About A n Upper Room Bible Institute
(Jeremiah 1:11-12) The word of YHWH came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” Then YHWH said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it. (Jer 1:11-12)
An Upper Room Bible Institute is partnering with ETA (Evangelical Training Association www.etaworld.org), located in Wheaton Illinois who, itself, partners with many Bible Institutes, Colleges and Universities across America.
Our key purpose is found in the words of the Apostle Paul. “Be diligent to present yourself approved by God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of Truth” II Timothy 2:15 NASB
The equipping of Believers for the making of disciples, Matthew 28:19, In a classroom setting has the advantage of in depth Bible studies and discussions that in most instances cannot be met in regular church services.
Therefore: This Bible institute exists for the purpose of:
- Helping the believer in establishing a solid foundation of sound Bible doctrine.
- To help the believer develop a deep personal love for God and His Word
-To develope the necessary tools and skills for teaching His building blocks of truth for application in His church, in the home, and on the mission field.
For He Says, “...apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5)
FROM THE DIRECTOR
JANUARY 4, 2025
In studying the New Testament, as well as Church History over the last 30 plus years, it continues to interest me that the visible professing church so easily drifts into apostasy. That is, how easily it departs from the doctrines of Christ and the Apostles (the faith) which were once for all delivered to His elect. Jude 1:3; 2 Peter 2:21; Isaiah 40:8
Isaiah 55:8, 59:21: Matthew 9:17, 24:35; Luke 16:17.
Surely Paul speaks to the issue in his letter to the Galatians when he asks them who had bewitched them that they should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified... Galatians 3:1.
Paul continues, Let me ask you this one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Verse 2. (Nicodemus in John 3)
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh? Verse 3.
Christs message to the Laodicean church, Revelation 3:14-19 is a pretty clear condemnation of the visible professing church functioning in the power of the flesh just before His return.
The believer in the "way" who stays awake, stays alert, watching and guarding his faith is one who knows that the Scriptures of the Book of God, the Bible, are breathed out by God and profitable for TEACHING (INSTRUCTION), FOR REPROOF (REFUTING ERROR), FOR CORRECTION AND FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS 2 Timothy 3 16
Study to show yourself approved before God... accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Failure to pursue God and His righteousness leaves one wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Revelation 3:14-19
TODAY, gives us the blessed opportunity to pursue Christ in the integrity of a heart set on knowing Him through a committed pursuit of handling accurately His Word.
May 2025 prove an exceptional year in your sojourn, pilgrimage toward His soon return.
BLESSINGS!
JANUARY 3. 2025
The last message Christ gave to the church came in the form of seven letters to seven churches in what is now known as the country of Turkey which was formerly known as Asia Minor. These seven letters are primarily a command of Christ to those who professed a relationship with Him to examine themselves and repent. The details are thus given as He is seen in chapter one of Revelation verse 13 in His resurrected glory in the midst of the seven churches judging each according to its character.
He is the one who is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.
What is interesting about His command to repent is that at the close of each letter which is addressed to churches as opposed to individuals, is the statement "He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will..."
Although these churches have long ago ceased to exist the specifics of repentance and the call to those who have an ear to hear the Spirit make this a message applicable and relevant for groups who profess to be Christian Churches today, as well as for individuals who profess to be Christians.
It is noteworthy to recognize that the word "Christian" is never used in this passage or even in the entire book itself. Those who are
specifically called out are those who have an EAR.
This means that there are those who do not hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and these are in the churches right alongside of those who do have ears to discern the Spirit.
The Institute has just completed a three-part series on the Book of Revelation where we have been starkly reminded that when the LAMB begins to break the seals on His title deed to the earth there are 7 years of great tribulation where all people will be forced to worship the anti-christ and the image of the Beast and to receive his mark or suffer unimaginable terror.
Worshipping and following Christ in those days will cost
one his/her life.
This 7-year period is known as the "time of Jacobs distress" when Christ, the "I AM" of the Old Covenant will bring regathered Israel into the New Covenant.
At the conclusion of this 7-year tribulation
(Revelation chapters 4-20)
Christ will return in His glory and inaugurate His Kingdom in Jerusalem where He will rule His surviving follower's and nations for a thousand years.
Blessed are they who have ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches
JUNE 2024
"No doctrine is more despised by the natural mind than the truth that God is absolutely sovereign. Human pride loathes the suggestion that God orders everything, controls everything, rules over everything. The carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees. Most of all, the flesh hates the notion that salvation is entirely God’s work. If God chose who would be saved, and if His choice was settled before the foundation of the world, then believers deserve no credit for their salvation.
But that is, after all, precisely what Scripture teaches. Even faith is God’s gracious gift to His elect.
Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65). “Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). Therefore no one who is saved has anything to boast about (cf Ephesians 2:8–9). “Salvation is from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9)."
QUOTED FROM "THE MASTERS UNIVERSITY " web site under the search phrase 'The Absolute Sovereignty of God"
https://www.masters.edu/thinking_blog/gods-absolute-sovereignty/
Many, many pastors and teachers in Western Christianity reject the vital Biblical Doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of God because it is an overriding fundamental truth that defines the limits of the teaching that man exercises his free will in choosing to be saved from the wrath of God poised to be poured out upon our sin.
