We are drawing very close to the end of all time. Have you ever wondered why it is called the “end of all time”? Because when Jesus destroys all sin and recreates this world, there will be no such thing as “time”. Seasons, yes; time, no. When you live forever there is absolutely no need for “time”. Wonderful concept.
However, until we reach that point in “time”, we have very little “time” left before this experiment with sin is terminated. We must remove all sin from our lives or we, along with it, will be terminated for all time.
As we have seen with the COVID-19, the riots, the attempt of the left to destroy America and our freedoms, the future will be even worse. The governments will use the coming catastrophic events to control every area of our lives. They will do this because they have no faith in Jesus. Man wants to control that which he can’t – science – while refusing to control that which he must – his character. So while man will try to control “global warming”, the weather, viruses, plagues, sexuality, earthquakes and every other “evil” under the sun, he will refuse to change his evil character to live the sinless, perfect and Commandment keeping life. That is why God will not interfere with the “evils” that will prevail upon the world. Man wants to control like “god”. Therefore, God will let him see how little he can control.
As the governments of the world tighten their controls upon the human race, we who are Christians must trust God and live in obedience to the laws of the land unless they go against the laws of God. Since going to church is nowhere required by God in the Bible, rejoice when the governments shut down all churches or command that only one religion is to be adhered to. We are to adhere to Jesus and Jesus only. Our only duty is to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. Nothing else is necessary for salvation.
Do we hide, trying to keep “invisible” so the government agencies won’t be able to find us? That is what the devil wants you to do. That would show a distrust in God. It would show “fear” of man. We are not to fear man, but God. God did not tell us to go hide. He told us not to hide our lamps under a bushel, but to go into all the world letting our light shine by teaching people to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. Are you making the devil happy, or God?
Romans 13:1 to Romans 14:23
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
“Instituted by God”. This concept can be approached from two different roads. The first is the direct intervention of God in the setting up of a governing authority. We find this with Moses, Joshua, King Saul and King David. However, there is also the other road, the indirect allowing of governments. God allows events to play out in order to fulfill His will. Either way, whatever the government or ruler, no matter how evil, our only duty is to live in obedience unless that obedience goes against the direct command of the Ten Commandments. That is why we must now practice, not going to church, but living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life in every area of our lives no matter how small that area. Practice makes perfect.
The example of obedience to evil and pagan authorities would be Daniel and his three friends. No fault could be found in any of their work or duties to the evil, pagan authority they served. They did not gripe or complain about the government they were under. But when that authority stepped over its bounds and crossed into God’s territory, they did not hide in fear or shame, they stood up and openly showed their obedience to God. Are you doing that?
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
We must differentiate between that which is set up over us by governments and that which we voluntarily set up and allow ourselves to be controlled by. Paul was not able to “withdraw” from the governmental system of Rome. That was the authority over him. However, he was able to remove himself from the evil authority of the church system he was not obligated to be under. Yet, when brought before the church authorities he stated “it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people’.” Acts 23:5. I think Christians need to read their Bibles again. There is way too much victimhood and evil gossip going on in our churches about church and government leaders. Get out and forget all about them. Put your heart, soul and mind on Jesus.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
God has allowed civil government in order to teach people how to be obedient to God. Starting as a child in the home government system, the child learns duty, obligation, self-control and responsibilities. (Well, children used to be taught those habits.) Those habits are to be carried over into our daily, civic lives.
However, God never commanded us to put any religion, church or denomination over us. We are not to belong to any. Only God is to be in control of our spiritual lives. Our moral character is only to be controlled by the Ten Commandments. No other entity is to have control over our spiritual obedience. Obedience to any religious organization would be evil since it violates the first commandment to have “no other gods before Me”. By voluntarily belonging to any organization that teaches you that you are “Saved by Grace”, or that you are not able to keep the Ten Commandments or that you cannot stop sinning, is in direct violation of the teachings of Jesus, you are sinning against God and will be subject to God’s wrath.
Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Civil laws that do not violate our obedience to the Ten Commandments are for our good. That is why we must be in subjection to them. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt He set up two governments. The first was the Theocracy. This was not a “church”. It was not a “religion”. It was a system that revealed the will of God to the people under the direct control of God. This Theocracy was to teach individual responsibility to God. It ended when the church leaders chose Caesar over Christ. The second were the civil laws. These laws were for the people as a nation.
In actuality what we have done is turned our religious organizations into shadow governments that go against God. This concept was started by the Catholic Church and has been adopted by all religions, denominations and churches of the world today. That is why we must get out of them. The evil these shadow governments are doing is beyond comprehension. We must go to Jesus and live only in obedience to Him.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
Not only do we pay our taxes to support the civil authorities as ministers of God, but we pay our tithes, not to a church, but as Paul says, “the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel”. 1 Corinthians 9:14. Since no church, denomination or religion is teaching the gospel of Jesus to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life, you must not put your money into any of them. That would be disobedience to Jesus. Religious organizations do not serve God, they serve selfish, prideful and disobedient members who want to put on a show of sanctity, but refuse to live in obedience.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Fulfilling the Law through Love
If you borrow, paying back what is owed according to the agreement, that is “paying to all what is owed to them”. The Bible does not condemn being in debt, it condemns not paying off the debt as contracted. Here again, religion and churches have so brainwashed people there are those who point fingers at those who have taken out loans. This ministry has had to use credit cards at different times over the years in order to fund the gospel. However, I pay off the debt as fast as possible. If anything should happen to me, I want the ministry to be debt free.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
If you paid your monthly obligations this month, then you owe no one anything. Same with next month. That is all Paul is talking about. For a few years this ministry had to pay our monthly obligations and owed “no one anything”. However, because I owe the world the love of Jesus, I continue to fulfill the law of God by putting everything I have into the ministry to help people learn the truth. Many will take out a loan for their personal gratifications. I thank God for those who put their love for God into action by supporting this ministry.
For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Here again, Paul is not doing away with the Ten Commandments but simply showing what love is. He understood what Jesus meant when He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments.” John 14:15. By living in obedience to the Ten Commandments we show our love to the world. That is how we fulfill the law in our lives. Not one command in the Ten Commandments is a selfish command. Every command demonstrates the selfless love of God in our lives. Therefore, if we make a commitment to pay monthly on a debt, then we are not to steal or covet by altering that commitment.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
We must wake up from our Laodicean sleep. If we are in a religious organization, we are in Laodicean sleep mode. We must cast off works of darkness and put on the armor of obedience to the Ten Commandments. The Light of God is the Ten Commandments. That Light, the deeds of the Ten Commandments, must shine out from us as it did from Jesus “for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. Every day brings us closer to the coming of Jesus. Whether we live for a hundred more years or not, we are still being brought closer to the coming of Jesus. Every day we continue in a sinful habit we are strengthening that habit and it will destroy us. We must use every day to overcome sin, not feed it.
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Well, that just knocked out all religions, denominations and churches. Is there “quarreling and jealousy” in your religious organization? Time to get out and take everyone you can. Notice, Paul didn’t say, “let us walk to church”. We are to walk in the Light of the Ten Commandments.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Wow! That is a very interesting thought, “Make no provision for the flesh”. And yet, how many are following religions, denominations and independent ministries that are selling “time of trouble” buckets and other provisions “for the flesh”. God has promised to feed and clothe those who live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. Maybe we are not living righteously and therefore think we need to provide “for the flesh”. Won’t do us any good. Only 8 people, out of about 2 billion on the face of the earth, survived the flood because they “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and were obedient to Jesus. All the others were way too busy making “provision for the flesh”. They didn’t trust God. Who are you trusting? After probation closes there will be only 144,000 alive on the face of the earth who will be eternally saved. However, the righteous who have been put to sleep before probation closes will be raised when Jesus comes.
