Nr. 73: The believers in the western world is sleeping a sleeping beauty sleep!

Nr. 73:
The believers in the western world is sleeping a sleeping beauty sleep!

It is important not to take all of a comb, as it fortunately is a lot here and there that follow the Lamb wherever it goes and yet is not God's light was extinguished in the church of God!

We live in the same spiritual condition as we find more places in the Old Testament of Israel. Should mention two passages that fits well at this time we live in. One of Samuel books where the temple service had arrived at such a level that most of it was allowed and when Israel came into the country to judge the book where there was no real leadership and they all did as it suited them and "made" their own religion. Starts with the word of Samuel I and II.

1. Sam. 3. 1. The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli's attention, and word of the Lord was expensive in those days of the show there was little. 2 Thus, it was a day when Eli was in his place - his eyes had begun to be dull, so he could not see, 3 and the lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was lying in the holiness of the ark of God was.

Israel had a temple service in Shiloh, where the priests daily sacrificed to the Lord as the law prescribed. This is my heart of Judea and Samaria. Temple Service in Shiloh lasted until King David conquered Jerusalem and Jerusalem was the political and spiritual center in Israel. But how did this change? With a simple pleading childless woman. Here began the revival, and so it can also begin today for that matter, with a single woman or man that no one expects anything. We read:

1. Samuel 1 There was a man from Ramata'im-Sofim in Ephraim Mountains, named Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu son of Tohu, the son of Suf, a Ephraimite / 2 He had two wives: the one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. 3 This man went year after year up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh, where was Eli's two sons, Hofni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord. / 4 And when the day came when Elkanah brought his victim, when he gave his wife Peninnah and all her sons and her daughters each his portion of the offering, 5 but Hannah he gave a double play, for he loved Hannah, yet the Lord had sealed her womb, 6, and her medbeilerske violated her too much to incite her wrath, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 Thus he did year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, and thus violated provoked her, and she wept and would not eat. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why are you crying, and why do not you eat? Why are you so sad? Are not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So when they had once eaten and drunk in Shiloh, and while Eli, the priest was sitting on a chair by dørposten in the temple, stood up Hanna, 10, and in his heartache she prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow, saying, Lord, Almighty God! If you want to see your servant in her misery and remember me, and do not forget your handmaid, but let your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord for all his life, and there shall no razor shall touch his head . 12 Thus she prayed long before the Lord, and Eli gave heed to her mouth; 13 for it was in his heart, Hannah, just her lips touched her, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her: How long will you yourself getting drunk? Look to get rid of your wine! 15 And Hannah replied, saying: No, my lord! I am a woman carrying a heavy sadness in his heart, wine and strong drink, I have not been drinking, but I poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Hold not thy handmaid for a profligate woman! For I have always spoken of my great sorrow and grief. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. 18 She said, Let your handmaid find favor in your eyes! So the woman went her way, and did eat, she was no more sad. 19 The morning after they got up early, and worshiped before the Lord, so they went home and came back to Rama. And Elkanah her to Hannah, his wife, and the Lord came to her mind; 20 and within the year was out, was Hannah conceived and bore a son and named him Samuel, for [she said] I have asked the Lord for him. / 21 Then the man - Elkanah - went up again with all his house to sacrifice to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow, 22 went Hanna not match up, but said to her husband: I will wait until the boy is weaned, then I take him with me, so he can be made before the Lord and stay there all the time. 23 Elkanah her husband said to her: Do what you see fit, stay home until you have weaned him; only the Lord will keep his word! So the woman was at home, and she gave her son suck until she weaned him. 24 And as soon as she had weaned him, she got up with him and brought three bulls and one ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she carried him into the house of the LORD in Shiloh - he was just a pretty boy. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, Hear me, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 This boy was I prayed and the Lord has given me what I asked him. 28 And now I give him back to the Lord for all that time he has to, it was the Lord's sake I asked him. And they worshiped the Lord there.

