An Introduction to the End Times

 

What is ‘The End Times.’
‘The End Times’ in Christianity has been a hot topic for many years with many differing views being proposed.

However, with all these different views, there is one absolute certainty that all born again Christians know and that is that Jesus Christ is returning, the second coming of Christ, and the evidence suggests that He is coming soon!

There are many Bible verses both in the Old and New Testaments that refer to ‘The End Times’ and this is a topic that is worthy of a series of teachings, but for the purposes of this workshop we will mention only a few scriptures that will pique our interest in the topic for our future walk to Christian maturity!

The study of ‘The End Times’ is commonly referred to as Eschatology. This word is made up of the Greek word ‘eschatos’ which means, the last things, the final things or the end of things and ‘ology’ which in the English language means ‘the study of.’ Hence for our purposes Eschatology is the study of ‘The End Times.’

When will Jesus come again?
We don’t know. The Bible clearly states that only God the Father knows the day and the hour, but it will come suddenly like a thief in the night. It will be a terrible day for the unsaved.

Matthew 24:36-39 (NKJV)

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the daythat Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

We don’t know when this day will be, but we must recognize the signs of the end times and we must be ready, we must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We must be born again. Our spiritual zeal as born-again Christians should always burn with an intense flame! If we are not born again, we will not enter heaven!

John 3:3 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The Age of Grace
Since the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension or His return to heaven, the world has been living in a time of God’s grace. This means that God has not yet brought His judgement upon all mankind, and He has not yet poured out His wrath! This will only happen when Jesus returns. A number of happenings or events need to take place before Christ’s return. The Bible prophecies regarding the end times primarily relate to the time of Tribulation that is coming on the earth, this being the seven years immediately before Jesus returns to earth.

The Rapture of The Church
This is time when Jesus comes specifically for His Church and all believers that are alive on the earth will be caught up in the clouds with Jesus together will all those who have fallen asleep (died) in the Lord. This will occur before the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation period.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NKJV)

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Christ’s Judgement of His Church (believers).
This is where the believers will stand before God to be judged for their actions whether good or bad. This is not a judgement of punishment, as all unbelievers will face, but a judgement to determine reward, our crowns of glory, for the righteous acts we have done in Christ Jesus!

Romans 4:12 (NKJV)

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

1 Corinthians 3:13–15 (NKJV)

13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We have seen that when Jesus comes for His church at the Rapture, all true members of the church, both dead and alive, will be changed to receive new resurrection bodies fit for us to be with the Lord forever. While the world is
enduring the Tribulation, the raptured believers will be judged for their works. Unbelievers will be judged later, as we will see.

Matthew 12:36 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Romans 14:12 (NKJV)

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The Great Tribulation – a period of seven years
This 7-year period begins at or shortly after the rapture of the church. Satan is unrestrained and the Holy Spirit is removed. Satan will wreak havoc throughout this time and this period will culminate with the Second Coming of Jesus and Battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 3:10 (NIV)

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

When will the Age of Grace come to an end?
The church age will end with the Rapture of the church. There will still be grace for salvation during the Tribulation, but this will be a time of the worst suffering that the world has ever known, for God is judging the earth. As mentioned before, only the Father knows when the Rapture will occur, but the Bible tells us there will be signs that will tell us that the Lord’s second coming is near. These signs will happen in what we call ‘The End Times’ and during these times a number of ‘End Times’ events will take place.

What are the signs of the End Times?
Now, let’s have a look at what Jesus said about ‘The End Times.’

Matthew 24:3-8 (NKJV)

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

In the above verses Jesus is talking to His disciples about the signs that will come when ‘The End Times’ are upon us.

Let’s take a look at one more Bible passage from the New Testament and see what the signs of ‘The End Times’ will be.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

In the above five verses it is the Apostle Paul telling us about what men will be like in the ‘last days’ or ‘end times’ and he goes on to warn us that these days will be perilous or dangerous.

From verses 2 – 5 he gives us a list of nineteen evil and ungodly characteristics of what men will be like during the ‘end times.’ Men in these verses refers to mankind, both male and female!

If we look around us at the world today it becomes quite evident that we are very much into the ‘end times’ already!

And in the second half of verse five we are warned to stay away from such people. Bad company corrupts good character! We, when we become born again, are God’s children and are thus children of the light!

