There are many Christians who see themselves as insignificant. Yet Christianity is providing something hugely significant for the lowest people. The monograph, Spiritual Nobility, is a hailstone of power which is smashing the enemies of faith. Written by Matthew Verschuur.
The Bible Protector ministry has released an entire monograph series, see here: http://bibleprotector.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=137
John Welsey was against sin. Yet a movement of his followers today have ranged so wildly away from his views as to reject Christian Perfection and to embrace and exalt sin. The following is an excerpt of his teaching:
As this scripture is one of the strong-holds of the patrons of sin, it may be proper to weigh it thoroughly. Let it be observed then, First, it does by no means appear that this thorn, whatsoever it was, occasioned St Paul to commit sin; much less laid him under any necessity of doing so. Therefore, from hence it can never be proved that any Christian must commit sin. Secondly, the ancient Fathers inform us, it was bodily pain: “a violent headache, saith Tertullian; (De Pudic.;) to which both Chrysostom and St. Jerome agree. St. Cyprian [De Mortalitate] expresses it, a little more generally, in those terms: “Many and grievous torments of the flesh and of the body.” [Carnis et corporis multa ac gravia tormenta.] Thirdly, to this exactly agree the Apostle’s own words, “A thorn to the flesh to smite, beat, or buffet me.” “My strength is made perfect in weakness:” — Which same word occurs no less than four times in these two verses only. But, Fourthly, whatsoever it was, it could not be either inward or outward sin. It could no more be inward stirrings, than outward expressions, of pride, anger, or lust. This is manifest, beyond all possible exception from the words that immediately follow: “Most gladly will I glory in” these “my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me.” [2 Cor. 12:9] What! Did he glory in pride, in anger, in lust Was it through these weaknesses, that the strength of Christ rested upon him He goes on: “Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses; for when I am weak, then am I strong;” [2 Cor. 12:10] that is, when I am weak in body, then am I strong in spirit. But will any man dare to say, “When I am weak by pride or lust, then am I strong in spirit” I call you all to record this day, who find the strength of Christ resting upon you, can you glory in anger, or pride, or lust Can you take pleasure in these infirmities Do these weaknesses make you strong Would you not leap into hell, were it possible, to escape them Even by yourselves, then, judge, whether the Apostle could glory and take pleasure in them! Let it be, Lastly, observed, that this thorn was given to St. Paul above fourteen years before he wrote this Epistle; [2 Cor. 12:2] which itself was wrote several years before he finished his course. [see Acts 20:24; 2 Tim. 4:7] So that he had after this, a long course to run, many battles to fight, many victories to gain, and great increase to receive in all the gifts of God, and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore from any spiritual weakness (if such it had been) which he at that time felt, we could by no means infer that he was never made strong; that Paul the aged, the father in Christ, still laboured under the same weaknesses; that he was in no higher state till the day of his death. From all which it appears that this instance of St. Paul is quite foreign to the question, and does in no wise clash with the assertion of St John, “He that is born of God sinneth not.” [1 John 5:18]
It is well known that the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three record seven period of Church history. Most analyses agree:
1. Ephesian: Early Church
2. Smyrna: second and third centuries persecuted Christianity
3. Pergamos: from Constantine to the rise of the Roman Catholic institution
4. Thyatira: Christians during the Papal era
5. Sardis: from the Reformation to the French Revolution
6. Philadelphia Church: the missionary era Church
7. Laodiceans Church: the present time last days Church
Often people point to the Philadelphian as a high point and then sneer at the compromise and weakness of the Laodicean Church which is lukewarm, indifferent, deluded and growing apostate. This view is espoused by people as diverse as Independent Fundamentalist Baptists to Russian master philosopher Alexander Dugin.
We are not in the Philadelphian era, but the true Christians today are the good Laodiceans versus the bad ones.
Re 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Re 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Re 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Re 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Re 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Re 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Re 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Jesus gives the solution to the Laodiceans. Notice that some can and will heed His warning. Now the promise for the Laodiceans who believe is:
1. Wisdom and riches
2. Holiness and true salvation
3. Discernment and proper interpretation
And it gets better, Jesus promises a feast for those who will heed his call. The supper is not just the heavenly one, but now in this time, present time blessings.
So it is good to be a Laodicean Christian, to be one who has bought the gold, got dressed, sees clearly, heeds the call of Jesus and enters full blessing.
The warning for the others is that they will depart out of the Body of Christ.
We read about the final Eastern Antichrist in Ezekiel, Daniel and other portions of Scripture.
In Russia we see this spirit now advancing, a spirit against Christ’s spiritual work, “Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.” (Zech. 6:8).
Rising Russian leader, the deep and dark thinker, Alexander Dugin, stated on his message number 13, “Other sovereign states can also do what they want. They can be forced by force, but not by law. Sovereignty abolishes the idea of international law. International law is a system of treaties, constantly changing, between sovereign subjects. Several sovereign states can force another sovereign state to do something or not. But this decision is force, not legal.”
This is laying the groundwork for Russian military power. We read this in Eze. 38:13 where it states, “Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”
Nations can expect a belligerent Russia to be invading and interfering with other nations, because the Bible shows us, which of course is the very message being broadcasted from Russia.
But notice that the word “force” is used by Dugin, even saying, “forced by force”, showing what is his ultimate essence.
