for those who lack faith for whatever reason not to want to trust the church

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Jesus said labor not for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to everlasting life which the Son of man will give you

It may be saying He is saying we must labor for the knowledge of the truth to have spiritual life which is also necessary not just taking Him in the sacrament if one is not eating His body and blood spiritually outside the sacrament
He said the words I speak to you are spirit and they are life

However I can not see how one can dismiss the church history of church father writings for belief in what was one true church and the Eucharist sacrament being the actual body and blood of Christ but I do not think that means if there were people unwitnessed to in the church that God would not also give them spiritual life. He was kind to righteous gentiles in the Old Testament and Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. People are judged according to what light they can know. And they would have to absolutely know it is the truth. So all should seek the truth and follow what they absolutely know is true. If one thinks the church is true you can join it but the full truth may be in the bible so you should not judge Protestants

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General Discussion / I decided to accept Protestants and this is why
« on: August 10, 2018, 07:43:18 pm »
Though others may teach the truth and confirm the gospel is for all people may not come across it and I be held responsible for judging others

I don’t believe it is my job to convert others but God raises children to Abraham from stones. He can bring them to the church if they must.I am willing to trust in that and hope in my salvation from Jesus alone but I trust in God to guide me if He thinks it is right to the church I will not hide away from letting the church try to convince me I will seek transformation in the church if it can perhaps transform me my thinking and life and to preach it. I should be allowed communion because I still believe though I doubt and my doubt can be right. I should be allowed to have communion to turn from my doubt but if not I may decide I have to do without communion

It does not matter how right we are the bible says if we can’t turn people and have salt we are worthless
We can pray all we want yet things won’t change as Isaiah says though we make many prayers but not doing His of loving others God will hide His face because we have to seek to repent for God to work with us
It may be he accepts them but He will work with us later as His church
I thought going to confession and church would make me have a spiritual life and not stumbling block but I don’t feel by my decision the Holy Spirit has returned to me as much as I desired and other sins are being added

Though we make many prayers we are still responsible for hurting others if we do not attend to their needs as Isaiah says of attending to orphan widow and also rebuking the oppressor that is someone who makes others give up faith in God. We should visit orphans and widows in their trouble to see if we can help them materially and also spiritually if we know we can comfort them and to try to but only those who die in Christ and repentance  have hope but only God may know in what cases they do

You are free to believe only the church may have salvation but you should always desire the truth and to be perfect to keep seeking if you feel convicted even if you do not find by not being diligent enough for full truth. Some people out of good conscience think it is important to be rigid with the tradition but there are those of us who feel it is our duty not to be rigid

Mark 12:33-34 Explains we must know and love God and love our neighbor

Mark 12:33-34
32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
But after that no one dared question Him.

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General Discussion / We must hate the world to be alive to God
« on: August 10, 2018, 07:24:08 pm »
I am not worthy to preach this message because I may not be a good witness to the church and may not know the way to life so I may not have the right to judge the world but it is still true. I wrote it when I had more faith that protestants can be saved but now I dont want to teach it definitely unless I can believe the early church writings after the apostles need not be a source of stumbling to conclude they may be condemned which maybe only God knows if they rejected His church being worthy of guilt even if all

We must hate the world to be alive to God

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

We must not be accepting of the world at all but only love them through God. We do not fear God if we do not stand aloof for fear of our judgement.

Unfortunately we do not really fear God but even the demons believe and tremble

We will all be judged for accepting harlotry by not condemning it and being sensitive as lot was who was grieved by what he saw because it is an evil that deserves them to go to hell. Paul said he already judges the sinner he wishes not death of sinner if they repent but he also wishes death of the unrepentant for hatred of their deeds

We will all be judged for befriending the world by not fearing as Jude says hating the garment defiled by the flesh that is to be defiled by it so we will partake in the judgement of the great harlot standing aloof from her plague.

