Pleasant Valley Homestead

Bride of Christ

I had an interesting conversation today. It was in regards to the Bride of Christ, the rapture, and the tribulation. I haven't done much study in this area, and feel like I really need to be knowledgeable. Please take a moment to consider the thoughts I express or questions I post, and reflect on them for me and others.

Today I was told that the majority of the denominations today will not be raptured up. Now, this isn't a segregated statement, this was made as a whole, for ALL denominations. The reason being is that many, many, many Christians today aren't following the Lord, His Spirit and leading 100%. In order to be the Bride of Christ, we have to be 100% submissive to His will. A description that was given to me was when we attend weddings, there is the bride and the groom, and they are the only ones who leave, the rest are guests. In order to be the Bride of Christ, we are called to perfect ourselves in Him. We are called to give 100% to God.

So, with that said, I can see truth in the body of Christ today, it greatly lacks. People call themselves Christians and say they are trying, but by giving 100%, that means totally forsaking all and going to Christ. Are we really giving God 100%? Is less than 100% good enough? Does less than 1000% truly leave us out of the rapture, as we call it?

We also talked about the tribulation and those that are left are going to have to suffer through this. Percentages were listed, like 30%, 60% and the 100% which is the Bride. Who will live, suffer and be killed? it's like the tribulation people will give only 30-60% of themselves. Have any of you heard of this percentage description before? My mind is lost here and I can't recall the entire conversation, but it was a worthy conversation by someone I'd consider a Christian.

Please ponder this, biblically. Let me know your thoughts.

JESUS SAID:

{ 07:26, Thursday, July 26, 2007 } { Posted by gokings13 }

Matthew 7:13-14
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
**Could "the gate" be the entrance to Heaven? If so, Jesus Himself says "only a few find it". He doesn't say any more than that. Where the Bible is silent, so should man be too**

Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
**Again, Jesus says "Not everyone will enter". He doesn't say any more than that. Again, where the Word is silent, man should be too.***

Matthew 18:3-4
3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
**Jesus tells us the "how" to get into heaven here.**

2 Peter 3:7-9
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

**Loosely translated; don't get hung up on dates, numbers, percents, bla bla bla. God is God, He is the ONLY one who knows when the end is, and only He can Judge who does, and who doesn't get into heaven (phew, good thing!)**

Acts 1:7
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

**Jesus said this. He was talking about the End**

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

**No one in the Bible, other than the Father, knows the time and dates. It's mighty arrogant of humans to think "they have figured it out"! :-)**

Jesus spoke to the churches in Revelation 2-3. He tells then what they are doing well, and warns them of their sin, calls them to repent.

I would pray, seek His Face, and let the Holy Spirit guide you through these passages, and I personally would not be lead by someone who "claims" to know times, dates, or who's going to heaven and who isn't.
There is a verse that is specifically written for those who claim to know who is and who is not going to heaven.
People misuse this verse all the time, but it is speaking to those who think they know who's going to heaven and who isn't:
Matthew 7:1-3
1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

**Pretty clear. Don't do it (judge) or you will be judged. #3 is pretty clear.....no one is 'perfect' and only The Perfect One, Christ, can rightfully judge. We individuals have enough sin on our own plate, we don't need to go outside ourselves to find something unclean to point our finger at.**

I would steer clear of someone who points fingers at others and claims their sin is worse!!

Laura





Edited by gokings13 on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 06:28

Denominations?

{ 02:18, Monday, August 27, 2007 } { Posted by Lisa J. }

I have just been pondering how best to answer it. I wanted to be able to give you book chapter and verse for everything. We have to believe the Bible and it alone. We have to take it for our faith and practice. We have to leave that which man says and hold to the Bible.

In Ephesians 4 the writer is talking about unity. In verses 3-6, he mentions that there are a bunch of things that there are one of :

Eph 4:3-6
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
NKJV

When this was written, there was one body, one faith, etc, and NO denominations. The inspired apostles could see that men might pervert things. This means that God through them warned of a time when men would no longer recognize just one body. I believe that it has happened. There are many bodies today. There are many faiths today. We need to stay within the one body and one faith that the apostles wrote concerning.

Rom 12:4-5
"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."
NKJV

The body has many members, just like our physical body has many members. The members all work together, but there is still just one body. But, what is this body? The text says that we are as individuals make up this body. So, what is it?

There are passages of Scripture that show the body as being the church.

Eph 1:22-23
"And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
NKJV

Col 1:18
"And He is the head of the body, the church..."
NKJV

After looking at these verses, we can see that when the Bible is talking about the body it is talking about the church. When we put that along side Ephesians 4:3, we see that there is one body, therefore there is one church. There are as many churches as there are bodies. Ephesians 4:3 said that there was one body or one church.

It is important to be apart of the church or the body. There is one very important reason.

Eph 5:23
"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."
NKJV

(As a side note to this passage, how many wives should a husband have? One. Correct? Otherwise, he is a polygamist. Paul says later in Ephesians 5:25-33 that he is using the relationship of husband and wife to show a picture of Christ and the church. If Christ is the husband, how may wives does He have?)

It says that Christ saves the body (or the church). It did not say that the body or church saves, but that Christ saves the body. Let's put this together with the above. If there is body or church as the above scriptures teach and Christ is the Savior of the body or church, then it logically follows that He saves only one body or one church.

Acts 2:41-42
"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them."
NKJV

Now, who were these people added to? Verse 47 tells us exactly who.

Acts 2:47
"praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
NKJV

Who did the Lord add to the church? It was those being saved. Now who is that? Those who were baptized. How do we know that those who were baptized are those being saved? Peter, who was the one telling them what to do, later in his first letter tells us so.

1 Peter 3:21
"There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,"
NKJV

I hope that this helps. I hope that it answers your questions about being in the Bride of Christ or the Body or the Church of Christ.

Love you!
Lisa

P.S. I will talk to you later about being 100%.