What you really to know about heaven, rapture and Jesus' second coming? Josimar Salum

What you really to know about heaven, rapture and Jesus' second coming? Josimar Salum

It is urgent to say that we have a serious problem with the English language versions of the Bible. This happens actually in all the languages as you read all their different Bible versions. The differences that exist with each other are very clear. Some texts are even contradictory, and this is due to the theological doctrine or current belief of the “translators”. I personally have the privilege to consult the text in the originals that we have available and can determine which is the best version or how to translate the text correctly. Per example, Philippians 3:20 does not say that heaven is our homeland or our city. The text says that our citizenship is in heaven.

This text does not teach that we are going to heaven. The text reads as follows: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Whoever died in Christ sleeps in Christ, and according to what Jesus said to the thief who invoked Him on the Cross, he goes to paradise. Jesus said that he would be with Him “today” in paradise. According to II Corinthians 12, paradise is the third heaven.

According to the story (not a parable) narrated by Luke about the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man died and went to a place of torment (Hades, hell) and Lazarus died and went to Abraham's bosom.

“Now there was a rich man, and he was dressed in purple and very fine linen, and he lived every day with great pleasure and splendor. There was also a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay full of wounds at his door.

And it happened that the beggar died and was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, he looked up, in torment, and saw Abraham and Lazarus in the distance in his bosom. And he cried out and said, Abraham, my father, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in the water and cool my tongue, because I am tormented in this flame.” Luke 16: 19-20, 22-24

Paul comforts those who died in Christ.

“However, I do not want brothers to be ignorant of those who are already asleep, lest you be saddened, like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so will those who sleep in Jesus also God will bring them back with him. We tell you this, therefore, through the word of the Lord: that we who remain alive for the coming of the Lord will not precede those who sleep. For the same Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and those who died in Christ will rise first; then, we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. ” 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18

Those who die in Christ go to heaven, from where they will come with Jesus at His coming. The text says that "to those who sleep in Jesus God will bring them back with him."

Note that the verb bring here does not refer only to those who remain alive for the Coming of Jesus. And the text does not say that we are waiting for the rapture that is the emphasis of most evangelicals, especially Pentecostals, but we are waiting for Jesus to come. It is not about rapture, it is about the coming of Jesus. The text says that both the living and those who sleep in Christ will come with Him, we will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord and thus we will be with the Lord forever. There is no reference to heaven.

Where will we "be" (as a place) forever with the Lord? In fact, translating the verb literally the question is this: Where will we BE (being) forever with the Lord?

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Because the first heaven and the first land have passed, and the sea no longer exists. And I, John, saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, which was descending from God from heaven, addressed as a wife adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven, saying, Here is the tabernacle of God with men, for he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and the same God will be with them and will be their God.” Revelation 21: 1-3

Watch! The City, which is the Church, the Lamb's Wife descends from heaven. The expression “the Bride of the Lamb” does not appear, it does not exist in the Bible. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, for the Lamb's wedding is coming, and his wife has already made herself ready.” Revelation 19: 7

Many translate as a bride, but the Lamb never had a bride, always a wife. And the wife is not a literal city. The New Jerusalem is used to describe the Lamb's wife who is the Church. “But you came to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to Jerusalem celestial, and the many thousands of angels, to the universal assembly and church of the firstborn, who are inscribed in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the perfected righteous;" Hebrews 12: 22-23 The Jerusalem celestial is the universal assembly and the church of the first born!

What is most glorious and wonderful will happen at the coming of Jesus: the transformation of our bodies. We will have the same glorious body as our Lord Jesus. And this body does not depend on space to be able to be. Before the creation of all things, God did not need a place. He was "independent" of any creation. God “lived” in the Kingdom that He prepared before the foundation of the world.