To think or teach that man's free will overrides or takes precedence over God's absolute sovereignty serves one purpose and one purpose only, the glory of the flesh.
The problem with glorifying the flesh is that it deceives one into thinking that he has a boast for himself before God.
The glorifying of the will of man in this way is the same seed planted by the evil one at the beginning in the garden and has been the root of man's pride before God throughout redemptive history. The result is clearly visible concerning the free will ideology; Its end result is seen in the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3. Building one's faith on the shifting sand of the free will doctrine only serves the flesh and it builds a faith whose foundation will not be sufficient to stand firm in the day it is severely tested.
When any church doctrine glorifies man even in the minutest degree it steals glory from God. That doctrine is not from God for it is God who works from within the dead soul to will and to do His good pleasure. It is God who began a good work in the believer Philippians 1:6 and not only that but He has granted to us, for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him but to suffer for His sake verse 29 of that chapter.
Pastors who serve the interests of God over the pride of man's interests gladly ascribe to God the glory due His name and fear not the persecution from within the church that he knows may very well empty the church that man is building
We believers must learn the truth of who God is and let the living Word of God transform the soul.
MAY 2024
It is not always pleasant and comforting to read some of the truths found in God's Word, and because of this, most readers of Biblical Scripture read His Word from the human perspective. Holding at heart the interests of man rather than the interests of God Matthew 16:23. The tragedy of such an approach to Scripture is to be seen by Christ as Satanic.
God describes His word as living and active and sharper than any two edged sword (dagger) and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are uncovered and naked to the eyes of Him to whom we have an account to give. Hebrews 4:12.
As the Church moves closer and closer to the great apostasy of the last days it is becoming quite clear that pastor's and church elders, with their primary interests set on man and self, that great effort is being made to make His Word acceptable to everyone. To make it less offensive and more palatable and user friendly.
The real danger when pastors engage in this type of cowardness, or ignorance is that true believers are never taught who the God we are dealing with actually is. When pastors and teachers refuse to disclose the full council of God Acts 20:27 which includes the sharp edge of God's sword that pierces, then repentance gives way to human merit in one's understanding of the true nature of his salvation which is then distorted and unprofitable. This amounts to a slow, subtle, deceptive fall into apostasy. A departure from the once for all delivered to the saint's faith.
Galatians 3:1-3
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (NASB)
The unadulterated word of God teaches truth. It teaches us who we really are, and it teaches us who God really is.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NASB)
be careful what you hear and listen to...
Blessings
MARANATHA!
January 8, 2024.
In our world of constant distraction and business of daily activities, not much time is given to spiritual issues as they relate to future coming events as decreed by our Creator. The quality of our relationships is only as good as the nature and character of our input. So also is ones relationship with Christ. The general assumption seems to be that all of our loved ones go to heaven so what is there to worry about. They will go to heaven because they are loved and the terrible thought that they might not go to that place of perfect peace and joy and comfort is such a terrible thought that it remains buried in the deep recesses of the mind and thus ones relationship with the Creator remains neglected and for the most part ignored.
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (NASB)
We live 20, 50 70 90 years? What is that compared to eternity where time never ends only then to realize that they wasted their only opportunity on frivolous pursuits
One quality of integrity for any Bible Institute is to teach truth. It is the responsibility of the disciple to pursue truth for the purpose of establishing a quality relationship with Christ the living truth. The Word of God.
John 1, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and The Word was God.. verse 14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
It became evident through the Word of God that the Word made flesh is indeed the way the truth and the life and that no man comes to the Father except through Him John 14:6.
The Bible commands seek God while He may be found:
Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 (NASB)
This Bible Institute does not exist for the purpose of telling its students what to believe but simply to pass on Biblical truth so that the student is encouraged to pursue his / her own quality of relationship with that truth, the person of Christ Jesus.
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October 17, 2023 Today we begin our institute class on the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. For the attentive student of Biblical Scripture, it is no secret that the Millennial Kingdom is the fulfillment Of Gods promises made in the Davidic Covenant concerning Israel which actually has its roots back in Genesis. It is further developed progressively through The Noahic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant the Mosaic Covenant, the Palestinian Covenant, the Davidic Covenant and finds its fulfillment in the New Covenant promise to Israel. This brings Israel to the realization that Jesus (Yahweh) the I AM of the Old Testament is their Messiah. Ezekiel 36:23-37; 37:26-28; and Romans 9-11.
What we see in Israel today will continue until the false prince who is to come brings a period of false peace to Israel, Daniel 7, 12. This takes place about the time of the end of the times of the Gentiles, the end of the New Testament Church age, and the onset of the time of Jacobs destress. The latter begins the last week of years of Daniels prophecy of the 70 weeks commonly known as the Tribulation in Revelation 6-20
In that these days are in view across the entire Biblical spectrum it is our hope, here at the Institute, that these studies help Christ's body eagerly anticipate His return. To be with those who know Him and met with Him in the air before He begins to open the 7 seals of Revelation.
