WordsOfLight TheBible

Who are the Wicked? and Who are the Righteous?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:59:00 +0000

Are there any righteous people? - Man justifies himself thinking I am not wicked, I am a decent, moral person, surely the good I have done in my life far outweighs whatever bad I have done. On the contrary, by God’s standard of righteousness even the most moral person is looked upon by God as desperate sinner on his way to Hell. God knows the secrets of the heart of man, where sin resides. The Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven. Our problem with God is not just “bad behavior, errors, and mistakes”. Because all men have broken God’s Laws in the Bible repeatedly, we are all sinners, and we are all guilty before God. Since Adam and Eve represented the human race, God’s curse of eternal death was transmitted to all of their descendants, as Rom 5:12 instructs. Furthermore, Psa 51:5 indicates that this happens at the moment of conception. Thus man is born physically alive, yet spiritually dead. Before salvation, there is none righteous, no not one. Neither Noah, nor Job, nor David, nor Moses, nor Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, nor anyone else in himself was righteous. We are all sinners. It is important to remember that sin has to be punished, and that man is completely accountable to God for his sin, since he was created in the image of God. As a just Ruler or Judge, God must punish sin, which the Bible defines as “transgression of the law” in 1 John 3:4. One of the chief characteristics of God is His perfect justice. This means that He is an altogether holy and righteous judge, as quoted in Acts 17:31: “... he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained;...”. The good news of the Gospel of the Bible is, he has provided a substitute as quoted in 2 Cor 5:21, “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us [the elect], who [Christ] knew no sin; that we [the elect] might be made the righteousness of God in him [Christ]”. Simply put, God is indisputably in control of life and death, Heaven and Hell, and is in control of this universe which he brought into existence by His Word.

Rom 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death [spiritual] passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…”

Psa 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Rom 3:10-12 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Can anyone get right with God by following the God’s law? - First of all God's Law is not just ten commandments but the whole Bible. 1 John 3:4 declares that sin is “…the transgression of the law…”, and the “Law” that is being disobeyed is God’s Word, the Bible. God’s Word says that our breaking of just one of God’s commandments means that we’ve broken the whole Law. In the eyes of God, one’s thoughts are identical to one’s actions, and are thus sufficient to incur His eternal wrath. Even our “good works” are considered wicked by God because they are tainted with our sin. What about the people without God's law? God has written law in every human being's conscience. We all know wrong from right. You do not have to teach your child to sin, to steal a cookie or to tell a lie. We know that it is wrong to murder or commit adultery. The fact remains that man cannot be righteous by anything he does on his own. The purpose of the Law of God, even to the people who never heard the law, since the law is written in everyone's heart, is to expose sin, so that we might be driven to see the need for the Savior and go back to God.

Jam 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

Matt 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Isa 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Rom 2:12 “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

Rom 2:14-15 “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

Rom 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Rom 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Gal 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Without Shedding of Blood is NO Remission of Sin - The Bible teaches much about forgiveness and how it is intimately associated with blood atonement. But why blood atonement? In Lev 17:11 we find this principle, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood”. In order for there to be spiritual life, a blood “atonement” for sin is mandatory. This explains why the Old Testament is replete with accounts of lambs, oxen, and turtledoves which were sacrificed on the altar in the temple – like in an animal “slaughter house” – on a daily basis. Heb 9:22 also declares, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [of sin]”. However, those sacrifices – which were only a “shadow”, or representation of Christ’s atonement – could never atone for sin in reality, as Heb 9:1-4 teaches. God used earthly visible things to teach heavenly, invisible spiritual truths. Sacrifices offered by the law are only a pattern of heavenly things and pointed to the perfect sacrifice “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world”. One can only be saved by the blood atonement of Christ.

Lev 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”

Heb 9:1-4 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Rev 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”

Can men be “made” righteous? if so, how? - Our own works of righteousness cannot save us, as we learn from Tit 3:5. Rom 10:3 also underscores this important fact, “For they [national Israel] being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”. That was the condition of the Apostle Paul until he was saved and freed from a life of spiritual bondage in trying to keep the law, according to Php 3:9. The robe of Christ’s righteousness [given in Salvation] is absolutely needed in order for one to escape from the inevitable broad road that leads to Hell. One can be made Righteous only “through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. Noah was “perfect” and “walked” with God because he was saved by grace. God looks upon a person whom He has saved as “walking uprightly” because his sins have been paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross; and God's Spirit works in the person and causes the person to walk uprightly as a result of his salvation.

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Gen 7:1 “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Rom 4:1-8 “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

Phil 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Do we then make void the law through faith? - We establish the Law, answers Rom 3:31. How so? Obedience is the distinctive hallmark of the child of God, as we read in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. God is essentially telling us in these verses in John 14:15 and John 15:10, “You must become saved in order to have a right relationship with Me”. This is comparable to Jesus’ words in John 3:7, “Ye must be born again [born from above]”. No one can fear and love God and keep His commandments until God saves him. The test or evidence of salvation is a desire to be obedient to the Word of God – the Bible. It is against this backdrop of salvation by the grace and will of God that we are exhorted to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”. A “doer of the Word” is one who has become saved. The Bible differentiates between the “carnally minded” and “spiritually minded”. To be “carnally minded” is not merely defining one’s physical existence, but is a statement of one’s spiritual condition, the nature of one who is unsaved and in the kingdom of Satan. On the other hand, to be “spiritually minded” refers to someone who has become saved by the will and Word of God and illustrates the nature of a true Christian – one who has become a citizen of God’s kingdom. Obviously, only a heart that has been made alive spiritually and infused with the Spirit of God will want to be obedient to the Word of God. So God must sprinkle the clean water of the True Gospel on him to cleanse him from his sins, give him a new heart, and put His Spirit within him, as we read in Eze 36:26-27.

Rom 8:7-8 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Rom 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

Rom 2:13 “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

When was the actual birth date of Jesus?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 04:47:00 +0000

Who was the first to celebrate Jesus birth? - Heaven itself, “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:13-14). And it says in verse 11 of Luke 2, the angel brought the “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. This good news is not just for the shepherds but “which shall be to all people”. Christ is the Gospel, the good news is the Gospel, and that is what we desperately need to hear. What did the shepherds do? did they keep quiet? “they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”. We are to declare to the world the good news that man now can have a right relationship with God. He has made it possible now for us to come from under His condemnation. Christ came into the world to share with mankind that there is a way of escape from hell itself. Christ came into the world — to bring the Gospel and to be the Gospel.

Luke 2:8-11 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:17 “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

Which year was Jesus born? - Historically the tradition of “Christmas”, commemorating the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, is fixed on December 25th, a pagan holiday, the time of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, when the day begins to become longer than the night. Roman calender made an error with the assumption that Jesus was born in year zero. In truth, the actual day is insignificant in the celebration of His birth, because we are not commanded to, nor are we commanded not to observe it. We can remember and celebrate the significance of Jesus' birth every day of the year. The year and date were not revealed in the Bible directly. But there is enough information in the Bible to come to the year of Jesus Birth, though we do not know with correct precision. Herod the Great, according to historical and secular evidence, reigned from 37–4 BC and died in 4 BC at the age of 70. So Jesus was definitely born before 4 B.C because Herod was still living in 4 B.C. The wise men found that a king would be born to be connected to the star through the prophesy of Balem in Num 24:17, and that Christ is going to come from the tribe of Judah, from Jacob's prophecy in Gen 49:10. And considering that two years passed after King Herod had inquired of the wise men (Matt 2:16), and before he had the Children of bethlehem killed, we can add at least another two years to the date (He obviously, was alive 2 years after he inquired of the wise men to make this proclamation). So it is clear Jesus must have been born 2 years before 4 BC, which would be sometime around or before 6 BC.

Matt 2:7 “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared”

Matt 2:16 “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,...”

Matt 2:19-20 “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.”

Day of Atonement significance - What was the historical or ceremonial feast day connected to the proclamation of liberty in Leviticus 25? It is the Jubilee. Jesus is the very essence of the Jubilee, who came to proclaim the liberty (Luke 4:18). Jesus might have been born on the Day of atonement in the month of Tisri (Lev. 25:9), which was the ushering in of the Jubilee year of 7 B.C., or the feast of tabernacles. According to the Jewish calender, 7 B.C is the jubilee year. This of course would also explain why Mary and Joseph found no room in the Inn, as Jerusalem and the neighboring communities would have no doubt been inundated with Jews who would have come from all over Israel to celebrate the Jubilee and feast days of the seventh month. It not only fits with circumstantial evidence of Herod and the timing of the star, but also fits perfectly with Biblical teaching of unfolding of God's plan. Remember all the feast days and ceremonial laws are the shadows that point to Christ. For example, Jesus was crucified on the ceremonial feast day of the Passover. When Jews were observing Passover, Jesus hung on the cross as a God's Passover Lamb. Jesus was announced as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist on the first day of seventh month of AD 29, which also is a special feast day, also identified with Jubilee. The Holy Spirit is poured out in AD 33, when Jews were observing the Pentecost.