And finally, this is why we have always taught, God never promised heaven or that we will live in heaven forever. It is about a new dimension, the new creation, the Kingdom of God that we are already in, but it will manifest in its totality at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

“Then the King will say to those on his right: Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world;” Matthew 25:34

“See that you do not reject what you speak; for if those who rejected what on earth warned them did not escape, much less we, if we turn away from him who is from heaven, the voice from which he then moved the earth, but now he announced, saying: Yet again I will be moved, not only the earth, but also the sky. And this word: Once again, it shows the change of moving things, like things made, so that the properties remain. Therefore, having received a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us retain grace, by which we serve God pleasantly with reverence and piety; beca use our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12: 25-29

The Kingdom of God is greater than the entire universe and the heavens.

“And now, I say this, brothers: that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Here I tell you a mystery: In fact, we will not all sleep, but we will all be transformed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, before the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15: 50-52

#ASONE

“ Dr. Salum, you explain the whole Bible! 😃 Thank you! I always learn from your teachings,they are different to what our pastors preach,they focused on heaven, offerings and tithe. Please multiply such teachings through conferences especially in Burundi, because many pastors need to be transformed first and go to teach the truth of Jesus. Thank you for the team you work with in Burundi, and the team from USA, you and Dr. Paul, hope all nations will be affected with your teachings. God can do what the men can't do.” - NLT

A frank conversation with one son from Africa about the invitation do pray on Pentecost for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By Josimar Salum

*A frank conversation with one son from Africa about the invitation do pray on Pentecost for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By Josimar Salum

“Hello Father, what is the purpose of these 50 hours prayers? I feel I want to join.”

For a new Pentecost, a new revival, I answered him. The Holy Spirit said in Acts 2 that the God’s promise is for us, for these days:

“‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:17-18, 21, 33, 38-39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

i was looking at the content and still don't understand.can you help me understand this?

He replied: “This site will offer live and pre-recorded liturgical and ecumenical events including worship sessions, Masses, liturgy of the hours led prayer, etc… as aids to help you join in part of the 50 hours to Pentecost worldwide.”

They are Catholics. I was invited to pray, I don’t need anything else from the site. I like the idea to pray 30 minutes or more during these 50 hours of prayer. My prayers in Jesus are stronger than everything else. Don’t you want to pray for REVIVAL? If I had a prayer invitation from the Seventh Day Adventists with this purpose would I respond positively? If it was an invitation from Baptists, or from Pentecostals, or from any other Christian group would I respond favorably?

Here is my point! I hate all religions, all religions are false, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James‬ ‭1:26-27‬

I see that religious people do things the way they believe and they do with devotion and sincerity.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ who had no problem to dine with sinners ...  Like He did indeed, I would dine with them too and with all religious people. LOVE for people is beyond religious barriers.

So here there is an invitation to pray for the Holy Spirit Revival! This is a dangerous request. The first thing a Holy Spirit revival would do, it would destroy idolatry in the hearts of people all across the land and spread LOVE in their hearts and united them all in Jesus Christ AS ONE.

Let people pray to whoever and whatever they want, or not to pray at all. Let them exercise their God’s given right to worship whoever and whatever they want.

I was invited to pray and I am going to pray to Jesus Christ only. And that is for I invited you to do so!

“For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” I Corinthians‬ ‭8:5-6‬

He sincerely insisted:

“It was not my wish to be connected to catholics in prayers. They have their own way of praying in other names sometimes, not to God alone. And it's as if we are joining their faith, their way of praying even if the invitation was good.”

Son, you are accustomed to pray with liars, cheaters, haters in your congregation sometimes. And they called themselves Christians and some are even in position of leadership. Or not? I understand you completely.

Would Jesus pray with anyone?
To GOD! I was not invited to pray to Mary, to Budha or to Allah. Did I?

“It is true even if only God can see the hearts. These people have always wanted to dominate the world by their idolatry which have been leading people away from God.”

You generalize! When you say this people you mean the people
in the past and some of them or even the majority of them today. But it is not all of them. Like the Belgians with their Protestantism? Like Ellen White with her heresies? Are all Belgian Christians the same? Are all Adventists the same? The religious spirit, son, has a hold on you. Jesus is not Christian. We were just invited to pray. Join with me in prayer. Yow know me. You join with those you know.

