THE WICKED - NYOBS 28.33

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 28 - IMMORTALITY

The Wicked - Rabbit Trail

• Scripture does not support the Wicked having “Immortal Bodies”, but indicates they will retain their personal existence in Hell. – NYOBS 06.22 Hell Rabbit Trail
• Anyone’s name not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into this lake of fire.
• They will be cut off from the living – They will receive everlasting contempt and destruction and be shut out from the presence, power and majesty of God.
• Death is separation, not annihilation. - The Greek word for destruction means “ruin”, not extinction. – The wicked are NOT instantly annihilated, they will not burn up or cease to exist. - They will be tormented with unquenchable fires of burning sulfur day and night; endlessly FOREVER.

• Hell – The lower parts of the earth holding the wicked dead till the end of the millennium when it and its contents will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and tormented forever.  It is an un-seen world of disembodied spirits with a conscious experience that is full of remorse, fear, and despair; with memories of what they should have done and didn’t; full of sorrow for their bad examples, and with a hopelessness of escape and in a state of regret over doing evil deeds that cannot be recalled.  In despair they know that they did not listen to God’s word, and have a hopeless desire to warn their families still living back on earth.

•  In Hell, you are in the gloom of darkness, separated from the face of God. - In attendance will be Satan, his fallen angels, a gaggle of demons and the entire bunch of unbelieving wicked which includes the disobedient from among His chosen covenant people Israel.  

• The lake of fire was not prepared for man, but for Satan and the fallen angels. – Those that reject Jesus Christ as God’s Son will also go there and receive God’s full retribution.

Ps 52:5 – The wicked will be cut off from the living

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. NIV

Matt 25:41 – Hell was not created for man, but for Satan

41 "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. NIV

Rev 20:10 – Satan and Antichrist tormented day and night

10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. NIV

Rev 21:8 – The Lake of Fire

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." NIV

Rev 20:15 – The unredeemed are thrown into the lake of fire

15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. NIV

2 Thess 1:8-9 – Unbeliever’s will receive everlasting destruction

8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

Dan 12:2 – The unbeliever awakens to everlasting contempt.

2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. KJV

Rev 14:9-11 – Tormented with burning sulfur day & night forever

9 "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,

10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angles.

11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night "NIV. 

TRINITY - NYOBS 28.22

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 28 - THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

Trinity – Rabbit Trail

• The Stage is the World where life is played out before all creation to observe.

       In the Old Testament,     God is center stage with Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the wings

       In the New Testament,    Jesus is center stage with God and the Holy Spirit in the wings.

       Today, in Modern Times, The Holy Spirit is center stage with God and Jesus in the wings.

The Trinity is present at all times.  - NYOBS 07.03 Eschatology

GRAVITY SUSPENDED - NYOBS 28.19

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 28 - THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

Gravity Suspended – Rabbit Trail

NOTE:  The Ascension of Jesus Christ is a miracle and is in a category all by itself and it will happen again at the second coming of Christ with The Rapture of the Saints.

The Bible implies instances of “specific Law of Gravity suspension”.  In the OT Enoch was taken up to heaven; Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind; An Ax head floated on water; - In the NT Paul was taken up to heaven; Peter walked on water -  NYOBS 01.15 The Fourth Dimension

1 Thess 4:15-17 – The Rapture – Gravity suspended

15 the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. NIV

Gen 5:24 – Enoch was taken up – Gravity suspended

24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. NIV

2 Kings 2:11 – Elijah was taken up – Gravity suspended

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. NIV

2 Kings 6:5-6 –Ax head floats on water – Gravity suspended

5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! For it was borrowed.