Lev 25:9-10 “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 10And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”

Luke 4:17-19,21 “And there was delivered unto him [Lord Jesus] the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The 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, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

What date was Jesus born? - As far as the day Jesus was born, God has given us couple of clues. In connection with John's birth (6 months prior to our Lord's) and the Priestly office of Zecharias, there is also a great deal of evidence which would lead us to believe that the date is in October. First clue is in Luke 1:5, speaking of Zacharias, father of the John the Baptist, it is written that he is from course of Abia or in Hebrew called Abijah. We see in 1 Chronicles 24:10, in connection to the conduct of temple worship, King David established 24 courses. Eighth was the course of Abijah (1 Chr 24:10). Eighth is the end of 1/3 of all 24 courses, served over period of 12 months of the Biblical calender. That means, the priests are officiated in the temple in the 4 month after the first day of the year. Since we know, Jesus was born in 7 BC, the Priestly office of Zecharias was in a year before, that would be 8 BC. In 8 BC, the last day of the 4th month of the Biblical calender was in the first week of July, when he received angel visitation about the birth of John the Baptist and finished his course. So Elizabeth might have conceived in the month of July in 8 BC and John the Baptist might have been born in April the following year. The second clue is in Luke 1:36 “behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her”. So John the Baptist is about 51/2 months older than Jesus. So Jesus was born sometime between September and October. In the year 7 B.C., the day of Atonement is on October 2nd. Day of Atonement has everything to do with Jesus Birth. So we have every reason to believe that Lord Jesus Christ was born on October 2nd in 7 B.C.

Luke 1:5 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia [Abijah]: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”

Luke 1:31,36 “31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren”

Why does God Allow Man made Disasters?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:45:00 +0000

God's Compassions Fail NOT - Many people suffer because of the actions of others, whether it be at individual actions, or Government actions/laws or Nation's actions/laws. Be it genocide, mass starvation, disease, greed, or pollution, there are real consequences to sinful actions. Mankind has always been quick to blame others – even God – for his sins, failures, problems, sorrows, and frustrations. However, this blame is altogether misplaced, since the Bible clearly explains that our problems stem from us – from our own sins, pride, greed and lust. Pride is the root of all sin, and the one that God especially despises. Not only man, in his pride, is guilty of disobeying God's commands, but he is guilty of changing the commandments of God by putting himself over the authority of the Bible. Pro 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death”. We live in a universe of cause and effect that God has established by His Word. Not only is that true in a physical sense, its spiritual ramifications are devastating. The end result of sin, if left unchecked, leads to suffering, pain, death, and eventually complete destruction. The more the world isolates away from God and His Word, the more evil it will become and sin will multiply. There are two sides to sin, one we have to face the God's punishment for sin and the other we have to face the consequences of the sin. Everyone of us are equally guilty of sin before God, as Jesus reminds us in Luke 13:3. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed (Lam 3:22). There is a way to live that leads to long lasting peace and happiness. However, to achieve such results, like the city of Nineveh, we must collectively turn to the God of the Bible and repent of breaking His laws. God’s compassion is accentuated in providing His Son Jesus Christ as a propitiation for our sins. Christ endured the wrath of God for His people, by making payment for their sins by shedding His own blood and made provision to the eternal life.

Rom 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Luke 13:1-5 “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Lam 3:22-24 “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness”

Rom 3:23-25 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The God of All Comfort; Who Comforteth Us in ALL our Tribulation - The various evils affecting our planet today such as, murder, robbery, theft, kidnapping, rape, deceit, or any other sin, all have devastating effects not only on the ‘sinner’ but on society at large. God's Elect are also effected by the natural and man made disasters. God allows or disallows disasters according to his divine plan, and uses sinful intentions of men for the greater good of His Elect, as he works in their lives. The ultimate good God looks at is the eternal Glory He gives for His Children. In the process He draws them and molds them into likeness of Christ through various events and chastisements. For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. They remind us how fragile and temporal this life is and drive us to God. They help us to set our eyes on things above. God’s mercy manifests itself along with the comfort< that God alone abundantly supplies to His children, in turn they can comfort others, as 2 Cor 1:3-4 affirms. And the means of mercy and comfort is found in the Scriptures as we learn from Rom 15:4. So the believer in Christ can have the utmost confidence and comfort on his death bed or in a death of a loved one, that they would be with the Lord the moment they close their eyes, as Php 1:20-21, 2 Cor 5:6-8 and 1 Pet 1:3 acknowledges. Only when Christ returns will the new heavens and the new earth be established (Rev 21:1). In this new earth and in the new heavens, “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev 21:4).

2 Cor 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Rom 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Job 2:9-10 “Then said his [Job] wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Php 1:20-21 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

2 Cor 5:6-8 “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

1 Cor 15:16-22 “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

1 The 4:13-18 “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. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For 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. 16For 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: 17Then 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. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Rom 8:28 “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.”

1 Cor 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Why did God Reject Cain's Offering and Accept Abel's?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Without Faith It is Impossible to Please God - How can a human being please God? This has been the main preoccupation with all religions and codes of ethics since the Garden of Eden. God makes it very clear that apart from His salvation man can never please God as Heb 11:6 asserts: “ ...without faith it is impossible to please him”. Remember, the Scriptures state that man cannot save himself. God has to give him salvation (or faith) as a gift and fruit of the Spirit, as Eph 2:8-9 and Gal 5:22 declares. Only a born-again believer has been qualified to please God because after salvation, it is God who works in us “…both to will and to do of His good pleasure”, according to Php 2:13. So, we see that God is the One who is causing the “good works” in the Christian’s life, as Heb 13:21 teaches, “... working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ...”.

Heb 11:5-6 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Rom 8:5-10 “For they that are after the flesh [unsaved] do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [saved] the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Eph 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Heb 13:21 “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen”

I will have Mercy, and NOT Sacrifice - In this very important verse, Matt 9:13, God insists that salvation has to do with God’s mercy and not man’s works. The sacrifice that God is looking for is the sacrifice of Christ Himself. For this reason, we understand why the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). John the Baptist recognized this when he first saw Christ and announced in John 1:29, “...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. Christ is indeed “the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”, as Heb 12:24 tells us.

Hos 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge [knowing him as a savior] of God more than burnt offerings.”

Matt 9:13 “But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous [which trusted in themselves that they were righteous], but sinners [broken hearts] to repentance.”

Psa 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

God had Respect unto Abel and to his Offering - Both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord according to their occupation. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. We see that early on, right after the fall of man, man knew that they had to bring an offering to God because of their sin. In all probability, God had given them some direction in this, which he demonstrated dramatically, when we find God Himself shedding the blood of an animal, and then covering Adam and Eve with those bloody skins without saying anything to them about the futility of the fig leaves they were wearing. Those skins pictured the righteousness of Christ, which is the only adequate covering for any person’s sin. So they knew that their sinfulness and their rebellion against God required an atonement. We read that God had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and his offering He did not have respect. This was what brought about Cain’s anger and wrath, so that he became jealous of his brother Abel, to the point of murder. Why was it that Cain’s offering was not accepted, but Abel’s was? As far as the character of the offerings themselves, both are acceptable to God. But, “By faith” Abel brought his offering, the “firstlings of his flock” (Heb 11:4) reflecting his saved condition. He was not trusting in that offering itself – he did not think that the work of bringing the firstling of his flock and offering it up to God would justify him in God’s sight. He knew that there must be an acceptable sacrifice, a more excellent sacrifice – that speaketh better things than that of Abel and that God would be pleased with. God accepted the Abel's sacrifice because it was given by faith, counting on God's righteousness. He was looking to the day when the perfect sacrifice of Messiah, the Lamb of God, would atone for his sins and justify him before God. On the other hand, Cain brought his offering, and he thought that the very act of bringing the first fruit of the ground as offering unto God would justify him in the sight of God. Cain's sacrifice is rejected because it was offered in self-righteousness and NOT mixed with faith. He is counting on getting right with God using his own good works. The anger and hatred of Cain in murdering His brother Abel, not only highlights the pervasiveness of sin throughout this planet and the whole universe, but also reflects his unsaved condition and was underscored by his remark in Gen 4:9, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”. This sin – as is all sin – is connected to pride. To be our brother’s keeper is the essence of love. This is what is in view when the Bible speaks about loving “your neighbor as yourself”. Gal 5:14 affirms, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.

Gen 4:1-5 “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

Heb 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous [heir of the righteousness which is by faith – through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith], God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh [making a statement].”

1 John 3:11-12 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil [self-righteous counting on his own act of sacrifice] , and his brother's righteous [counting on God's righteousness and sacrifice of lamb of God, Jesus Christ].”