“Yes, truly Jesus is not Christian”,
he agreed.

I just keep imagining people around the world praying and I say: FATHER, MANY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! Forgive them Father and fill them with your Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit fall on them.”

He gladly replied: “Father, yes, this is the main reason we can join.“

Hallelujah!

#ASONE

What does the Bible says about the number 666? By Dr Josimar Salum

Father, I have a question: What does the Bible says about the number 666?

By Dr Josimar Salum 

It just says this! “The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” - Revelation 13:15-18

666 is not the number of the beast as people commonly say. 666 is the number of a man. The number of the beast must be calculated by whom is insightful. If this person must calculate, it can’t be 666. That number 666 is the number of a man, and not the number of the beast. This is as clear as crystal.

Pay attention to these words: “This calls for wisdom.” Why the Holy Spirit is calling for wisdom? 

People must dismiss all the histeria about this matter. You should never fear anyone or anything, but God. And His Name is Jesus Christ. People are afraid, even sons of God are afraid about this fake number 

of the beast. Why should they be afraid if nothing or anyone can separate them from the Love of God? 

We have already forced to receive a mark or a number. However it doesn’t not mean we worship the image of the beast. 

It is already happening. Without a number (ID number, or a credit card number, or a bank checking  account number) you cannot buy or sell practically anything today, can you? 

The beast is a worldly system. It is not a man. 32 times the word beast appear in Revelation (NIV) and none of them is related to a human being.  

The beast that Revelation shows is Satan who comes in the form of a red dragon: “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.” Revelation‬ ‭12:3‬. 

This happened already on the days of Jesus on Earth. 

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke‬ ‭10:18-20‬

This dragon is already totally defeated by God’s children who overcame him : 

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation‬ ‭12:10-11‬ 

Children of God don’t fear death! They overcome the beast ultimately if they die for Christ like Jesus did. Jesus died on the cross and defeated the devil and death. 

God has also a mark. It is not a chip as people say. John and Ezekiel didn’t talk about a chip.  And the Bible doesn’t use the expression “the mark of the beast” neither use the expression “the mark of God.” 

“Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.” Ezekiel‬ ‭9:3-6‬ 

This beast’s call to worship an image or a statue of a King happened once and you can see how true men of God responded. 

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”” Daniel‬ ‭3:1-2, 4-6, 12-14, 16-18‬ 

Cheer up! Our redemption is near. Do not get involved with this fanatic nonsense discussion of 666 number. For those who are children of God are not afraid of anything, much less of a defeated foe.

Cheer up! Jesus is coming soon! Hallelujah!

#ASONE

Only Jesus. By Fillipe Moreira

* WAKE UP BELIEVER *
  * By Fillipe Moreira *

  Wake up believer, open your eyes. We must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, we need to speak of Jesus to those who do not yet know Him.  We need to show the real JESUS ​​to the world, we must not show the religious jesus, the Roman jesus and some other "jesus" that people invent these days.  We must show the real JESUS, the Messiah, the King, the One who really loves you.

  Billions of people are wandering the Earth this very moment, some have never heard about the Jesus from the Bible, sometimes people have already told them about many “jesuses”, but not the real ONE.

  It is our duty, believer. Let’s talk about Jesus from the Bible, let's introduce the real Jesus to those who do not know Him.

  It’s heartbreaking, and brings me to tears to be aware that many people are empty right now, trying to fulfill this emptiness within them with alcohol, drugs, money, relationships and prostitution. An emptiness that has the shape of the cross, an emptiness that has the shape of Jesus.

  Sometimes your neighbor has not yet heard about the real Jesus, sometimes your friend who you like so much hasn’t heard about the real Jesus, the King. This is a constant battle, let’s open our eyes, let’s not be cold during these times.

  Preach Jesus, just Jesus!
  *No law.*
  *Without religion!*
  Just the *King*, just *Jesus*!