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NIV)

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

The light of course is Jesus, who is the light of the world!

John 8:12 (NIV)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Bible tells us that there will also be physical signs of the earth being in stress during the end times.

Matthew 24:4-8 (NKJV)

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

So, from this we can see that besides the deterioration of man’s behaviour, the earth itself will be deteriorating with devastating effect.

As already mentioned, a number of significant events will also take place during these times. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in all of the signs that Jesus mentioned, as the scene is being set for the Tribulation period.

The Second Coming of Christ and The Battle of Armageddon
The Battle of Armageddon will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation period on the plains of Megiddo and at the second coming of Christ. It is the final showdown in this age between good (Jesus) and evil (Satan).

Satan will muster His forces through the Antichrist and his earthly forces against the Lord, but he will not prevail. The Lord, coming with His angelic hosts and the resurrected Church will destroy this vast army of the nations that will come against Him.

Revelation 16:16 (NKJV)

“And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

Revelation 19:19 (NKJV)

“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”

Matthew 24:29–31 (NKJV)

““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Psalm 145:5-9 (NIV)

5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor

and sing for joy on their beds.

6 May the praise of God be in their mouths

and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7 to inflict vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with fetters,

their nobles with shackles of iron,

9 to carry out the sentence written against them—

this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.

The Separation of the Sheep from the Goats – Matthew 25:31-46
This is the separation of the nations and their judgment for how they treated Israel during the Tribulation period. The sheep are believers and the goats are the non-believers.

The sheep will enjoy eternal life and will inherit the kingdom that Jesus will set up, and the goats to eternal punishment in Hell with the devil and his fallen angels.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
This is the celebration of the Church as the Bride of Christ and will take place just after Jesus returns to the earth. The Old Testament saints will be invited to enjoy this supper.

2 Corinthians 11:2 (NKJV)

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Revelation 19:6–9 (NKJV)

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

The Kingdom Age and Millennial Reign of Christ
Following His return to earth, Jesus will reign for 1000 years on earth, from Jerusalem. This is the glorious Kingdom age foretold in many of the Old Testament prophecies. During this time, Satan is bound and put into the abyss along with his fallen angels.

The martyred believers from the tribulation will join the raptured church and together will rule and reign with Jesus for 1000 years. The believers from the Old Testament period will also be resurrected at the time of Jesus’ return.

Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Satan is Released from the Abyss (Rev. 20:7-9)
At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be released to deceive the nations once again. People born during the 1000 years will need to make a choice about who they will follow. Some will choose God, and sadly others will reject Him.

Revelation 20:7–9 (NKJV)

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”

Great White Throne Judgement
There will be a judgment of all unbelievers before Jesus’ throne.

The books that contain the deeds of men are opened and the dead stand before God to be judged and if their names aren’t found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they are cast away forever into Hell.

Revelation 20:11–15 (NKJV)

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And

the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Destruction of Present Heavens & Earth
At the end of the judgement of men, the present earth and heavens will be destroyed by fire.

Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

2 Peter 3:3–7 (NKJV)

“knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

The New Heaven, the New Earth, the New Jerusalem and Eternity
After the destruction of the old heaven and earth, God will provide the new created heaven and earth and all God’s children will live in eternity with Him and Jesus will rule as the Lord of Lords and the King of kings from the New Jerusalem!

Who knows what great works and blessings He has in store for us for eternity? No more tears, no more sickness, no more death!

Revelation 21:1–5 (NKJV)

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven

saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.””

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly

I pray that you would give be wisdom and discernment to recognise the signs of the End Times and that you would help me to prepare to be rapture ready. Strengthen my faith Lord to withstand and overcome all that the devil will throw at be during these times and fill me continually with your Holy Spirit and to be always dressed in the full armour of God! Let me always keep my eyes on Jess and not on the things that are happening in the world. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Idols of the Heart

 

What is idolatry?
Before we examine our topic let’s have a quick look at what idolatry is as it will set the tone of our examination of ourselves in respect to ‘Idols of the Heart.’

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘idolatry’ as something like this: “extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.”

From a Biblical perspective a Christian should only worship God in this way and no one or nothing else! God should have first place in everything in our heart in our soul, spirit and in every fibre of our being!