Woe unto them! for they have Gone in the Way of Cain - Jude 1:11 says “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core”. Man had greatly fallen from grace and from the glory of God! Yet God tells us that there are some who go in the way of Cain. “Woe unto them”, He says, “who go in the way of Cain”. When God speaks of “the way” in the Bible, it has to do with the Gospel that someone is following – “Gospel of Grace” or “Gospel of Works”. Natural (unsaved) man in his spiritually dead condition loves the “Gospel of Works” because the true Gospel of salvation by God’s sovereign, electing grace is repugnant to him. Man’s natural, sinful pride causes him to reject the notion that God is totally in charge of His Own creation and salvation program. An unsaved person cannot bring himself to acknowledge that salvation is totally God’s work for His glory, as is clearly described in Rom 9:13-16: “... I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy”. Satan and his demonic hosts have been relentlessly – but unsuccessfully – seeking to thwart God’s salvation plan for His elect by deceiving mankind about the true nature of God and essentials of the Gospel of Christ – sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). There are a plethora of counterfeit “gospels”, or belief systems, that claim to be based on the Bible but are distortions of the Truth. Obviously, a “gospel”, or doctrine, that is false is no gospel at all (Gal 1:6-9; 2 Cor 11:3-4). Satan deceived our first parents with “the lie” in the Garden of Eden, and they tried to “hide” from God (Gen 3:8). Ever since that time, people want to hide spiritually from God behind various false doctrines, or the imaginations of their own minds, that are more pleasing to contemplate than the True Gospel that speaks of God’s judgment of sin and His eternal wrath. They want to cover themselves with the “fig leaves” of their religious works (Gen 3:7; Isa 59:6) instead of the robe of Christ’s righteousness (as we read about in Isa 61:10). This is “the way of Cain” – Cain sought to become right in God’s sight through his own works, but his own works were evil. That is true of any man who would attempt to “work” their way into Heaven using a “form” of godliness – not genuine godliness, which is salvation. In other words, what is missing is the spiritual reality, or substance. A man can think that he is doing good works – he can give his money to the poor, he can carry the Gospel message,he can prophesy and declare the Word of God, and he can faithfully gather together with the people of God, yet if he in any way thinks that these things will justify him in the sight of God then this same statement holds true for him: “his own works are evil”. Everything that we do is tainted by sin: “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”, as Isa 64:6 says.

Jude 1:3-4 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jude 1:10-12 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally [natural or unsaved man cannot discern spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14)], as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water [water typifying pure Gospel], carried about of winds [carried about by every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14)]; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”

Matt 23:13,16,28,33-35 “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! [typifying unsaved and self-righteous] for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.... 16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, ... 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity... 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes [typifying the saved]: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.”

Woe unto them! for they have Gone in the Way of Balaam and Korah - In Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core”, God identifies three Old Testament figures to represent the false prophets or teachers, with those who profess the name of Christ yet who have never been born again. They always think that there is something that they can do, and they thereby pervert the Gospel of grace; they change it into a gospel of works. Balaam, as we read his historical account in the book of Numbers, is a person whose language might cause us to believe that he is a child of God. He sounds very faithful as he says, “... If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more” (Num 22:18). How faithful he sounds as he makes statements like that, yet as we consider everything that the Bible has to say about Balaam, we know that Balaam is likewise he is a false prophet (2 Pet 2:15) who brought about great trouble for the Israelites. Then finally we have Korah as God says, “They perished in the gainsaying of Core”. Korah was one of the chief men of Israel who rose up in rebellion against Moses and Aaron and against their spiritual rule over the congregation. He said, “Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them [which trusted in themselves that they were righteous], and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?” (Num 16:3). Each one is a false prophet, someone standing for and representing “another gospel”. The lying false-gospel teachers are “unproductive” with respect to the Gospel of Christ. In our day when apostasy abounds and false gospels are legion, we would do well to keep in mind the admonition of Gal 1:6-9.

2 Pet 2:1-2 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

2 Pet 2:12-18 “But these, as natural [natural or unsaved man cannot discern spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14)] brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 17These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. ”

Gal 1:6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed [or damned]. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed [or damned]. ”

Same Sex Marriages - Are we on the right track?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Male and Female Created He Them - God created man in his own image. No other creature that God made during the six days of creation is quite like man. The reason for this is because man has an eternal soul (unlike the animals), and he was made in the image of His Maker. Man was created perfectly by God – that is, he was endowed with mental, physical, and spiritual capabilities in order to serve God and enjoy fellowship with Him. God has given man the capacity to communicate, to reason, to work, to feel emotion, to nurture, to explore, to invent – to name just a few capabilities. In Gen 2:20, in connection with the creation of man, we see “... but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him” and in Gen2:18, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”. So God created Woman out of Man, from his bone, from his flesh, divinely designed them to form an intricate and intimate union with one another and God instituted marriage, as seen in Gen 2:21-24. God created Woman to be alongside Man as his “other half”, to be his aid, his helper, his companion and his life partner. In Gen 1:28 we learn that Adam and Eve were blessed by God to bear children and rule over the rest of God’s magnificent world. The biblical concept of marriage is a oneness between two individuals, husband and wife, that pictures the oneness of Christ with His Bride, the Church.

Gen 1:26-27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Gen 2:21-24 “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Mark 10:6-9 “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Gen 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Men with Men and Women with Women - Man was made to serve and obey God and man chose to rebel. Unfortunately, this idyllic situation in Garden of Eden was short-lived because they tragically failed a test that was set up by their Creator: “... God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. ... And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [pride of life], she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen 3:1-6). However, a tragic event unfolded that sent eternal shockwaves throughout the universe, infected every single human being in the process, and sentenced all (unless redeemed) to eternal death in Hell: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12). Man, who had been perfectly created in the image and likeness of God had rebelled against His Maker. Adam and Eve and all the rest of us are deceived by three factors, as 1 John 2:16 tells us – a very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that man is captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...”. Man’s innate sinfulness, pride and rebellion against God continued. Not only is he in complete rebellion against God and His Law, the Bible, throughout history man has attempted to create the Infinite, Eternal God “in man’s own image”, reducing God to man’s level, to something he can control – a portable, practical kind of a god – very much like a puppet of sorts. Though many today do not worship so-called “idols”, they are just as guilty for worshiping their own minds, or humanity, or education, or science, or fame or power, or money, or politics. Man is guilty of changing God’s laws of the Bible, especially regarding marriage, to suit his own sinful inclinations. Marriage has everything to do with the family, and the family is the foundation of society. Same-sex marriages cannot be fruitful nor can they multiply. Man is setting up for his own extinction. The family is the cornerstone of every nation. When the families are destroyed, the destruction of the nation is not far behind. Luke 17:26-33 is a fitting commentary of our day, as we are in the period known as “Great Tribulation”. It is important to remember that God has obligated Himself to punish sin, and that man is completely accountable to God for his sin because he was created in the image of God. Although God is extremely patient with mankind, that does not in any way diminish the fact that He hates sin and hates sinners: “God judgeth the righteous [saved], and God is angry with the wicked [unsaved] every day” (Psa 7:11). Man will be brought to justice on the dreadful Judgement Day as 2 Pet 2:9 states: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”

Rom 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Luke 17:26-29 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Isa 5:20-26 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:”

The Ultimate Male and Female – Christ and His Bride - God alone provided the solution for man’s sin. You see, though through woman sin entered, it was through the woman, Eve, that help would one day come, as Gen 3:15 and 1 Tim 2:13-15 alludes. So, who is the seed of the woman? it is Christ as Gal 4:4-5 elaborates. God also likens the union of a husband and wife to the mysterious union between Christ and His Bride, the eternal church, in Eph 5:31-32. The language God used to describe the intimacy of Christ and the Church “we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” is same as the one he used to describe how woman is the integral part of man, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”. In other words, God is assuring us that He has made a spiritual commitment that the church is to be forever the bride of Christ. Once Christ had committed to build a church from and for Himself, He will never revoke His commitment to love that church [eternal body of believers] eternally. In this intimate, wonderful example of the church being the bride of Christ, God looks at the physical marriage relationship, and admonishes husbands to follow the same pattern.

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ] heel.”

1 Tim 2:13-15 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing [Christ] ...”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law…”

Eph 5:25, 28-32 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

God Removes Kings, and Sets Up Kings. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:20:00 +0000

God Removes Kings, and Sets Up Kings - God’s majestic name is “Jehovah”, usually written as “LORD” in all capital letters in the Old Testament of the King James Version of the English Bible, and Psa 83:18 declares, “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH , art the most high over all the earth”. Psa 93:1, proclaims: “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty”. The Hebrew word for “reigneth” [malak] means “to reign”, or “to rule”, as a king and is the word from which “king” (melek) is derived. God raises up kings and He puts down kings, as we read in the below verses. God sets up all rulers, presidents and people in authority, and works in their hearts to accomplish His will throughout the history of the world. God's Will, no way implies that He causes the ruler to act sinfully but uses the rulers sinful intentions to accomplish His Will, as Pro 16:9 teaches, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but Jehovah directeth his steps”. It applies to earthly rulers such as King Nebuchadnezzar. God is the one that brought him against His own people of Judah. Remember what the Bible says concerning God’s relationship with King Nebuchadnezzar in Jer 25:9 “... saith JEHOVAH, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations”. We also have a great example with Pharaoh, where God says in Rom 9:17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth”. He was raised up to be a ruthless king and to be someone who would not let the Israelites go. This was all according to God’s plan and God’s purpose and Kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh were established in their position of power and rule in order to accomplish God’s purpose as His servants of destruction. We do not understand a lot of things, but we do understand that God is in charge and that we are not to reply against God. God is a God who is righteous and He is a God who does everything perfectly and He makes it clear in Romans 9 that it is His sovereign right to do so. His divine will will ultimately sustain His everlasting glory. And sometimes, He will raise up the basest of men to be a king. Whatever government, whoever is in charge, God will make a way for His people and God is the One who is in control of the whole process. Finally, whoever is ruling will do so only at the will of God. They cannot do anything more or less than God will permit. And so, we just trust God. We do not necessarily trust the particular government, if it is a dictatorship or a communist rule or something where they are not maybe being all that honest. But no matter what the situation of the government, God’s people can be confident, they can just trust in the Lord, that He is going to work it out. Jesus Christ is the Supreme Ruler over all the kings of the earth, as Rev 19:15-16 proclaims. Rom 13:1 admonishes, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God”.

