Month: November 2024

Saturday 113024

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

Our identity means a lot today, the problem that confronts all of us is, just who are we trying to portray our identity to?

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

1^st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

2^nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Acts 2:4; 1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:3; Philippians 4:6-7, 19; Galatians 3:20; John 4:23-24; Matthew 10:8.

So, earlier in our study we finished our lessons on the word MYSTERY.

The Greek word musterion (mystery), when used in the New Testament, refers to the things of God that were once hidden but were later revealed through Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:4 ‘…All the believers became full with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages that they had not learned. They spoke whatever language the Holy Spirit helped them to speak…’ EASY (Easy English Bible) 

Just this past week, I updated a verse posted on my blog:

1 Timothy 3:16 ‘…And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion – that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory…’ WNT (Weymouth New Testament)

‘…And, beyond controversy…’, another words, beyond any possible dispute.

The next six words …

‘…great is the mystery of our religion…’, in just about every other version I found it written as ‘…the mystery of godliness…’

The mystery is that Christ became flesh, He came to this earth as a human being. To continue, the mystery is the person and work of Jesus, including the divinely revealed truth about him. The phrase can also be seen as a summary of Jesus’ ministry, with the implication that the godliness of God’s Son should be reflected in people’s lives.

Unless we have our heads buried in the sand, each one of us should realize there have been a lot of changes in this world over the last few years.

Today we hear people talk on ‘Global Warming,’ ‘Global Currency,’ and there is a large percentage of people pushing everything GREEN for our atmosphere’s sake.

Maybe the one real thing that’s not being relayed to people out there in this world, is maybe our time is running out as we know it.

Maybe it is time for us to make certain we are firming up our relationship with Jesus Christ and we begin to focus on the words He has given us through His Word.

It’s a shame, I sit back and hear of shootings at a presidential election rally, there are shootings in our public schools and gang members are running rampant in our larger cities. Non-citizens flood across our borders, bringing with them crime, drugs and health issues and today’s news reporters are only focused on today’s political rivalries.

2 Peter 3:3 ‘…The first thing that you should understand is this. In the last days of this world, some people will laugh at you because you believe in God. These people will do whatever bad things they want to do…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

In all the years that I’ve taught the Word of God, maybe this is the first that I’ve noticed, how much prophecy is focused on today.

Too many times, I hear people speaking about a church service, but they’re not praising what has been written in the Word. Instead, they are giving praise to a pastor, the music or the interior of a church building as if the reason God created this earth was just for this one church building and its congregation.

Before physically attending a new church, I get online to watch previous services at that church, and I listen to earlier sermons.

There was this one church, every week, just before the pastor walked onto stage, he spoke in a shaky and loud voice …

‘I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, here with us today.’

You’re joking right …? Every Sunday, the same exact time, when you’re in the exact same spot, just as the pastor enters onto the stage the Holy Spirit comes into a service?

What page, book and verse did that come from?

Phillipians 4

vs6 ‘…Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Ask him to help you with the things that you need. And thank him for his help…’

vs7 ‘…If you do that, God will give you peace in your minds. That peace is so great that nobody can completely understand it. You will not worry or be afraid, because you belong to Christ Jesus…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Where is it written a pastor is needed for the Spirit to come into our service?

Philippians 4:19 ‘…And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

… you seen the word ‘pastor,’ anywhere?

Galatians 3:20 ‘…Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

There is no mediator, any longer, needed to worship our God.

There is no mediator, any longer, needed to pray to our God.

Jesus told the ‘Gentile’ woman at the well in Samaria (land of the Samaritans) …

John 4

vs23 ‘…But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers…’

vs24 ‘… God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth…’ NET (New English Translation)

Jesus made this statement to the woman at the well close to 2000 years ago.

It is only when we get into the habit of opening His Word and reading what we have been told that our lives will change from surviving the way this world wants us to live, to living the LIFE that Jesus has promised that we will have once we have attained Him in our lives.

We have been told how we must have FAITH in our lives. We must BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again on the third day so that we may LIVE in Eternity in His Presence.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how many hoops we must jump through or how many bells we must ring.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how many days we must attend a church service or how much change we must throw in the collection basket.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what color suit coat we need to wear or how big of a hat we must wear on our head.

These wishes are all man. Man lets you know you need a suitcoat to worship God. Man lets you know your hair must be cut. Man lets you know it is wrong to get a tattoo or it is wrong to get a divorce.

If Jesus thought the Law was difficult for mankind to obey, I can only guess what He would think of the rules that man is putting on other men like they do today.

Just as Jesus told His disciples …

Matthew 10:8 ‘…Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

In a different version:

‘…Make sick people well again. Cause dead people to become alive again. If people have a bad disease of the skin, make them well again. Send bad spirits out of people to leave them. God has been very kind to you, so you should be kind to other people. When you help people, do not ask them for money…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

So many churches are too interested in making a living instead of serving those in need.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and let the words of Jesus flow off your tongue so that others might hear the message. Just remember that there may be those around you that have never had the exposure that you’ve had. You may be the one and only individual that might have a chance to influence some soul.

Be proud of your God and let others see your proudness in everything that you do.

I love every one of you. Remember though that Jesus, He loves every one of us even more than I could ever possibly love. Be kind and be proud of what God has given you.

Share what you have with those that are in need. You will be rewarded in the future.

Open your Word and continue to study what He has given us. Make reading the Bible a daily part of your life and share with others what you will find.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen.

I am, InHIM. ><)))o>

Friday 112924

Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s GIFT, so that no one can boast about it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

You and I together, let’s open and study the Word that we have ALL been given. Use me to help you study the Bible and allow me to be used to help you search what God wants for us to hear.

Let’s only follow what we find that pertains to us and realize that it’s only from our own effort in studying His Word that is going to let us take anything away that we can use in our lives by ourselves and with those that we love.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 13:6; Psalms 23:1-6.

In my attempt to spread the Word, to the people in the 21^st century, I am posting a new lesson every morning.

I am posting my lessons on eleven (11) different sites.

On Facebook, I am:

Whosoever Inhim

Whosoever inhim Bible Study

Or, in a search engine, simply type:

lrabbe.wordpress.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/my-site-2

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/whosoeverinhim

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

Tonight’s lesson I hope does not keep people from reading the lesson. There are going to be times and trials in this life that are going to be difficult for us, the Christian believer. But it is our FAITH and trust in God that is going to keep us moving forward. It is God in our lives that is going to keep us from running away to hide from the unknown. It is God that is going to keep us strong.

Satan is afraid of you and me. He’s afraid because He knows we have Jesus on our side.

He’s stupid enough to think he can overpower God but that’s just the way that he thinks.

Romans 8

vs31 ‘…What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us…’

vs32 ‘…He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things…’

vs33 ‘…Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies…’

vs34 ‘…Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us…’

vs35 ‘…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword…’

vs36 ‘…As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered…’

vs37 ‘…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us…’

vs38 ‘…For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers…’

vs39 ‘…neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord…’ NIV (New International Version)

We should never be afraid of anything that we are unsure of. God is there and He is going to take care of us.

Hebrew 13:6 ‘…So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me…’ NIV (New International Version)

To be honest, for a week now I have been walking around, reminding myself of my mothers-in-law’s favorite verse, found in the Bible.

Allow me the pleasure to read it to you:

Psalm 23

vs1 ‘…The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…’

vs2 ‘…He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters…’

vs3 ‘…He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake…’

vs4 ‘…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…’

vs5 ‘…Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over…’

vs6 ‘…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever…’ KJV (King James Version)

Pat repeated this verse over and over again.

Breaking down vs1 ‘…The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…’ KJV (King James Version)

In other versions:

‘…The Lord is my Shepherd; I will not be in need…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…The Lord is my Shepherd; I have everything I need…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…The Lord takes care of me, like a shepherd with his sheep. I have everything that I need…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

As I was reading vs1, I wanted to write ‘NEED’ instead of ‘want’ as it is written in the KJV, but then I see the NASB version.

