What's next!

Transcribed excerpt from an audio message by Bro Ron Knight...

The dispensation of grace ends at the event called the rapture.  The next event on the calendar for the body of Christ is the judgment seat of Christ¹ where we as believers are going to be judged on how much of the Pauline grace message we have acknowledged,² built in³ us, and acted upon.^3.5  There are a few other things that he will judge,⁴ but basically it will be the amount of sound doctrine we have resident in our souls and have acted upon.

What's next...

1 Corinthians 15:24-25

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 

Now think about that…  After the rapture the Lord Jesus Christ will then have the judgment seat of Christ.  God the Son, the Lord Jesus, will be judging each and every one of us as members of the body.  He will burn away all the filth, the wood, hay and stubble of our lives⁵ (...we will all have it).  He will purify the gold, silver and precious stones⁵ ...not everyone will have that.  The Pauline grace believers will have most of that.  He is going to try us with the fire of his word, the fire of his eyes, and he will see our capacity to serve him in the heavenly places, which will be based upon the capacity in which we served him down here.  How we serve Christ down here in the grace message will be directly, proportionately recompensed at the judgment seat.⁶

But after that Christ will present us to God the Father.  It is going to be God the Father who takes each one of us and says: This is what you will do for me because of your faithfulness in my message, the message of my Son, according to the revelation of the mystery.  This is what you will do for me for all eternity.⁷

Notice, we are the ones he will use to rule the heavenly places of his at kingdom. 

Ephesians 6:12

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.

Colossians 1:16

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

It will be those principalities, powers, dominions, and thrones that Ephesians and Colossians talks about that the body of Christ will take over in the heavenlies. 

Right now the heavens are not clean in his sight.⁸  Satan and his angels still have dominion out there.  It is literally going to take a war with Michael sometime in the future when he will get rid of them and they will have no more place.⁹ But for now, they’re still up there.  God hasn’t kicked them out yet.  He is very fair and he has a way that he will deal with that situation.  But until he has people to take over those positions, he won’t put them out.  That’s the point.  Not until the body of Christ is ready to rule.

Paul says that the last enemy that he will deal with at the event called the resurrection is death.

1 Corinthians 15:26-28

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

At the rapture, death is destroyed for the grace believer.  We will no longer die.  While there will be a remnant of grace believers who will not die physically,¹⁰ most of the body of Christ will suffer the sting of physical death. 

Because of the resurrection and the ascension at the Father’s right hand, Christ has dominion over heaven and earth. All things will be under the Lord Jesus Christ, except the one who puts everything under him, i.e., God the Father.¹¹ The only person who will be higher than the Lord Jesus is God the Father.

Paul is saying that once everything is taken care of with the dispensation of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ will take his rightful place right under the Father and we’ll rule and reign with him. 

Now depending upon our faithfulness in the Pauline grace message, we will have joint-heirship with Jesus Christ; but most saints won’t.  They’ll be heirs but not joint-heirs.¹²  You want to strive for what Paul calls the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.¹³  You want to fight for that, to strive and be faithful.¹⁴

Transcribed excerpt from…

12 Was Jesus Perfect R.K..mp3

++++++

¹ 2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

² 1 Thessalonians 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

³ 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

^3.5  Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

⁴ 1 Corinthians 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

⁵ 1 Corinthians 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

                                                                                     

⁶  1 Corinthians 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

⁷ Romans 8:30  ... them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

⁸ Job 15:15   Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

⁹ Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

¹⁰ 1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain ...

¹¹ 1 Corinthians 15:27

For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

¹²  Romans 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

¹³ Philippians 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ 1 Timothy 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

¹⁴ 2 Timothy 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

The end is near

Are we still in the Dispensation of Grace?  If so, how close are we to the end, especially in light of the world-wide tragedies of the last couple of years?

Yes, we are still in the dispensation of Grace, and will be as long as the body of Christ is here on the earth.  You’ll know this dispensation has ended when we all meet the Lord in the air.  Paul makes it clear that the dispensation of grace will end when the fullness of the gentiles be come in.