Psa 75:5-7 “Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

Dan 2:20-21 “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”

Dan 4:17 “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

Pro 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

John 19:10-11 “Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

Rev 19:15-16 “And out of his [Jesus Christ] mouth goeth a sharp sword [Word of God], that with it he should smite [judge] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD - Literally, this is true of all kings, rulers and presidents. Let us look at what this means spiritually. We read in Psalm 23 verse 5, “Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”. It was customary to anoint the head of a new king of Israel with oil to signify that he was officially taking that position of authority. The Greek word for “Christ”, christos, is a translation of the Hebrew word rendered as “Messiah”, which means “anointed”. That is because the Lord Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, and those who have become saved are spiritually “anointed” as kings, prophets (Rev 1:5-6). We, the believers, are “a royal priesthood”, as we read in 1 Peter. We are, in principle, ruling with Christ in Heaven even while we are still on earth (Eph 2:6). What God accomplishes in saving someone from spiritual death to spiritual life is equivalent to what the Lord Jesus Christ experienced through His death, burial, and resurrection, as Eph 1:19-20 indicates. God is in complete control of the lives of His children - the Kings. And our heart is in His hands, as the hand represents the will, and He will turn us whither soever He would have us to go, “as the rivers of water”. God gave us a new heart that He will direct and guide, according to His way and according to His plan.

Rev 19:15-16 “And out of his [Jesus Christ] mouth goeth a sharp sword [Word of God], that with it he should smite [judge] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Rev 1:5-6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Eph 1:19-20 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he [God the Father] raised him [God the Son] from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

Eph 2:5-6 “Even when we [true believers] were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Pro 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.”

God Blesses Those Who Bless Israel and Curses Those Who Curse Israel?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 03:41:00 +0000

Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - God first called Abram in Genesis 12 to leave his country and go to a land that He would show him. God promised in verse Gen 12:3, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and in Gen 26:4, “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”. God repeated that promise to Abraham many times afterwards. Moreover, after Abraham’s death, He reassured Isaac of that promise in Genesis 26 and to Jacob in Genesis 28. God also changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”. However, it is vital to understand that God gave Scriptures veiled in shadows and types and figures. To see the Spiritual truths that God wants us to see, we have to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” (that is, “Scripture with Scripture”), as we are instructed to do in 1 Cor 2:13.

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 13:14-15 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

Gen 17:8 “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Gen 26:2-4 “And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:13-14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou[Jacob] liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Is the Promised Land Earthly Jerusalem? - In Gen 17:8, It’s highly significant that the promised land was to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed for an everlasting possession. But according to 2 Pet 3, God will destroy this present universe by fire and create everlasting New Heavens and a New Earth. So the promised land has to be new creation. Even in the Old Testament we read in Isa 65:17, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind”. This promised land, where righteousness dwells, will be inhabited by God and His people. So the Promised Land is type or figure of the new heavens, new earth and new Jerusalem from Heaven according to Rev 21:1-2.

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise [earthly], as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he [>God] hath prepared for them a city”

2 Pet 3:10,13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

Rev 21:1-2 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”

Who are All the Families or All the Nations that will be blessed? - Notice that, God linked the giving of promised land to His promise that in them shall all nations be blessed. Actually, that was also a reiteration of what God had previously promised Abraham. Back in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot separated, later, in Genesis 17, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”. All Families or All Nations, that will be blessed, are type or figure of the God's Elect from all over the world [Jews and Gentiles] and this is the Gospel that was preached to Abraham, according to Gal 3:8.

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 17:5 “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.”

Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Gen 26:3-4 “... I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy [Isaac] father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:14 “And thy [Jacob] seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Heb 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [Israel as a nation]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Rom 9:27,30-31 “27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel [as a nation], which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Rom 4:16-17 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [remnant of Israel], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham [remnant of Gentiles]; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

Are the Earthly Jews Recipients of these Promises? - In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The Recipients of these Promises are the Israel of God, the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, according to Gal 3:29.

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Heb 11:17-18 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him [Isaac] in a figure [figure of Christ].”

Rom 9:6-8 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Gal 4:22-28 “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh [unbelievers from both Jews+ Gentiles]; but he of the freewoman was by promise [believers from both Jews+ Gentiles]. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all [all who are in Christ]. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we [the born-again believers], brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Gal 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Where does it say in the Bible that Homosexuality is a Grave Sin?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Homosexuality is a Grave Sin just like fornication and adultery and God punished the people of Sodom and Gomorrah with eternal fire. The sin of homosexuality is prominently featured in Rom 1 and was very much in view in Sodom and Gomorrah, as indeed it is considered an “alternative lifestyle” in our day. God pinpoints the sin of homosexuality and lesbianism in Rom 1:26-27. God, in turn, allows man to go deeper and deeper into their sin by giving people up, “God gave them up unto vile affections”, thereby causing sin to multiply like a very aggressive cancer in the human race, in these last days.

Lev 18:22 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Lev 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death [eternally damned, just like any other sin]; their blood shall be upon them. [unless blood of Christ cover them]”

Jam 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Gen 19:5 “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Rom 1:24-27 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

1 Cor 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Can you be a Gay Christian and be a Follower of Jesus? - 'Yes' and 'No'. 'Yes', if you are recognizing that you are violating God's command (Lev 18:22) and are willing to come out of the sin. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...” (2 Cor 7:10). 'No', if you are justifying your sin and are willing to continue in your sin. This is the case with any sin. God's Grace in Christ is sufficient enough to cleanse us from all sin and mold us into the likeness of Christ, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...”, as 2 Cor 12:9 affirms. God is not calling you to come after you clean up yourselves but calling you to come as you are. Jesus declares in Matt 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. He will cleanse you of your sin and makes you a born-again believer. New birth means he will give you a new heart and a new Spirit (indwelling Holy Spirit), by whose power you can overcome any sin.

Pro 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper [no Salvation]: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy [Salvation].”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he [Lord Jesus Christ] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Rom 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Rom 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Php 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”.

Does the language of the love between Jonathan and David suggest Homosexual Love? It is not that David cannot fall into sin of homosexuality but because God talks about the love between David and Jonathan positively in the Bible, points to the fact that it involves no way any sexual love. The stripping of Jonathan's robe only showed his humility before God's anointed. The love between David and Jonathan is Brotherly Love as seen in 2 Sam 1:26.

1 Sam 18:1-4 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

2 Sam 1:26 “I [David's lamentation] am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.”

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

In the historical setting, David is about to flee for his life after learning of King Saul’s intent to kill him from his dearest friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son. However, in order to try to understand the spiritual dimension here, it will be helpful to think of David (whose name means “beloved”) as a picture of the true believers, and Jonathan (whose name signifies “Jehovah gives”) as a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is quite evident that they loved each other deeply, as 2 Sam 1:26 maintains, “I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women”. This typifies the spiritual love between Christ and His people and is symbolized by their tears and kisses. This reminds us of the Lord Jesus who was stripped of His clothes revealing that He had become spiritually naked (or under the wrath of God) in order to atone for the sins of His people. David’s falling on his face to the ground, bowing himself three times (or worshiping) is indicative of the believers’ great love and adoration for their Savior.

1 Sam 18:1-4 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan [figure of believers] was knit with the soul of David [figure of Lord Jesus], and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

Isa 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

What is Wrong with the Movie “The Passion of the Christ” ?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:20:00 +0000

The Movie Focuses on Christ’s Physical Death – The movie places a great emphasis on Christ’s physical punishment and death and thereby misses the spiritual point about Christ’s suffering in enduring the equivalent of eternal wrath of God for the sins of His chosen people. We need to understand that Christ's physical death was not what saves His people. Rom 6:23 decalres, “For the wages of sin is death…”. And the death that God has in mind is eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. So Christ had to experience the spiritual “second death” – eternal damnation – for every person He came to save. Since God is not confined to time and space as we are, it is only because Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man that salvation is possible for mankind. We see in Heb 5:7, that Lord Jesus was feared. Certainly he didn't fear them that are able to kill his body but feared God who is able to kill his soul. The movie only focuses on the first part described in Isa 53:3 but misses out what actually made the atonement described in Isa 53:4-6. However, if given the opportunity, we true believers should be prepared to talk about the spiritual aspects of the Atonement. We should stress that Christ in His soul existence endured the equivalent of eternity in hell for those who were chosen to be saved from before the foundation of the world.

Isa 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Isa 53:4-6 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isa 53:10-11 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11He [God the father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Psa 16:10 “For thou [God the Father] wilt not leave my [Lord Jesus Christ] soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Heb 5:7 “Who [Lord Jesus Christ] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death [soul and body in hell], and was heard in that he feared;”

Matt 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him [God] which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The Movie Places Blame on Jews Fueling Anti-Semitism - The secular world is concerned about whom to blame for Christ’s death on the cross. However, we need to remember that Christ became man in order to pay for the sins of His people. It was predetermined by the counsel of the Godhead before the foundation of the world that Jesus would be “made sin”, “lifted up” and become a “curse” for us. In that sense, we are all to blame for Christ’s death.

2 Cor 5:21 “For He [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

John 3:13-15 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so [in this manner] must the son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Acts 2:22-24 “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”

The Movie Misses the Obedience of Christ - Also central to the Christian Gospel, but missing from The Passion of the Christ, is the concept of Christ's active obedience. Christ not only died for the sins of His sheep on the Cross but he established their righteousness through His perfect obedience to God's Law. It is only His Obedience in dying on the cross and His Obedience in keeping the law are imputed to believers, that believers will be justified before almighty God. The Passion of the Christ does not even make any pretence of teaching the active obedience of Christ

Heb 10:7-10 “Then said I, Lo, I [Lord Jesus Christ] come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Luke 22:42 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Php 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Rom 5:19 “For as by one man's [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Lord Jesus Christ] shall many be made righteous.”

Do We Need Movies and Plays to Preach the Gospel ? - The first reason why all visual representations of Jesus are lies, is because the only wise God went to great lengths not to leave us with any physical description of the physical appearance of His Son lest we fall into the sin of image making. One of the few details the Bible does give us about Christ's appearance is that “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.” (Isa 53:2b). While the Gospels, purposely leave out any description of Jesus that we might use to construct an idol, people have created an image of Jesus that has become almost an industry standard. God does not command us to produce dramatic presentations of Gospel themes, He commands us to preach. Though this option was freely available to the Apostles as they brought the Gospel to cities, with amphitheaters and a long tradition of using the dramatic arts to convey religious and moral themes to the populace, they just used “great plainness of speech”. They “have not followed cunningly devised fables” but preached the gospel: “not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect”. Dramatic picturization can only stir up emotions but do not have the power to revive a soul. Only God's Word has power unto Salvation. We must preach God's Word plainly because it always accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent.

Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

John 3:7-8 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit.”

Isa.55:9-11“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Rom 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Why was Sabbath changed to Sunday?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:10:00 +0000

This is the LORD's Doing; it is Marvellous in our Eyes

Psa 118:22-24 "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. "

Matt 21:42-44 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel] , and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

Acts 4:10-12 "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Acts 13:33 "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

Rom 1:2-4: "(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4Anddeclared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

Seventh Day Sabbath - Ceremonial Law fulfilled in Christ

Exo 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Deu 5:15 "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt [bondage of Sin], and that the LORD thy God brought thee out [translated into kingdom of his dear son] thence through a mighty hand [Jesus Christ] and by a stretched out arm [Jesus Christ]: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."

Exo 31:14-15 "Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work [count on your own works for salvation] in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.[eternally damned]"

Gal 4:9-11 "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements [keeping the ceremonial laws like Seventh day Sabbath. This is the same case as giving animal sacrifices to God for our sins. These are all ceremonial laws fulfilled in Christ ], whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain"

Col 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come [Sabbath day is shadow of the "Rest" God provided through Christ's atoning work]; but the body is of Christ."

Matt 12:5-10 "Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

Mark 2:27-28 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

Salvation - Rest in Christ's Atoning Work

Hebrews 4:1-11 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest [into Christ's atoning work] , he also hath ceased from his own works [the works of the law], as God did from his.11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

Col 1:13-14 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

Rom 4:4-5 "Now to him that worketh [with the works of the law] is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Gal 3:10-11 "For as many as are of the works of the law [trying to get right with God by their works of the law] are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law [Christ fulfilled the law of God for us], being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

Matt 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden [with the works of the law], and I will give you rest [by fulfilling the demands of the law on the Cross for us]. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Resurrection - New Sabbath, day of Worship and proclaiming Gospel

Matt 28:1 "In the end of the sabbath (σαββατων sabbaton) , as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (σαββατων sabbaton) , came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."

σαββατων sabbaton sab'-bat-on: sabbath (day), week.

literal translation would read:

In the end of the Sabatton [ceremonial seventh day Sabbath], as it began to dawn toward the new Sabbaton [new sabbath day, resurrection Sunday], came ....

Isa 58:13-14 "If thou turn away thy foot [your Will] from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath [day of proclaiming Gospel, Worshiping God and spiritual activity] a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words [by speaking God's Words]: 14Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father [elect of God]: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Acts 2:1-4 "And when the day of Pentecost [Holy Spirit was poured out] was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place [on Sunday]. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost [born again by living water, The Word of God and the Spirit], and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Luke 13:15-16 "The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound [kingdom of Satan], lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond [translated to God's Kingdom] on the sabbath day?"

Thanks be to God, which Giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor 15:54-57 "... Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57Butthanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Rev 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection [born again] : 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 [eternity]."

1 Pet 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again [born again] unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

John 11:25-26 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead [spiritually dead because of Adam's sin], yet shall he live [have eternal life]: 26And whosoever liveth [born again] and believeth in me shall never die [shall not taste second death in hell]...."

Can a Christian Protest against Government?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:28:00 +0000

There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God - God has established both Divine and human governments for the benefit of mankind. “Tasso” is the word that is translated as “set” or “ordained”. It refers to something that has been put in place or ordained by God, whether it be authority or the marriage relationship. So the Greek words for “subjection” are two words that mean “under ordination”. We are to be under the civilian authorities, we are to obey in all things lawful. God sets up all rulers and people in authority and works in their hearts to accomplish His will throughout the history of the world.

Rom 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Pro 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

John 19:10-11 “Then saith Pilate unto him [Lord Jesus], Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God - We do not rebel against the government. We know that God never sanctions rebels. God commands us to “obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Heb 13:17), even if that government that is set over you is not the best of governments, even if they do many things wrong, even if there might be a tyrant for a dictator or a ruler over a particular country. Then it goes on to speak, in Rom 13, about how God has given the minister or the government the sword where they can execute wrath. This is because God has given the government that ability and that authority to pass Judgement in accordance with law of the land. You know, we as Christians always need to be careful that we do not speak evil of the government, of that authority that God has given to them. This is because if we are speaking evil of them, who allowed them to take this position? Who set them up in that position? who even says that He “setteth up…the basest of men” at times (Dan 4:17? Well, that is God. So we would really be speaking evil of God who brought all of this to pass to where a certain government is in power in the world. God warns about speaking evil of dignities in Jude 1.

Rom 13:2-4 “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

Jude 1:8 “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”

Dan 4:17 “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due - When the government tells us to pay taxes, we pay taxes. When the government sets the speed limit, we obey the speed limit. When the government passes any law, as long as it is nothing contrary to what the Bible says, we obey. We obey because we are “set under” the government, and that includes everyone. We are to obey in all things lawful. If the government instructs the woman to get an abortion because they have ordained that the family is to only have so many children, then she is not bound. She does not have to obey that kind of law; it is okay to disobey in that case. Our ultimate Lord and King is Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Supreme Ruler over all the kings of the earth. Our Supreme Law Book is the Bible.

Rom 13:5-7 “Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."

Matt 22:17-21 "Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

Rev 19:15-16 “And out of his [Jesus Christ] mouth goeth a sharp sword [two-edged Sword, The Word of God], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

“The Prince of Peace” - Peace from what?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Peace from the Guilt of Sin - All who are “under the law” are unsaved, and they will face God’s judgment unless God saves them by His grace. The Greek word for “guilty” in Rom 3:19 is a compound word meaning “under judgment”: ... “all the world may become guilty before God”. This judgment is also spoken of in 2 Thess 1:9, where it depicts the awful punishment of those who remain in their sins – guilty – and under the wrath of God. Those who are guilty are likewise still “in the flesh”, or “carnally minded” – in other words, they are unsaved. God gives His Spirit to those whom He saves – that is, those whose sins have been forgiven and who have been clothed with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. These most blessed of all human beings have been justified by the sovereign will of the Triune God, as Rom 5:1 asserts.

Rom 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

2 Thess 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

Rom 8:6-9 “For to be carnally minded is death [which refers to Hell]; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal [unsaved] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

Rom 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peace from Spiritual Death - Eph 2:1-5 is a clear illustration of the incomprehensible salvation which God has so lavishly bestowed on unworthy sinners. As this passage affirms, man is spiritually dead in his soul, which is housed in a body that is physically alive. The reason we know this applies to all individuals who were born after Adam and Eve sinned. In order for Christ to save anybody He had to become their “peace”.

Rom. 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned ...”

Eph 2:1-5 “And you hath he quickened [made alive spiritually], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Eph 2:14-17 “For he [Christ] is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Peace from Hell - Lastly, we want to discuss the peace from Hell. Who are the “wicked”, and why does God say they have “no peace” in Isa 57:20-21? The Hebrew word for “troubled” is the same as for “cast up”. Those waters “cast up mire and dirt”, signifying total filth and pollution. That’s an accurate picture of man’s total sinfulness – which is why he deserves eternal damnation in Hell. The “pit” – like the “sea” – are pictures of Hell itself. In fact, in the New Testament Hell is referred to as a “Lake of Fire”. Both in body and soul, unsaved man is a picture of turbulent degradation. The Bible maintains that the reason man is “wicked” – the reason he is in the “sea” of God’s wrath – is because he has violated the Bible, God’s Law Book, time and time again. Wonderfully, today is still the day of salvation! We can still cry out to God and read His blessed Word, the Bible, to find His everlasting peace.

Isa 57:20-21 “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”

Psa 40:2 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock [rock is Christ], and established my goings.”