I have included the entire chapter here because it is so incredibly rich. We sat here a while back and looked at the memorial service for David Wilkerson, and it was something that came to me. It is that most believers are so called anonymous and nameless to most people and there are those who run the church and God's work forward, Hanna was one such believer. Inconspicuous, small, anonymous and not a public person, but it was her God used, lovely?

The whole temple service was down and the spiritual condition was very lackluster, yes there was rottenness and leaders who elbow their way and took himself to remedy that today.

1. Sam. 2. 12 But Eli's sons were backless, they made light of the Lord. 13 such was the priests' behavior towards the people, so often someone come with a victim, and the meat was cooked, was the priest's servant, and had a fork with three branches in their hands, 14 it ran him down in the pan or pot or pan, or in pot, and everything that came up with the fork, took the priest to him. Thus they did with all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man that sacrificed: Bring meat to roast for the priest! He will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw. 16 Then the man said to him: First, the fat is burned, then take for you after which you want to. Then he replied: No, now once you make it, otherwise I take it by force. 17 And the young men's sin was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the Lord's sacrifice.

Imagine, this was the official clergy, where attrition was greatest in a while. Eli `s sons Hofni and Phinehas were backless and did not care about what is what right or wrong or unholy or holy. They took of that which belonged to the Lord, and despised the Lord and His sacrifice. We also read that "the Lord's words were expensive in those days of the show there was little".

How did the change?

It came in that Hannah would sacrifice everything for God. She would of course have a son when she was childless purely human perspective. And she was ignored by the others in the family and probably also by their peers and communities at the time. But she was not sore and took it to heart that just as King Saul was when he lived in the Spirit, and lived with God.

1. Sam. 10. 27 But some wicked people said, What means will this give us? And they despised him and did not come with gifts for him, but he pretended he did not notice it.

Saul ignored those who were against him and neglected him, so must and all spiritual human being who will serve the Lord at all times. How was Hannah and she prayed for a son who would be a prophet of the Lord and would lead Israel back to God. And she got answers to prayer even if it had to go through fire and water. The priest Eli thought she was drunk, but she begged for her hjertenød and after their spiritual needs. When one has such a need, want and must expect to be misunderstood by most people, even believers.

1. Cor. 2. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he may not know it, because it judged spiritually.

Hanna also had the experience wonderful answers to prayer and it was a revival all over Israel when God made his major works. It called for the ears of everyone, and it began with the one that nobody expected and that was the most defenseless person one could imagine, as a childless woman in ancient Israel was a person without rights and opportunities. But it was her God used and there are those God uses to this day, those who are willing to surrender to the Lord 110% and have hjertenød and heart needs.

We read about some of the same Judge in the book when the church was down and the spiritual condition was poor as it is in Norway today where all too many believers have come into a sleeping beauty sleep as they have been pampered and dalet into which

Dom. 21. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his eyes.

This word is also rendered in Ruth's book, and here there are many lessons to bring to bring the church back to God and revival from God!

But think how similar it is what it is today, everyone makes their own faith and this is exactly what is happening today in Norway. Think, the Norwegian state church is homosexual widely recognized and among the Free Church, it is widely accepted to be married for whatever reason. This is the same as we read about how the relationship of Israel was when attrition was at its worst and ugliest "every man did what was right in his eyes."

How did the revival back here? We can study the Book of Ruth here and get many suggestions, which we shall not do here. But who God used here? Again? There were some women who had suffered defeat and who were strong and God had led, in spite of everything that went against it.

Rom. 8. 28 And we know that all things God works them for good that love God, to them, as though his advice is called.

It is those people who do not expect themselves, not expect others. Do not look at themselves, do not look at others, but look at Jesus and goes his way, always has always brought the congregation to come and that means that God's work progresses. How was it before and so it is today, nothing has changed at this spiritual site. To read and to study church history is to read about people who went, worked and served God in the wind, we can never expect anything today either. Church of God was born in a storm, so it goes well forward. Would it be a tailwind, so be on guard more than ever, it is as Satan did when Christianity was accepted at the 300-century Emperor Constantine.

