Category: Danby House

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The Bottom Left Corner

Danby House

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

( Philippians 1:6 )

Writing sermons can be an odd process.

I have been trying to remember a passage that I heard or read which I thought was saying that God has the power to keep or maintain us until we have completed the work that he called us to do.

I think I remember a pastor preaching something along those lines years ago.

I’ve tried to look for the passage using the concordance, but I can’t remember the words exactly so the searches that I have done didn’t produce anything that I recognized as what i thought I was looking for.

Thankfully I have been keeping up with my daily Bible reading.

In fact, today I just got to the end of the Bible and I will be starting it again for the 15th time.

Recently I read what i thought was the passage that I was looking for. Conceptually it matched the idea that I thought I remembered. I made a mental note of what book, chapter and verse it was. Then I forgot the mental note.

What I remembered was where it was on the page: the bottom left corner.

Today I decided to find it and worked my way back from the end of the Bible looking at all of the bottom left corners.

I found three passages which work with the idea I am trying to confirm whether or not it is really a thing.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:


Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

( 1 Peter 1:7-9 )

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

( 2 Timothy 1:12 )

And how about this for a twist: this sermon was an issue that I had been pondering for a while, so much so that I began a diligent search for the passage in it. Another one dropped in my lap in an intriguing sermon from BEZA International Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the very place where I received my call to write Matty’s Paradigm.

THE FELLOWSHIP AND THE FINISHING

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

( 1 Thessalonians 5:24 )

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Speaking to the Air

Danby House

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

( 1 Corinthians 14:9 )

A brief review of the highlights of 1 Corinthians, once the hard part is over and things start to settle down.

9

Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

( 1 Corinthians 9:7 )

I could have gotten by without working, but I didn’t.

10

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

( 1 Corinthians 10:31 )

The Bible is a warning to us if we pay attention.

11

Holy Communion

12

Many members, one body

13

Charity = selfless giving

ἀγάπην – love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.

14

Orderly worship

15

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

( 1 Corinthians 15:10 )

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

( 1 Corinthians 15:52 )

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That Good Part

Danby House

Luke 10:38-42

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Can I really stop worrying about worldly things by wholeheartedly following the Lord?

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

( Matthew 6:33 )

Is this a license to abdicate all responsibility?

Perhaps it’s reminding us to be diligent in our responsibilities while not worrying?

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

( Proverbs 10:4 )


The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

( Proverbs 12:24 )

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

( 2 Peter 3:14 )

Whether it is work or seeking the kingdom of God we have to put the effort in.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

( 2 Timothy 2:15 )

Let’s work at not worrying.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

( Hebrews 4:11 )

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

( 2 Peter 1:10-11 )

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My Holy Body Temple

Danby House

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

( John 2:19-21 )

Jesus said something very interesting. He referred to his body as a temple. At the time no one understood what he was talking about.

We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

( Mark 14:58 )

It was one of the accusations brought against him after his arrest.

Paul is the one who goes on to develop the idea that our bodies are Holy Temples. There 3 aspects to it.

1. The Temple of Our Works

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

( 1 Corinthians 3:16-18 )

The context of this passage is the warning Paul gives about being judged for the works we do as Christians. Is our work going to last like gold, silver and precious stones? Or is it going to be burned up like wood, hay and stubble?

2. The Temple of Our Purity

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

( 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 )

Our bodies have not been given to us so that we can enjoy carnal pleasure. In this passage we are told that are bodies are holy temples of God’s Spirit and they do not belong to us. We should not engage in fornication.

3. The Temple of Our Separation

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

( 2 Corinthians 6:16 )

Our temple is not supposed to be used to become part of the world around us. This is a well known passage about separation. We are to use our bodies to remain separate from the worldliness that we see around us.

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What Purpose?

Danby House

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

What kind of purpose are we talkimg about?

  1. God’s purpose for our lives?
  2. God’s purpose for making creation?

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

( 2 Timothy 1:8-9 )

Are they the same thing?

