Month: December 2024

Wednesday 121124

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:

Galatians 3:15-18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 11:13; Numbers 33:32-33; Deuteronomy 1:6-8.

Galatians 3

vs15 ‘…My friends, I am going to use an everyday example: when two people agree on a matter and sign an agreement, no one can break it or add anything to it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Paul is writing, allowing us a glimpse into an agreement that was made back in his time. ‘…No one can break it or add anything to it…’, I guess those words have been lost when it comes to the agreements made here in the 21^st century.

The next verse could be a study all by itself. The difficulty I’m finding, is trying to explain the writings from different men and from their different time periods.

vs16 ‘…Now, God made his promises to Abraham and to his descendant. The scripture does not use the plural descendants, meaning many people, but the singular descendant, meaning one person only, namely, Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Let me use a different version …

vs16 ‘…Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say and to seeds, as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ…’ HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Let’s look at the covenant God made with Abraham back in Genesis while remaining in Galatians.

vs17 ‘…What I mean is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break that covenant and cancel God’s promise…’

vs18 ‘…For if God’s gift depends on the Law, then it no longer depends on his promise. However, it was because of his promise that God gave that gift to Abraham…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

As we spoke in an earlier study, us today in the 21^st century, us Gentile’s, the Bible, three quarters of the Bible was written to and about the Jewish people.

We are to use those parts of the Bible for our studies, mostly making sure we do not make the same mistakes those Israelites made but no where are we told we should be following their struggles.

This should be a weekly reminder that we should be taught to refresh our memories.

2 Timothy 3

vs16 ‘…All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…’

vs17 ‘…That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works…’ KJV (King James Version)

We are NOT taught in vss16-17 that we are to follow ALL Scripture.

This next part of the study I have taken from Google.

According to Verse by Verse Ministry International, all who are united by God’s grace in the New Covenant can benefit from the entire Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments. However, the Old Testament may seem to be directed at the nation of Israel, and before the Church age at Pentecost, Gentiles were largely excluded from God’s grace. 

Some parts of the Bible that may be relevant to Gentiles include:

The Gospel of Luke

This gospel is thought to be written more for a Gentile audience, and the author may have been from one of the Greek cities where Paul worked.

The Letters of Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles

These letters include 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Romans. Other books, written by Paul include Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and the Book of Hebrews.

The Book of Hebrews was written to the Jewish believer that was having a difficult time, coming from a belief system they were born into, they were brought up in and now, they were being told to change to Christianity.

Today, this same preface happens to Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals … etc.

Acts of Apostles

The New Revised Standard Version translation of Acts of Apostles says that Gentile Christians should ‘abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.’

Here lies one of the more difficult subjects in our relationship with Jesus Christ today, we are not told to have ‘idols’ of crosses and ‘idols’ of other religious items, hanging from our walls to keep our worship focused on Jesus and what He did for us.

We shouldn’t need anything ‘PHYSICAL’ for us to believe.

We have been told to have ‘FAITH’ and believe in what He has done for us.

I am to have ‘FAITH’ and know that Jesus died on a cross for me and the forgiveness of my sins.

I don’t need some ‘idol’ to remind me of what He has done for me.

To return and conclude my speaking from earlier, one of the better Bible studies I have ever been involved with was from Verse by Verse Ministry in the Book of Revelation.

Pastor Stephen Armstrong (recently deceased), the founder and principal teacher for VBVMI (Verse By Verse Ministry International).

One day I need to do a study from the Book of Revelation, and when I do, I promise it will be with Pastor Armstrong as my mentor … mostly it will be with Jesus Christ guiding me through the study. It is a difficult book to teach (as well as study), especially if God is not present within the instructor.

There are lessons we are to learn and follow, but we should first determine that we are Gentile’s being led through a narrow gate, with our focus remaining constantly on Jesus and keep ourselves from being deterred by those leaders we find so often today in our, manmade churches.

We are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, searching for His instructions that we have been given.