Christianity by Emperor Constantine led to a falling away from the right doctrine, and all that the early believers had actually stood for and taught, self-belief in the one true God was replaced with a belief in a triad God as the pagan religion had been responsible for , this is just to read the story and find out that what I write is true, no more difficult than that.

This is from the internet: the Council of Nicaea had great significance to the Nicene Creed as we know in today's Christianity. We want to look into the background of the creed and the Christianization of the Roman Empire. One of the major questions in the history of Christianity has been to find out who Jesus really was. This question created especially great discussion throughout the early Church, of which 300-number was strongly represented. "This discussion called The Christological controversy." (Grande, 2005:35). The word Christology means learning about Christ. The reason that this flared up in debates particularly on 300-number was likely that Christology was a sharp controversy with Judaism, but also Gnosticism which flared up again in the 200-number. Grande claims that the Jews believed God was one. It was with this statement is not talked about that God had a son. Gnostics believed that the material was bad. God be with this does not manifest itself as body. Furthermore, it is said that "the body of Christ was an illusion, and only the soul was taken up to God. The body was left on the cross. It would say that Christ was not a man, only God. "(Grande, 2005:36). Christians wanted to retain monotheism, but they would reveal that Jesus was God's son. What would they have to do to get this up, yet prove that Christianity was monotheistic? An answer Grande comes with is that the church fathers used the philosophy taken from the Greeks and Romans, where they compared the relationship between Jesus and God with the image of the sun and the sunlight, where the sun was God, and the sunlight Christ.

Emperor Diocletian conducted under its imperial rule (284-305) political restructuring to bring peace back to the kingdom. But on the other hand for more power struggles and rivalries between the emperors as the scheme was not prolonged. Constantine was intended to take over the western empire after his father and see the Emperor, and he wanted to rule the entire Roman Empire. In the year 312 he was enekeiser in the western part of the Roman Empire after defeating Maxentius, the second emperor of the West. He converted to Christianity because he believed he had received a divine call to be emperor. Constantinople and the Emperor in the West, Licinius, agreed to divide the kingdom, and they issued a joint edict in 313 which was to equate all religions. The church now had official recognition and freedom of assembly. Christian priests were tax exemption and bishops were recognized as civil court judges, in addition, the Sunday official Roman holiday. The two emperors reigned for the next ten years, but Constantine medkeiser disliked the changes Constantine did. In the year 324 broke out a battle between two armies emperors. This led to Constantine became sole ruler of the Roman Empire after a crushing victory.

"As early as had been shown a profound contradiction in thinking and understanding of Christianity between the eastern and the western part of the church." (AST, 1996:64). From ancient times the church had a doctrine which was known among the public: "God made man for our salvation." (AST, 1996:64). This statement created the conflict by a large degree. The Christological controversy was triggered initially as a local conflict, but it became so extensive that it was summoned to the Council common to both churches in the east and west.

"The conflict arose between the bishop Alexander of Alexandria and one of the most popular priests of his, Arius, and the battle was on the interpretation of the prologue of John's Gospel:" In the beginning was the Word [Greek Logos]. Word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, without him nothing was made that is [...] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us "(John 1:1-3,14).." (Meistad, 2000:61). Both theologians agreed preeksistens Christ, that is, that as the Logos was present with God before the incarnation as a human being. There was disagreement point of view, however, was that Alexander claimed that Christ as God's son had always been with God, while Arius stated, Christ was the first creature and not God in that sense.
According to Grande (2005) gathered 250 bishops at Nicaea in the year 325 "Many of them bore marks on the body eats torture and dismemberment. There were men who had fought for the church's faith with their lives at stake. Now it was the emperor's guests, with free travel and free stay. "(AST, 1996:65). The meeting was convened by Emperor Constantine the Great who led and participated in the meeting's proceedings. According to Asta was presented an ancient creed that Christ's divinity was clearly stated, namely to the interpretation that we mention in John's Gospel. At the meeting it should be the party of Athanasius, and where the bishops were urged to condemn Arius' teaching, nor take part in the change of the Nicene Creed. Arianism was formed as a Christology across what Alexander's Christology. Arius was a priest in the city of Alexandria. He claimed that "Jesus was the Logos (World Wisdom), but of a different nature than the Father." (Grande, 2005:36). If a form a focused composure of the Arius believed, it was precisely that Christ was created. Christ was not from eternity. Arius' teachings were mainly on the claim or to have faith that there is an infinite difference between God and man. This was a strict form of monotheism. The bishops who met at Nicaea was opposed to this belief, arguing instead that: "[...] Jesus both represented God and was God." (Grande, 2005:37). When the Aryans believed that Jesus was subordinate to God, were not Aryans until the divinity of Jesus, claiming the church. To reject church teachings.