6 ….where did it fall? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. KJV

2 Cor 12:2 – Paul was taken up – Gravity suspended

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows .NIV

Matt 14:29 – Peter walked on water - Gravity suspended

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. KJV

THE MIND - NYOBS 28.06

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 28 - IMAGINATION

THE MIND - RABBIT TRAIL

• Our experience says we can’t know the mind of God, much less His Devine WILL. 
• Our experience says; although we have heard about God healing others, we have not personally witnessed the miracle of healing in our own lives, and we probably won’t.
• Our experience says that God wants some people sick to be used in His Devine plan.
• Our experience says that the “Gifts of Healing” in the Bibles concluded with the end of the apostolic age of Christ. But does scripture support this?
• Our experience says sometimes God afflicts us to teach us something. Well, what did you learn?
• We believe in the power of prayer for healing “If it is God’s Will”.  Sometimes He says YES, sometime He says NO, and sometimes He says WAIT.  But does scripture support this?
• Are we correctly applying the scripture; “If it’s the Lord’s will”? – Can we know His Will?

Is what you believe found in the scriptures or is it just what you have always heard?

The question is; what does God say?

• Physical sickness, mental disorders; Dementia, Alzheimer’s – Attacks on the Mind. – Is there a connection between long term life thoughts and our mind? – Does what you think affect your health?
• Dr. Marytn Lloyd-Jones, a Medical Doctor and Pastor shares from a Doctor’s point of view that man is created with a pair of “WELLNESS SCALES” build inside of him.
• Our bodies have “bad” cloistral and “good” cloistral; we have germs and we have antibodies.  When the scale tips to the “sick side”, the “well side” seeks to balance the scales by producing the antibodies needed to fight; this is going on 24/7 and we have no clue.
• Vaccinations are a tiny invasion of germs that the body sees trying to tip the scales and this produces the needed antibodies.  Antibiotics do the same thing, they tip the scales back.
• Lots of things can tip the scales and cause us to get sick.  Accidents – germs – infections - stress – fatigue – depression – hurt – guilt – fear – malnutrition – alcohol – tobacco - drugs.
• What you see and think also activates the “wellness center” to balance the scales.  If you believe you will get better, your mechanism works overtime to balance the scales.  If you think you won’t, the mechanism just takes a break. 
• My friend Ginger, because of her prayers of faith, beat cancer three times; bladder, abdomen and mandible.  I have another friend who got cancer and ask people in church to pray that he would go ahead and die.  He did. - I can remember praying for a “Brain Dead” friend to live - her family was in the next room praying she would go ahead and die. -  She lived; is normal, got married and has a family today. Unbelief and doubt can steal our health.
• Our responsibility is to pray in FAITH the prayer of life, for both the body and the soul. – We are NOT responsible for the outcome; that is the work of the Holy Spirit.
• So here’s where we are:  The man who doesn’t believe he will receive healing and the man who does are BOTH RIGHT.  We walk by faith, not by our experience.  NYOBS 13
• There is a battle raging over our minds – Satan tricks us into giving up on our prayer life – The promises of God are there for the believer, but there is a war going on to stop them from coming.  We must keep believing and keep praying.  Help IS on the way !
• Give Thanks and Praise IN all circumstances; not FOR all circumstances.
• God hears our prayer before we start to pray, and sends the answer before we finish and the battle continues in our favor as long as we continue to pray. - Sometime you need a partner to pray in agreement with you - YES; there is ten times the power when two agree in prayer.

Eph 6:12 – There is a war going on over your mind

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. KJV

Dan 10:12-13 – Satan tries to sidetrack your promises.