The great harlot is the spirit inspiring our harlotry

Revelation 19:3 
3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”

we must be perfectly holy

2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God

We must also hate the adultery against God of all who do not receive the gospel if they have truly been witnessed to by God but they may be witnessed to some other hour and despise their deeds and have hatred for their action and approval of their condemnation if they do not repent but yet desire their repentance and show desire for it while yet condemning the action. Also we must hate our own life that is of fellow believers who are adulterous against other words of the Lord Jesus

 

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God’s sheep know Him and He knows them for those who have true relation with Him which may be few in every church which it is up to God to give and up to them to truly diligently seek.  I mean they may have relation out of the church or they may not and not required to prove but they should still because it would be based on the truth
God will have relation with none outside the truth but the truth may be the gospel also saves those outside the church. Still they should join the church if they are not sure of their beliefs but also not judge those outside the church which they do not know but continue to seek the truth of the gospel. I mean if one has true relation he will not doubt his relation with God but he may or may not be able to prove his beliefs are corrects but I don’t know if this concept of relation truly exists and if one doubts his beliefs he should still join the church but seek true relation with God

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Would the Lord really offend people unjustly. He did after all perform miracles before He said difficult truths.
We should maybe be quiet also until the Lord can also verify our truth through our fruits.

St John the Baptist said to the Pharisees do not think we have Abraham as our father. Therefore we must bear fruit worthy of repentance. Even if we have true faith in Jesus. John says God is able to raise up children to Him even if that means supposedly to join the church

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Here is a verse of the day I subscribe to not from church

Ephesians 1:17 (NKJV)
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,


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I decided to choose my convictions over any one influence even my father.
I am convicted by the church fathers who also taught communion in the Eucharist as well as prayer but not just prayer. Maybe God came to accept others who did not have communion if the church lost its ability to witness but I can not prove that or yet. So I think it is not safe to teach it unless Protestants all be able to prove it. Maybe some can and others can’t. Those who can’t may not be excused not to join the church if they know about the church fathers and can not prove it. But they still may be saved if it is true but they don’t know but they may not be. God may also accept them but we do not know. They may need to convert

When I was young just after high school I found comfort in someone from a website teaching me about Jesus love and his beliefs on the gospel. I guess I was drawn because I was neglectful as a youth to know Jesus. Maybe I did wrong to distrust the church and the churches care for me which I do believe the church cared for me but I was hostile to their correction at other times or they may have slipped some times and I was unforgiving though they still cared for me. That does not mean the church does not care for me but church men can make mistakes and some may not care. But the message was still helpful because it allowed me to know the truth I missed to know in the church to have a relationship in the church

Maybe those like my father who never heard about the church fathers maybe God will convert them some other way

Anyway I believe it may be God’s job to convert others and open their hearts like He did to Lydia
And as it was said the Lord daily added to the church those who were being saved

St Augustine said the truth is like a lion you don’t have to defend it. But I suppose it must still be spoken and you are not following the truth of loving your neighbor if you don’t love those who are not willing to accept it now without your deeds

I feel bad that I was slow to come back like st Moses the black and Mary the Egyptian but I want to come back as I miss confession and to really live repentant. Jesus raised the bar of the law and taught fornication is also to lust after a woman in your heart

We don’t know maybe God will forgive some people who died out of the church and some others alive now and gave them the Holy Spirit but now is calling many to join the church to have the Holy Spirit now or maybe all are called now to join the church

Jesus said the way to life is narrow and few find it. One should maybe join the church if he can not prove it wrong but it may be others are accepted and we may have to keep looking for the gate of truth which few find. But it may be in the church or rather the church which hold the Lords teachings who said He would never change them even though heaven and earth pass away

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General Discussion / On death for Christ
« on: August 07, 2018, 11:52:45 pm »
Christians must not seek death when they are not ready for then they should be afraid of the sword but if it comes on one he should not be afraid but trust in God for strength. God protects us if we are not ready but we must not test Him by seeking death before your time when God may think your work on earth is not done.

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It is important not to judge but we must also not teach that God does not come as a thief to those who are not watchful but we should not spend our time turning people off even with the truth. He did not come to condemn but He has never said we should not watch. By He did not come to condemn it means He is patient not coming to blow out a smoking flax or bruise reed which is those sinners who may repent who deserve patience because they have not been fully reached. But willful sinners should be afraid

Jesus says watch and pray the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

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