Saturday, June 30, 2018

BOOK: Exhortations For The Church, Volume 2: Chapter 3



Joan Boney
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Jesus says:  "My Kingdom Is Not Of This World."  Jn. 18:36


The people who lived in the day Jesus came to this world in the flesh had heard of "THE PROPHET" God would send to rule forever.  They looked for the coming Messiah.

Jn. 6:14-15 ... Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth THAT PROPHET that should come into the world.
 

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take HIM by force, to make HIM a king, he departed again into a mountain HIMSELF alone.



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But the kingdom of Jesus was not going to be as the kingdoms of men on this present earth.  Jesus' kingdom was an everlasting kingdom, not subject to fleshly corruption as the kingdoms of this present world, where there is death, sorrow, tears.  This would be a new, heavenly kingdom.

Therefore Jesus told Pilate ...

MY kingdom is not of this world: if MY kingdom were of this world, then would MY servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is MY kingdom not from hence.  Jn. 18:36


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The "new Jerusalem" was not going to be on this earth.  For this earth was going to be destroyed by God and a new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness would replace this present heaven and earth.

II Peter 3:10-14 ... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.


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God gave the apostle John a glimpse of the new heavens and new earth and the new Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:1-8 ... And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard A GREAT VOICE out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS people, and God HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
 

And HE that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And HE said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
 

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be MY son. 

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.



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We, the children of God, overcome by the Word given to us by God.

There is so much joy and peace given to us by these scriptures telling of what is going to happen.

We can relax from the strife of trying to make this current world just.  This current world will never be righteous.  The current Jerusalem will never be righteous.  The righteousness that we desire is in the new heaven, the new earth, the new heavenly Jerusalem.

As everyone who has gone before us, we look for the new heaven and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.   II Peter 3:13

This frees us from fretting over governments of men of this present world.

Some people say they want to make this world a better place for their children.  But that is just not going to happen according to Bible. 

Paul said:   This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  II Tim. 3:1

...  II Tim. 3:13-17  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing OF WHOM thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.


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To hope in this present world that we now see is foolish when the Bible tells us what will happen to this present world. 

We must hope in God. 

We must realize we are simply passing through this present life, as are our children.  We must live godly lives before our children.  This is the greatest thing you can do for your children.  If you focus on this present world, you are going against Bible and you need to refocus based on scripture, living truly godly lives by the Spirit of God by looking for the new heaven and the new earth, the new city of Jerusalem, the heavenly city.  Stop fretting over this present world.  Refocus on Bible, on God.

I find great comfort in knowing this present world will be destroyed by God and not by man.  Nuclear weapons will never destroy this present world.  We do not have to fear this.  

When God is ready, when the fulness of the time has come, God will shake the powers of the heaven and the earth.  Man will not be able to stop this.  It will all be of God.

Several years ago, God gave me a dream showing what would happen. 

In this dream, the earth slipped on it's axis.  A TV newscaster was trying to tell the news and he was so frightened he had to stop speaking in the middle of his newscast.  Unlike other events, he knew this affected him personally.  The men of the governments and the religious leaders were meeting to see what they could do about this... men can do nothing ... this is all of God.


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When we know God is in charge of everything, how can we fear?  We trust in God.

I Thess. 4:13-18 ... But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
 

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).

For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



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