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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:31 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

If you have any questions, you can contact me privately by becoming a member.

 

Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:15 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

If you have any questions, you can contact me privately by becoming a member.

Johnnyhoppy

February 24, 2024, 12:37:18 PM
awe-inspiring first encounter girls
 
 
 
 
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Johnnyhoppy

February 24, 2024, 12:02:24 AM
ripsnorting uncovered girls
 
 
 
 
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February 23, 2024, 10:39:30 PM
far-out unembellished girls
 
 
 
 
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ytmp3music

September 23, 2023, 12:39:24 PM
Titanic post! I couldn't coincide more with your points. It's happy to give some thought to such mindful insights shared here.
Youtube to mp3 converter
<a href="https://www.ytmp3.to">Youtube to mp3 converter</a>
 

Hidden In Him

March 02, 2022, 01:44:01 PM
What a beautiful Spring day! Glory to God!
 

Hidden In Him

January 07, 2022, 06:49:10 PM
Alive and well!  :)

Happy 2022! This is gonna be a good one. I can feel it, Lol.
 

MoreBloodWine

December 30, 2021, 05:29:20 PM
You alive Chris ?
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:17:44 PM
But ya, any PM's sent they should be made aware of via email, if they have notifications set for receipt of a PM.

But even if so, my newsletter blast can ignore such settings so anyone registered will at least get my message. But I can name them specifically in it for *** & giggles.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:15:17 PM
Still need to check some things but that will be easy enough to do via PM.

When the site is re-opened. It is now, but tech locked down... but when it's "back". I can send out a newsletter, anyone who has an email attached that they still use will be made aware / be able to come back if that's what they choose to do.
 

Hidden In Him

October 14, 2020, 05:56:59 PM
You're kidding... That would be something. Any way to contact ShadowKen and Indybones? And maybe Pineapple, LoL. I suppose if it's all intact I could just message and it would go thru to email.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 01:53:33 AM
@HIM: The MP is back, but it will need to remain in maintenance mode until I can re skin it / fix some of the underlying addons, But it is loading again... all data should still be intact.

I've already alerted spddmn's wife to let him know ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

April 27, 2020, 06:37:28 PM
And after checking, it wasn't done yet, LoL. Looks like it is now (hopefully).
 

Hidden In Him

April 08, 2020, 10:37:46 AM
This one's pretty good, LoL. Should be fun to put on video some day.  :)
http://www.spiritualwarbiblestudies.com/index.php?topic=181.msg207#msg207
 

Hidden In Him

March 10, 2020, 12:43:23 PM
 :) :) :)
 

MoreBloodWine

March 10, 2020, 07:02:44 AM
Everything happens for a reason, even if it's rewriting old works ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

March 07, 2020, 07:12:18 PM
My wife dislikes the idea that I'm rewriting studies rather than writing new ones, but the Lord is now opening up Colossians to me like never before, and some work needs to be redone. Very excited about the new insight!  :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:19:44 PM
...get back to making sure studies were ready to put on camera when the time comes.  :)

So how's life with you?  
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:18:44 PM
I noticed you were still lurking around, LoL. Glad to see I'm not the only one happy about it.  :) Hard at work converting the garage into a recording studio & music room. Gonna be nice! The soundproofing is going to be work and money, but a lot of it is already purchased. In the meantime, I had to
 

MoreBloodWine

February 29, 2020, 01:59:43 AM
 :) :) :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 28, 2020, 05:43:50 PM
I'm officially going back to writing! Glory to God Almighty!! Having fun again already, and going to be going to work improving and the adding to the set on Colossians.

Blessings in Christ to all who visit,
Hidden
 

MoreBloodWine

November 02, 2019, 02:37:56 AM
I rarely ever used Tapatalk to log in to the site. Not sure if anyone ever actually did as the issue of it not working was never reported.

But for our mobile uses, certain things like this chat box will not be available through the app as this chat box is an addon itself. But all boards within the forum are available and currently confirmed working.

Ty & my apologies !
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:21:06 PM
An excellent passage I am now writing a study on in the Book of Colossians.

