There are some important updates before the main article begins. UPDATE 02/29/24 - Well, I ran across another video with the picture below. Turns out the 2017, 2023 and 2024 eclipses form three Xs, not two. And at the intersection of each one is an earthquake fault zone. Cascadia, off the coast of Oregon, is said to be able to produce magnitude 9 earthquakes "sometime in the next 50 years." New Madrid produced several earthquakes in 1811-12 upwards of 8.2, the strongest ever recorded here. Balcones is a much smaller area but is a fault line nonetheless. So, more "coincidences?" Some say even if the country doesn't experience large earthquakes this year, this could also mean the division or splitting of the country based on social, economic or some other factor. That outcome is easy to see as there is already a split. UPDATE 02/18/24 - Given America's Christian heritage it is no surprise there are many cities named after those in the Bible. For example, Nineveh is the city that the prophet Jonah was told to preach to so that the people would repent and God would not destroy the city. There are many Nineveh's in America and quite a number along the eclipse path. This picture depicts those and some others. Coincidence? UPDATE 02/09/24 - A brother in Christ shared information on the previous Total Solar Eclipses over America. There have only been 8. The April eclipse is number 9. During the times of the previous eclipses, America has been at war. See the picture below for the dates of the earlier eclipses. After April 8th, the next one over America is not until 2044. This article discusses America's eclipse history. Read it here. UPDATE 01/31/24 - I just found out that the entry point for the April eclipse is Eagle Pass, TX which is all in the news because it is a flashpoint for the current border crisis. I doubt seriously that is a coincidence. Eagle Pass is next door to Piedras Negras. Back in 2017, here in the USA, we all heard about the coming "Great American Eclipse" on August 21st. I was a bit leery of the title because America's greatness has been waning for a while and it seemed pretentious to name an eclipse that. However, once I saw articles about its path and duration and the fact that there had not been a similar one since right before World War I, the name took on more meaning. Since the eclipse, there have been lots of articles talking about its significance and many associated "coincidences." Around the same time, the path of the next big eclipse on April 8th 2024 was given. It starts in Mexico then passes over Texas moving northeast to the exit the country from Vermont. The striking picture of the two eclipses forming an X over America felt very ominous to me, still to this day. In recent history, an X on a map meant buried treasure, coming from books and events related to pirates. Some of that meaning is purely fictional but many of us remember "X marks the spot" from Westerns train robbers and pirate movies. In my case, I saw the X more as marking a target for a military strike, or more like God marking America for judgement. Given all that has been taking place since World War II, why would we not expect judgement? Society has fallen away from its Judeo-Christian foundation. Marriages are not as frequent or as sanctified as they have been for hundreds of years. Families went from one parent working to both, leaving child-rearing up to sometimes iffy daycare staff. God and the Bible were removed from K-12 schools around the mid 1960s, which further accelerated societal changes. There are far too many single parents raising children. And far too many lives lost since that infamous ruling back in 1973. Progressiveness invaded colleges and universities starting in the 1950s and look at it now. Some of the stuff we can see in Movies / TV, hear in music, watch on the internet would have been outlawed even 20 years ago. It has been and continues to be a huge downward spiral. And I think we all know it. God certainly knows it. Does not our weather in 2023 and now in January 2024 seem to be a form of judgement? Since when are almost every state in the union under a weather advisory at the same time? For those who take God out of the equation, their only probable cause is "climate change." Which is supposed to be everyone's fault because we burn gasoline and exhale CO2. God simply sees sin as the problem, one that has been around since the dawn of mankind. The solution to this problem is very different depending on if one leaves God in the equation or not. A very short and dangerous time that is well written about is the coming seven (7) year tribulation or "the time of Jacobs trouble." Dozens if not hundreds of movies depict post apocalyptic futures. Only a few are based on the Bible, but, they love to use phrases from it. Thus, the word apocalypse is very popular. How weird is that, given it means revealing. In the movies it is always vast destruction and God is usually left out. Christians obviously believe Jesus is the Messiah and that He will return soon. Jews do not believe that and are still waiting for their messiah to come. Their unbelief is precisely why they will go through this tribulation period. My belief along with many is that the Church of Christ will not go through the same tribulation as it has accepted Jesus as Messiah. Looking at the interval between these two "Great American" eclipses, to me, is another seven year period that serves as both a warning and the beginning of tribulation for America. Below we see the path of the first eclipse on August 21st, 2017. I see that one as interesting in how far it traveled over America. Notice it started in Salem, OR. Salem in the Bible later became Jerusalem. And the eclipse exits via Charleston, SC, which so happens to be my location. Given all that has been happening in America since 2017, couldn't this eclipse have been a sign of the coming division or the Great American Divide? Maybe I read too much into this, but who wouldn't agree that great division has been created in America since 2017. The next eclipse of similar duration is on April 8th of this year. So, it is just four months shy of seven years since the previous "great" eclipse. Here we see its projected path. Is another sign of division portrayed here? When the two eclipses are put together we have this. The intersection of these two eclipses just happens to be an area in Illinois referred to as "Little Egypt." What are the odds of that? See below. It could mean nothing but Exodus chapter 4 references two signs. In Exodus, they were the beginning of miracles that God allowed Moses to perform. Could these two eclipses also be signs for unbelieving Americans? 