The New Testament promise to those who have followed Christ through the new birth of John 3 eagerly await Christs appearing. Hebrews 9:28
MARANATHA!
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September 5, 2023 With the great amount of emphasis that the Holy Spirit puts on eschatology in His Word the Bible, one can readily see the importance and impact the study of coming events has on how well we understand acceptable worship of the infinite triune God of our salvation.
September 15th of this year marks the new moon and the celebration of the Old Testament feast of Trumpets commonly called the Feast of ingathering. The fall grain harvest of wheat. This celebration points to the return of Christ for His bride, the New Testament Church believers who are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:10, through the new birth of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, John 3. This feast is followed by the feast of atonement of Israel, Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, September 25th, is followed by the celebration of Booths, September 30th through October 7th. These Old Testaments feasts picture Gods prophetic calendar not of days but of events that make clear not only past historical events relative to His coming kingdom but the events immediately preceding His return at the end of this age known to students of the Bible as the "end of the times of the Gentiles" Luke 21:24.Acceptable worship of God that is, worship that He accepts is based on spirit and truth. His truth, the Biblical word that transforms the souls of those of the second birth as taught in the Old Testament Prophets as the "new covenant"
This and much much more will be revisited in the upcoming class "THY KINGDOM COME" Registration for this class is open until September 30th To register contact the Institute at anupperroombibleinstitute@gmail.com or by email to beckybrent@yahoo.com or by clicking on the button below to contact the Institute
SUMMER 2023 Well here it is June 27, 2023 already and the second session of John's Gospel chapters 12-21 begins with tonights class. It has been a much needed time of study and review. The deity of Christ Jesus the living word is an excellent pre-study to the follow-up class on the coming Kingdom of Christ which follows the great tribulation or rather the "time of Jacobs distress". All things are progressing as the Apostles and Prophets have warned, the great apostasy of the Church where the traditions made by men are replacing the clear commandments of God. Where Israel as a nation is regathered back into the land God has designated as a place for His Name to dwell among the saved remnant of His chosen people Israel as promised to the fathers in days long before. And surly the increase in knowledge as we see the advance of what many call "artificial intelligence" along with the global interconnection of political and religious people of influence.we, the redeemed, can be encouraged by the words of the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:3-6
FALL 2022It is easily discernable over the last few decades in the light of Biblical Scripture that the "Western Christian Church" is bent on following the pattern of Old Testament Israel where the indictment came down through the writer of the Book of Judges (Judges 17:6, 21:25) "IN those days there was no king in Israel: everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15), 28:26; Jeremiah 13:10). All this in the midst of God's judgements upon the Nation for its rebellion and disobedience against God. Israel survived entirely by the grace and purpose of God and ultimately at the "time of Jacobs trouble" the chosen remnant of Israel will be saved, and Christ will inaugurate His Millennial Kingdom Romans 9, 10, 11; 9:27, 11:26; Revelation 19 - 20.
What we see in the church today is similar to Israels pattern of behavior as the church patterns itself after the world and its pragmatism and narcissism behaving as though it is men who build Christ's Church when in fact what is taking place, is men doing what seems right in their own eyes as evidenced in the many different religious systems and churches in which each claim to be the "true" church. Christ made it clear that He would build His Church Matthew 16:18.The only commands concerning church given by Christ for men is to spread the Gospel He proclaimed and to make disciples teaching them to obey all things He commanded. He will do the building. The inventions, visions and dreams of man after the end of the Apostles have no effect on God's purpose and program of redemption whatsoever. He declared clearly that He is coming back to set up His kingdom and only the redeemed enter it..
What lies before those of us who seek Him with a clean heart, He has made whole and pure will find ourselves prepared and eager to see Him when He returns. This is only possible for a person when God gives him ears to hear what He has proclaimed.
AURBI exists, by his grace, for the purpose of reviewing what He has declared and seeks to encourage the redeemed to eagerly anticipate His return Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 9:28MARANATHA!
FALL 2020
Why this Bible Institute?
The Bible is The Word of God to His People. The question then is, who are His People?
Only the spiritual regenerate, born from above (John chapter 1 and 3 ) are His people by covenant relationship through faith in His grace. Because of Adam's sin, spiritual and physical death were the result of Gods curse on all mankind and creation. It is quite evident that Western Christianity has made the Salvation from the curse on our sin subjective, (MEism and SELFism) rather than an objective focus on God and His HOLY nature. It is the goal therefore of this institute to bring focus on Him through a program based on a Biblical examination of Salvation that redeems some from His wrath upon unrepentant sin of the sinner.
This regeneration is a new birth of spirit of the spiritually dead sinner that leads to the Right God that produces Right Worship that God Accepts .
2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; Examine yourselves!... -unless indeed you fail the test.
The Biblical Scripture calls on all men everywhere to "REPENT" and only then it comes as a gift from Him when men call upon Him in earnest
It is our desire to serve the body of Christ in equipping Christ's followers to obey all things He has commanded ! Be Holy, for I AM Holy 1 Peter 1:16