"And I am now rejoicing in [my] sufferings over you, and filling up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for His body's sake, which is the church, of which I became a servant
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:20:49 PM
... of which I became a servant according to the administration of God having been given unto me, for you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but which has now been made manifest to His saints, to whom God wished to make known what

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Author Topic: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16  (Read 4258 times)

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Hidden In Him

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1 Corinthians 2:6-16
« on: January 08, 2014, 01:00:14 PM »
Eternal Kingship Of The Saints: A Mystery Hidden In God

     As Paul told the Corinthians, he did not come announcing the mystery of God unto them with great rhetorical skills, and his preaching did not employ the use of persuasive words and humanistic wisdom. Instead, as he reminded them, he presented the gospel "with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in human wisdom but in the [supernatural] power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Nevertheless, as he now declared, he was preaching a form of wisdom, but it was wisdom the faithless and worldly-minded rulers and philosophers of that time had never taken into consideration:

     But we speak wisdom among the mature, only not the wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are [in the process of] being deposed. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery which has been hidden, which God preordained for our glory before time, which none of the rulers of this age had known, for if they had known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:6-8)

     What was this mystery which had been hidden but was now being revealed to the saints through the Holy Spirit? In short, that not only would Christ rule for all eternity, but so would the saints. The rulers of this world were about to be deposed by the followers of Christ, just as the Antichrist was about to be deposed by Christ Himself when He returned to the earth in power to execute judgment against the kingdom of darkness:

     And you know it yet remains for [the Antichrist] to be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already on its way to realization, only he is holding back at present until he manifests out of the midst, and then shall that lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus Christ will annul with the breath of His mouth, and depose with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:5-8) 

     It must be remembered that Paul expected Christ's return to take place at any time, so in his mind the powerful, wise and esteemed were already on their way to deposed by the weak, foolish and despised whom Christ had chosen to exalt with wisdom and honor. This is why he instructed the Corinthians that, as Christ prophesied, the first would soon be last and the last first: 

     For you see from your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are of high estate. But God chose... those who are of low estate in the world, and despised, and not esteemed, that He might depose those who are, so that no flesh might boast before God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom and righteousness and holiness and redemption from God, such that, as it has been written, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

     These were incredible promises for the saints of God, which also caused Paul to add:

     But just as has been written, "Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it at all entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him." But God revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches into all things, even the deepest plans of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

     As we're about to see, certain Old Testament passages clearly predicted that the saints of God would eventually inherit the kingdoms of this world, although up until now it had not been clearly understood how or why.


Kingship In Christ: A Mystery Foretold By The Prophets

     Quoting again from the apostle Paul:

     But just as has been written, "Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it at all entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him." But God revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches into all things, even the deepest plans of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? So also no one knew the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. And we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit from God, that we might know what has been granted unto us by God, which things we also speak, not with words taught by humanistic wisdom, but with those taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual references with spiritual references. But the soulish man receives not the words of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he does not have the ability to know them, for they are being spiritually analyzed. And the spiritual man correctly analyzes them all, yet he himself is analyzed by no one. For "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who shall instruct Him?" And we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16)

     What things specifically had the Lord prepared for those who loved him, which "eye had not seen, and ear not heard," yet which were now being revealed by the Spirit? It must first be understood that Paul was quoting from Isaiah 40, where it says: 

     Who has known the mind of the Lord, or instructed the Lord as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the path of understanding?… All the nations are as nothing before Him. They are regarded by Him as less than nothing, and meaningless. (Isaiah 40:13-14, 17)

     This entire Chapter in Isaiah deals with the Day of the Lord, when He would bring the kingdoms of this earth and their rulers to nothing, yet reward the righteous:

     The grass withers [and] the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows upon it... Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in His arms. He will carry them in His bosom… [yet He] brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as a desert wasteland. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when He blows upon them and they wither, and the storm carries them off like stubble. (Isaiah 40:7, 10-11, 22-24)

     What reward would be with Him when He came? Eternal kingship, as described in Daniel, Chapter 7: 

     “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise... He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.’" (Daniel 7:23-27 NIV)