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe you, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. Another interesting fact regarding these two eclipses: where they intersect is also the location of the New Madrid fault line, the location of America's largest earthquake on December 16th, 1811. It was a magnitude 8+ and actually changed the flow of the Mississippi river for a time and was felt all the way to the East coast. They say Church bells were ringing in many cities. Below is a map showing the effects of that "great American earthquake." Another coincidence? If the country experienced another magnitude 8 there or on the West coast or if the Yellowstone caldera blows, it would be a terrible thing. So we have two slashes across America within seven years. Those alone seem somewhat foreboding. Another eclipse happened not long after the Oct 7th massacre in Israel. An annular solar eclipse on Oct 14th was seen over the famous "Four Corners" and several other states. When the three eclipse paths are combined we see this. Taking all three eclipses together something else appears, the Greek letter Aleph, which became an A in the English alphabet. Matter of fact, the word alphabet comes from Alpha/Aleph (1st letter) and Beta/Bet (second letter). Four times in the book of Revelation, Jesus says "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending (or the first and the last). Below we have the Aleph, which looks like the letter formed from the three eclipses and also a Tav which resembles the X from the August and April eclipses. The X is also an early form of what later became the cross, which is very significant. (Notice there are TWO Xs over America, one at Eagle Pass, TX and the other over the New Madrid fault area.) These pictures were taken from this article which goes into more depth on their origins. Suffice it to say, I am seeing and I hope you are also a beginning and an ending in the symbolism of these eclipses. They form a combination from the Greek and the Hebrew alphabets and sure look like a message. Top left below we have the Greek for Alpha and Omega. At top right, we have the Hebrew for Aleph and Tav which is read from right to left. Thus, the three eclipses form the Aleph (A) or Alpha for the beginning. And the first and third eclipses form the Tav (X) or Omega for the ending. Could I be seeing more in this than there is, certainly. Could it be showing the beginning and the ending of America? Possibly. The country was started 400 years ago and its Declaration of Independence was signed almost 248 years ago. All nations and empires have a shelf life, throughout history. Perhaps it is pointing to the fall of the Western nations and the rise of the Eastern ones, which has to happen according to the Bible. Think about the BRICS nations wanting to ditch the petro-dollar in favor of some new digital currency. That will certainly cause economic havoc in America when it happens. In any event, there is no better time to pray for protection and guidance for yourself and your family, no matter what country you live in. Global events are accelerating and the rate of change with them. We Christians believe Jesus is returning very soon. Hallelujah! The ABCs of Salvation
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New Slideshow with information about the American Solar eclipses from 2017, 2023 and 2024. CLICK HERE or on the PICTURE Recently, after spending a whole day looking at JavaScript ways to present slideshows on the web, I remembered that Google Slides works very well. Below are links to a series of slideshows on important information regarding the Holy Bible. These will work well on mobile devices in Landscape view and on any size PC display. Many believe the Bible foretells with much precision the time of Jesus return. His first return will be to take true believers from Earth before the worst years of tribulation start. Some believe we are already in the tribulation period. Who can argue that the last few years have been quite unusual and stressful. This one slide slideshow displays the key events before Jesus returns at the Rapture. CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW The Rapture of Christian believers is next on the calendar, no other prophecies have to occur before the snatching away of believers. CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW ALL recent Archaeological discoveries have verified names, places and events that are described in the Holy Bible. CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW A list of 45 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW The importance of Bible Prophecy in relation to what’s happened and what’s yet to come. CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW Some of the many Bible verses that point to Jesus’ Second Coming. How soon will it be? CLICK HERE OR ON THE PIC TO VIEW Of the many hundreds of prophecies concerning the promised Messiah, some four dozen are quite specific. Including several of the prophecies already mentioned, the following is an analysis of eleven messianic predictions made more than four hundred years before they were fulfilled. The odds I have assigned in this chapter are obviously arbitrary estimates. Some of my readers will find that the odds I have suggested are too liberal or too conservative in some cases. What odds would you assign for the accuracy of these predictions coming true by chance, rather than by divine sovereignty? If you have other suggestions for the odds for any particular predictions, substitute your own estimates and recalculate the mathematical probabilities that these eleven prophecies were fulfilled by chance alone. Regardless of your estimates, the combined mathematical probabilities are staggering. The Eleven Predictions: The Odds Against This Occurring The promised Messiah would: 1. Be born in Bethlehem Probability: 1 in 200 Old Testament Prediction: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5 2). New Testament Fulfillment: “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King” (Matthew 2:1). 