Exodus 20:3-5 (NKJV)

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them (or worship them). For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting (or punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

And we should love God in the same way!

Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden man has been making carved images out of stone, wood and various metals and bowing down to them and worshipping them and making sacrifices to them both animal and human. Gods like Baal, Molech, Dagon, and the many Egyptian, Babylonian and Medean gods.

And in much the same way these practices are continued today in many modern forms of religion like Budhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Satanism and Islam. Even today man bows down to myriad of false gods created by their own hand and minds. Many Roman Catholics bow down and worship the Pope and bow down and pray to images and pictures of Mary and angels and the so-called saints of different things!

All these things man has used to replace the one true God within their lives and culture! God who is the creator of all things, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God considers this type of worship of false gods as rebellion against Him and this rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and our stubbornness to change, He considers to be iniquity (or sin – a wicked act) and idolatry

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV)

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

As I have already stated, Idolatry has been part of man’s sinful nature ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Idolatry is evident in all tribes and nations in all recorded history and on all earth’s continents from the pyramids in Egypt to the pyramids in South America. From the stone statues on Easter Island to the Stonehenge in Wiltshire, United Kingdom and from the cave paintings in Africa to the cave paintings in North America.

Ancient idols come in all shapes and sizes and are made of various natural elements and shaped by man’s hands and vain imaginations.

Modern day idols come in different forms as well from money and possessions to humans in the form of Church and Community leaders and various other so called celebrities.

But all idols have one thing in common, they all come from one source – the devil!

An idol is something that a person devotes him or herself to or trusts in for so called self-satisfaction, happiness, security or a false sense of salvation. An idol is anything that is loved more than God and takes you away from worshipping God. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart, “If I have that I will be happy, my life will have meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.”

We will not find our purpose in life in idols of the heart or false religion, we will only find our purpose in life in Christ Jesus who is the giver of life, the bread of life the author of our salvation and perfecter of our faith. Our one and only provider is our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus. Only God knows what we need and what is truly good for us!

1 Chronicles 29 12 (NKJV)

Both riches and honor come from You,

And You reign over all.

In Your hand is power and might;

In Your hand it is to make great

And to give strength to all.

1 Samuel 2:8-9 (NKJV)

8 He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,

To set them among princes

And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,

And He has set the world upon them.

9 He will guard the feet of His saints,

But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.

Matthew 6:26 (NKJV)

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Now, getting back to the main topic of this article:

What are the modern-day idols that we set up in our hearts, the things that we place before God and that draw us away from putting Him first in our lives?

Idolatry goes much deeper than bowing before carved statues of false gods.

Idolatry is found in a heart that loves and desires something more or other than God.

Idolatry of the heart is found in the person that is led by fleshly desires and not by the Holy Spirit.

John 3:6-7 (NIV)

6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

The phrase “idols of the heart” comes to us from Ezekiel 14.

Ezekiel 14:4-8 (NKJV)

4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. 8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

In the above five verses God tells us that anything we put before our worship of Him and hold them in our hearts is idolatry and is something that He will not put up with and urges us to repent of these ‘idols of the heart’ and to return to Him wholeheartedly. He tells us exactly what happens to us when we hold on to these ‘idols of the heart’:

• They cause us to stumble into sin – verses 4 and 7.

• We become separated from God, we separate ourselves from Him – verses 5 and 8.

• All forms of idolatry is an abomination in the sight of God – verse 6.

• The Lord will deal with us himself – verse 7.

• God will set himself against us – verse 8.

• God will cut us off from Himself – verse 8.

God evaluates idolatry based upon the attitudes of the heart, not just the actions of the individual. God views heart idolatry to be as severe a sin as external idolatry – the worship of craven images and statues etc.

A person can maintain all the external features of faithful worship of God and still secretly carry in his heart a pantheon of false gods – some of these heart idols are shown in the above diagram but there are many more. If we carry idols in our hearts, then our hearts are far from God regardless of our outward appearance of faithfulness.

Matthew 15:8 (NKJV)

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

As born again Christians we need to examine our hearts and our motives for doing things! Would we rather watch a sporting event than study our Bible or go to a Church meeting at our local place of fellowship or a Home Group meeting?

Are we driven to strive for more money just to get a bigger bank balance or do we spend more time at work than we do with our families and with God? Are we driven by self gain and strive for recognition and position in the workplace, a striving that is all consuming?