Does Prayer Change God? or Me?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Does Prayer Change God? - It is a very common belief that if men shower God with prayer for a particular request that the volume and sincerity of the prayers will move God to grant those petitions. Many look at Mark 11 as scripture to justify their position. This verse certainly appears to say that if we have enough faith in God we can motivate Him to do as we request. It seems that if God does not answer our prayer it is because we do not have enough faith. We therefore have fallen short in some way and we need to strengthen our faith and continue in prayer to God. God would then listen and grant us our request when we come to Him filled with faith. This deceitful logic of man is based on the idea that God must wait upon man to come to Him with faith and only then can God act. These ideas suppose that man changes God and that more prayer by more people with more faith is the commodity that God requires to act upon prayer. Let us examine these ideas in light of the whole Bible. Considering these scriptures, is there anything—anything!—we can tell Him that He does not already know? Is there anything about our lives that He has not already thoroughly considered in light of what He wants to produce for our good?

Mark 11:23-24 “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Isa 40:13-14 “Who hath directed the Spiriof the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?”

Psa 139:1-7 “O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

Does Prayer Change Me? - God shows us many times that God changes man through prayer. God will respond to prayer that is according to His will. How can a man pray according to the will of God? How can a dead sinner become a saint that prays according to the will of God? This happens only by the sovereign act of God in salvation. As the sinner prays to God for salvation, God changes the man, according to His will. He justifies them from all of their sins so they will not stand for judgment. He looses them from Satan's power and draws them lovingly into His Kingdom. He disciplines, chastises, and pities His children, all to bring them into His glory and know His love. As God molds the man, the man more and more prays according to the will of God. God answers his prayers because they are according to the will of God. God does not stand by helplessly waiting for man, but works within man to the benefit of the saints and His own glory. Once saved, God works sanctification in the man to produce the fruit of the Spirit. One of the most astonishing facts is that the Holy Spirit lives [indwells] within the believer and assists him or her as he or she prays. The Spirit of Christ, dwelling in the believer, prays to the Father of things that are beyond the understanding of man. God does not leave His people alone, He assists them with prayer.

Psalm 69:13 “But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.”

Col 1:9 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”

Jam 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed [Spiritual healing/Salvation] . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Dan 10:12 “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.”

1 Thess 4:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”

Rom 8:26-28 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Nevertheless, Not My Will, but Thine be Done - Although God knows our requests even before they enter our minds, we are to express them to our Heavenly Father. In doing so we realize afresh our absolute dependency on Him for every physical and spiritual need of ours and qualify all our petitions, with the very important statement (and attitude) “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done”. All too often our attitude in prayer about something emphasizes what we feel is our or somebody else's need rather than focusing on God's will. Which is more important? what this perfect, great God considers from His perspective or what we desire from our position of nearly blind ignorance of what is really needed? The Lord's Prayer is the model prayer, indicating that we should not pray with the idea that we are bringing something new to God. It also introduces the thought that the purpose of prayer is not to overcome God's reluctance to answer and give but rather to lay hold of His willingness to help us toward His perspective, the fulfillment of His purpose, and into His Kingdom. The overall emphasis in our requests, then, must be inclined toward His purpose and will. Prayer is not to change God's Will but rather to align ourselves with God's Will.

Psa 88:1 “O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry.”

Psa 73:25 “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”

Matt 6:7-8 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

God's Will concerns the Work of the Gospel in this World - The Father works eternal redemption for His children at the price of the life of His Son. He brings salvation to the elect, judgment on the unsaved, and many other acts and purposes according to His eternal wisdom and counsel. Jesus is our example and we are to follow Him in all things. Christ labored in prayer before His Father. Fellowship with the Father was a supreme priority in the life of Christ. John 17 is the magnificent High Priestly prayer for His Children.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Heb 10:7-10 “Then said I [Lord Jesus Christ], Lo, I come(in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Heb 5:7 “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;”

Luke 22:42 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,”

John 6:39 “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

Pray Earnestly, Without Ceasing - We might recall that in I Kings 17:1, about the physical famine in Elijah's day: “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word”. This famine occurred in Israel when the wicked man Ahab who was married to the exceedingly wicked Jezebel was reigning over Israel. This famine continued for three years and six months. In Jam 5:16-18 we learn that the famine was brought by Elias, when he prayed earnestly: “... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit”. This verse makes the point that Elias was a sinner like you and me, yet it declares, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. Then the question is how was Elias found “righteous” in the eyes of God? Before salvation, there is none righteous, no not one. Neither Noah, nor Job, nor David, nor Moses, nor Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, nor Elias, nor anyone else in himself was righteous. The robe of Christ’s righteousness [given in Salvation] is absolutely needed in order for one to be found righteous. One can be made Righteous only “through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. God looks upon a person whom He has saved as “righteous” because his sins have been paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross. God's Spirit worked in Elijah and caused him to pray according to the Will of God, as a result of his salvation. May God grant His mercy and grace to mold and shape His people that they will pray according to the will of God, especially in these last days. Focus of our earnest prayers should be on our Salvation and for the Salvation of family and friends and the spiritual needs, the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Matt 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Luke 11:5-8 “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”

1 Pet 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

1 Thes 5:16-18 “Rejoice evermore. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

When does God Hear my Prayers?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:34:00 +0000

God hears the humble - For each child of God, humility is not an option but a way of life. Humble yourselves and cast your cares on him. Publican as an example of humbleness. Humility is an evidence of Salvation.

2 Chr 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Psa 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Luke 18:13-14 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

1 Pet 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Lord Jesus Christ, an ultimate example of humility.

Php 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God hears Righteous - Righteous are those who are saved. Righteous only because of covering of Christ’s robe of righteous.

1 Pet 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Jam 5:16b-18 “… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

Rom 3:10-12 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Rom 4:6 "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,"

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith…”

God Hears his redeemed children.

Psa 69:13 “But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.”

1 John 3:18-23 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment."

John 15:7 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Psa 19:13-14 “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

God Hears his children because Lord Jesus Christ is their intercessor.

Hebrews 7:25-27 "Wherefore he (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."

Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Luke 22:31-32 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

God hears his children because Holy Spirit is their intercessor.

Eph 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Rom 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

What will Hinder my Prayers?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

Sin hinders our prayers - If we confess our sins before God, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

Jam 4:2-3 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Isa 59:1-2 "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

Pro 28:13 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We are sinners by birth - I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Sin is the “whole” sinful nature. We are born sinners into Adams nature, Which is why we need Salvation and new nature of second Adam “Christ”. Our sins need to be payed for by Christ for us to be sinless before God and our prayers be answered.

Psalm 51:1-19 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness [sacrifice of Christ] , with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar."

Psa 103:3-4,12 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

Heb 10:16-18 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Psa 32:1-2 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

Bitterness against brother/neighbor hinders prayers - first be reconciled to thy brother. Forgive one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Mark 11:25 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Matt 5:23-24 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Luke 11:2-4 "And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

Bitterness against wife hinders prayers - Love and Honour your wife.

1 Pet 3:7 “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

Col 3:19 "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."

Eph 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

Pride hinders prayers - Pharisee as an example of pride.

1 Sam 2:3-4 “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.”

Pro 6:16-19 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Luke 18:10-12 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”

Why Does Prayer Of A Righteous Man Availeth Much?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

God hears the prayer of Righteous

The question is who are these "Righteous"? The one and only "righteous by law" is our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and he is our intercessor.

Rom 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"

John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I [Jesus Christ] have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

1 Pet 1:19 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

Hebrews 7:25-27 "Wherefore he (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."

Example of Jesus praying for Peter:

Luke 22:31-32 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

Righteous are those who are saved [born-again], and they are righteous only because of covering of Christ’s robe of righteousness

Gal 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith…”

God hears our prayers because of the indwelling Holy Spirit given in Salvation, who makes intercession for us according to the will of God.

1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:"

Eph 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Rom 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

How Did Jesus Preach to the Spirits in Prison?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Is this verse teaching that there is a possibility of Salvation even after a person dies? Does it teach the doctrine of Purgatory? The Bible clearly teaches that following death, there comes judgment.

1 Pet 3:18-20 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."

Heb 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Who are the Spirits in the Prison? every human being born into this world is in the prisoner in the kingdom of Satan until God translates them into the kingdom of his dear Son. Their own sins are wrapped about them, like cords, holding them fast. They are prisoners to sin and to Satan. We all are in the bondage of sin and servants (slaves) to sin. Our Savior gave the Gospel of Grace to us and redeemed us by his precious blood.

John 8:32-34 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."

Isa 42:6-7 "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus Christ], 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, 9To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."[Isa 61:1]

Acts 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

How did Jesus Preach in the days of Noah? Well, let us also go to Galatians 3, and we are just going to look at a verse that is going to help us understand. As we see in Gal 3:8, the Scripture preached unto Abraham. It was God’s Word that these things were declared to Abraham. Jesus preached to the “spirits in prison,” and how did He do that? Through the Scripture, through the Word of God. So Jesus preached or the Scripture preached; it is all one and the same: He is the Word of God. As we see in 2 Pet 2, through Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness, these things were declared to the people of the world of that day, that God would destroy the world with a flood and time was running short. He did this through Noah, which is the same way that this works out today because we are “ambassadors for Christ.” We beseech others “in Christ’s stead” and on His behalf and in His place, “Be ye reconciled to God”; and so Noah would have been building the ark, constructing this ship, and preaching. This physical illustration of building the ship itself, that was preaching to the people of the world.

John 1:1,14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

2 Tim 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Gal 3:8 "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."