2. Be preceded by a messenger Probability: 1 in 20 Old Testament Prediction: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). New Testament Fulfillment: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1–2). 3. Enter Jerusalem on a colt Probability: 1 in 50 Old Testament Prediction: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). New Testament Fulfillment: “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all mighty works that they had seen” (Luke 19:35–37). 4. Be betrayed by a friend Probability: 1 in 10 Old Testament Prediction: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psalms 41:9). New Testament Fulfillment: “And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; hold him fast.… And Jesus said unto him, ‘Friend, wherefore art thou come?’ ” (Matthew 26:47–50) 5. Have His hands and feet pierced Probability: 1 in 100 Old Testament Prediction: “The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16). New Testament Fulfillment: “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left” (Luke 23:33). 6. Be wounded and whipped by His enemies Probability: 1 in 25 Old Testament Prediction: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). New Testament Fulfillment: “Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Matthew 27:26). 7. Be sold for thirty pieces of silver Probability: 1 in 100 Old Testament Prediction: “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12). New Testament Fulfillment: “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15). 8. Be spit upon and beaten Probability: 1 in 10 Old Testament Prediction: “I gave my back to the smilers, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). New Testament Fulfillment: “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands” (Matthew 26:67). 9. Have betrayal money thrown in the Temple and given for a potter’s field Probability: 1 in 200 Old Testament Prediction: “And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord” (Zechariah 11:13). New Testament Fulfillment: “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in” (Matthew 27: 5–7). 10. Be silent before His accusers Probability: 1 in 100 Old Testament Prediction: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). New Testament Fulfillment: “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly” (Matthew 27:12–14). 11. Be crucified with thieves Probability: 1 in 100 Old Testament Prediction: “He hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). New Testament Fulfillment: “Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left” (Matthew 27:38). The Combined Probability: One chance in 10 to the 19th power or One chance in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 In other words, there is only one chance in 10 billion times a billion that the prophets could have accurately predicted these eleven specific prophecies by chance alone, or that any one man’s life could fulfill these detailed prophecies by chance alone; in fact, it is obviously impossible!
Regarding the estimates I have given for the probability of these specific events occurring purely by chance, let us consider the first prophecy of Micah’s that was written more than seven hundred years before its fulfillment, that the promised Messiah would be born in the insignificant village of Bethlehem. I have assigned a probability of one chance in two hundred to the possibility of Israel’s King being born in this little village by chance alone. In Israel, as in all other countries with monarchies, virtually all of the kings were born in their capital, Jerusalem, and almost never in a small agricultural village. Let us assume then that the odds of a king being born in the countryside rather than in the capital city are one in ten, which is a very conservative estimate. Since Israel had thousands of small villages, the odds against picking the correct village by chance alone, are conservatively one in one thousand. Therefore, to be realistic, the odds against correctly predicting the birthplace of the promised King are one in ten (the odds on the capital versus a rural village); to this figure we multiply one chance in one thousand (the odds on picking the right village). This produces a combined probability of one chance in ten thousand. However, in an attempt to be very conservative, I have assigned the probability as only one chance in two hundred, instead of one chance in ten thousand, a figure which could easily be justified. The prophecy of Jesus having “his hands and feet pierced,” for example, is given odds of 1 in 100. This prediction in the Psalms was made more than five hundred years before the Roman Empire invented crucifixion as an unusual and barbaric method of execution. The prophecy that He would be wounded and whipped by his enemies is given odds of 1 in 25. This also is very conservative in that few kings in history have been subjected to whipping by their enemies. The prophecy of His silence before His accusers is given odds of 1 in 100. The number of leaders and teachers who have been unjustly accused and executed, and who have chosen to remain silent and not defend themselves, is minuscule. Even if we were guilty, most of us would loudly defend ourselves against our accusers if we were faced with torture, whipping, and death by agonizing crucifixion, let alone if we, like Christ, were innocent of the charges. Another point should be considered by those who are mathematically inclined and who feel that my assigned probabilities are too high. Even if you assign the most conservative numbers possible to these combined prophetic probabilities about the life of Jesus the Messiah, you will still be confronted with a probability so staggering in its magnitude that it is impossible to honestly convince yourself that these things occurred by chance. In the unlikely event that you are still not convinced, you should consider that we have listed only eleven of the forty-eight major prophecies given in the Old Testament about the promised Messiah. Jeffrey, Grant R.. Armageddon: Appointment with Destiny (pp. 26-32). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. This video is 2 hours long and well worth watching. It brings together many Bible events and gives many reasons to believe that the Second Coming of Jesus will be in the year 2030. Since the 7 year period of Tribulation must precede this event, that puts it starting sometime THIS year.