Then when I copied and pasted the GNT version and it said exactly what it should, I have everything I need.

Breaking down vs2:

‘…He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…He takes me to green fields where I can rest. He leads me to streams of water where I can drink…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Breaking down vs3:

‘…He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…He gives me new strength in my life. He is my guide to the right paths. He does this to give honour to his name…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Breaking down vs4:

‘…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…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…I may walk through a valley that is as dark as death. But I will not be afraid of any danger. This is because you are with me, Lord. Your stick and your shepherd’s pole protect me from danger…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Breaking down vs5:

‘…Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…You prepare a big meal for me while my enemy’s watch. You put olive oil on my head. You bless me so much that my cup is completely full…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Breaking down vs6:

‘…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…Certainly, goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…I am sure that you will always be good to me.
You will love me all the days of my life. That will never change. I will live in the Lord’s house for as long as I live…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

REFRESHED

I am at peace. Questions will always remain; however, Pat’s Bible quote will never be so far away I will not remember …

That is what the Word is for us. It is that little piece of strength that we will need to make it through. All we have to do is remember that it is there, and half the battle is already over.

I know Psalms was written to the Jew.

With that being said, ALL Scripture has been Inspired by God for ALL of us to see.

We don’t have to follow the writings that were meant for the Jewish individual, but there are some writings written to the Jew that are comforting to our  soul.

These writings to the Jew, they will not SAVE us Gentile’s from Everlasting destruction, but there is comfort in the words.

Always remember, God knows what we’re going through. He knows the struggles that we’re going to have. He sees the struggle we’re having right now at this moment.

Just talk to Him and ask Him for His assistance, remember that Armor that He has given us to protect us from the evil desires of Satan.

Keep your Bibles always open and ready for you to grab on to. Study His Word every day. Keep yourselves prepared.

I love y’all.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Thursday 112824

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

We have two ground rules in this study:

1 – we are ONLY going to read and follow what is found (that pertains to us), in the Holy Bible.

2 – we are ONLY going to learn from a study, what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Acts 11:1-18, 19-26, 27-30; Galatians 2:9; Acts 12:25.

So, we are going to continue with our lesson on which apostle taught the Gentiles first; was it Paul or was it Peter.

Peter is told to meet with Cornelius, and he baptizes the first gentile at Caesarea. (Acts 10).

Peter is called to Jerusalem to explain why he had entered a gentile’s house and then baptized a gentile. After explaining about the action of the Holy Spirit, the leaders had no further objection. Acts 11:1-18.

Acts 11

vs1 ‘…The apostles and the other believers in Judea heard that Gentiles had also believed the message from God…’

vs2 ‘…Peter then returned from Caesarea, and he arrived in Jerusalem. Some of the Jews there who were believers spoke against him. These Jews thought that all believers should be circumcised…’

vs3 ‘…So they said to Peter, you stayed in the house of men who were not circumcised. You even ate meals with them…’

vs4 ‘…Peter then began to explain everything that had happened. He said to them…’

vs5 ‘…I was staying in a house in the city of Joppa. One day, when I was praying, I had a special dream. In this vision, I saw something that came down from heaven. It was like a large piece of cloth. Somebody held it at each of its four corners and let it come down to the ground next to me…’

vs6 ‘…I looked carefully at it. I saw that there were farm animals with four legs inside the cloth. There were also wild animals, snakes, and birds in it…’

vs7 ‘…Then I heard a voice that said to me, Peter, stand up and kill some of these animals. Then you can cook them and eat the meat…’

vs8 ‘…But I answered, no, Lord, I would certainly not do that. I have never eaten an animal that our Law says is unclean…’

vs9 ‘…Then the voice spoke to me from heaven again. It said, God has made these animals good for people to eat. So, you must not say that it is not right to eat them…’

vs10 ‘…All this happened three times. After that, the cloth went back up into heaven again…’

vs11 ‘…At that moment, three men from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying. Someone had sent these men to find me…’

vs12 ‘…The Holy Spirit told me that I should go with them. He said that I should not be afraid. These six believers from Joppa also went with me to Caesarea. We all went into Cornelius’s house…’

vs13 ‘…Then Cornelius told us what had happened to him. He had seen an angel who appeared in his house and said to him, send some men to Joppa to fetch a man who is called Simon Peter…’

vs14 ‘…He will come and speak to you. His message will tell you how God will save you and everyone else in your house…’

vs15 ‘…When I started to speak to Cornelius and his family, the Holy Spirit came down on them. It happened in the same way that he first came down on us at the beginning…’

vs16 ‘…Then I remembered what the Lord Jesus had said to us: John baptized people with water, but God will baptize you with his Holy Spirit…’

vs17 ‘…So we see that God gave these Gentiles his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the same gift that he gave to us Jews who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I could never try to stop God…’

vs18 ‘…The Jewish believers heard what Peter said. They could not say anything more against him. Instead, they praised God, and they said, We now see that God has also let Gentiles have life with him. He will accept them if they stop doing bad things and turn to him…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

There is no further record of Peter ever preaching to gentiles after this incident.

Attention then shifts to Antioch and the developing tension over the role, if any, gentiles should have in the Gospel message. Acts 11:19-26. It was during this time that Barnabas went to get Saul in Tarsus (v25) and brought him to Antioch. It was at this time that Saul and Barnabas began preaching to gentiles.

Acts 11

vs19 ‘…After the Jewish leaders had killed Stephen, the believers had a lot of trouble. The believers left Jerusalem and they went to many different places. Some of them went away as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. They told God’s message to people in these places. But they only told the message to Jews…’

vs20 ‘…Some of the believers were people who came from Cyprus and Cyrene. These men went to Antioch. There they told God’s message to Gentiles, as well as to Jews. They told everyone the good news about the Lord Jesus…’

vs21 ‘…The Lord God helped these men with his power. Very many people believed their message and they trusted in the Lord Jesus…’

vs22 ‘…The believers in Jerusalem heard about what had happened in Antioch. So, they decided to send Barnabas there…’

vs23 ‘…Barnabas arrived in Antioch. He saw how God had been kind to the people there and helped them. Barnabas was happy about this. So he said to the new believers, ‘Continue to trust the Lord Jesus completely…’

vs24 ‘…Barnabas was a good man. The power of God’s Holy Spirit was with him. He trusted God completely. Many people in Antioch believed in Jesus and joined the group of believers…’

vs25 ‘…Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul…’

vs26 ‘…When Barnabas found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For one whole year, Barnabas and Saul met together with the group of believers there. They taught very many of them about Jesus. Antioch was the first place where the believers were called Christians…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Because of a famine, Saul and Barnabas are sent with gifts to Jerusalem. Acts 11:27-30.

Acts 11

vs27 ‘…During this time, some prophets travelled from Jerusalem to Antioch…’

vs28 ‘…One of these men was called Agabus. The Holy Spirit gave him a message from God. He stood up and he said to the people there, Soon people will be very hungry all over the world because there will be no food…’ (That happened when Claudius ruled the Roman world)

vs29 ‘…The believers in Antioch wanted to help the other believers who lived in Judea. Each of them decided how much of their own money they could give…’

vs30 ‘…Then they gave the money to Barnabas and Saul. Barnabas and Saul took this gift to the leaders of the believers in Jerusalem…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

It is probable that this was trip to Jerusalem is that referred to in Gal 2:1, fourteen years after Paul’s conversion. It was at this Jerusalem meeting that Paul agreed with Peter an amicable division of labour – Paul would preach to the gentiles while Peter would preach to the Jews, Gal 2:9.