12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. NKJV

James 4:3 – Pray according to the promises in the Bible

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, NIV

1 Thess 5:16-18 – Give thanks IN everything

16 Be joyful always; pray continually;

18 give thanks IN all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. NIV

Prov 23:7 – You are what you think

7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. NKJV

Ex 17:11-13 – Sometimes you need help in your prayer life

11 As long as Moses held up his hands (toward God), the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. NIV

Deut 32:30 – Two praying puts the enemy to flight

30 One man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, NIV

Matt 18:19 – Two agreeing in prayer - It will be done

19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. KJV

AARON'S ROD - NYOBS 25.17

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 25 - MANNA

Aaron’s Rod – Rabbit Trail

• I just felt a need to hitch hike on Aaron’s rod being in the ark because it is so fascinating.
• The ark was 62.5” long so Aaron’s rod must have been about 5 feet long to fit inside the ark.
• There was grumblings within the camp about NEPOTISM by Moses in selecting his brother Aaron to be the high priest. 
• Moses contended that it was God that had chose Aaron; which He did.
• So Moses had every tribal leader bring his staff or rod with their tribal name written on it to the “Tent of the Testimony” and that included Aaron and his rod.
• They put all the Twelve rods before the Ark of the Covenant and the next day Aaron’s rod not only had budded, but it had leaves, blossoms and almonds on it.
• After that, the matter was settled and the grumbling stopped. – NYOBS 16 Ark of the Covenant

Num 17:2-5 – Write the Tribal names on the Twelve Rods

2 Speak unto the children of Israel and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their father’s twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.

3 And thou shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

4 And thou shall lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. KJV

Num 17:8 – Buds, Blossoms and Almonds on Aaron’s Rod

8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. KJV

Num 17:10 – Put Aaron’s rod in the Ark of the Covenant

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shall quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

ANGELS - NYOBS 07.21

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 7 - ESCHATOLOGY

ANGELS - RABBIT TRAIL

• Angels are mention in the Old Testament 108 times, and in the New Testament 165 times.  That’s 273 times, if we dismiss the notion of angels; we are in essence rejecting the Bible.
• They serve as a link between God and believers.  While they do provide physical assistance, they do not do miracles or do the work of the Holy Spirit. Believers have probably interacted with an angel at one time or the other and did not even know it.
• Angels are spiritual beings and either posse’s bodies that are real or they assume the form of a man, but still have the spiritual attributes. They can pass through material objects and are not subject to distance or time. See the scriptures below, of Jesus in His spiritual body.
• I find no record of Female angels, or baby angels.  They do not marry.
• They can speak our language and have their own language
• The Bible says that angels are in charge of us, to guard our ways to keep us from danger.
• Angel hierarchy. – While I do not find this in the Bible, I do find it in many books on angels throughout the ages.  Angels seem to be divided in descending order into three triads of “Choirs”, of angels. This “Choir” is perhaps because we find them singing and praising God in the scriptures. There are nine groups. (This is just fun information and not actually a Bible precept)
• First Choir - Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones
• Second Choir – Dominions, Virtues and Powers
• Third Choir – Principalities, Archangels and Angels.
• It seems the last two; Archangels and Angels are the only ones that interface with man.
• Some domination’s pray to and worship images of angels, believing that some OT saints are now angels.  This is a perversion of the scriptures.
• Wings - Medieval theologians writings portrayed Seraphim angels with six wings, Cherubim with four and ordinary angels with only two.  Nothing in scripture says that ALL angels have wings. Scriptures only partially addresses angel wings - much comes from other writings and may be just myth.
• The Archangel Michael’s name means “who is as God”.
• Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength”, other translations say “The mighty one”, “God is great”, and “God’s Hero”. 
• The Angel Raphael is mentioned in the second book of Esdras in the Apocrypha, but not in the Bible.  I include it here, only because it is so often linked in other writings with the names of Michael and Gabriel.  (It’s only included here for “seasoning”).
• Angels through faith conquer kingdoms, administer justice, shut the mouths of lions, save believers from being killed, turn weakness into strength, place hedges of protection around the Believer, bless the work of our hands, and provide favor with others to prosper us.
• Angels escort Believers from this World to Heaven for a royal welcome.
• Martin Luther said, “An angel is a spiritual creature created by God without a body, for the service of Christendom and the church”.
• Billy Graham said “Angels, who think, will, and display emotions are ministering servants who can appear or remain invisible as they perform the tasks that God assigns them.”