2 Pet 2:5 "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;"

Heb 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

How then were they condemned? They were condemned because the building of the ark was for a reason. The reason was because of man’s sinfulness. Due to man’s sinfulness, God intended to destroy them, to bring judgment upon them, to complete the condemnation that was already accomplished by His Word. Any unsaved person is already condemned. The Word of God has pronounced the judgment, “For the wages of sin is death,” and people will be condemned if they remain unsaved. So the construction of the ark, especially as it began to take shape and form and people could see what it was more and more, was a constant reminder of their sinfulness and of the fact that God’s wrath was upon them for it and that they would be destroyed.

Heb 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

John 3:17-18 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

What Is The Rod To Beat A Child With?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child. We are all born sinners. Foolishness is the condition of an unsaved heart, indicative of the absence of God's Wisdom.

Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Psalm 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."

The rod of correction shall drive it far from him. The rod and reproof give wisdom.

Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Pro 15:31-32 "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."

Pro 29:1 "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

Pro 15:10 "Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die."

Proverbs 23:12-14 "Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

Rod of correction is the Word of God. Physical rod can only modify a Child's behavior but the Word of God has the power to transform the Child inside out and can deliver the Child's soul from hell. Chastisement is an act of love.

2 Tim 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Psalm 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

2 Tim 3:15 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:06:00 +0000

By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand - Contrary to the popular belief that Jesus spoke in parables to make his teachings easy to understand, Jesus spoke in parables to hide spiritual truths and make them difficult to understand. Doing so, he only reveals the Spiritual truths whom he choose to reveal by giving them ears to hear and eyes to see because we are all spiritually blind. A parable is an earthly story [or an earthly historical event] that teaches heavenly spiritual truth. This verse from Isaiah is repeatedly quoted in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, and 1 Corinthians.

Matt 13:10-12 “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

Isa 6:8-10 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”

Matt 13:13-16 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”

Matt 13:34 “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Rom 11:7-8 “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election [Gods' elect including both Jews and Gentiles, remnant chosen by God's Grace] hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”

2 Cor 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

2 Thess 2:10-13 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old - Not only Jesus (Word in flesh) spoke in parables, but the whole Bible is written in parables. The whole Bible contains many verses that have a deeper spiritual meaning, written as parables and allegories and figures in simple historical or moral statements. Every historical and moral statement of the Bible is still absolutely true, but we can learn even more by looking at the symbolic Spiritual message of these verses. The Bible testifies of itself that it is filled from beginning to end with the message of Jesus, the Gospel of Salvation, and that many Old Testament stories are actually historical parables which symbolically point us to Christ or to some aspect of the Salvation work of Christ.

John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Job 27:1 “Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,...”

Job 29:1 “Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,...”

Psa 78:1-2 “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”

Num 20:10-11 “And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”

1 Cor 10:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

Gal 4:21-26 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.”

Gen 22:15-18 “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city [New Jerusalem, Rev 3:12] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:15-19 “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country [heaven], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac [Isaac is figure of Christ] shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

How is it that ye do not understand? - Jesus had to rebuke His followers, and Pharisees alike for trying to take His words literally when He meant them symbolically (with a deeper spiritual meaning). For eg; in Luke 24, Jesus says that the Old Testament Scriptures wrote that Christ had to be killed and resurrected the third day. However, that is not explicitly written anywhere in the Old Testament—this is only stated allegorically in Jonah. Christ points to this Old Testament verse, showing that it is allegorically describing His resurrection in Matthew.

Matt 16:6-8,11 “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 11How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?”

John 4:10-11 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water [She mistook literal water for spiritual, living water]?”

John 3:3-4,10 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”

John 11:11-13 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”

John 6:51-53, 60-61,66 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.… Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?… From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

Luke 24:45-46 “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”

Jon 1:17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”

Matt 12:40 “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.”

Luke 17:12,14-17 “And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests [This was a reference to ceremonial laws in Lev 14]. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him [the Great High Priest] thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”

Lev 14:2 “This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest.”

Heb 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”

Who Wrote the Bible?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

All Scripture is Given by Inspiration of God - 2 Tim 3:16 declares: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”. The Old English word “inspiration” literally means “God-breathed”. It comes from a Greek word which is made up of two words: “theos”, meaning “God” (from which we get our English word “theology”), and “pneustos”, which comes from a word that means “to blow”. God “breathed”, or “blew”, out His Word, by using believers that he had chosen to pen every word He gave to
the human race. Different books of the Bible were written by different prophets like: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.; Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible; David wrote many of the Psalms; Solomon wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; Paul wrote much of the New Testament following the Gospels and so on. These men were instruments in the hands of God. God used them as a pen, like we would use a pen and we would write down our note, well, that's how God used these men and sometimes they didn't even know what they were saying, they didn't know what they were writing down. They had no real understanding sometimes. Like Daniel, was given visions and he had no clue what they meant. He was troubled by the visions he had received because he had no real understanding of what God was saying to him.

2 Tim 3:16 “All scripture [note the singular not plural] is given by inspiration of God [or God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Dan 12:8-9 “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

2 Pet 3:15-16 “…even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

Holy Men of God Spake as they were Moved by the Holy Ghost - We learn from 2 Pet 1:21 that the Bible was written as “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Spirit]”. “Holy men of God” [they are Holy only because they were saved and granted the Christs robe of Righteousness], wrote the scriptures under God's inspiration, and we would never want to forget that. Who wrote the book of Jeremiah? Baruch was the scribe. Baruch is the one who recorded “the word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch”. So Baruch is not the author of the Book of Jeremiah. What if I asked you, who wrote the epistle of Romans? what would you say? Well, Apostle Paul wrote Romans. Did he? Did he? Tertius, wrote this epistle: “I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord” (Rom 16:22). As Paul dictated it to Tertius, Tertius was the actual person who wrote it down. Do we say Tertius wrote the book of Romans? No, because we give no credit to the scribe... We give no credit to the one who is being dictated to... but it's the one whose mind it comes from. He is the author... Paul wrote the epistle of Romans, not Tertius... Well, no. Paul didn't write the epistle of Romans. Did he? He was dictated to. He was not the author of the book... but God himself is the author and we always have to keep that in our minds. God is the author. It is His Book. It is His Word. It comes forth from the mouth of God. Once again we are reminded of how God wrote the Bible – it sets forth His Words that came out of His “mouth”. It is perfect and complete, and He has preserved it for thousands of years. It is the only place where we can find absolute truth and God’s will for us and for this world.

Jer 36:1-4 “And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. 4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.”

2 Pet 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

How to Study the Scriptures?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Holy Men of God Spake as they were Moved by the Holy Ghost - The Scriptures were not written by men nor did they come by men just dreaming or thinking things up. In other words, even though there are many physical authors of the Bible, as far as the different books of the Bible—the prophets: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.; Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible; David wrote many of the Psalms; Solomon wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; Paul wrote much of the New Testament following the Gospels—yet all of these men spoke how? They spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them. So, first and foremost, this Bible is the Word of God. It is God’s Word that has been delivered to mankind. It is God’s gift to mankind of His message, His revelation to people. How did the Holy Ghost speak? He spoke through these men. Men were moved by the Holy Ghost, the Bible said.

2 Pet 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Ghost Teacheth; Comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual - But how does the Holy Ghost then teach us as we read the Scriptures 2,000 years after most of the New Testament was penned and even more thousands of years later than when Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible? How does the Holy Ghost teach us? - “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Bible and now the Holy Ghost is going to be a teacher of the Bible, too. Since there is one author, the Holy Spirit, there is oneness and cohesiveness in God's Word. “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” means finding things that are similar and alike, comparing them, and then seeing how they all fit together. This is the beauty of studying the Word of God and coming to truth as we compare spiritual with spiritual. In other words, Bible is its own dictionary.

1 Cor 2:12-14 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Cor 2:7 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”

Isa 28:9-10 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

How to Compare Spiritual things with Spiritual - Let us take a look at an easy passage to show an example of this. In the Gospel of John, we have a beautiful example. This one might be easy, although people at the time who heard this did not think that this was easy, maybe you will. I hope that you do. So can you see that this is challenging language, to a degree? This is because Jesus is speaking about bread but He is not talking about a wafer or about wheat bread. He is talking about something different. He is saying that if you eat the bread that comes down from Heaven, you are not going to die. what the bread is that He was talking about when He said that if you ate it you would not die? It is the Word. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life...., the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life..., the Word was made flesh.... Now how do you understand “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you”? We need to be forgiven by washing of our sins by the blood of Christ and new life has to be given to us by the Holy Spirit by blessing the Word to our hearts.

John 6:48-63 “I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

John 1:1,14 “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Matt 6:9-11 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread.”

Matt 4:3-4 “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Heb 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness].”

Lev 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Heb 10:12 “But this man [the Lord Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

Rev 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

Rev 13:8 “... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

What is "One Thing Thou Lackest" ?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:04:00 +0000

what shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life/Saved?

Mark 10:17-27 "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? 27And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

Does that mean, if the rich man went and sold everything and gave it to the poor, would he have been inherited Eternal Life/Saved? Does it mean that this poor widow is Saved because she cast in all that she had? She is able to cast in all she had because she is a Saved individual.

Mark 12:41-44 "And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

Gal 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Eph 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

2 Tim 1:9 "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,"

Let us see another conversation which explains clearly how is one Saved.

John 3:1-8 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [typifying Word of God] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind [Spirit] bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

what is the above conversation teaching us? It is teaching us this vital principle "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". The rich man "was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions". His Heart is set on the Treasures of the World. The poor widow gave all she had because her Heart is set on the Treasures of Heaven.