Here is the YouTube link: youtu.be/4AG_nJNcTjM The judgment seat of Christ refers to a future occasion when believers will account for themselves before Christ. This is what the Bible explicitly teaches: "𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕; 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒅. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Our 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is not judged at the judgment seat of Christ; that problem was resolved by Christ's atoning work for us (1 John 2:2) and our faith in Him (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). There is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," and all of our sins have been forgiven (Romans 8:1). "𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏; 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆." (John 5:24) One of the greatest biblical doctrines to encourage you to serve the Lord 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃 is the Judgment Seat of Christ. That's because most Christians are unaware of this judgment that will befall all believers 𝘼𝙁𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀. This is how the Lord has judged our service to him. We are expected to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2). Have in mind that the Lord refers to this offering as our reasonable service. WE WERE NOT OUR OWN AFTER WE WERE SAVED. Because of the price at which we were purchased, our bodies have become God's temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). God has the right to use our bodies any way he pleases because we are his possession. He rewards us when we yield to him and allow him to do as he pleases, and when we resist him, he deprives us of the potential rewards. In 1 Corinthians 3:11–15, God gives a detailed explanation of the entire process. "𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕.𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒉𝒂𝒚, 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆; 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕: 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔. 𝑰𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏, 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑰𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔: 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅; 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆." YOU HAVE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION IN JESUS CHRIST ONCE YOU ARE SAVED. After that, you start to build,and the Lord is more concerned with the quality of construction than it is with the size of the structure. With the correct motivation, the things you accomplish for the Lord manifest themselves in your building as gold, silver, and valuable stones (1 Corinthians 4:5). In this structure, wood, hay, and stubble represent the things you do for God with the incorrect motivation or that you do for yourself instead of for God. Your building is complete once you pass away. Finally when you bring your building to the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord basically sets it on fire. The fire will not damage gold, silver, or precious stones. Everything that endures will earn you rewards. Burning materials includes: wood, hay, and stubble. None of this will be paid to you. The fire will not damage gold, silver, or precious stones. Everything that endures will earn you rewards. In addition to the precious stones, silver, and gold, In the judgment seat of Christ, there will be five crowns given. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 The Incorruptible Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒆? 𝑺𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒃𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏; 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆." All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is comparable to what Paul said regarding the wreath of leaves that would soon become brittle and disintegrate. But not the heavenly crown; instead, faithful endurance wins a reward in heaven which is “𝑻𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖” (1 Peter 1:4). This crown is given to believers who not only brought their fallen nature under control (self-control and self-denial) but who also lived a life of great submission to Christ ( 2 Tim 2:3-5. Matthew 16:24-25 ). 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) " 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒚, 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈? 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈?" The reason it is referred to as the "crown of rejoicing" is that salvation provides joy to the new believer, the one who introduced him to the Lord, and those in heaven. (Luke 15:7, 10) This crown is given to believers who witnessed to people about Jesus Christ and who prayed for unbelievers so that they will repent and come to faith in the Lord (1 Thes 2:19 . Prov 11:30. Dan 12:3). 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) "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." This crown is the crown of righteousness because when you are expecting the Lord’s return any day, you live righteously (1 John 3:1-3).The crown of righteousness will be given to believers who eagerly and lovingly waited for the return (appearing) of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim 4:7-8). These believers live as pilgrims and sojourners on earth since their citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). They live holy and godly lives by biblical passages like Colossians 3:1-4. Perhaps this crown will be given to believers who are not ashamed of the doctrine of the rapture. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) "𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒚𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚." This crown is primarily a PASTOR’S- TEACHERS REWARD. It is given to men who properly feed their flocks with the word of God. (see the context in verses 1-3, Acts 20:25-28) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 The Crown of Life – (James 1:12) " 𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢." This crown is given to men who ENDURE TEMPTATION and who may also have died as martyrs for Jesus Christ (Jam 1:12. Rev 2:10. Mat 5:10-12). |
AuthorHas over 30 years experience in Information Technology and, more importantly, 30 plus years as a believer in Jesus Christ. Archives
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