Romans 11:13

‘…For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry…’ NIV (New International Version)

I am so afraid I am going to miss that one person out there reading these pages. I want to include every version that I can, but I know there is a limit that I can include in a paper. Allow me to show a few more versions of this one verse by Paul.

‘…I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

‘…But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

Paul is setting the stage so that he can begin his lessons with us. Read almost any version, we are told that Paul is the apostle to the Gentile’s.

As I have taught in earlier studies, this is where we MUST begin. We MUST trust in God. We MUST believe what He tells us.

If we keep our eyes focused on what our pastor in our church, that we’re now attending, when the end comes, God is going to tell you to go and see your pastor for directions to ‘his’ narrow gate.

When the Israelite’s UNBELIEF consumed their lives when they were at Kadesh Barnea, and God told Moses to tell them to walk into the land and take what they desired, the men of the tribes balked because they didn’t believe what God was telling them.

Numbers 33

vs32 ‘…Then they started spreading rumors and saying, We won’t be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants…’

vs33 ‘…In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

Man talking to other men. Rather than listening to what God had told them, they questioned what God said … this is the same thing that is happening today in the 21^st century.

Man is not listening to what God told them, they instead are listening to what other men are telling them.

Deuteronomy 1

vs6 ‘…People of Israel, when we were in our camp at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God told us: You have stayed here long enough…’

vs7 ‘…Leave this place and go into the land that belongs to the Amorites and their neighbors the Canaanites. This land includes the Jordan River valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Southern Desert, the Mediterranean seacoast, the Lebanon Mountains, and all the territory as far as the Euphrates River…’

vs8 ‘…I give you this land, just as I promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now you must go and take the land…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

UNBELIEF is our greatest sin, that can defeat us. Unbelief will cause a person to question what has been told to them. Unbelief is the exact opposite of Faith.

I love ALL of you. God loves each one of us, even more. He loves ALL of us. Open your own Bibles and read the Word for yourself and strengthen your FAITH in God.

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 121024

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:

2 Peter 3:14-16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

So tonight, let’s read what Scripture is telling us, instead of just reading words that have been written on parchment paper.

In 2 Peter 3, the apostle has realized that Jesus is not going to be returning as ‘soon’ as the disciples (the remaining eleven) had believed He would be, immediately after the crucifixion.

Simon Peter is telling the followers about the apostle Paul’s writings.

2 Peter 3

vs14 ‘…Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless…’

vs15 ‘…And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you…’

vs16 ‘…As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction…’ KJV (King James Version)

The KJV is a very difficult version to read and comprehend, even when one knows beforehand, what has been written, and I don’t like changing the words, especially when reading the KJV, if I felt it was okay to just change the wording, I’d just read a different version altogether.

vs14 ‘… And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God’s sight and to be at peace with him…’

vs15 ‘…Look on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him…’

vs16 ‘…This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

The wording used by Peter must be astonishing to most readers. ‘…As you wait for that Day …’ Peter and the other apostles were remaining in Jerusalem, waiting on the return of Jesus. The remaining eleven disciples after the crucifixion, had no idea of the ‘church age’ described by Paul in his epistles. These eleven men truly believed Jesus would be returning immediately to begin setting up His Kingdom as He talked about in His earthly ministry. Jesus gave no mention of this ‘Age of Grace’ that was about to happen. Of course He knew, Jesus is God, but it wasn’t time for mankind to know yet what was about to happen.

vs14 ‘…So, my friends, live in a good way, because you are waiting for these things to happen. Try very much to do what makes God happy. Then, when you meet God, he will see that you are clean. He will see that there is no trouble in your minds…’

vs15 ‘…Remember that our Lord wants to save people from their sins. That is why he is now waiting patiently for people to turn to him before he will return. Paul has also written to you about these things. He is our friend that we love like a brother. God helped him to understand these things…’

vs16 ‘…He wrote about them in all his letters. Some things that he has written are difficult for people to understand. Some people have weak minds and they are not sure about what they believe. They explain Paul’s teaching in a way that deceives people. They also explain other things in the Bible wrongly. As a result, those people will destroy themselves and God will punish them…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

