A Study in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans – “On the Road of Righteousness” Chapter Fifteen – The Glorious Gospel to Israel and the Church

~ By James Fire

The Glorious Gospel to Israel and the Church

I’ve been told that this epistle is often taught in colleges of law, not for its spiritual content, but for the irresistible logic that Paul the apostle uses to build his Scriptural arguments in assertion of the fundamental principles of the Gospel and all that this entails.

We have seen how the Law of God is used lawfully as a means to establish the holy standard of God’s righteousness and thus revealing the universal condition of mankind’s sinfulness and this without exception: all are condemned by the holy Law – the immoral pagans, the moral Gentiles and the religious Jews.

We have then seen how the Gospel is established as the exclusive means of salvation for all the world through Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of all the world (that is, for all who call upon His Name) and the justification that is offered by His blood atonement on the Cross.

We then observed how sanctification is brought about in the life of the saint, once they enter into salvation via the justification of Jesus Christ; this is an initial step upon justification but also an ongoing process in the life of the saint that will know its completion once we are brought to heaven and meet our precious LORD face to Face.
At that time, we shall know glorification, and shall inherit incorruptible, immortal bodies fashioned after the LORD’s own glorified body which He presented to His disciples after His resurrection.

We then examined the latter half of the epistle in chapters nine, ten and eleven where Paul produces his evidences for Israel and how this nation yet still has a viable, and foreordained future (that is, the believing remnant) once the Messiah returns to claim His own and they receive Him as their reigning King – Who at that time will defeat the anti-Christ, the False Prophet and the kings of the earth that oppose Him at the so-called ‘battle’ of Armageddon.

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EXPOSING ERROR

by A.M. Kisly

We are seeing a tidal wave of false teachers who have been given the green light to spread their poisonous doctrines because of a deafening silence among many Bible believers. Church congregations are being taken over by wolves in sheep’s clothing who are perverting biblical truth and ravaging the flock of God, leading many to their destruction.

Jesus stood face to face with false teachers and called them out publicly.  Matthew 12:24, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

In 1 John 4:1-6, we are warned:

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

² Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
³ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
⁴ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
⁵ They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
⁶ We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 

Apprising Ministries recently posted a really great article written by Dr. Harry Ironside called, Exposing Error: Is it Worthwhile?  I really felt it was worth a re-post!

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The Cross Is Not Necessary?

by A.M. Kisly

The warning against false teachers.

Christ said, “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15). For every true prophet calling people to the narrow way that leads to life, there are a multiplicity of false prophets calling people to the broad way that leads to destruction. Christ’s warning [about false teachers] was not new. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 documents the presence of false teaching during the days of Moses. In Isaiah 30:9-14 chronicles its existence in the kingdom of Judah.

There are many warnings about false teachers in Scripture.

In 2 John 7 - John said, “Many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

And in the Book of Romans 16:17-18 - Paul said, “I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own body, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the innocent.”

And the blasphemers keep blaspheming, such is the case of Emergent Church leader Tony Jones.

In a recent blog post, Apostate Emergent Leader, Tony Jones, who, by the way, uses the term Christianity on his website as a means to deceive,  answered a write in question from a young lady who had a difficult time understanding how a loving God would allow His Son to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of mankind.

You won’t believe the response!

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EMERGENT is REGURGITANT – Part Four: Loving Evangelism, Emergent Style

By James Fire

The following is a treatment of the article written by Heather Kirk-Davidoff as found in the book An Emergent Manifesto of Hope.

Mrs. Kirk-Davidoff is the Enabling Minister of the Kittamanqundi Community (an independent church) in Columbia, Maryland. She is married to Dan Kirk-Davidoff a climate scientist. Along with writing partner, Nancy Wood-Lyczak she has authored two books, Talking Faith (Chalice Press, 2004) and Dare to Dive In (Abingdon, 2006). She can be reached at kirkwood associates.

Mrs. Davidoff relates an experience at the beginning of her chapter of visiting a bar in an attempt to conduct some “relational evangelism” and encountered a young lady who entered into some casual conversation with her. They spoke of common every day things (work, boyfriend, music, etc.) until the young lady asked her if she saw the stage musical, Rent. Her favorite character in the play was a drum playing homeless gay man who spends most of the show dressed as a drag queen Santa Claus named Angel. She remarks about his love having so “much power in the lives of the other characters. And his love doesn’t stop affecting them even after he dies (of AIDS) . . . it’s like his love is made more perfect in his death.”

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The HARBINGER – HOAX or HISTORY? Part Three

~ ~ By James Fire

As we continue in our examination of The HARBINGER, it’s vital to understand that the only nation that God has established a covenant with is Israel. Any covenant of God is that which the LORD Himself initiated and established, both in its terms and application. No nation can take it upon them selves to make a covenant with God, nor do we find any biblical precedent that exemplifies such an idea.

WHAT’S THE FUTURE HOLD – FOR AMERICA and ISRAEL?

To assume that America had inherited in some way, the beneficiary aspects of the covenant that God made with Israel, we would by necessity have to fulfill the covenant agreement geographically, as God spoke specifically concerning “the land” and its parameters:
“The extent of the geographical boundaries of the promised land is very specific and must be understood literally. To do otherwise is to spiritualize God’s promises and turn the historical text into an allegory.

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