When was the purpose decided on?

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

( Ephesians 1:4 )

Whatever the purpose is, or for whom, it was estanlished before the foundation of the world.

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

( Titus 1:2 )

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Preaching to the Poor

Danby House

And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

( Matthew 11:1-6 )

How do we know that Jesus is real?

Danby House.

Why am I here? Why is it important to me? What could I possibly gain from it?

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

( James 1:27 )

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

( Luke 4:18 )

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

( Isaiah 61:1 )

עֲנָוִ֗ים – anavim

poor, afflicted, humble, meek

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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.

( Matthew 28:19-20 )

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

( John 6:27 )

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

( Proverbs 23:4 )

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

( Matthew 25:21 )

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The Belly of Hell

Danby House

Jonah 2:1-10

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

( Matthew 12:38-40 )

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

( Matthew 16:1-4 )

And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

( Luke 11:29-32 )

What are the signs?

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

( Matthew 24:5-8 )

2 Timothy 3

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With Me in Paradise

Danby House

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

( Luke 23:43 )

Mary asked this question after church Sunday night:

What happens in between dying on the earth and receiving our incorruptible body at the time of the rapture?

Our pastor does not believe in soul sleep based on the passage about what Jesus said to the dying thief. According to Jesus then the day that we die we will be with him in paradise. So how do we understand other NT teaching about Christians falling asleep (dying)?

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

( 1 Corinthians 11:30 )

And what about the passage that says that the dead in Christ shall rise at the rapture?

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 Thessalonians 4:13-18 )

So do we sleep or do we see Jesus on the day we die? And what happens to the body?

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 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, 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. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

( 1 Corinthians 15:50-57 )

We need to be sure that we understand the timing of this before we see what the answer is.

The rapture is before a time called the Tribulation. This is when the plagues of the the Book of Revelation come upon the earth. At the end of the Tribulation the Lord will return from heaven and wage war on his enemies, we will see the battle of Armageddon, and then he will establish the Millennial Kingdom.

The beginning of the Millennial Kingdom is when the first resurrection takes place. This includes us if we die before that and all the Christians who are asleep in the earth.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

( Revelation 20:4-6 )

Those of us who were raptured out of the world before the tribulation will receive our incorruptible bodies and we will live on the earth with Christ for 1,000 years. This is not heaven. Heaven comes later.

But what happens in between dying on the earth and receiving our incorruptible body at the time of the Millennial Kingdom?

This was Mary’s original question. I think I have an answer.

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

( Revelation 6:9-11 )

Our souls will be in heaven, we will have white robes to wear because we don’t have our resurrection body yet. Here again we have souls in white robes before the throne of God in heaven:

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

( Revelation 7:11 )

When we die our bodies will go into the ground. Our soul and spirit will go the heaven and be clothed with a white robe and we will serve the Lord with praise. At the end of the tribulation we will receive incorruptible bodies and return to the earth for the Millennial Kingdom.

When the Millennium ends will be when the earth and heavens dissappear like smoke and a new heaven and new earth will come down to us from heaven, there we will live for eternity.

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Hiding Our Eyes

Danby House

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

( Proverbs 28:27 )

We had a question in Sunday School about giving, specifically to pan handlers and beggars and people who “don’t deserve it.” These situations can be tricky but the best guidance is always to know what the scripture says.


Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

( 2 Corinthians 9:7 )

We give because we want to be blessed, not because we want to give a blessing:

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

( Acts 20:35 )

What are we here for anyway, as ambassadors of Christ?

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

( Isaiah 58:7 )

Giving is good for us. Just as withholding is bad for us.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

( Deuteronomy 15:7-11 )

Harden thine heart? What happens if I harden my heart against the poor, over and over again?

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

( Matthew 24:12 )

If you don’t want to give, don’t give, but don’t be afraid to give.

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

( Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 )