The reason why it held such a meeting in Nicaea in the year 324 was mainly to familiarize the conflict had political significance. This is when the emperor could dictate the decisions taken theologically. When the Roman Empire was dependent on the theological unity, called the Emperor Constantine into this synod.
But what was by and large decided at the meeting? Yes, in Nicaea, it was decided (cf. Grande 2005:37):

Jesus is true God
Born, but not created
By the same essence as God
The basis for this dogma of the Trinity was formed by resorting to paradox, as Grande says. Formulations which initially did not seem reasonable, was embraced as more realistic. By changing the creed so that it expressly concluded that "[...] Christ of being one with the Father" (AST, 1996:65), would prevent Konstanin Arianism entry into the church. The nicenske creed was adopted as "dåpsbekjennelse for the whole of Christendom, and for the first time the existence of a common religious dogma." (AST, 1996:65). It should be noted that bishops from East and West came to a kind of understanding of each duck under the Council of Nicaea, but Meistad expresses, however, that "this happened, however, the emperor's military pressure and sometimes direct involvement in the design of the text." (Meistad, 2000:62).

Constantine moved to the city of Byzantium in the year 330 and hence the new name of Constantinople. This town was Christendom's most important city for over 1000 years after this (Sødal 2004:30-31). He also moved the entire national administration here and the city became the state's new capital. Although Constantine is seen as a Christian, it was only when he was dying that he was baptized. He spent at least Christianity as a tool to create unity in the kingdom, and Constantine as the importance of shared religion among the people. After his death, continued his followers on this track with one exception. Nephew, Julian, was negative to Christianity and took away from other church privileges it had received. But as Julian's reign was short and his followers again took up the favorable policy religion for Christianity, it was difficult for non-Christian religions. In the year 391 issued Emperor Theodosius' edict that forbade the worship of pagan gods. Through several generations was Christianity has become the only permitted religion in the Roman Empire. (Hägg 2004:84).

The text was changed in John's gospel is now called the Nicene Creed, but it's really changed anything in relation to the year 325, and Meistad claim that it either should have had the name of the Nicene-konstantinopelske confession when it was designed second time before the year 381 The Norwegian Church has in recent years adopted this, especially at festivals. Meistad adds that "the ecumenical level, the particular importance because it is accepted in both the west and east, while the apostolic confession is only accepted in the west, ie in the Catholic and Protestant churches." (End of quote).

We read here how the flesh and spirit are against each other, "Alexander argued that Christ as God's son had always been with God, while Arius stated, Christ was the first creature and not God in that sense."

This Arius was a real leader and a great believer who stood on God's word. It's pretty obvious from scripture that Jesus has a beginning as opposed to the Father who is without a beginning. The fact that Arius was defeated was a real tragedy for the church in 1700 years but the true preaching of winning re-entry and the gospel goes from strength to strength!

Rain never with a person, not yourself again. Do not put any man in the center, not even yourself. But suppose God the Father and Christ in the center of your life and in your testimony, then you are in safe evangelical cause, wonderful!

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye shall proclaim His wondrous wonders, He who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

Related link: http://www.twft.com/?page=c2000