From vs15 ‘…That is why he is now waiting patiently for people to turn to him before he will return…’ this is speaking of the ‘Age of Grace.’ The end of ‘GRACE’ could come at any moment. This is one of the major ‘MYSTERIES’ the Bible forewarned us about. Don’t hide your heads in the sand because you don’t understand what has been written. Stand tall and firm until Jesus calls out your name; HAVE FAITH.

Also, from vs15 ‘…Paul has also written to you about these things. He is our friend that we love like a brother. God helped him to understand these things…’

Allow the apostle Paul to help you understand these things. Read the part of the Bible that has been written for us Gentiles.

As the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3

vs16 ‘…Everything that is written in the Bible comes from God’s Spirit. It helps us in many ways. The Bible teaches us what is true. It warns us when we are doing wrong things. It shows us what is right. It teaches us how to live good lives…’

vs17 ‘…As a result, people who want to serve God can know how to live properly. They will be people who are ready to do all kinds of good things…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

‘…Everything written in the Bible has come from God…’ but NOT everything is meant for us to follow as so many churches teach their congregations today.

Just read different parts found in the Old Testament and when you read of Jonah turning away from
God, the Bible isn’t telling us to run away and hide from God … you MUST use some COMMON SENSE here. We are being shown what NOT to do. The Old Testament is like a road map for us; It’s showing us WHAT NOT to do so we won’t fail like the Israelites.

In just 2 different books, written by 2 different apostles, the Word is so different.

This is maybe the clearest definition of the ‘MYSTERY.’

Ask yourself, could God had authored these two books similar even though they were written by two different men? Of course, He could have but they were NOT intended to be the same. This is maybe the largest complaint I have about churches today, in the 21^st century.

They teach about God’s Love for us, they teach about how our love for one another must be similar. They teach how we should help one another from the struggles we will find in this life of ours … all this is true but, what they don’t teach is what is going to matter on that final day when the ‘TRUMP IS SOUNDED BY THE ARCHANGEL.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

1 Thessalonians 4

vs13 ‘…Our Christian friends, we want you to understand properly about your friends who have died. Then you will not continue to be sad about them. People who do not hope for any life after death are sad when their friends die. But you should not be upset like those other people…’

vs14 ‘…We believe that Jesus died and he rose again after death. So we also believe that people who have died as Christians will rise again. When God brings Jesus back, he will take the Christians to go with Jesus…’

vs15 ‘…We are telling you the message that the Lord has given to us. This is what will happen when the Lord returns. Those of us who are still alive will not go to meet the Lord first. We will not go before those people who have already died…’

vs16 ‘…On that day, the Lord himself will come down from heaven. He will shout with authority. People will hear the voice of the leader of God’s angels. They will hear the sound of God’s trumpet. Then those people who have died as Christians will become alive again. They will be the first people to rise up…’

vs17 ‘…After that, those of us who are still alive will join together with them. God will suddenly take us up into the clouds. In that way, we will all meet the Lord in the sky. So we will all be with the Lord for ever…’

vs18 ‘…Because this message is true, tell it to each other. Help one another to be strong, not sad…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

This passage found in 1 Thessalonians 4 is our promise, the fulfillment of the Age of Grace. This is the ‘MYSTERY’ defined in the writings of Paul. Why would any of the other writings in the Bible know of this promise?

Our churches depend on a 10 percent ‘tithe’ that is not for us today. Why would they not teach us on ‘GIVING’ that is meant for us today.

What our churches should teach us today is how we should keep our Bibles open every day. We should begin our days, end our days and then throughout our days we should be in the Word.