Matt 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Luke 12:33-34 "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

How is one's heart before Salvation? desperately wicked. What can it treasure up? Wrath of God.

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Rom 2:5 "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;"

Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Acts 5:1-10 "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."

When does our Heart brings forth Good Treasure? God has to take away our Heart of Stone and give us a Heart of Flesh. This is what happens when God makes one Born-Again.

Eze 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Luke 19:5-10 "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man [Lord Jesus Christ] is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

What Does "Esau Despised His Birthright" Signify?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Esau Despised His Birthright - Esau [typifying all the unsaved] traded Eternal Inheritance for the Temporal Worldly Need. What was wrong with Esau? A simple meal? He despised his birthright over a simple meal? Yet, you know what? This is not so unusual. This is not out of the ordinary at all. All kinds of people, if not every single person left to themselves, all kinds of people would rather have the physical things of this world. They lust and they desire and they crave the least things of this world. They go contrary to the Bible by going after the least of things. God has blessed the world with many blessings, physical blessings, like life and food and clothing and things. There are just many wonderful things that God has provided for people in this world. But, really, when we come down to it, the ultimate blessing—and, finally, the only significant blessing—is Salvation. It is the gift of Eternal Life that God gives to His people.

Gen 25:29-34 "And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

Gen 27:34 "And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father."

Heb 12:14-17 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau [typifying non-elect], who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright [traded Eternal Inheritance for Worldly need]. 17For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the [eternal] blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Matt 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Why is Esau called fornicator and profane person? He is a spiritual fornicator, in the sense he is a friend of the World. If we are unsaved, we are still married to the Law, and any unfaithful act against the Law of God makes us an adulterer. When we are saved, we become dead to the law and married to our Lord Jesus Christ. Esau profaned by despising his Birthright. He exchanged his soul for one meal.

Heb 12:16 "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau [typifying non-elect], who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright [traded Eternal Inheritance for Worldly need]."

Matt 16:25-26 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Rom 7:1-4 "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him [Lord Jesus Christ] who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

Jam 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

Gen 25:32-34 "And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

Phil 3:18-19 "(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"

On the other hand Jacob [typifying all the Elect of God] coveted earnestly for the best gift of eternal life. He wrestled with God for the Eternal Blessing.

Gen 32:24 -29 "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there."

Left to Jacob himself, he would go the same path as Esau. Both were given the Gospel by Isaac. Only because of God's Sovereign Grace, Jacob was drawn to God and his eyes are set on the things above.

Gen 25:19-28 "And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac: And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated JEHOVAH for his wife, because she was barren: and JEHOVAH was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of JEHOVAH. And JEHOVAH said unto her, Two nations [God's Elect and non-Elect] are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. "

Rom 9:10-15 "And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Heb 11:20 "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."

Col 3:1-2 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Rom 8:1-8 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death [if we are saved, we are free from our husband "the Law of God" to be married to Christ]. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

Mal 1:2-3 "I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness."

Where do 'Wealth' and 'Prosperity' fit into Gospel? Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

Why do wicked [unsaved] prosper? - The unsaved do not struggle with their flesh, because their flesh and spirit have made an agreement with sin (and hell). The unsaved do not struggle with the course of this world; but they follow along its evil pathways. The unsaved do not strive with Satan; but do his bidding. The unsaved are not bothered by an apostate church; but fit right in on Sunday. The unsaved are not chastened by God, in fact, it appears that they are not in trouble like other men at all. They are not burdened with the information that the Bible reveals, which is that we are sinners and under the wrath of God and subject to death. Yes, we could envy them, their houses, their jobs, their friends, their status, etc. To the child of God troubled on every side; fighting within and without: the ease and seemingly carefree life of the unsaved can appear very appealing. And when the goods and material comforts are added to the apparent spiritual ease of the wicked — surely a believer might be tempted to envy unsaved. But for the most part the child of God is not bothered too much by these things. He knows that the riches of this world are a snare that tie one down to this World and the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of the life will draw one away from Faith. Once we get our eyes on the fact that an eternal destruction awaits mankind, then all envy of the wicked ought to quickly cease. The Prosperity Gospel tends to mask the greatest need that any individual has, and that’s to be reconciled to God through Faith of Christ.

Psa 73:3, 5-7, 13-14, 17-18, 24 “For I was envious at the foolish [unsaved], when I saw the prosperity of the wicked [unsaved]. 5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 13Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 17Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 24Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

1 Tim 6:8-10 “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Matt 19:21-24 “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Didn’t God bless Abraham with Riches of the World? - Gen 13:2 states, “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold”. Yes, but where is Abraham’s Heart? where is Moses’ Heart? where is Solomon’s Heart? Their heart is set on things above, on the Kingdom of God. 2 Cor 4:18 mentions the difference between “things not seen” and the “things which are seen”: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. The “things on the earth” are the things which can be seen – or temporal things. The Greek word for “temporal” (proskairos:G4340) in 2 Cor 4:18 is translated as “season” in Heb 11:25-26 talking about Moses, who, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ... ”, because he knew that there was a “recompense of the reward”: “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward”. Moses knew that there was going to be a time when God would fulfill all promises — the promises to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and to you and me, all who are true believers — which is “eternal inheritance in Christ” will come to pass. Compare this with the measly riches that the world offers.

Heb 11:9-10 “By faith he [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he [Abraham] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God [Heaven].”

Heb 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

2 Chr 1:11-12, 22 “And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 22And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city [heaven].”

Ye cannot serve God and mammon - Luke 16:13 states, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. Notice the opposites – love and hate in Luke 16:13. There is no middle ground! The kingdom that a person’s heart is in actually dominates, or drives, his life with unyielding force. It is rooted in his soul and influences his every thought, word, and action. Jam 4:4 fearfully warns: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity [or hatred] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”. The “world” is well-defined in 1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”.

Luke 16:13-15, 19-25 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s [typifying God] bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

Matt 6:24-33 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25Therefore 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? 26Behold 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? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, 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? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

O man of God, flee these things - Whatever is of utmost value to a person will receive the greatest amount of attention in terms of time, labor and money. It is that which consumes our thoughts, is the object of our words, embodies our hopes, shapes our goals, molds our future, and ultimately gives meaning and purpose to life. In essence, one will either be serving Christ in the Kingdom of God or Satan and his kingdom. If we are a true Christian, things that are eternal in character should grip our minds and hearts and motivate us to greater obedience, as Col 3:1-2 asserts: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. If we are blessed with wealth, we should use it as much as we can for the furthering of the Gospel. Our focus should be on our own Salvation and the Salvation of the others. As believers we should use our time and money as much as we can for the spreading of the Gospel.

Matt 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Rom 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh [unsaved] do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [born of the Spirit] the things of the Spirit [or fruit of the Spirit].”

1 Tim 6:8-12 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain.7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness [fruit of the Spirit]. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

Luke 16:9-11 “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness [make believers by using worldly riches to send forth Gospel]; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [worldly], who will commit to your trust the true riches [heavenly]?”

John 10:9-10 “I [Jesus Christ is our only door and only way into heaven] am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly [Eternal Life in Heaven].”

What If I Examined Myself in the Light of the Bible and do NOT See Evidence of Salvation?

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofLight TheBible) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:01:00 +0000

But I have believed with my heart and confessed with my mouth. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - our hearts are wicked before Salvation and out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks. We must realize that God does ALL the work of salvation. The Bible teaches that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. Only the work done by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross and by the Holy Spirit in our hearts can save us.

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Matt 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Jam 2:19-20 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works [Works is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation] is dead?"

Acts 8:13, 21-23 "13Then Simon [the Sorcerer] himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.[this is the condition of all of us before Saved]"

Only when we are given New Heart are we able to 'believe unto righteousness' and 'confess unto salvation'.

Luke 6:45-46 "45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? [following God's commandments is only the evidence of Salvation and not the cause of the Salvation]"

Eze 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I [God] give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

But I have "received" Christ as my Savior. Can't I say that I am saved based on this? - We are only looking at John 1, verse 12 and missing out on verse 13. The people that are receiving him are already "born of God". verse 12 is the effect and verse 13 is the cause , not the other way around.

John 1:12-13 "But as many [those who are already 'born of God'] as received [as in recipients] him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Now I realize that we cannot save ourselves. No church, no religious ritual, no person, and no human effort can save us. what now? - God commands us to cleanup our sinful acts and turn from our sins and come to God with broken heart. God is a Merciful God and delights in Mercy. Remember that Obedience is NOT the cause of Salvation but God's Mercy and God's Grace.

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Jer 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Isa 55:6-7 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his [our] way, and the unrighteous man his [our] thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

God gives Grace [Salvation] to the Humble. Who are the humble? These are the people that Hope and Wait on God for Salvation who realize that they do not deserve Salvation and nothing they can bring or do can get them right with God, including their humbleness. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Luke 15:18-24 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe [the robe of righteousness of Christ], and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."

Psa 34:18 "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Psa 62:7-8 "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

Rom 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

Today is the day of Salvation, don't put it off to seek him. Turn away from your sins today. This doesn't mean that you have Salvation in the instant you started seeking him and turning away from your outward sin. Repentance is turning away from the inward Sin, which only God can turn us away from. Salvation or New Birth is instant but not in your hands and not in your time but in God's hand and God's time. Hope and Wait on Him for your Salvation.

Heb 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

2 Cor 6:2 "For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured [helped] thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Lam 3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."