Do we put our wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters or friends before our relationship with God? These relationships are all very important but none are more important than our relationship with God. Our relationships with each other should be first and foremost rooted in a strong relationship with God first!

Do we take our children to play sports on Sunday mornings rather than teaching them to put God first and go to Church so that everything else can fall into place? Do we please the cravings of their flesh which lasts only momentarily rather than teaching them to honour God, feeding their spirit which leads to eternal life rather than feeding their flesh which leads to death!

Matthew 6:33 (AMP)

But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Do we put our ministry before our personal relationship with God? Don’t let anything come before your love of God and your personal relationship with him? And if you are a married Church leader – do not neglect your wife and family either for they are your calling too!

Dear readers, stop doing the things that prevent you from having a personal relationship with God and prevent you from having a Godly order in your life and in particular your marriage if you are a married leader!

The greatest command is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

Loving something more than God not only breaks the great commandment, but God also considers it to be idolatry as well. To love something more than God is to worship idols. The Apostle John warns us to keep away from idol worship that come in many shapes, forms and sizes!

1 John 5:21 (AMP)

Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].

Luke 14:26 (NKJV)

26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Hate in the above verse is a purposely exaggerated figure of speech indicating that we should have a lesser degree of love for others than we have for God, not actual hostility or aversion toward one’s earthly family. We are still to love each other but our love for others should be rooted in our love for God first!

God knows your heart, you cannot hide anything from Him!

Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you;

I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Psalm 139:13-16 (NKJV)

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?

10 I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father
I bow before you now and repent of the idols I have kept in my heart, forgive me Lord of this sin and help me to sin no more. Lord, help me to remain in you always. Lead me and guide me in my daily walk in the power of your Holy Spirit. When I slip, Lord, help me to return to you quickly with a true repentant heart as your servant David did. Help me to be a man/woman after your own heart that my lifestyle, my actions, and my speech may glorify the name of Jesus. Help me, Lord, to love others as you love me and to lead a Godly and ordered life, keeping my eyes always on Jesus and being led by the Holy Spirit. Help me not to harbour idols in my heart, Lord and to keep you first in all things. In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

What does remaining in the vine mean?

 John 15:1-17

To me this passage of scripture (John 15:1-17) shows us a wonderful picture of how God loves his children both as individual people and corporately as the Church of Jesus Christ. In these verses we are shown a picture of true fathering by a loving Dad.

It shows a love that nurtures, encourages, teaches, and disciplines. It teaches that we face consequences when we step out of line with the parameters (the Bible) that the Father has set for us, when we wilfully remove ourselves from his shade and covering and walk in disobedience to our loving Father.

God is love and he expects his children (the Church) to love one another as he loves us!

1 John 4:7-12 (NIV) 

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 

The Apostle John in his The Gospel of John and in his letters to the Church (1, 2 and 3 John) shows us in the way he writes, that he has such a special brotherly love relationship with the Lord and is thus able to write about God’s love for us with such truth and conviction. The heart of love he had both for the Lord and for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, could very well be the reason why the Lord chose him to close off the Bible by bringing us the last and final chapter in the Bible to us, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Church!

Right, now that we have set the scene in love, let’s continue looking at our main topic of ‘remaining in the vine.’

From John 15:1-17 I will attempt to give a simple explanation of our topic by splitting the verses into three sections. Firstly verses 1 – 5, secondly verses 5-8 and lastly verses 9-17.

John 15:1-5 (NIV) 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

 

When we examine our first section in verses 1-5 above, what do we see?

We see that Jesus is the vine and that God the Father is the gardener. He tends the vine, moulds it and shapes it. Jesus is in total submission to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39) even unto death on a cross, just as a vine is to the one who tends it, the gardener.

Matt 26:39 

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 

• Jesus is the vine and we, the Church, both as individuals and corporately, are the branches. And when we are in Christ Jesus (born-again) the Father tends us as well, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

• God cuts off every branch that bears no fruit. What fruit should we be bearing? I believe it is the Fruit of the Spirit and the good works that proceed from us when we live life in the Spirit – when we are led by the Holy Spirit just as Jesus was when he was ministering on earth in his human capacity! Let the Fruit of the Spirit be manifest in us and through us to others. Just as they were in Jesus! We should continually bear good fruit just as we should be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

 

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP) 

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. 