Churches don’t want us in the Word because they don’t want us to know the truth; they’d rather lie to us instead of telling us the truth and if our Pastors don’t know the truth, there are too many churches out there today with their hands out to profit instead of having their hands out to help lift a person out of the hole they have been trapped in for their entire lives.

Tonight’s study has ONLY been on three passages found in the Bible. You need to ask yourself what else in buried in the Word that you don’t already know about.

The simple fact is, about 90 percent of the Bible has been written for the Jewish person. It is ONLY those words written by the apostle Paul that are for us Gentiles, the nation not spoken about in the Old Testament.

The nation referred to in the Gospels and by Jesus Himself, as dogs.

Read the Word for yourself and learn what God has in store for you.

I love y’all. Remember, Jesus loves each one of us more than any one of us can possibly comprehend what that love is. We don’t know but there is coming that day when each one of us will find out for sure.

Stay in His Word. Wear Jesus on your shoulder every minute of every day. Keep Him as near to you as you can. Relax in His arms and let Him protect you from the evil one.

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 120924

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 15:1-4; Romans 3:23-24, 2:16, 16:25, 1:1-3.

In this study, we’re going to search for this ‘Gospel,’ that the apostle Paul gave us that was given to him by Jesus Christ, we’re going to look at this GRACE that God has given us, and we might look a little on this mystery.

We are going to look at 4 different versions: the KJV, NKJV, GNT and EASY translations.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

KJV

vs1 ‘…Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand…’

vs2 ‘…By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain…’

vs3 ‘…For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…’

vs4 ‘…And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…’ KJV (King James Version)

NKJV

vs1 ‘…Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand…’

vs2 ‘…by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain…’

vs3 ‘…For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…’

vs4 ‘…and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

GNT

vs1 ‘…And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm…’

vs2 ‘…That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it—unless it was for nothing that you believed…’

vs3 ‘…I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures…’

vs4 ‘…that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EASY

vs1 ‘…My Christian friends, I want you to remember the good news that I taught to you. You received it from me and you continue to believe it as a true message…’

vs2 ‘…Because of the message that I spoke to you, God will save you. He will save you if you continue to trust that same good news. If you do not, you have believed it for nothing…’

vs3 ‘…I received the good news from Christ, and I told that message to you. I told you the most important things: Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins. The Bible already said how that would happen…’

vs4 ‘…People buried his dead body. On the third day after that God raised him up to live again. The Bible already spoke about that to…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

The Gospel that we have been given by the apostle Paul is that: Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins and He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day.

Why are we not reminded of this every Sunday?

The Gospel message, simply put, is that Jesus loves you and is calling you to follow Him right now. The entire story of the Bible reflects this message. God created you for so much good, but because of the sin and fallen nature in your past, it has kept you from experiencing a relationship with God.

God, with His GRACE, has allowed every man, woman and child; Jew or Gentile, to live in comfort with Him.

Romans 3:23-24

KJV

vs23 ‘…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…’

vs24 ‘…Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…’ KJV (King James Version)

NKJV

vs23 ‘…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…’

vs24 ‘…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

GNT

vs23 ‘…everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence…’

vs24 ‘…But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EASY

vs23 ‘…All people have done wrong things. Nobody can be good and great, as God wanted them to be…’

vs24 ‘…But because God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God’s gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Romans 2:16

KJV

‘…In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel…’ KJV (King James Version)

NKJV

‘…in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

GNT

‘…And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EASY

‘…That is the message that I tell people. God knows everything that people think secretly. One day he will judge everyone. He has given Jesus Christ the authority to do that…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Romans 16:25

KJV

‘…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)

NKJV

‘…Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

GNT

‘…Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your faith, according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EASY

‘…We praise God because he is great! He is able to make you strong in your spirits! That is the good news that I teach. That good news is the message about Jesus Christ that God has kept secret since long ago. But now he has shown this message to us…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Romans 1:1-3

KJV

vs 1 ‘…Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God…’

vs2 ‘…Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures…’

vs3 ‘…Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh…’ KJV (King James Version)

