Grant Phillips

Then The Body Is Complete :: By Grant Phillips

Published on: by RR7

At the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15, all the apostles and Church leaders met, along with Paul and Barnabas to decide how they should approach the Gentiles with the Gospel.

Most of the Jews wanted to require the Gentiles to be circumcised and submit to the Mosaic Law. Paul, among others was adamantly opposed to any requirement other than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by grace we are saved through faith, not the Law.

There were also many Jews who did not think the Gentiles should even be a part of the Church. To them, the Church was for the Jews only, and it must function under the Mosaic Law.

James, the Lord’s half-brother, was head of the Jerusalem church and spoke as follows:

“When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

“‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,

that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:13-19 emphasis mine)

After James finished, it was decided that they would not require any Gentile to be circumcised, but only asked that they, “… abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality…” (Acts 15:29)

The key point here is that from the mouth of James, the Lord’s half-brother, it was recalled that God would call to Himself a body of Gentiles. Therefore, the Gentiles would be accepted into the Church. When the Church began at Pentecost it was 100% Jewish. Several years later, Gentiles are becoming a part of the Church, and were soon in the majority.

Notice in these verses above that God is choosing a people for His name from among the Gentiles, the Church, and after this He will turn back to Israel.

Let us make one thing very clear, the church did not replace Israel. Once the Church is complete, the Rapture will occur. God will then return to Israel (Daniel’s 70th week or Tribulation) to finish the remaining seven years they are owed from the 490 they were promised (Daniel 9).

So how close are we to God removing the Church from the earth at the Rapture and returning to Israel? When God is finished calling a people for Himself from among the Gentiles, Jesus will remove the Church from the earth. Then He will turn back to Israel for the final seven years.

Paul tells us, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25) So obviously, there is a certain number of Gentiles that will compose the Church, the body of Christ. Then the body is complete. When that number is reached, Jesus will return for His bride.

It stands to reason, that if we really want Jesus to return soon, then we should be witnessing to as many folks as possible, because when that final number is reached, the Lord returns. Obviously, that isn’t a very good reason to witness. We should witness because we honestly care for the person. We don’t want them to leave this world lost. We want them to enjoy the riches of being with the Lord for all eternity along with us.

Apparently, no one but God knows when “the full number of the Gentiles has come in,” so we should look at it as continuing opportunities to share the greatest news the world could ever hear.

We have the Good News of a free gift from God (no strings attached), bought and paid for by His only begotten Son. The gift of eternal life and adoption into the family of God is ours if we just realize we are sinners and need to be saved, and then call upon Jesus Christ through child-like faith to save our souls. It is in His death, burial and resurrection our faith resides, not any works of our own. Only through Him is the way to the Father.

As the body of Christ that is nearly complete (in my opinion), we also need to build each other up in the faith. We should pray for one another and encourage each other. Christians should never be fighting among themselves. Can you imagine the chaos if your hand wants to feed your stomach but your mouth won’t open because it’s pouting about something? That makes as much sense as Christians giving other Christians a hard time.

The Holy Spirit led the apostle Paul to write about the body of Christ so that we might know that we are part of that body when we believe upon Jesus Christ. You can read about this in First Corinthians chapter twelve.

Also remember, that Jesus is the head of the body, not me and not you. Sometimes we forget that. In the meantime, we should nourish our body (the Church), encourage others to be a part of His body, and look for His soon return. I don’t know when that will be, but we do know it is imminent.

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

 

Get Your Own Dirt :: By Grant Phillips

Published on: by RR7

God was sitting in heaven one day when a scientist said to Him, “God, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing – in other words, we can now do what you did in the beginning.”
“Oh, is that so? Explain…” replies God. “Well,” says the scientist, “we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man.”
“Well, that’s very interesting… show Me.”
So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil into the shape of a man. “No, no, no…” interrupts God, “Get your own dirt.”

Many of you have probably heard this light-hearted joke before, but I think it fits into what I would like to talk about. This world belongs to God; earth and all that is in it, on it and around it. God created it out of nothing, along with the solar system we are in, including all the other millions, billions, trillions plus of other solar systems. Our God created everything out of … N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Only God can do that.

It all comes down to one reality.

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17)

When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he noticed many statues of false gods, including one labeled “the unknown god,” (just in case they may have overlooked one). He then had this to say to the men of that city.

“… “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:22-31)

Obviously, the man in question in the last verse is none other than Jesus. Jesus Christ, who was crucified, buried and rose again will soon return and judge the world He made. He came the first time, not to judge the world, but to save the world, but when He returns He will not return as Savior, but as the Judge.

The lost world mocks God today, thinking and acting upon their belief that they are in control of their own destiny. This world is drunk on the belief that it is wiser, and far too intelligent to believe that God actually exists. It mocks those of Athens who worshipped idols made by hands, but are we any different? No we are not. Our idols may not be made of stone, but they are idols no less.

This country, prides itself on the law and power, as did the Romans. It also prides itself on its abundant knowledge, as did the Greeks. Where are the Romans? Where are the Greeks? The one true God remains, “I AM,” but where are they?

This world belongs to God and is His to run in any way He sees fit. It can rebel, deny, mock, persecute and laugh off the existence of God, but this very God gave Himself that all who desire could be saved from their sins. All who come to Him will be saved and kept by His power. All who do not will be judged by Him.

I can’t imagine entering my neighbor’s house and attempting to tell them how to run their own home; for example, how to raise their children. They would probably tell me to mind my own business, and they should. We have been doing the exact same thing with God. We, as a society have been rebelling against His commands of how we should live, and refusing, as a majority, to accept His ways. The “My Way” song is reverberating from the lips of most in this country and across this earth. News Flash! When the dust settles after He returns, everyone will do it His way, and that is the only way it will be.

There is one thing a fallen world is never short of and that is “pride.” We forget though that this is the very thing that got us into the mess we’re in in the first place. How’s that, you say? Satan was filled with pride (see reference below). He tempted Eve to disobey God. Adam, her husband, disobeyed God, apparently to please Eve. (Genesis 3:6) Sin and death entered the world.

“Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor…” (Ezekiel 28:17)

“You said in your heart,
I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, …
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)

The Scripture references above (Ezekiel 28:17 and Isaiah 14:13-14) are all in reference to Satan. I don’t know about you, but I can sense a strong kinship in these verses between the lost man and his father, the devil.

Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:44 that they were of their father the devil. We do take on the characteristics of our fathers. Those who are children of God will grow in Christ and be like Him. Those who are of Satan (all who are not of Christ) will be like the devil; full of pride and rebellion.

We may think this world is ours and we can live any way we want. The truth is, Satan has caused many to believe a lie, because he is the father of lies. As of this instant, all have an opportunity to obey God and recognize Satan for what he is; a liar. This isn’t your world and it isn’t my world. God created it and it is His. He created us. He has chosen to save all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ, and he has chosen to judge all those who do not. The end result of that judgment is an eternity in hell.

Don’t allow Satan to cloud your eyes and your ears with his lies. Believe God. This is His world, not Satan’s and not yours and mine. This next verse is for us today, prior to the Tribulation that will soon come upon the whole earth.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)

These next few verses are for those on the earth after the Church is gone, during the Tribulation.

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7)

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” (Revelation 14:9-12)

Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html