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Well, there goes our churches, denominations and religions again. Quarreling over opinions? That is all they do. So many have withdrawn their support from this, God’s little ministry, because they did not agree with what the Spirit of God was saying. They just wanted to quarrel over their opinions and refuse to bow before the Spirit of God and live in obedience.
Taking an example from biblical history, Samson was a sex pervert. He was even having sex with women of whom the Lord said they were not to associate with. They were the enemy and rulers of Israel at that time. And yet, we are told, “Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies.” PP 564.
The same is happening today. People prefer uniting with the enemies of God rather than uniting with this little ministry in winning victories for Jesus.
One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
Again, we must be very careful here. Paul knew the Old Testament. The people he was writing to knew the Old Testament. He never went against any command of God that had to do with our salvation or health. Jesus is the same in the Old Testament as He was in the New Testament and is the same today. Hebrews 13:8. Since our bodies are temples for the indwelling of the Spirit of God, Paul would not degrade them. The “anything” Paul is talking about had to do with the way food was prepared in order to make it “clean” or “unclean” in a RELIGIOUS manner to be accepted by the church. It had nothing to do with health or salvation. There were crackpots running around telling Christians they had to do this and that in order to be accepted by the church. Or as they thought, God.
“This is an illustration for the present times, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings – external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” Hebrews 9:9, 10.
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
The health laws in the Old Testament were to be followed. But by the time of Christ so many other restrictions and rituals had been added that Paul had to wipe away all of them and get back to the original. The same goes with the Ten Commandments. As an example, by the time of Christ, a church member was only allowed to walk so many feet on the Sabbath. That is found nowhere in all the Bible. Paul is doing away with man-made rules and regulations that they knew about but that we, today, may not know about. However, the principle is still correct. We must do away with our churches and man-made rules and regulations that have nothing to do with eternal life.
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Outside of the Ten Commandments we are not to “pass judgment”. Again, that is why the church system is of the devil. We are all servants of Christ and we must stand alone before Him in the judgment. We are only to teach what Jesus taught and let each individual stand or fall by their own choices. We don’t know what God’s plan is for others. So few are listening to God’s plan for their own lives. Most are listening to their pastors and directives coming from their denominations.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Again, Paul is not doing away with the Ten Commandment Sabbath here. He is letting it be known that the feast days and other “holy” days that had to do with the temple services had absolutely nothing to do with salvation. If you wanted to waste your time esteeming those days, then fine. But they had nothing to do with eternal life. Leave them alone and stop judging. If you don’t want to keep them, than the Messianics are not to bother you by claiming that you must keep them. We don’t! That is why we must separate the Ten Commandment laws, which had to do with eternal life for the world, from the civil laws and temple rituals which were only for Israel as a nation.
Besides, if Paul was doing away with the Ten Commandments then he would be making a liar out of the Old Testament, Jesus and himself. Jesus stated we had to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life (Matthew 19:17). Again, Jesus states, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them.” Paul stated that circumcision (which indicating all the temple rituals, feast days, holy days, services, sacrifices, etc.) and uncircumcision had nothing to do with eternal life, only the keeping of the Commandments. (1 Corinthians 7:19).
The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
This again is not talking about the Ten Commandment Sabbath. The Ten Commandment Sabbath was a day to be kept “Holy”. It was sanctified and made holy from the creation of the world before there were Jews or Israelites and belongs to all the peoples of the world. The feast days, ceremonies and other days of preparation were not for the world but for the nation of Israel only. If you wanted to waste your time observing those days and the foods that went with them, not a problem, but don’t make them a salvation issue.
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
The concept is quite simple, if you are observing all these special days, months and years out of selfish ambition thinking they are going to get you eternal life, you are lost. Only by keeping the Ten Commandments and the 7th day Sabbath “holy” will you be able to earn your eternal life. But keep in mind, keeping the 7th day “holy” has nothing to do with going to church. It has everything to do with living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life seven days a week. You can’t keep the Sabbath “holy” if you are not living the “holy” life.