NKJV

vs1 ‘…Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God…’

vs2 ‘…which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures…’

vs3 ‘…concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

GNT

vs1 ‘…From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus and an apostle chosen and called by God to preach his Good News…’

vs2 ‘…The Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets, as written in the Holy Scriptures…’

vs3 ‘…It is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EASY

vs1 ‘…This letter is from me, Paul. I am a servant of Christ Jesus. God chose me to be his apostle. He sent me to tell his good news to people…’

vs2 ‘…God promised this good news long ago, before it became true. His prophets wrote about it in the Bible…’

vs3 ‘…This good news is about God’s Son, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Jesus was born as a human baby from King David’s family…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

In most cases, it doesn’t matter which version you use, the Bible tells the same amazing story.

What makes the difference is that you KNOW that you, being a child of God, you are what Jesus wants. You are doing what God has told you that He wants you to do.

You need to continue and read His Word and follow what it is exactly that He has told you to do.

It is a shame that we no longer can rely on our churches to keep us secure in the Word of God. Most churches today may own Bibles, they may even have them in every pew on a Sunday morning service, but the Bibles are never opened. Instead, worship is done following a book printed by the church or its denomination for the members to follow along.

This is nothing but a ‘Man’s church.’

I love you ALL. God loves us ALL even that much more than I can. Keep in His Word and study for yourself and learn what God is telling 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>

Sunday 120824

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:

Galatians 1:11-12, 2:7-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 5:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Romans 6:14; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 4:15-16; James 4:6; Acts 15:10-11; John 1:16-17; Revelation 11:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

So, let’s begin …

In the Bible, an apostle is a ‘messenger’ or ‘one who is sent’ who was chosen by Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel.

The term is often confused with ‘disciple,’ but they are NOT synonyms (the words mean 2 different things).

The word ‘synonym’ is defined as a word or a phrase that means the exact or similar things.

A disciple is a ‘student’ or ‘learner’ who devoted themselves to learning from Jesus, while an apostle was ‘someone who had met and followed Jesus during His life.’

However, when Paul was converted to Christianity after Jesus’ death, Paul didn’t spend time with Jesus while He walked this earth, but he did spend three (3) years training to be an apostle, he was trained by the Revelation of Jesus Himself.

Galatians 1

vs11 ‘…For I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is not of human invention…’

vs12 ‘…For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Paul also had the direct approval of the other apostles that agreed that Paul would teach the Gentiles, and they would remain in Jerusalem and teach those Jews that remained.

Galatians 2

vs7 ‘…But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised…’

vs8 ‘…for He who was at work for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised was at work for me also to the Gentiles…’

vs9 ‘…and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Paul spread the Gospel of GRACE. The other remaining 11 apostles that lived with and followed Jesus didn’t learn about GRACE until after Jesus had been crucified, buried and rose from the tomb, (thus, the Gospel of the apostle Paul).

1 Corinthians 15

vs1 ‘…Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand…’

vs2 ‘…By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain…’

vs3 ‘…For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…’

vs4 ‘…And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…’ KJV (King James Version)

This Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, given to us by Paul, was written between the years 53 – 57 AD.

The Gospel of GRACE hadn’t been given to anyone before Paul received the Gospel from Jesus on the road to Damascus. This occurred around 34 – 36 AD.

In the Bible, there are 10 key Bible verses on GRACE. 6 of the 10 were written by Paul.

Romans 5

vs20 ‘…God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant…’

vs21 ‘…So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around the mid – 50’s.

1 Corinthians 15:10 ‘…But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 53 – 57 AD.

Romans 6:14 ‘…Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 55-56 or 56-57 AD.

2 Corinthians 12

vs9 ‘…Each time he said, My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me…’

vs10 ‘…That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 55 – 56 AD.

Ephesians 2

vs8 ‘…God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God…’

vs9 ‘…Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 60 – 62 AD.