Galatians 2:9 ‘…James, Peter and John understood that God had given this special job to me. They are the leaders that the church in Jerusalem respects. And they were happy to accept Barnabas and me as their friends. They agreed that we should teach God’s message to the Gentiles. They themselves would continue to teach the Jews…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Saul returns from Jerusalem to Antioch. Acts 12:25

Acts 12:25 ‘…Barnabas and Saul had gone to Jerusalem to help the believers there. They finished their work and then they returned to Antioch. They took John Mark with them…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Just for the record, John Mark wrote the synoptic gospel of Mark. John Mark was a scribe for the apostle Peter.

Paul and Barnabas are sent off on their first missionary journey Acts 13:2 – 14:28, preaching to gentiles, returning to Antioch.

The Jerusalem council is called to debate circumcision. Acts 15.

Thus, it appears that Peter baptized the first gentile (Acts 10, 15:7, 14) but appears to have then decided to concentrate on the Jews as subsequent actions confirmed (Gal 2:11-14). Paul also initially preached to Jews as shown above but later switched his focus to reaching only the gentiles.

Maybe we should ask ourselves what we have learned from these two lessons on who the first apostle was to preach to the Gentiles. It does appear as if it was Peter, but with that said, Jesus did choose Paul to teach the Gentiles.

Once again, this shows me just how difficult it was for the Jew to transform into the belief that a Gentile could be saved. It should also be a lesson just how difficult it was for a Jew to convert away from the teachings of the law.

This should be a lesson to us all today in the 21^st century, just how difficult it’s going to be for a person to leave a denomination that they’ve known since childhood, to today now change and follow Jesus and accept the gift of GRACE that God has given us that will Eternally save us from the promise of Spiritual Death.

It is going to take prayer for us to save each one of us from this fate that we ALL have in front of us.

Keep in the Word and study what God has freely given us. Use your voice and let others know what secrets you have found. Speak to them of the importance for them to get into the Word and study it for themselves to learn His Message.

I love y’all. Always remember that God loves each one of us even more than what we can comprehend what Love is.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Wednesday 112724

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

We have two ground rules in this study:

1 – we are ONLY going to read and follow what is found (that pertains to us), in the Holy Bible.

2 – we are ONLY going to learn from a study, what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Acts 9:1-19, 20-22; Galatians 1:17; Acts 9:23-25; Galatians 1:18; Acts 9:29, 30, 31, 32-42.

This lesson we are probably going to break up into several parts so we can study the readings more closely.

Let me voice an observation I’ve found since searching the Word for this lesson. There is this debate as to who was the first person that began preaching to the Gentiles, was it Paul or was it Peter. After some digging, I found some interesting facts. I’m going to copy and paste my findings.

Saul receives his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:1-19

Acts 9

vs1 ‘…All this time, Saul was still speaking strongly against the disciples of the Lord Jesus. He wanted to kill all the believers. So, he went to see the most important priest in Jerusalem…’

vs2 ‘…Saul asked him, please will you write some letters for me? Then I can give one of these letters to the leader of each Jewish group in Damascus. That will give me authority to take hold of any believers that I find there. Saul wanted to find anyone who agreed with the Way of the Lord Jesus. Then he would tie them and bring them back to Jerusalem, whether they were men or they were women…’

vs3 ‘…He travelled towards Damascus. He was very near the city when a bright light suddenly appeared. The light came from the sky, and it shone all around him…’

vs4 ‘…Saul fell down onto the ground. He heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why do you fight against me…’

vs5 ‘…Saul asked, Lord, who are you? He said, I am Jesus. And you are fighting against me…’

vs6 ‘…Now you must get up and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do…’

vs7 ‘…The men who were travelling with Saul stood still. They could not say anything. They could hear someone speaking. But they could not see anyone…’

vs8 ‘…Saul stood up. He opened his eyes, but he could not see anything. So, the men who were with Saul held his hand. They led him into Damascus…’

vs9 ‘…For three days, Saul could not see anything. During that time, he did not eat any food or drink anything…’

vs10 ‘…There was a believer who lived in Damascus. His name was Ananias. God gave him a message in a vision. The Lord Jesus said to him, Ananias! Ananias answered, Lord, I am here…’

vs11 ‘…Jesus said to Ananias, prepare yourself and go to Straight Street. A man called Judas lives on that street. Go to his house. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus who is called Saul. He is praying to God…’

vs12 ‘…He has had a message from God in a vision. In his vision, he saw a man who is called Ananias come to him. He saw you put your hands on him so that he could see again…’

vs13 ‘…Ananias replied, Lord, many people have told me about this man. He has done very bad things to your own people, the believers in Jerusalem…’

vs14 ‘…Now he has come here to Damascus, and he has brought letters with him from the leaders of the priests. They have given him authority, so that he will take hold of everyone who believes in you. He will tie them and put them in prison…’

vs15 ‘…But the Lord said to Ananias, Go now to Saul! I have chosen him to work for me. He will go to those who are not Jews and to their rulers. He will tell them about me. He will also tell the people of Israel about me…’

vs16 ‘…I myself will tell him about the many troubles that he will have. He will have much pain on my behalf…’

vs17 ‘…So Ananias went to Judas’s house, and he went inside. He put his hands on Saul, and he said to him, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself has sent me here to you. It was Jesus that you saw on the road when you were coming here to Damascus. He has sent me to you so that you will be able to see again. God will also fill you with his Holy Spirit…’

vs18 ‘…When Ananias said that, immediately something like bits of fish skin fell from Saul’s eyes. Then Saul could see again. So, he stood up and Ananias baptized him…’

vs19 ‘…Then Saul ate some food, and he became strong again. Saul teaches people about Jesus. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Immediately afterward Saul preached Jesus in the synagogues, Acts 9:20-22

Acts 9

vs20 ‘…He immediately went to the Jewish meeting places, and he taught people about Jesus. He told them that Jesus is the Son of God…’

vs21 ‘…All the people who heard what Saul said were very surprised. They said to each other, This is the same man who caused much pain to the believers in Jerusalem. We are sure it is him! Now he has come here to Damascus to take hold of the believers and take them away to Jerusalem. He wants to make them stand in front of the leaders of the priests…’

vs22 ‘…But Saul became even more powerful when he taught the people. He showed very clearly that Jesus is God’s Messiah. So, the Jews who lived there in Damascus could not answer him…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

How long he remained in Damascus preaching in the synagogues is unknown, but it was probably a few months (???). He then went to Arabia for an unknown time, presumably to clarify his thinking. Gal 1:17

Galatians 1:17 ‘…Nor did I go to Jerusalem to see Christ’s apostles there. Those men were already his apostles before I was. But I did not go to talk to them. Instead, I went immediately to the region of Arabia. Later, I went back to the city of Damascus…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Saul then returned to Damascus. It is not clear whether the events of Acts 9:23-25 (the plot to kill Saul) was before or after the trip Arabia. I am inclined to the latter because it was after “many days” (Acts 9:23). In any case, at this point, Paul has thus far confined himself to synagogues. It was at this point that he decided to leave for Jerusalem.

Acts 9

vs23 ‘…After many days, the Jews met together. They decided that they would kill Saul…’

vs24 ‘…But someone told Saul about this. The Jews carefully watched the gates of the city all day and all night. They wanted to catch Saul and to kill him…’

vs25 ‘…But one night, Saul’s friends helped him to leave the city secretly. They put him in a basket. Then they put him through a hole in the city wall. Then they let the basket go slowly down to the ground outside the city…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Paul goes to Jerusalem 3 years after his conversion (Gal 1:18) to meet Cephas/Peter and other leaders.

Galatians 1:18 ‘…Then, three years later, I did go to Jerusalem. I stayed there with Christ’s apostle Peter for 15 days, so that he could teach me…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Saul is still only dealing with Jews and not gentiles. Acts 9:29.

Acts 9:29 ‘…Saul also talked with the Jews who spoke the Greek language. He argued with them about Jesus. As a result, they wanted to kill him…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Paul then travels to Syria and Cilicia via Tarsus. Acts 9:30.