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
In all that we do we are to live in obedience to Jesus. When Jesus walked this earth, not once did He teach people to live in obedience to the feast days. Not once did He reprimand people for breaking them. Even in the Old Testament, they were never reprimanded for not keeping any of the temple services. In fact, in the Old Testament, God commanded that they stop keeping the temple services because they refused to keep the Ten Commandments in their lives. Everything in our lives is to revolve around obedience to the teachings of Jesus to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. No church, no feast days, no ritualistic food, preparations or anything else is to be included for our eternal life.
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Jesus was Lord of both those who had died under the Old Testament (before the cross) and those living under the New Testament (after the cross). Nothing has changed except the temple shadows that pointed to the cross and the One who would die on that cross. The process of salvation is still the same: perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Many pass judgment on this little ministry. It seems that “everyone” is looking for an excuse not to obey instead of putting forth every effort to obey. The Pharisees in Christ’s day, instead of looking for the truth in Jesus, were looking for their lies in Jesus. So it is today.
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
There it is again. Your church, denomination, religion or organization will not give an account of you to God. Only you will have to stand before God and answer the question, “Why didn’t you believe and obey what I taught you?” Salvation is an individual responsibility. Do the research!
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Instead of looking at the sins in others, we have enough to look at in our own lives. Sin is a “stumbling block” and truly a “hindrance”. We must get sin out of our lives so we are not causing those around us to stumble. Nothing in our lives is to be a hindrance to those around us for their eternal life . By living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life we remove the stumbling blocks and hindrances that will keep others from their eternal life.
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
Again, you must put yourself back into Paul’s day. He is not talking against God’s laws and injunctions, but the laws, rites and rituals that man had instituted through the church. It was all a show of holiness while totally rejecting the holiness of God. Clean and unclean had to do with going to the temple and eating certain foods in certain ways. But they had nothing to do with salvation. Many Jews who had been converted to Jesus as the Messiah were still maintaining their Jewish traditions for their salvation.
For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
A simple concept: don’t push what you want on others. Jesus never pushed His perfection on others. He simply lived perfect. Without being a showboat about what you eat, drink and wear, live as God commands in order not to destroy “the one for whom Christ died”.
So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
Churches, denominations, religions and other organizations take what they regard as “good” and make such a big deal about it, it is “spoken of as evil” by others. Be quiet, live quietly in obedience to Jesus by living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Even today, our churches, denominations and religions are so caught up in “eating and drinking” they have totally rejected the righteousness of the Ten Commandments. What you eat and drink will not get you into the kingdom of God. Jesus made it very plain, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25. Our churches, religions and denominations are not listening to Jesus.
Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Precisely!
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
And what can we pursue that “makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding”? Of course, the Ten Commandments!
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
I have visited churches where people were talking against this food and that food. Promoting this food and that food. But I never heard one person talk about keeping the Ten Commandments for their eternal life. Whole churches, denominations and religions are making people stumble by what they promote. Get out now.
It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
Those of us who live and work specifically for Jesus have nothing to worry about. He takes whatever we eat or drink or wear and sanctifies it. Here at the ministry we live for Jesus and thank Him for everything He has provided. It is simple food we eat and drink, but still some would condemn us because it isn’t their way of eating or drinking. They just love to make people stumble over their own stupidity.
The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
Whatever you believe, or the food, drink and clothes you wear, keep it between yourself and God. Stop judging others about their eternal life. Let us each look deep into the Law that gives freedom, the Ten Commandments, and make sure we are living in obedience to it. This is also true about vaccines, etc.
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Again Paul is not contradicting the Old Testament health laws God gave to Israel. He is talking about the rules the church had accumulated over the centuries in order to put on a show of “righteousness” by attaching the label, “unclean” to this or that or how it was handled and prepared, etc. We must get our minds off of ourselves and onto Jesus Christ and begin changing our characters to live in love as Jesus did.