Titus 2

vs11 ‘…For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people…’

vs12 ‘…And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God…’

vs13 ‘…while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed…’

vs14 ‘…He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 64 – 65 AD.

1 of the 10 was written in Hebrews and many scholars attribute the authorship of Hebrews also to the apostle Paul. 

Hebrews 4

vs15 ‘…This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin…’

vs16 ‘…So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 60 – 70 AD.

The 3 other verses are found, once in the book of James, once in the book of Acts and finally, once in the book of John.

James 4:6 ‘…And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 40 – 50 AD.

Acts 15

vs10 ‘…So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear…’

vs11 ‘…We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 48 – 50 AD.

John 1

vs16 ‘…From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another…’

vs17 ‘…For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ…’ NLT (New Living Translation) – written around 80 – 95 AD.

Here is the timeline, for when the word ‘GRACE’ appears in the Bible; remember there are only 10 key verses.

34-36 AD           Paul was confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus.

————            ————————————————

40-50 AD           James 4:6

48-50 AD           Acts 15:10-11

mid 50’s AD       Romans 5:20-21

53-57 AD           1 Corinthians 15:10

55/56 or 56/57 AD   Romans 6:14

55-56 AD           2 Corinthians 12:9-10

60-62 AD           Ephesians 2:8-9

60-70 AD           Hebrews 4:15-16

64-65 AD           Titus 2:11-14

80-95 AD           John 1:16-17

This study has been developed, in hopes of showing that the 11 remaining apostles had no clue of what ‘GRACE’ meant during their time walking with Jesus.

Many times, I’ve seen writings where commentaries have been made stating that Jesus and the original apostles spread the Gospel of Grace to the people while Jesus walked this earth.

The fact is, we as a people didn’t receive the promise of GRACE until after Jesus had been crucified, buried and rose again from the tomb.

According to the Bible, Jesus’ ministry focused on preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which was about establishing the kingdom here on earth. 

His central message was, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. 

Jesus also taught that the kingdom of heaven is for those who are humble, teachable, patient, and long-suffering, and that they will inherit the earth. 

He also said, be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful (Luke 6:36), meaning that those who show mercy will also receive it.

Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed

Revelation 11

vs15 ‘…Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever…’

vs16 ‘…And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God…’

vs17 ‘…saying: We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned…’

vs18 ‘…The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth…’

vs19 ‘…Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

We have never been given the exact day, time or year when Jesus will return to this earth and step foot on His planet to reclaim what belongs to Him.

We have, however, been warned that we should always remain ready for His return.

Keep your wits and be prepared for that time when this world will end.

I am going to run a little long this study, because I feel it is that important that you realize that Jesus’ church, will already be gone from this earth before the sound of this 7^th trumpet call talked about in Revelation 11.

The ‘Rapture’ will have already happened taking Jesus’ church up into the clouds with Him.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

1 Thessalonians 4

vs13 ‘…But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope…’

vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus…’

vs15 ‘…For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep…’

vs16 ‘…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first…’

vs17 ‘…Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord…’

vs18 ‘…Therefore comfort one another with these words…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

In the words found in Revelation 11, Jesus will step foot on this earth declaring the Kingdom of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4, we, Jesus’ church (the Believers in Him), shall meet Jesus in the clouds where we will remain with Him FOREVER.

For those of you that do not know, ‘FOREVER’ is the equivalent of ETERNITY.

I apologize for running long but always please remember that I love ALL of you. Always know and remember that God loves ALL of us even more than I can even comprehend how to love that much.

Keep in the Word of God and read His messages and remember, that it is better for you to read His Words for yourself than listening to another man’s opinion of what the Word is saying.

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 120724

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)

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.

Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:14; Luke 9:2; John 3:3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 2:16, 16:25; Galatians 1:11-12, 2:1-2, :7-9.

So, tonight, we’re going to continue with our lesson asking:

ARE YOU READY

Do you feel any more confident in your walk with Jesus Christ today than you did yesterday?