Romans 11:25

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

When God has filled up the body of Christ, the dispensation of grace will end with the resurrection, or the rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound [not the trumpets of Revelation; it is the sound of the blowing of the trump of God in 1 Thess.], and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

This is the resurrection; the gathering; the catching away; the rapture.  When a believer dies today, we are absent from the body and present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Philippians 1:23

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

So you’ll know the dispensation of grace is over when we all [them which sleep in Jesus and we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord] meet the Lord in the, followed by the judgment seat of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Then there will be a reunion of the body of Christ; we will all be together.  We are very close to the end of this age.  They were in the last days in Paul’s day.

2 Timothy 3:1

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

Men had already departed from the faith in Paul’s day.

1 Timothy 4:1-3

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

The rapture is at hand:

Romans 13:12

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

So we are in the last days of the dispensation of grace, but not because of the things we see happening in the world:

Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

That is happening because of the Fall; it’s the curse that Adam brought (Gen. 3).  As we get closer and closer to the return of the Lord to take us out of the world and to set up his kingdom, the world is travailing like a woman with child.  It is going through birth pangs.

Romans 8:19

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

The travailing earth is going to birth us, so to speak:  the sons of God in the heavens (the body of Christ), and the sons of God in the earth (the nation of Israel). 

Just like the labor pains of a woman, as the time approaches they get more intense and more frequent.  That has been happening and will continue to happen in this lost, dying, sin-cursed, Christ-rejecting world.  But don’t look at the world-wide tragedies or even what is happening in the Middle East [to ascertain how near we are to the end of the dispensation].

We are getting closer and closer to the wrath of Almighty God.  One of the reasons the dispensation of grace ends is because he is delivering us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:10

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

God has been holding back his wrath for 2,000 years, but when he’s ready to pour it out he will first take the body of Christ home [and the prophetic program for Israel will resume].  Even though there are tragedies around the world and they have intensified the last couple of years, that’s just par for the course.  The world is on a collision course with the wrath of God. 

Revelation 14:10

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

But Paul tells us what is happening in the last days of the body of Christ in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Timothy.  Read what Paul says about the future days of tribulation for Israel in 2 Thessalonians.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Paul's apostleship

Transcribed excerpt from…

59 Godly Suffering.mp3 

2 Timothy 1:11

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul reminds Timothy of his apostleship and ministry:

2 Timothy 3:10-12

But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

The first thing you need to know is Paul’s grace doctrine and know it fully.  You need to be studying Paul’s epistles.  You want your mind to be filled with this information [Phil 4:8].  Then God will give you understanding of the rest of scripture [2 Tim 2:7], but you need to know as much of the grace message in Romans through Philemon as possible. You can study on your own and if you have questions, let’s do it together.

Timothy fully knew not only Paul’s doctrine, but also his manner of life. Timothy watched the apostle Paul as they ministered together.  He was with him from beginning to end (Acts 16).

Paul’s purpose was the grace ministry, the mystery of Christ [Acts 20:24; Rom. 16:25; Colossians 4:3-4].  That is our purpose too.

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Paul believed the doctrine that God gave him and as a result, he suffered for his faith.

1 Timothy 1:16

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Paul served others with an attitude of love (charity) and he endured the afflictions that came because of his ministry with patience, as he was our ensample in all things [2 Thess 3:9]. 

Acts 20:23

Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

Romans 8:18

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

At some point we are all going to get sick or injured.  We will all have emotional issues and spiritual problems.  Someone in our family won’t receive the truth and it will hurt us spiritually and emotionally.  Sooner or later we will all suffer.  We differ from our denominational brethren and the world because we know why.

Romans 8:18-23

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

There is a curse on creation and the curse is random. 

Ecclesiastes 9:11b

but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Both believers and unbelievers suffer the same things.  What can we do?  What we should do?  We are to listen to Paul and understand [2 Tim 2:7 KJB] that it is a part of life.  Do we stay in the sufferings?  No, we use them.