Acts 9:30 ‘…The other believers heard about this. So, they took Saul away to Caesarea. From there, they sent him to Tarsus…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

The Church enjoyed a time of peace. Acts 9:31. During this next period, Acts is silent about the activities of Saul.

Acts 9:31 ‘…By this time there were believers everywhere in Judea, Galilee and Samaria. For some time, they had no troubles. The Holy Spirit helped them to become strong. So, more people became believers, and they obeyed God in everything that they did…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Peter miraculously heals Aeneas and resurrects Tabitha at Lydda. Acts 9:32-43

Acts 9

vs32 ‘…Peter often travelled to many different places. One day he travelled to Lydda, and he went to see the believers there…’

vs33 ‘…In Lydda, he met a man called Aeneas. Aeneas could not move his arms or his legs. He lay on his mat all the time. He had been on his mat for eight years…’

vs34 ‘…Peter said to Aeneas, Jesus Christ now makes you well again! So, stand up and put away your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas stood up…’

vs35 ‘…Many people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas. They saw that he was now well, and they believed in the Lord Jesus…’

vs36 ‘…There was a woman called Tabitha who lived in Joppa. She was a believer. In the Greek language, her name was Dorcas, which means ‘deer.’ She was always doing good things to help people. She gave poor people the things that they needed…’

vs37 ‘…Dorcas became very ill and then she died. Women washed her body and they put it in a room upstairs…’

vs38 ‘…Joppa was not very far from Lydda. The believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda. So, they sent two men to go and to tell him, please hurry and come to Joppa…’

vs39 ‘…Peter then returned to Joppa with the two men. When he arrived at Dorcas’s house, some women took him upstairs. Many widows were there, and they were crying. They all stood there, near to Peter. They showed him the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was still with them…’

vs40 ‘…Peter sent all these women out of the room. He went down on his knees, and he prayed to God. Then he turned his head towards the dead woman, and he said, Tabitha, stand up! She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up…’

vs41 ‘…Peter held her hand and he helped her to stand up. Then he told the widows and all the believers to come into the room. He showed them that Dorcas was alive again…’

vs42 ‘…People everywhere in Joppa heard what had happened. As a result, many more people believed in the Lord Jesus…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Keep yourself in His Word and study to find the truth that He wants us to know.

I love y’all.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Tuesday 112624

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

1^st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

2^nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Mark 9:30-31; Numbers 3:7; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 9:6; Genesis 12 :1-3,7; Hebrews 2:14-18; Romans 8:31; Philippians 4:13; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Ephesians 6:10-12.

So, let’s begin …

As I was studying, preparing this paper, I discovered a question that was proposed by an individual online … allow me to share it with you.

‘Why did Jesus speak of His death to the disciples if they didn’t understand it until after He was crucified?’

Mark 9

vs30 ‘…And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it…’

vs31 ‘…For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later…’

vs32 ‘…But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The answer given online was that Jesus was speaking to His disciples, telling them prophesy of what was about to happen.

I, have personal feelings about this subject … I hope this will not turn some away from this study, but I must admit, common sense tells me the Israelites, from way back in the times of Moses, had a difficult time reading and gathering information or hearing what was being written down in the Old Testament.

I think a lot of their difficulty was the fact that they believed, as many do today, in changing the Word to fit around their own lives, rather than changing their lives to fit around the Word that God was telling them.

I’d begin, when the Israelite first hears of the coming of Jesus to save them.

Numbers 3:7 ‘…He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted…’ KJV (King James Version)

Numbers, the 4^th book of Moses.

Deuteronomy 18:18 ‘…I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him…’ KJV (King James Version)

This was known by every Israelite. They knew the message and they verbally passed the word down to their young.

Deuteronomy, the 5^th book written by Moses and passed down to his people.

Isaiah 9:6 ‘…For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace…’ KJV (King James Version)

Isaiah is said to have been written down between 740 to 700 BCE.

Of course, the Hebrew Bible of the Old Testament, was for many years, orated verbally to those in their household or tribe.

Some scholars believe the 1^st 5 books of the Pentateuch were written during the time of Moses, around the 13^th or the 15^th century BCE, while others argue that they were written much later, during the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE, or even as late as the 4th century BCE

The oldest surviving Hebrew Bible fragments are the Dead Sea Scrolls which date around 250 BCE.

The Old Testament has prophesied in many different places of the coming of Jesus.

As I was searching through the internet writing this study, I came across a site from James Madison University, actually having the 613 Jewish commandments (mitzvot in Hebrew), extracted from the Old Testament. Not only are the 613 commandments written out, the corresponding book and chapter from the Old Testament is given for each command.

The Jew living in the times of Jesus, followed what the Pharisees taught them. They lived obeying 613 rules that man had determined most important in their lives.

Maybe this is just one example of how I cannot believe that men would follow another human being when it was God that originally gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, for him to pass on to the Israelite people.

The Israelites chose to listen to what another man told them to believe instead of listening and following the message that God had already told them how to live.

God chose Abram because he believed what God was telling him.

Genesis 12

vs1 ‘…Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee…’

vs2 ‘…And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing…’

vs3 ‘…And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed…’ KJV (King James Version)

And Abram believed God.

vs7 ‘…And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him…’ KJV (King James Version)

Abram believed God.

What could have happened between Abram, his belief in God and the Israelites at the foot of the mountain with their leader, Moses?

What could have happened between us, mankind today in the 21^st century, with the Bible sitting right there next to us on a table, in a chair, on a bookstand, in a holder at church on Sunday morning, in the back window of our vehicles so others can see we have a Bible; what has happened that won’t allow us to open the covers and read what the Bible has written on the pages?

Why are so many afraid to read the Words of God?

Are our lives so messed up, that we have ALL just given up?

The main reason for any one of these questions has been known since Adam and Eve, way back in the garden. The reason so many have failed is because of the lying mouth of Satan.

But what is so unbelievable is that people today in the 21^st century, are too afraid to open the covers and examine the Word. Most of them are clueless that Satan has already been defeated. The Bible tells us he has been defeated since the cross but so many today are allowing him the strength to keep us away from attaining what Jesus has done and given to us.

Hebrew 2

vs14 ‘…So, those people who become God’s children are human. They have human bodies. Because of that, Jesus himself became human like us. In that way, when he died he was able to destroy the Devil. It is the Devil who has power over death…’

vs15 ‘…Before, we were like slaves all our lives because we were afraid of death. But now, Jesus’ death makes us free…’

vs16 ‘…It is clear that Jesus did not come to help the angels. He came to help people who are from Abraham’s family…’

vs17 ‘…Because of that, it was necessary for Jesus to become completely like us, his brothers and sisters. He had to become God’s servant on our behalf, like God’s most important priest. In that way, he could serve God well and be kind to us. He died as a sacrifice so that God could forgive us for our sins…’

vs18 ‘…While Jesus lived on earth, the Devil tried to make him do wrong things. This caused Jesus to have much pain and trouble. But because of that, he can now help us not to do wrong things…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Satan, the devil has been against us from our very beginning. In the devil’s mind, he needs us so that he can defeat God.

Romans 8:31 ‘…What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us…’ KJV (King James Version)

Our major problem is that we keep getting these messages whispered into our ears trying to let us know we have been defeated.

Philippians 4:13 ‘…I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…’ KJV (King James Version)

Satan is not going to give up, he thinks he has won. He thinks he has defeated us.

1 Timothy 6:12 ‘…Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses…’ KJV (King James Version)

The time is coming when there will be no more time left for us to count on. When God determines that it is finished, IT WILL BE FINISHED.

2 Timothy 4:7 ‘…I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…’ KJV (King James Version)

God knows Satan is going to tempt us throughout our everyday lives. He knows that we are going to need His help to assist us in defeating the enemy, the devil. This is the number one reason God gave us the protection of His armor.

Ephesians 6

vs10 ‘…Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…’

vs11 ‘…Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…’ KJV (King James Version)

We need to realize it’s not just another human being we’re trying to beat up.

It’s not another country we’re going to do battle with.

God has warned us and foretold who our enemy is. If we choose not to take His advice to protect ourselves, who are we going to be able to blame?

Ephesians 6:12 ‘…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…’ KJV (King James Version)

There is going to come a day when it is going to be too late for us to either defend ourselves or for us to prepare for what our future has planned for us.

God has already forewarned us. It is our responsibility to listen and protect ourselves from the evil that is present around us.

I love every one of you. God loves ALL of us, even more than we could ever imagine possible. Take the time to allow Him to come into your life and fulfill what He has given to you.

Open His Word every day of your lives and read of His Majesty.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen.

InHIM. ><)))o>

Monday 112524

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

1^st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

2^nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Colossians 1:26, :27, 2:2, 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, :16.

In my attempt to spread the Word, to the people in the 21^st century, I am posting a new lesson every morning.

I am posting my lessons on eleven (11) different sites.

On Facebook, I am:

Whosoever Inhim

Whosoever inhim Bible Study

Or, in a search engine, simply type:

lrabbe.wordpress.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/my-site-2

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/whosoeverinhim

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

So, tonight I think we will finish the last verses by the apostle Paul, using the word ‘MYSTERY.’

Colossians 1:26 ‘…Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs26, the Apostle Paul introduces a mystery that involves the full citizenship of Gentiles alongside Israelites in the kingdom of God. The mystery is that Christ should grant Gentiles equal privileges under the Gospel as Jews, including dwelling in them to ensure their glory. Paul calls the word of God or the gospel a ‘mystery’ that has been revealed to God’s people after being kept secret for centuries. The mystery is that all people, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile, can be saved by accepting the salvation that Christ achieved on the cross.

Colossians 1:27 ‘…To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…’ KJV (King James Version)

Vs27 says, ‘To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ The mystery in this verse is that Christ is in people, and because of this, they can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. This verse also describes Jesus as the image of God, the creator, the head of the church, and the savior of the world. 

Colossians 2:2 ‘…That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

In the Bible, vs2 states, ‘My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.’

Colossians 4:3 ‘…Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs3, Paul asks God to open a door so he can declare the ‘mystery of Christ.’ The term ‘mystery’ (musterion) in the Bible usually refers to something that was previously hidden but has now been revealed. In this case, the mystery of Christ is the relationship between Christ and believers that has been revealed in a way that was not previously known. Paul identifies the mystery of Christ as:

Christ in you: The hope of glory

Christ Himself: God’s mystery

Christ’s relationship to believers: Revealed in a way that was not previously communicated. 

2 Thessalonians 2:7 ‘…For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…’ KJV (King James Version)

The King James Version translates the word as ‘iniquity,’ but the literal meaning of this word is lawlessness.

Here, in vs7, Paul describes lawlessness as a ‘mystery’ that is already at work. Lawlessness is present now, but it will culminate in the deeds of the man of lawlessness. This truth was hidden until God revealed it through Paul

1 Timothy 3:9 ‘…Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience…’ KJV (King James Version)

The ‘mystery of the faith’ includes things such as final atonement through Jesus’ death and resurrection (a truth not wholly unknown under the old covenant but dimly revealed in the shadows and types of the Mosaic law.

1 Timothy 3:16 ‘…And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory…’ KJV (King James Version)

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

One word and it took three papers to complete a lesson.

Instead of us being in a rush to get the Bible read, I think it is important for us to study every word and to take our time so we will be able to hear what God wants us to hear.

There is no time limit other than we BELIEVE before time runs out. There is no one alive today that knows when the end will come upon us.’

Jesus taught us that we needed to be ready for when that day comes.

When I was a boy growing up, I was a cub scout. Our number ONE rule was that we were always prepared. This is the same lesson that we must learn from what the Bible tells us. If we fall asleep and we’re not ready, our future does not have a great promise.

I love every one of y’all. Jesus, He loves each one of us even more than I could ever think possible.

Continue in His Word and return your questions back to Him and allow Him to teach you in the way He wants you to know.

We are running a little short tonight which I guess makes up for those nights we’ve run long.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Sunday 112424

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

1^st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

2^nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Romans 11:25, 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7, 15:51, 15:44; Ephesians 1:9, 3:3, 4, 9, 5:32, 6:19.

So, let’s continue this study on the word Mystery.

In our lesson yesterday, we visited the five verses where the word ‘MYSTERY’ was used, but it was used by someone other than, the apostle Paul.

In this lesson, we will focus on those verses written by Paul using the word ‘MYSTERY.’

So, before we begin, let’s try and define what God is telling us through this word ‘MYSTERY.’

Here is the apostle Paul trying to define what we are being told:

1 Corinthians 2

vs1 ‘…Christian friends, I came to tell you God’s true message. I did not use clever words when I spoke to you. I did not try to make you think that I was very wise…’

vs2 ‘…While I was with you, I decided to teach you only about Jesus Christ. I taught you about his death on a cross. I wanted to forget everything else…’

vs3 ‘…I lived among you as someone who felt weak. I was very afraid…’

vs4 ‘…When I spoke to you and when I taught you God’s message, I did not use clever words. I did not want you to believe me because you thought I was wise. Instead, it was the power of God’s Holy Spirit that showed you that my message was true…’

vs5 ‘…As a result, you now believe because of God’s power. You do not believe because of human ideas…’

vs6 ‘…But we do speak about wise thoughts to those of you who know Christ very well. But those wise thoughts do not belong to this world. They are not the ideas that the rulers of this world think are important. Those rulers will not be powerful for long…’

vs7 ‘…No, the wise thoughts that we speak about belong to God. He has hidden them from people until now. But before God made the world, he decided to let us know these secrets. He wanted us to enjoy his glory…’

vs8 ‘…None of the rulers of this world understood God’s wise plan. If they had understood, they would not have killed Jesus on a cross. He is the Lord who rules heaven and earth…’

vs9 ‘…This is written in the Bible: Nobody ever saw or heard anything about this. Nobody ever thought that it could happen. But these are the things that God has prepared for his people who love him…’

vs10 ‘…But God has sent his Spirit to show these secrets to us. God’s Spirit looks carefully into everything. He even knows God’s secret thoughts…’

vs11 ‘…Only a person’s own spirit can know everything that is in his thoughts. And it is the same with God. Only God’s Spirit knows everything that is in God’s thoughts…’

vs12 ‘…We have received God’s own Spirit, not a spirit that belongs to this world. As a result, we can understand all the good things that God has given to us…’

vs13 ‘…Those are the things that we speak about. We do not use clever words to speak about human ideas. Instead, we speak the message that God’s Spirit has taught us. In that way, we explain a spiritual message to people who have God’s Spirit…’

vs14 ‘…If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God’s Spirit. They think that God’s message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God’s Spirit can explain them to people…’

vs15 ‘…But we have God’s Spirit with us. So we can understand the true value of all things. But other people cannot truly understand us, who belong to God…’

vs16 ‘…As it says in the Bible: Nobody can know what the Lord God is thinking. Nobody can tell him what he should do. But we think about these things in the same way that Christ thinks.…’ EASY (Easy English Version)

This chapter is one of the better chapters I’ve read in the Bible, where God is trying to explain to each one of us, through the apostle Paul, what He has planned for us.

Once again, ALL it takes is for us to believe and have FAITH in Him and we will be able to understand His every word.

Beginning in Romans, it is explained how our eyes are being opened so we can begin to realize this mystery that has been kept quiet until now, which is being revealed to His church.

Romans 11:25 ‘…For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in…’ KJV (King James Version)

Vs25 discusses the mystery of Israel’s future and God’s plan for the Church. The verse states, ‘A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.’ This verse is part of Paul’s discussion of God’s plan to restore and redeem Israel, which began in Romans 9 and 10. Paul explains that God has hardened some of the Israelites in their unbelief until enough Gentiles have come to Christ. However, this hardening is not permanent, and one day the fullness of the Gentiles will be complete, and God will deliver Israel.

Romans 16:25 ‘…Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs25, the ‘revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages’ refers to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone, including the Gentiles. Paul describes this great truth as a mystery that was revealed by God when the time was right, and not something he or anyone else discovered

1 Corinthians 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…’ KJV (King James Version)

The wisdom of God in a mystery – the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which had been hidden from the foundation of the world, (the settling of the Jewish economy, as this phrase often means,) though appointed from the beginning to be revealed in the fulness of time

1 Corinthians 15:51 ‘…Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…’ KJV (King James Version)

Vs51 talks about the mystery he has been revealing throughout chapter 15. In a word, this is ‘transformation.’ God will, in fact, transform the ‘natural’ bodies of the Christians into glorified, or ‘spiritual’ bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44) that will inherit God’s kingdom, after all.

1 Corinthians 15:44 ‘…What we bury in the ground is a human body. But the body that God raises up is a spiritual body. There is a human body that belongs to this earth. So there also has to be a spiritual body that belongs to heaven…’ EASY (Easy English Body)

Ephesians 1:9 ‘…Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs9, Paul says that the mystery of the administration of the fullness of times was revealed to him. Some say that this mystery is God’s will, which is the uniting of all things in heaven and earth under Christ. Others say that the mystery is Christ in you, and that the essence of the mystery is Jesus himself and his redemptive work on the cross.

Ephesians 3:3 ‘…How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words…’ KJV (King James Version)

Ephesians 3:4 ‘…Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vss3–6, Paul reveals a mystery to the Ephesians that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with the Jews in Christ through the Gospel. This is called a mystery because it was not known to humans in previous generations but was kept secret by God for a long time and is now being revealed. Paul’s message is framed in the context of addressing Judaizers who had been a problem for his ministry. He clarifies that Gentiles should be fellow heirs through the Gospel, or in Christ, not through circumcision or the Mosaic Law

Ephesians 3:9 ‘…And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs9, Paul writes of the ‘plan of the mystery hidden for ages.’ This mystery is the idea that Jews and Gentiles can both receive salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul calls this a mystery because it was revealed from God and was not known to others, including the men who wrote the Old Testament

Ephesians 5:32 ‘…This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs32, the term ‘mystery’ refers to the relationship between Christ and the church. Paul uses the word ‘mystery’ frequently in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, and in this passage, he explains that the deepest meaning of marriage had been partially hidden until this point. Paul says that marriage is a metaphor or picture that stands for something more than a man and a woman becoming one flesh. It is meant to be a portrait of Christ’s covenant with his people, his commitment to the church.

Ephesians 6:19 ‘…And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel…’ KJV (King James Version)

In vs19, the apostle Paul asks the Ephesians church to pray for him to have the words to proclaim the Gospel, which he calls the ‘Mystery of the Gospel.’ The Greek word for ‘mystery’ in this verse is moos-TAY-ree-on, which means ‘something hidden, secret, unknown, or not obvious.’ Paul believed that the gospel was once hidden but has now been revealed by God, and that it is up to people to bring the message to others. Paul believed that through prayer, the Holy Spirit can give people the words to explain the Gospel.

Next lesson hopefully, we will finish this study on the word ‘MYSTERY.’

Continue reading the Word. The more we read His Words, the more we will be able know what is expected from us and what awaits us.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Saturday 112324

(I post this morning’s lesson in the hope that someone would read what I have written and that they would think for just a moment, what is it that they actually believe in. Remember, we MUST believe in Jesus Christ and that He died for our sins and that He was Resurrected from the tomb. InHIM)

Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

1^st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

2^nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Matthew 7:13-14; Mark 4:11, 4:1, 9; Revelation 1:19 and 20, 10:7, 17:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; Revelation 17:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:17c.

This morning (some time ago), I posted an article on Facebook.

The most common sin committed against God has been mankind’s UNBELIEF in Him. Throughout history, ALL of history, from the Garden all the way through the 21st century, man has turned our backs on God, and we’ve determined that we were going to serve the god that we wanted to follow rather than the God we find inside the Bible. I invite you to a study where we are ONLY going to use what the Holy Bible tells us. The Word doesn’t give us an exact date as to when this world will end … I pray and hope that you are inspired enough to SEEK Him before that day, when it is finished. (07/12/2024)

Over the past few months, I am unsure how many different lessons I have spoken on UNBELIEF that can be seen throughout the span of time. It would be easier for us to name those individuals that have believed and followed the words God has spoken to us.

This is the reason the path is so narrow that Jesus speaks about in the Bible.

Matthew 7

vs13 ‘…Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat…’

vs14 ‘…Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it…’ KJV (King James Version)

Found in a newer version:

vs13 ‘…Go in through the narrow gate to get true life with God. There is a wide gate that is easy to go through. The wide path is easy to travel on. Many people find that wide gate, but it is the way to hell…’

vs14 ‘…It is difficult to go through the small gate. And it is difficult to walk on the narrow road. But when you do go that way, you will get true life. Not many people find that narrow gate…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

We will find that narrow gate when we BELIEVE. When we believe in the God found in the Bible not the god, we choose to believe in. When we study His Word and we read and follow it to the letter, it will be on that day when we will find the narrow gate.

There are a few words used in the Bible that we should focus on before we make any decision how we are going to follow His teachings.

The first word we are going to focus on is the word: ‘MYSTERY.’

In the Strong’s Concordance, the word mystery is in twenty-two different verses so we will look at these verses.

Of the twenty-two times we find the word used, the apostle Paul uses the word all but five times. Mark uses it once and John four times, in the book of Revelation.

Mark 4:11 ‘…And He was saying to them, To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything is done in parables…’ BLB (Berean Literal Bible)

John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark. The son of Elijah and Mary Mark, John Mark became a follower of Jesus after witnessing the disciples’ teachings with John the Baptist. He served as a helper to the apostles and is portrayed as a young lad during Jesus’ life. The apostle Simon Peter influenced the gospel of Mark, at whose urging Mark decided to write it soon after Peter’s death in 67 CE.

In this verse from Mark, Jesus is teaching a crowd of people near the edge of Lake Galilee.

vs1 ‘…Again, Jesus began to teach people near the edge of Lake Galilee. A large crowd came together to listen to him. So he went and sat in a boat that was on the water. The crowd of people stayed on the shore…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Jesus began teaching the parable about the Sower.

vs9 ‘…And Jesus concluded, Listen, then, if you have ears…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Jesus taught of God’s Kingdom or taken from the BLB (Berean Literal Bible), the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God, in Christianity is the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the fulfillment on Earth of God’s will. The phrase occurs frequently in the New Testament, primarily used by Jesus Christ in the first three gospels. Jesus was teaching the Jews of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies or promises. The teachings of Jesus, before He was crucified, buried, and rose again from the dead, were teachings different than GRACE. Grace was not known about until that day when Jesus confronts Saul on his way to Damascus.

What we read from the Bible can be defined as a mystery since the only one that knows for sure what is being taught is God Himself. If it were simple and clear, the word mystery would never have been used.

The word mystery is used four times by John in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:20, 10:7, 17:5 and :7.

The Book of Revelation communicates the future of the world. The author believes the followers of Christ will be rewarded with paradise, while the evil people of the world will be punished by a series of great disasters and destruction. Good will ultimately triumph and create a paradise for the followers of Christ.

Revelation, however, is split into three parts:

These different parts are split into groups of words, that show PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE tenses in the verse. A ‘tense’ is the verb that describes the action in a sentence. It also tells us when the action happens.

Revelation 1:19 ‘…Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

John was told to write the things he had seen, the things that are, and the things after these things.

The very next verse, Revelation 1:20 is the first verse John uses the word ‘mystery.’

Revelation 1:20 ‘…The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches…’ KJV (King James Version)

The mystery from Revelation 1 is the revealing of the church in the New Testament.

This church in the New Testament is you and me.

It is a forewarning or prophesy of God’s plans for the believers in Jesus Christ. God put on hold the ministry through the nation of Israel until the Tribulation and the 2^nd Coming of Jesus.

I hope I have shown clearly in past studies, but the Tribulation will not begin until after the church has been removed from this earth; this will be the RAPTURE of the church.

I truly believe the church, you and I, and ALL the BELIEVERS of the Word, will be removed before the next three uses of the word ‘mystery’ are used.

I have tried my best to define the last three verses where John uses the word ‘mystery.’

Revelation 10:7 ‘…But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets…’ KJV (King James Version)

A ‘mystery’ in the Biblical sense, is something that was not previously known, but is later revealed. A secret is never disclosed. When the angel declares that the ‘mystery of God should be finished,’ it means that the full disclosure of God has been finished, another words, ALL is complete … the end is here upon us.

Revelation 17:5 ‘…And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth…’ KJV (King James Version)

In the Book of Revelation, the ‘Mother Of Harlots’ is a symbolic female figure called ‘Mystery, Babylon The Great.’ Her name is ‘MYSTERY.’ Not the mystery of godliness, that she dislikes and opposes, but rather the mystery of iniquity, which is the name the antichrist went by in the Apostle Paul’s time, when he was but in embryo.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 ‘…For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…’ KJV (King James Version)

She’s described as being drunk on the blood of martyrs and saints, and is adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls (Rev 17:6). 

Revelation 17:7 ‘…And the angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns…’ KJV (King James Version)

The angel is the same one who showed John a vision of a “great prostitute” in Revelation 17:1–6. This symbolic woman represents the religious aspect of Babylon, which is a metaphor for evil and the opposition to God’s rule by world powers. The beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries the woman is subordinate to her, unlike the Sea Beast, which is another beast with seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation is a difficult book to teach as well as to read and comprehend, but with that being said, we, ‘the church,’ you and I and ALL the believers found in this world, we will ALL be raptured to remain with Jesus ALWAYS.

1 Thessalonians 4:17c ‘…And thus we shall always be with the Lord…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

The Holy Bible, Berean Literal Bible, BLB Copyright ©2016 by Bible Hub Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Friday 112224

Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s GIFT, so that no one can boast about it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

If we hear a message and we cannot find it in the Bible, we should not try and fit that message into our lifestyle since it is not God’s Message that we’re hearing. It’s probably nothing more than a man-made message that is trying to sound good and catch us off guard.

God’s Message will one day save us, but a man-made message has only a value to that person repeating it. That message will never be able to do anything for me, or for you.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Romans 1:18-32; Leviticus 18:1-30; Ephesians 2:8.

In my attempt to spread the Word, to the people in the 21^st century, I am posting a new lesson every morning.

I am posting my lessons on eleven (11) different sites.

On Facebook, I am:

Whosoever Inhim

Whosoever inhim Bible Study

Or, in a search engine, simply type:

lrabbe.wordpress.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/my-site-2

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/whosoeverinhim

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

In this morning’s lesson, don’t allow yourself to be held down by what mankind considers godly, but rather just listen and read what God, in the past, considered very GODLY.

Don’t let what we face in this lifestyle, what we live in today in the 21^st century, go back with me and check out the honesty how God addressed the matter to those that believed His every word.

Today, we can hear memories, memories that are told by people of stories told to them by their parents and their grandparents. And others will repeat messages of what was said at church, or they’ll repeat what their pastor said.

Why is it that no one says what the Bible says? Why does no one tell us what the Word says?

Since I began this study, several years ago now, that has been my point, why does no one repeat what is in the Word?

I for years, have been saying how important it is for this world to begin reading their Bibles, but it seems as if it has been falling on deaf ears.

It is from inside the Word where we will find what church we should be visiting. It’s from inside the Word that we can fulfill our expectations that we take from this world that we live in.

Everything that is going on today is found inside the Word, everything.

Homosexuals, lesbians and aids; it’s all in there.

Romans 1

vs18 ‘…For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…’

vs19 ‘…because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them…’

vs20 ‘…For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse…’

vs21 ‘…For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened…’

vs22 ‘…Claiming to be wise, they became fools…’

vs23 ‘…and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures…’

vs24 ‘…Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them…’

vs25 ‘…For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen…’

vs26 ‘…For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature…’

vs27 ‘…and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error…’

vs28 ‘…And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper…’

vs29 ‘…people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips…’

vs30 ‘…slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…’

vs31 ‘…without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful…’

vs32 ‘…and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The Word says God knew what y’all were doing, but you didn’t praise and worship Him and He didn’t feel the need for you to be saved from your evil desires. You didn’t believe in Him, why should He save you?

This world is full of so much evil today in the 21^st century, we have filled it full of all our disgust and vile waste, it is a wonder we even have a God that keeps an eye out for us.

Families today are not families. Mom’s and dad’s leave their homes so they can make a living so they can live a life and most times that life is so far away from the presence of God. It’s not a ‘life,’ it’s nothing more than an existence.

Our families today have all become individuals. We’re no longer ONE unit inside a building, we’re four, five or more individuals inside a space.

Our lives today have become so complex. We’re told back in Leviticus (the ‘Law), how when we had sex with our spouse, there were things that could be done, and there were other things, that couldn’t be done. It was so spelled out for them.

Leviticus 18

vs1 ‘…The Lord told Moses…’

vs2 ‘…to say to the people of Israel, I am the Lord your God…’

vs3 ‘…Do not follow the practices of the people of Egypt, where you once lived, or of the people in the land of Canaan, where I am now taking you…’

vs4 ‘…Obey my laws and do what I command. I am the Lord your God…’

vs5 ‘…Follow the practices and the laws that I give you; you will save your life by doing so. I am the Lord…’

vs6 ‘…The Lord gave the following regulations. Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your relatives…’

vs7 ‘…Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. You must not disgrace your own mother…’

vs8 ‘…Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with any of his other wives…’

vs9 ‘…Do not have intercourse with your sister or your stepsister, whether or not she was brought up in the same house with you…’

vs10 ‘…Do not have intercourse with your granddaughter; that would be a disgrace to you…’

vs11 ‘…Do not have intercourse with a half-sister; she, too, is your sister…’

vs12-13 ‘…Do not have intercourse with an aunt, whether she is your father’s sister or your mother’s sister…’

vs14 ‘…Do not have intercourse with your uncle’s wife; she, too, is your aunt…’

vs15 ‘…Do not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law…’

vs16 ‘…or with your brother’s wife…’

vs17 ‘…Do not have intercourse with the daughter or granddaughter of a woman with whom you have had intercourse; they may be related to you, and that would be incest…’

vs18 ‘…Do not take your wife’s sister as one of your wives, as long as your wife is living…’

vs19 ‘…Do not have intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, because she is ritually unclean…’

vs20 ‘…Do not have intercourse with another man’s wife; that would make you ritually unclean…’

vs21 ‘…Do not hand over any of your children to be used in the worship of the god Molech, because that would bring disgrace on the name of God, the Lord…’

vs22 ‘…No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that…’

vs23 ‘…No man or woman is to have sexual relations with an animal; that perversion makes you ritually unclean…’

vs24 ‘…Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these acts, for that is how the pagans made themselves unclean, those pagans who lived in the land before you and whom the Lord is driving out so that you can go in…’

vs25 ‘…Their actions made the land unclean, and so the Lord is punishing the land and making it reject the people who lived there…’

vs26-27 ‘…They did all these disgusting things and made the land unclean, but you must not do them. All of you, whether Israelites or foreigners living with you, must keep the Lord’s laws and commands…’

vs28 ‘…and then the land will not reject you, as it rejected the pagans who lived there before you…’

vs29 ‘…You know that whoever does any of these disgusting things will no longer be considered one of God’s people…’

vs30 ‘…And the Lord said, Obey the commands I give and do not follow the practices of the people who lived in the land before you, and do not make yourselves unclean by doing any of these things. I am the Lord your God…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

We cannot go to a beach today without seeing how much tinier the bathing suits have gotten in just ‘ONE’ year.

We cannot watch television or go to a movie today, without blatant nudity portrayed everywhere on the screen.

Language today, filthy outright obscenities. There are some shows today where it seems actors and actresses swear, just to swear and use disgusting words, WHY?

It is as if the respect that was once shown to God, has turned into what today considers the norm; ‘how much disrespect can we show God today.’

This world is quickly coming to an end. God’s ‘church age’ is quickly crumbling before our very own eyes. Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the destruction that is occurring ALL around us.

Stand FIRM. Arm yourself with the layers of Armor that God has given us that will prevent the evil to get inside our minds and into our lives.

The most defensive and the ONLY offensive piece of Armor that God has given us is His Word, our Holy Bibles.

Keep them open ALL day and continuously study what we have been told is going to happen and prepare yourself for the future in front of us.

Keep your eyes always looking at the promise that God has given us.

My favorite verse in the Bible:

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

God loves us and He has already promised us more than what we truly deserve. Hold on a little while longer.

I love all of y’all.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>

Thursday 112124

Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s GIFT, so that no one can boast about it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

It is because of the Word that we BELIEVE that God, really loves us. As we study this Word that God has given us, if we hear a message and that message can’t be backed up by Scripture found in the Bible, we are going to leave that message alone and not go back to it again.

Our focus is going to be centered on Scripture, the Word that God has given us to follow and to learn from. It has to be understood that the only way we are truly going to learn from this Word and put it into our lives, is individually, each one of us MUST accept and apply what we read and hear into action through and around us.

The verses we’re going to use tonight, is:

2 Timothy 4:3; Genesis 1:1, 2:4; Exodus 3:14; John 8:58; Colossians 2:8-9, 1:13-17; John 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 John 4:1, 4:11; John 3:16; 1 John 4:12.

I used to go to church every Sunday. I couldn’t wait to get inside the doors of that building. With handshakes, hugs and prayers before we even began our service, God was emanating in our presence.

But there came the day when Satan got his foot inside that door. His evilness was hunting down souls that would allow his way in and confuse the Words that were given to us.

I left that church because of a false teaching that was spreading rampant through the seats stating that ‘Jesus was not God.’

I planned, wrote and read sermons that I had prepared from Scripture, trying to show how the Word stated the case, but it was like talking to the floor.

The day came when I could no longer put up with the false teachings that were going on inside the walls of that building.

The senior pastor from that church, unbelievably sat in the back listening to the controversy that was happening inside the building, until that moment finally climaxed when I could no longer remain any longer.

I left and to this day, have never returned. It was on that day when I realized the evil that has occurred in ‘man’s churches’ throughout this land that we live in.

Since that day, I have not attended a Sunday service, anywhere. I have a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday service every day from around 7:00-7:30 am to 11:00-12:00 noon. Everyday. Sometimes longer and somedays a little shorter.

I write lessons taken from the Bible of what ‘GOD’ has told us that He wants for us to and NOT to do.

Just because you heard something Sunday morning at a church you visited, if that message cannot be found in the Word, or backed up by what is written in the Word, it is simply ‘mankind’s message’ to God’s people.

It is nothing more than the ‘tickling of ears’ or ‘itching ears’ spoken about in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:3 ‘…For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Tonight’s lesson, we’re going to thumb through the Bible and make a mental note of ALL the times the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are mentioned inside Scripture. I want to focus on all of the different ‘names’ used to identify God.

Put your seatbelts on and let’s begin.

Let’s begin in Genesis 1:1.

‘…In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

‘God’ mentioned in vs1, taken from the original Hebrew Bible is found to be ‘Elohim.’ The plural form of God.

‘…Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz…’ (Hebrew transliteration)

The word elohim or ‘elohiym (ʼĕlôhîym) is a grammatically plural noun for ‘gods’ or ‘deities’ or various other words in Biblical Hebrew.

Just take a look at Genesis 1, all but five (5) of the thirty-one verses, use the word ‘God/Elohim.’ (all but vs. 13, 15, 19, 23 and 30).

In Genesis 2:4, instead of the Bible using the word God/Elohim, now the words ‘LORD God’ = YHWH (Yahweh) = the Jehovah God, is used.

God tells Moses, go to pharaoh and free my enslaved people and Moses replies ‘who am I’ that I should go to Pharoh, and who am I going to say has sent me:

Exodus 3:14 ‘…And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Instead of the Bible using the word God/Elohim, the words ‘LORD God’ = YHWH (Yahweh) = the Jehovah God now God identifies Himself as = the I AM God.

John 8:58 ‘…Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Instead of the Bible using the word God/Elohim, the words ‘LORD God’ = YHWH (Yahweh) = the Jehovah God now God identifies Himself as = the I AM God identifies as Jesus Christ = Son of God.

Colossians 2

vs8 ‘…Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ…’

vs9 ‘…For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

the Godhead – Elohim/God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1

vs13 ‘…Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son…’

vs14 ‘…In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…’

vs15 ‘…Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature…’

vs16 ‘…For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him…’

vs17 ‘…And he is before all things, and by him all things consist…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

I am trying to show the many different times, ways and descriptions of God in the Bible.

John 14

vs16 ‘…And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever…’

vs17 ‘…even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Notice how Jesus tells us the Father is going to give us ‘another Comforter’ and the letter is ‘CAPITALIZED’ another word, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ‘…Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

We are being told about the Holy Spirit.

I began with a plural God called Elohim.

I went to a LORD God identified as the Jehovah God.

He went then to the I AM God and then He went by Jesus, the Son of God.

The Image of the Invisible God.

The reason why ALL things were created and the Creator of ALL things.

We are warned in 1 John 4:1 ‘…Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

We are warned of false teachers. Teachers of their message that they have gone out into this world.

These teachers are so evident today in the 21^st century.

I began this study because of these false teachers that I was confronted with.

Blatant lies that unfortunately too many souls found themselves hung up inside their evil traps.

This is God’s Word that He has given to ALL of us. It’s not meant just for the pastors to read so they can preach their sermons, it’s meant for ALL of us to read and study so we can go to church and know if we’re being lied to.

It’s to strengthen us so that we can know when something isn’t right.

1 John 4:11 ‘…Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

The above verse is very close to the verse that John wrote in his gospel.

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…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Now Scripture does not contradict itself. When there is a writing and it seems like it is contradicting, we should spend some extra time on that verse since something else is being shown to us besides a simple contradiction.

1John 4:12 ‘…No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Well obviously, first off, a lot of men have seen ‘God.’

In Genesis 3 when God was looking for Adam and Eve so they could walk in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day.

Adam and Eve must’ve seen God.

In Genesis 18, Abraham killed a fattened calf and ate with the three visitors: God (Jesus) and two angels.

Abraham must’ve seen God.

The entire time Jesus walked this earth, from childhood, through his ministry, the crucifixion and resurrection; people must’ve seen God.

1 John 4:12 must be saying something different than just saying ‘God.’

Again, we know from 1 Colossians, they seen the Son, the image of the invisible God so 1 John 4:12, must be speaking of the other two parts of the Godhead which no one has seen.

vs13 ‘…Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son…’

vs14 ‘…In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…’

vs15 ‘…Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature…’

I hope I have shown the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I hope I have shown what I tried teaching years ago when I stopped going to ‘man’s church.’

Keep your Bibles always open. Keep yourself studying His Word.

I love y’all.

Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen

InHIM. ><)))o>