     These were the "words taught by the Holy Spirit" which Paul was referring to, and which they were now properly analyzing by "comparing spiritual reference with spiritual reference." The saints would inherit the kingdoms of this world at Christ's return, and for having suffered with Him they would now be worthy to reign with Him in eternity.
     The apostle Peter likewise testified that these prophecies was now being revealed to the saints by those preaching the gospel to them:

     ...for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, regarding which salvation the prophets, having prophesied of the grace predestined for you, undertook research and investigation, searching into the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was disclosing when He testified beforehand of the sufferings [to take place] until the coming of Christ, and the glories [to follow] afterwards, to whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to you they were ministering these prophesies, which have now been conveyed unto you by those having preached the gospel to you through the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, [prophecies] which angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:9-12)

     It was not the "sufferings of Christ" that were being discussed here, as modern translations render it, but the sufferings of the saints, which they would have to endure until the coming of Christ. The same Greek construction is used in Daniel 9:25, where it says:

     And you shall know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for a response, and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ, the Prince (i.e. the coming of Christ, the Prince), there shall be sixty-nine weeks...  (Daniel 9:25, LXX)

     How and when all these events would take place remained a great mystery until the Spirit revealed it to the church. At the time these prophecies were given to Daniel, he recorded that even the angels of God were desiring to know the mystery. Daniel looked and saw two angels on opposite sides of a river, and one was inquiring of the other concerning when all these things would finally be fulfilled:

     “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people — everyone whose name is found written in the book — will be delivered... Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two [angels], one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the one clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” The one clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been broken, all these things will be completed.” I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, when will the end of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand." (Daniel 12:1, 5-10)

     The Book of Revelations also states that this mystery would finally be accomplished when the wrath of God came to a close at the end of the age, when Christ returned to set up His kingdom:

     But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God should be accomplished, just as He announced to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7)

     This, then, is what Paul was teaching the Corinthians. He and the other apostles were now speaking the wisdom of God in a mystery, which had been hidden in ages past but was now being revealed to the church.


Walking Worthy Of The Kingdom Of God

     But strictly speaking, the real mystery was this: How would the saints be made worthy of such a thing? How would God arrange that they be made worthy to inherit kingship in place of the earth's present rulers? The New testament saints were starting to understand why: They would be made worthy of inheriting kingship with Christ if they joined with Him in His sufferings, i.e. by not denying His name in the face of persecutions and afflictions.
     This is evident from Christ's own teachings to His disciples. When the mother of James and John asked that her sons be allowed to reign as kings at Christ's right and left hand when He entered His kingdom, Jesus did not rebuke her for asking for the impossible. He simply warned her that she didn't know what she was asking for: Only those who would drink deeply from the cup of His sufferings would be made worthy to be granted such places of honor in the coming kingdom:

     Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from My cup, but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by My Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23 NIV)

     This "cup"was the cup of Christ's sufferings. Those who suffered for the gospel's sake were drinking of the cup of the Lord, and would be granted the right to reign with Him in eternity
     As Paul explained it to Timothy:

     Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with Him; if we endure (i.e. sufferings), we will also reign with Him. (2 Timothy 2:11-12a NIV)

     Reading again Daniel's prophecy regarding the saints, he said, "Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand." Understand what? That the saints would be purified and refined by sufferings, and this is what would make them worthy to reign with Christ. Those who did not have the Spirit of God within them had no understanding of this, and it is why they had not only crucified Christ but were now also persecuting His followers. Had they truly understood this wisdom, they would have been living their lives much differently.