Romans 5:2-4

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

We can take the hard times and use them for God’s good and ours.  That’s what Paul is saying.  That is patience.

While patience has to do with troubles that come our way in life, persecutions come from people. 

2 Corinthians 12:7

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

The lost are not persecuted for their faith.  They don’t have faith.  They’re just going along with the crowd.  That includes most of our Christian brethren because they don’t rightly divide the word.  Who then is persecuted?  Grace believers!  We who are rejected by our own brethren in the body of Christ because we follow the apostle Paul as he follows the Lord [1 Cor. 4:15-16; Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17].   

Afflictions are physical things that happened to Paul.  He was beaten [2 Cor. 6:4-5; 11:23-27].  His physical body was affected. Paul says that he too suffered unto death and God delivered him.  I am convinced that Paul is not only talking about the end of the dispensation of grace and the suffering that comes along with it, but he is actually dealing with physical death.  I am so convinced that when Paul brings that up he is talking about his stoning.

Acts 14:19-20

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.  Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

He is saying to Timothy, “Don’t you remember when I was stoned to death?  They threw me out of the city and right in front of the disciples God raised me from the dead.”

God may not deliver you and me the way he did Paul who had a special ministry to fulfill, but when we die we have a surety.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

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

We will rise from the dead.  There is a hope of resurrection.  Paul is saying that God raised him from the dead and he can deliver you out of your persecution and affliction too.

2 Timothy 3:12

Yea, and [Some?  No!] all that will live godly in Christ Jesus [if you chose to live godly in Christ Jesus] shall suffer persecution.

This is godly suffering.  Understand that people do not like you because you believe this Pauline grace message.  I came to that conclusion a long time ago when I was very zealous about sharing it and I was continually rejected.  I thought  Why wouldn’t every saint want to understand it?  But I realized that people just don’t want truth.

I have learned that when God’s truth rubs me the wrong way I just say, “I’m wrong; you’re right, God.  Let’s get on with it.”  Who would want to fight against God?  That’s ridiculous.

Acts 9:5b

…it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

God’s word is right, so change your thinking to be in agreement with what he says. 

Judging Angels and the World, Part 2

Let’s look at some more verses that deal with judging the wicked.  In this verse God is condemning Israel for their lack of love toward their brethren, particularly the poor.

Jeremiah 5:28

They are waxen fat, they shine:
yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked:

When they overpass (don’t deal with) the deeds of the wicked, the wicked prosper.  It sounds like our country, doesn’t it?

they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper;

They don’t righteously stand up for the poor, the needy, the fatherless, the weak of society; and so the wicked prosper.

and the right of the needy do they not judge.

See the issue of judging?  He is not talking about ruling; he is talking about condemning the wicked and supporting the righteous in the land.  That is the same judgment of 1 Corinthians 6:2-3  and the great white throne judgment (GWTJ) of Revelation 20 where God will deal with the wicked.

Paul quotes David in the book of Romans:

Romans 3:4

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

At the GWTJ, these lost people are going to accuse God of being unrighteous.  By putting their works on display when the books are opened at the GWTJ, God will show how he dealt with them in longsuffering and how time after time they hardened their hearts against him.  He will give them what they want.  They want to do it their way and they will do it their way in the lake of fire.  But when they stand in judgment against God and accuse him of unrighteousness, he will prove his innocence.

Matthew 25:41

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

God prepared hell (a temporary holding place) for the devil and his angels and ultimately they will end up in the lake of fire after they are judged by Christ and by us, his body.

2 Peter 2:4

For if God spared not the angels that sinned [before man came on the scene], but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

This could also be referring specifically to the angels who sinned and procreated with the daughters of men; they were trying to destroy the seed line of Messiah (Gen 6).  There were angels that sinned pre-Adam and post-Adam.

Jude 1:6

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

These are the angels we are going to judge at the GWTJ.

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ?