Be a hundred generations from now or quite possibly tomorrow today is what matters how are we living ? As a child of God in Christ ? Lovong others ? Or are we living like those who don’t accept Christ ? Those who love for only themselves ? Are we a blessing to people in his name ? Or a curse to people ? Do we do good each today ? Or do we indulge and waste each today and promise to change tomorrow ?
I really do not look on you as a person in the human race but rather as a brother in Christ, spiritually. So I will share a tid-bit with you for your consideration. Please think it over very carefully because as the saying goes "haste makes waste".
We discussed a topic sometime ago and I believe that you might have insinuated that in John 17 Jesus said he lost none except the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot). Therefore you believed that the other 11 disciples were saved.
Now I could be wrong in my recollection of what you said and if I am wrong, I will apologize now.
Now Matthew 28:18-20 says this: (This was after Jesus's resurrection, his very last statements in the book of Matthew)
Mat 28:16 Then the
eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Mat 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him:
but some doubted.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The point I am making here is that after traveling with Jesus for 3 years and learning all that he taught and seeing him crucified and come back to life, some of the 11 disciples doubted in Jesus.
The bible does not randomly throw insignificant bits and pieces together for our admonition and learning but every word is significant and for our admonition. (Never assume anything especially as we saw John in John 21:23 scolding the words of Peter when he assumed and said things that Jesus did not say.)
Jesus gave this commission to his 11 disciples.
Now going back to Matthew 10:4-5
Jesus gave this commission to his 11 disciples.
Jesus singled out Judas Iscariot (his betrayer) as one of the 12 disciples whom he sent out to the lost sheep of Israel. (Of course he singled him out not to the other disciples or anyone else but to those who would read the bible 2000 years later)
These 12 disciples were to preach saying the kingdom of heaven was at hand.
But most importantly they all were to do these things.
Heal the sick.
Cleanse the lepers.
Raise the dead.
Cast out devils.
The main point I am making here is that Judas Iscariot did all these powerful things as Jesus filled him with his Holy Ghost with power to do them.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him, even though the other disciples did not know, because God the Father, gave him knowledge of exactly what he would have to go through.
The bible says that God's ways are past finding out.
And also my ways are not your ways and your ways are not my ways.
Paul later on said that God was in Jesus reconciling the world unto himself.
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore we know that Jesus was ahead of the game as God told him exactly everything that was going to happen to him. And that was why he could read the minds of people around him and prepare for all things that were about to happen to him. (It was God in him that did these things and it was God in the disciples that did greater things than Jesus did, as Jesus told them that they would do.
John_14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
I am only saying these things because I want to emphasize that human reasoning is opposite to God's reasoning and often wrong.
Lastly I have to be truthful and say that I do not share the same views that you do but that is OK and in fact that is the way that God intended it to be. We are different in the sight of God and thus we have our own baggage that comes with our own journey.
I really don't have anything else that I have to or want to say.