Traduzido por Andre Gouvea

  #JSalum
  #ASONE

THE KINGDOM OF GOD by Pr. Jeremie Marinakiza (Burundi)

THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Pr. Jeremie Marinakiza (Burundi)

Before we talk about the Kingdom of God let us talk about what is not the Kingdom of God:

-  The Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom like the kingdom of Romans, the kingdom of Judah or the kingdom of Babylon. You cannot locate the Kingdom of God in a certain place. As God is spiritual even the Kingdom of God is spiritual, As God is eternal even the Kingdom of God is eternal.

-  The Kingdom of God is not the Church. The church is not the totality of the kingdom but it is the part of the Kingdom of God.

-  The Kingdom of God is not heaven. Heaven is also a part of the Kingdom, but not the totality of the Kingdom.

Even though the Church is not the totality of the Kingdom of God it has a big role to play in the Kingdom of God. The Church is the primary agent of proclamation and application
of the Kingdom of God.

The church has to apply the principles of the kingdom by becoming the salt and the light of the world.

So what is the kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of God means the rule of God over all creation (His reign, His action, His lordship, His sovereign governance).

It means that He sits as a King on His throne of the universe, and He governs all things.

-  Psalms 103:19: “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

So to receive Him as King is to receive His kingly rule, in your life and over your affairs. Though the Kingdom of God is not a place, the Kingdom of God manifested on Earth through God made in flesh in Jesus Christ. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John‬ ‭1:10-13‬

How do we enter the kingdom of God?

When ordinary people like you and I receive forgiveness of sins and are born again, it opens access to “see” and “enter” the Kingdom of God

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John‬ ‭3:3, 5‬

*The Contrast between the Kingdom Mindset and the Church Mindset ?*

◼️Example 1

- A pastor with a church mindset is a pastor who merely trains people to serve in a church building on Sundays, he only trains people for church life. He thinks that church life is based only in the meetings the “church” has.

Someone said that: “Only 2-3% of the congregation is called to be full-time church pastors, ministers, and missionaries…” This is totally mistaken, because for God every believer is a minister.

- But a pastor with a Kingdom mindset is a pastor who releases all the saints as ministers in the marketplace. He trains them for all of life.

 ◼️Example 2

- With a church mindset churches embrace and love only converted individuals within their faith communities.

- But With a Kingdom mindset churches embrace and love their surrounding unchurched communities.

◼️Example 3

- A pastor with a church mindset consider the rule of God through deacons, elders and other ministers over those in a church congregation.

- But a pastor with a church mindset consider the rule of God over the entire created order.

 *Joseph Materra states that* “Many churches currently have no place for believers called like”. Believers call like are those who are not called to be 100% involved in the affairs of the church.

· Joseph - the prophet economist who saved Egypt and Israel (Genesis 37-50),

· Daniel - who, as a prime minister prophet brought transformation to Babylon and Persia),

· Nehemiah - a politician who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.

The Kingdom message allows parents to recognize that not all of their children are called to be “full-time church ministers” but all of their children are called to serve as ministers in the Kingdom!

We now understand that the Bible is not really a book about heaven, it says very little about heaven! But a book about God’s people stewarding the earth and in His Kingdom.

Our mission is not to go to heaven but our mission is to bring the Kingdom to earth, until all the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of God and His Christ.

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”” Revelation‬ ‭11:15‬

 Karen Kircker states in her book “Called to Influence:: How to become a kingdom-style leader in your workplace” that:

a) Jesus clearly commissions every son and daughter of God to go and make disciples, heal the sick and set people free

b) She says that serving God does not always mean becoming a preacher. Your ministry may be in health, education, construction, media, government or politics.”

c)  She insisted that the Kingdom of God needs ambassadors in every area of society.

The Kingdom message, if received and preached again by the majority of true believers, would most definitely result in us redeeming cultures, transforming cities, and bringing biblical reformation to whole nations.

The Kingdom or the Word of the Kingdom is the only message that makes disciples of Jesus that really follow Him and become like Him.

#JSalum
#ASONE