We read in the Scripture the following prophecy:
Da 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Da 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
Da 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Interestingly, with reference to the gods and forces, Dugin has created a kind of matrix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 to explain everything:
1. Dugin’s will himself.
2. The two opposing elements in his geopolitical views, the land and the sea. Dugin is against the sea.
3. The three logoses (logi), being Apollonian, Dionysian and Cybelian. Dugin is against the Cybelian.
4. The four political theories, Liberalism, Communism, Fascism and the Fourth Political Theory (iconographed by the Jupiter symbol). Dugin is completely against Liberalism.
These numbers, in hermetical magic, are called “aeons”, which represent primal powers of the universe.
Accordingly, Dugin is above the gods, certainly against what he calls Cybele, which he hates. But what is he really attacking with his whole invented Cybele Logos? According to Dugin, “Cybele”, the island goddess, has several attributes which he is against, including the feminine quality, the rising from the bottom up and everything that is not him.
We find in Scripture that the true people of God, called the “bride”, are to arise from the earth. Not only in the future, but there is a spiritual rising through history. Consider the temple. There is a temple of God in heaven, and there was the temple built at Jerusalem on earth, but the temple of God today is His Church, His people.
The prophecy of Revelation 11 shows that the two witnesses “ascend up to heaven”, and besides all the trouble liberal secularism has caused (see Revelation 11:13), there is then the sounding of the seventh angel, where the proclamation is made, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15b). Following this is the revelation of the spiritual temple, the Church, in its latter days glory with power and authority in this time.
This is a prophecy of Christ rising to reign over the Gentiles, as the Old Testament says, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isa. 11:10). And again, “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.” (Isa. 42:4).
Because it proves that things both can and cannot be;
Now is the Protector the king over the sea!
An excerpt from “Rightwise” by Matthew Verschuur. Full book freely available here: http://goo.gl/t2qZc6
The English language is the most widespread language being used today. This is no accident, but part of the design for world wide evangelism.
The day of Pentecost indicated the beginning of the reversal of the tower of Babel. No longer would there be scattering into separate languages, but the beginning of bringing people to the same message, and consequently, one language. That process has happened slowly.
The Reformation was particularly a time where the progress of Christianity moved toward a single language. The medieval world had been divided between primarily the Greek-speaking and the Latin-speaking traditions. Protestantism has become more and more apparently dominated so completely by English, that all progress of a spiritual nature has to take place within English. That is to say, that all advancement such as Wesley’s message, and all spiritual outpouring, such as the Pentecostal Revival, have been more specifically reliant on English and happened in English-speaking areas, and therefore has created such an English-rich environment that no spiritual work would happen without it being in English.
Not only has the majority of missionary activity come from English-speakers, but all the highest theology and knowledge of Christian doctrine exists specifically in the English language. English has become the spiritual language.
This means that the best Christians, the best books and Christian thinking, is in English. The best churches, the best doctrine, the highest advances, are found in our tongue.
We find, more importantly, that among all copies of the Bible that exist, that the best translation and the best version in the whole world is the King James Bible. This is no accident, because it means that there is a global language which is ready to be used for the teaching of the highest Christian knowledge with the best Bible. It has all been designed for the most widespread evangelism.
These ideas concerning Divine Providence are not just based on mere observation or conjecture, but are in line with what we find prophesied in various passages throughout the Scripture.
We find in Revelation 10, for example, a prophecy which Historicists have identified is about the Reformation. The attributes of this prophecy show that it is about the English-speaking Christianity and the English Bible coming forth as a witness to the world.
8 ¶ Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
(Zephaniah 3:8, 9).
The gathering of the nations for the prey is a reference to the fall of Gog. The promise is that there is one pure language available for all these people. That pure language means the language of the Bible, specifically, the King James Bible. It is not saying that English itself is the pure language, but that English is obviously the mechanism for use for the King James Bible.
Having one Bible is a basis for religion is important, because it provides a foundation for faith and practice. We read another remarkable passage in the Scripture, which specifically points to “another tongue”.
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
(Isaiah 28:11).
Like other prophecies, this passage has two meanings. The symbolical meaning, as understood by the Apostle Paul, is the speaking in tongues seen in the New Testament. However, the literal interpretation would be that another language comes to be used by the Jews, and it is in that language that the Gospel is preached to them.
Never have the Jews properly responded to the Gospel, so it could not be said to be Greek, Latin or any other language. However, the Jews do know English and the Gospel which is to be preached to them in that language is to have the great success not seen in previous generations.
The Eastern Orthodox Church kept itself much purer than the gradual corruptions and decline of the Western Roman Church in the Middle Ages. From this source, then, the true Protestants were able to draw upon copies of Scripture in Greek which did not suffer from the corruptions that appeared in the Latin.
We may point to some great figures and missionaries in the Eastern Church, some of which are very famous, such as George who slew a dragon (a large reptile, a dinosaur).
One interesting concept in the Orthodox tradition is the role of the Emperor/Tsar, who is both a national and religious leader. This has also been understood by some English-speaking Protestants, though not all.
Now, the question must be raised about whether an antichristian spirit could arise from Eastern Orthodox quarters. After all, the Apostle John, living in the Greek part of the Roman Empire, did warn of the spirit of antichrist.
So then, while we are all acutely aware of Western Antichrists past, present and future, we should also see how it is possible that out of a claimed Byzantine tradition, an antichristian operation can arise.
We are told in the Book of Daniel that one day the Archangel Michael is going to stand up for the godly people. It says, at Daniel 12:1, that there will be a time of trouble.
There has been an attack on the Bible and its promises very much in the West, but should we also expect an attack from an Eastern figure on the promises and certainty of Protestant copies of Scripture that would attempt to contradict Ezekiel 39:8?
“Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken.”