God's Offer Of Eternal Kingship Still Stands Today

     This offer of kingship is still being being presented to the saints today, albeit through a prophecy not everyone realizes was written to us in the modern era. By this, I am of course referring to the promises made to the church of Laodicea, which Christ used to represent the last day church, who would be rich in material wealth but poor, wretched and blind in spiritual matters:

     “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation, says these words: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. Therefore, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of My mouth, for you say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth, and have need of nothing,’ and do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you may be [truly] rich; and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself, and the shame of your nakedness not be made manifest; and eye salve to anoint your eyes with, so that you may see. As many as I love I rebuke and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me. I will grant to the one who overcomes the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father on His throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22)

     Why does Laodicea relate to us today? Because they were materially prosperous, yet this had seduced them into spiritual poverty, in keeping with what Jesus warned about in Mark 4. The "deceitfulness of riches" was causing them to become preoccupied with worldly entertainments and pleasures, and this rendered them spiritual beggars who never gave themselves wholeheartedly to pursuing God:

     He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow seed. And it came to pass that in his sowing… [some] fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit… Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you know all the parables? The sower sows the word… and [some] are being sown among thorns. These are the ones who hear the word, but the anxieties of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:2-4a, 7, 13-14, 18-19)

     It must be stated that material prosperity can be used for good. There are many rich men in the life who have left this world spiritually wealthy as well. The problem, however, is that due to poor teaching many today are assuming they are "blessed" simply because they have material wealth, when this is actually blinding their eyes to their true spiritual state.
     So what was God's advice to the Laodicean church (and us, by extension)? "Buy of Me gold tried in the fire." Believe it or not, what this means is that God was and is instructing the modern church, particularly the modern Western church, to pray for persecution to return, so that they not enter into eternity spiritual beggars and paupers in comparison with the saints of old, and their counterparts in persecuted countries today:

     You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 4:17-18)

     What was "gold tried in the fire"? Peter spelled it out plainly. Our faith, when tried by persecution, became like gold tried in the fire; only as we endured sufferings for Christ's sake would our faith be purified and refined:

     [Your] salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time, regarding which you exult, though now if necessary for a little while having been put to grief through various trials, so that the proving of your faith, much more precious than perishing gold, and proven by fire, may be found unto praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:5b-7)


Entering Eternity Rich Rather Than Poor

     But you might ask, "Who would be crazy enough to actually pray for persecution?!!" Only those who are well educated in the scriptures, and trust in what the word says about who is truly blessed of God and who is not. As numerous New Testament scriptures teach (I emphasize New because many Old Testament scriptures are often used to cancel out New Testament teaching), it is now no longer the rich who are considered "blessed" but those who endure trials and sufferings for the Lord's sake:

     But let the lowly brother boast in his exalted status, and the rich [man] in his lowly status, for as the bloom of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun arose with the scorching wind and withered the grass, and its flower fell out, and the beauty of its appearance perished. So also shall the rich man die away in the midst of his travels. "Blessed" is the man who endures trials (i.e. sufferings), for after he has been proven he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him. (James 1:9-12)

     So, too, did Jesus Himself teach the disciples:

     "Blessed are those who had been persecuted on account of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people shall reproach you, persecute you, and speak evil against you, lying on account of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

     Paul reiterated these same points to the Corinthians when he encouraged them that the bodily afflictions they were having to endure were, with each new affliction, only earning for them an even greater weight of glory in eternity:

     Though our outward man is being destroyed, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is only momentary, is building for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16b-18)

     This is why the disciples had an entirely different perspective on sufferings than most Christians do today. Instead of grieving, they rejoiced when they were allowed by God to suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel:

     They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (Acts 5:40-41)

     It is why the Hebrews rejoiced at having their property stolen:

     Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict of sufferings. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. (Hebrews 10:32-34 NIV)

     Many worldly-minded people often criticize God, saying, "Why does He allow sufferings in the world?" But unlike the angels, only WE have the opportunity to exhibit such faith in God that we remain faithful to Him in the midst of sufferings, proving that "Greater love has no man than to die for One he loves." The two sides on this debate are, in fact, clear delineations between those who walk in the wisdom of God, and have the mind of Christ, and those who walk merely in the wisdom of this world.
     Repeating again the words of the apostle Paul:

     But we speak wisdom among the mature, only not the wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are being deposed... not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual references with spiritual references. But the soulish man receives not the teachings of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he does not have the ability to know them, for they are being spiritually analyzed. And the spiritual man correctly analyzes all things, yet he himself is analyzed by no one. For "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who shall instruct Him?" And we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:6, 13-16)

 

« Last Edit: February 04, 2023, 02:29:44 PM by Hidden In Him »