Heb 1:14

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? NIV

Matt 22:30

30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. NIV

1 Cor 15:39-40

39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.

40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. NIV

1 Cor 15:46

46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. NIV

Luke 24:38-39

 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." NIV

John 20:19

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" NIV

Acts 1:10-11

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." NIV

Luke 24:42-43

42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. NIV

John 20:27

 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." NIV

Ps 91:11-12

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. NIV

Matt 18:10

10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.  NIV

Isa 6:2

 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: NIV

Ezek 1:6

6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. NIV

Ezek 1:11

Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. NIV

1 Cor 13:1

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal

NIV

Heb 11:33-34

33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; NIV

Luke 16:22

22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.” NIV

Heb 13:2

2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. NIV

Job 1:10

10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. NIV

ARK OF MARY - NYOBS 16.25

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 16 - THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

Ark of Mary – Rabbit Trail

• The following is handed down by sacred tradition; I include it here because it became somewhat embraced beginning in the fourth century A.D. up until now.
• The Roman Catholic writers saw the Blessed Virgin Mary as the “Ark of the Covenant” because she herself carried the Savior of mankind within her. – She became the “Holy of Holies”
• “She is the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which Divinity resides”  (Homily of the Papyrus of Turin)
• I can certainly in my spirit, embrace symbolically that the Ark of wood, containing the old covenant, was only a shadow of the Ark of flesh that contained the new covenant.
• I can also identify with the love and respect for Mary the mother of Jesus.
• Roman Catholics believe that Mary was also born of a Virgin, therefore sinless and a co-redeemer equal with Jesus. – Therein lies the problem, it’s just not found in scripture.

ARK OF THE COVENANT - WHERE IS IT? - NYOBS 16.31

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 16 - THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

WHERE IS THE ARK

• From the Apocrypha – 2nd Maccabees 2:4-10; “The Jeremiah Letter” – Jeremiah came and found a cavern in the rock, and there he brought in the (tent) Tabernacle, and the Ark, and the Alter of Incense; and he made fast the door – “Yea, and the place shall be unknown until God gather the people again together, and mercy comes; and then shall the Lord disclose theses things”. – The glory of the Lord and the cloud shall appear, as they were shown before Moses and Solomon.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls are the final reference to the Ark of the Covenant and its location.  Other writing not found in the Bible suggest that Solomon, concerned about an invading army, built a replica of the Ark of the Covenant for protection and that the real Ark was sent to Ethiopia for safe keeping with his son that he fathered with the Queen of Sheba and is under guard there even today awaiting its return.
• More – June 26, 2009, Abune Paulos, the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia attested that the Ark is being kept safe and secure in a church in Axum, Ethiopia.
• The Temple Society, according to reports that surfaced years ago, claim that they are now in possession of the Ark of the Covenant.
• In Rome they say the Ark was lost when the basilica burned.
• Here’s more – A replica was discovered in 1940 in a cave in East Africa that was made by the Lemba priest – It was carbon dated to about 1350. – Writings say the original was burned up, but the core was used in the reconstruction.
• The Apocrypha also mentions the Ark being carried away to Babylon. – This is disputed saying the real Ark was hidden. – Indiana Jones is the only one who actually knows where the Ark is.
• After the Babylonian captivity, many synagogues made replicas of the Ark. It was placed behind a curtain in the side wall of the synagogue toward Jerusalem. - Inside was a copy of the Torah and other sacred books.

1 Kings 10:13 – Commentaries say - She desired a son

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. NIV

Isa 18:1 – The Ark is in Ethiopia

18:1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia KJV

Isa 18:3 – The Ark will be lifted up for all to see

3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifts up an ensign on the mountains; and when he blows a trumpet, hear ye. KJV

Isa 18:7 – God will bring His people back.

7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion. KJV

1 Esdras 1:54 (Apocrypha) – Carried off to Babylon

54 Babylonians took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, and the ark of God, and the King’s treasures and carried them away into Babylon.