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP) 

7 “Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord

And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.

8 “For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,

That spreads out its roots by the river;

And will not fear the heat when it comes;

But its leaves will be green and moist.

And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought

Nor stop bearing fruit. 

•  As we walk in Christ Jesus, God leads us into maturity by pruning us so that we will bear more good fruit and will continue to bear good fruit. Sometimes this pruning can be quite painful as he cuts away the things of the world that are still clinging to us!

• Jesus tells us that we are already clean because we, if we are born-again, are in him. But……we must remain in him, being obedient to His Word (Bible) in every way and being led by the Holy Spirit. If we don’t remain in the vine (Jesus) there is a consequence! The Father will cut off every branch (any of us) that does not remain in Jesus and bear much fruit.

Let’s now examine verses 6 – 8 below.

 ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Let’s pause here from our topic and examine two words in verse six – ‘fire’ and ‘burned.’

The Greek word for fire used here is ‘pur’ (ref: Strongs 4442) and refers to the eternal or everlasting fire of God, or as we know it best, Hell! The place of eternal torment and separation from God – spiritual death. This is the same word for fire used in Matt 25:41 (NIV):

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

And now looking at the Greek word for burned which is ‘kaio’ – pronounced ‘kha-yo’ (ref: Strongs 2545) and means ‘I burn’ or ‘I consume with fire.’

What do we learn from verses 6 – 8?

• If we do not remain in him, if we fall away and don’t return in full, heart-felt repentance as the Prodigal Son did, we run the risk of withering and being thrown into the fire and burned. This speaks of being cast into Hell!

Once saved always saved? What about the great falling away – the Apostasy?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (AMP)

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 

You can’t fall away from something unless you were first a part of it!

You decide for yourself! As for me, I we will remain in the vine and come back to the Lord very quickly with a repentant heart when I slip! But I will try my best not to slip! For me it is important to say sorry to my heavenly Father, just as I would to my earthly father, when I slip even though I am covered by the blood of the lamb!

•  If we remain in Jesus, our prayers will be heard and will be answered, if we ask with the right motives, in love and in accordance with the will of the Father.

James 4:3 (NIV)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

 

Luke 22:42 (NIV)

 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

•  When we bear much fruit – it will be to God’s (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) glory!

The next verses, 9 – 17, are all about the Father’s heart of love!

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

These last verses (9 – 17) in our topic passage are incredibly beautiful and expound the kind of love that the Father has for us and the kind of love that we should have for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ (His Church).

10 loving benefits we receive from remaining in the vine, John 1:1-17.

• We will be cleansed – purified (pruned) – vs 2. The word prunes here is from the Greek word ‘kathairo’ meaning: make clean by purging (removing undesirable elements); hence, "pruned (purged)"; eliminating what is fruitless by purifying.

• We will be fruitful – vs 2. The fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

•  Jesus will remain in us – vs 4.

• We can ask whatever we wish, and it will be given to us – vs 7 & 16. But remembering James 4:3 above.

• We will be His disciples – vs 8.

• We will bring glory to the Father through Jesus – vs 8.

• We will remain in His love – vs 10.

•  His joy will be in us and will be complete – vs 11. Joy is a facet of the fruit of the Spirit.

• We will be His friend and he will show us all that the Father has shown him through the Comforter he sent to us – the holy Spirit! – vs 14. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us in all truth and brings us the gifts of the Spirit.

John 14:26 (AMP)

 But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

 

John 16:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 

• We will be chosen and appointed – vs 16. We are a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

On the downside if we don’t remain in Him:

• We will be cut off – vs 2.

• We will not bear good fruit – vs 4.

• We will not be able to do anything – vs 5.

• We will be thrown in the fire and burned– vs 6.

• Sin will rule us if we do not remain in the vine, remain in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Who would want to be without Him?

Who would not want to remain in the vine?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to remain in you always. Lead me and guide me in my daily walk in the power of your Holy Spirit. When I slip, Lord, help me to return to you quickly with a true repentant heart as your servant David did. Help me to be a man/woman after your own heart that my lifestyle, my actions, and my speech may glorify the name of Jesus. Help me, Lord, to love others as you love me. In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

 To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

 

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!