There are so many denominations out there expressing their thoughts and beliefs. There are so many that have turned away from God and the Bible and that is our number ONE priority with this study and that is to get people back in the Word of God and leave these man-made messages alone.

A short time back, we did a study on the book of Genesis. I tried to focus on the amount of FAITH that was present in that time period compared to how many then, didn’t believe.

Today, we are kind of in the same boat, except today, there are people that believe more strongly in what their church or their denomination preaches instead of what God has taught us.

These people recite those things that make them feel good. They pretend to exhibit a front as if God told them, it was okay. But these words, these thoughts and these beliefs are not written in the Word.

God told us there was only ONE God and there is only ONE Word. If God didn’t change in the beginning, how come so many people are so easily talked into believing that God all of a sudden can change for us today in the 21^st century.

God doesn’t change. We need to change our lifestyles to fit into God’s Word, His Word is not going to change to fit into our lifestyles.

So, from the last lesson, there was a large hangup when I said Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not gospels from the New Testament.

They are gospels that were about the Good News, but these were writings of Jesus when He was alive and walked this earth. The N.T. happened, after Jesus had Died, been Buried and Rose again from the tomb.

Our Gospel for us Gentiles was given to us by Paul the apostle, chosen by Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15

vs1 ‘…My Christian friends, I want you to remember the good news that I taught to you. You received it from me, and you continue to believe it as a true message…’

vs2 ‘…Because of the message that I spoke to you, God will save you. He will save you if you continue to trust that same good news. If you do not, you have believed it for nothing…’

vs3 ‘…I received the good news from Christ, and I told that message to you. I told you the most important things: Christ DIED as a sacrifice for our sins. The Bible already said how that would happen…’

vs4 ‘…People BURIED his dead body. On the third day after that God RAISED him up to live again. The Bible already spoke about that too…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Back when Jesus walked this earth, during His earthly ministry, He taught of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Mat 9:35 ‘…And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people…’ KJV (King James Version)

Mark 1:14 ‘…Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God …’ KJV (King James Version)

Luke 9:2 ‘…And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick…’ KJV (King James Version)

John 3:3 ‘…Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…’ KJV (King James Version)

But for us Gentiles, we had never been taught the Gospel but more important than that was the GIFT that God gave to us.

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)

I can understand why our churches today don’t let us know of these two verses, but they were given to us for FREE and those churches can’t charge for what we have been given, so I assume they just let it fall to the wayside and let us worry about the message for ourselves.

There are many that don’t believe the Gospel of Paul because Paul calls it in the word ‘MY’ Gospel.

Romans 2:16 ‘…In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel…’ KJV (King James Version)

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)

Romans 16:25 ‘…Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your faith, according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Maybe several reasons can be made why Paul used the word ‘MY’ instead of saying the word ‘Jesus.’ I’m unsure if it really matters, but I think the most important words that has been left out, is the words ‘MYSTERY’ and ‘SECRET.’

It was because of this mystery as to why Paul was given the MESSAGE and not the remaining eleven original apostles.

It is the reason Gentile’s were given the GIFT and not the chosen ones.

Eventually the wording that Paul used changed.

Galatians 1

vs11 ‘… Let me tell you, my friends, that the gospel I preach is not of human origin…’

vs12 ‘…I did not receive it from any human being, nor did anyone teach it to me. It was Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to me…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

When Paul had finally had enough of the Jewish leaders telling the Gentiles how they had to follow the Law and be circumcised to be accepted by Jesus, Jesus finally told Paul it was time to meet with the original disciples.

Galatians 2

vs1 ‘…14 years later, I went to Jerusalem again. This time I went with Barnabas, and I also took Titus with me…’

vs2 ‘…I went there because God had shown me that I should go. I talked to the Christian leaders there. I explained to them the good news that I teach to the Gentiles. But I talked only to those men who seemed to be the leaders. I wanted to be sure that they agreed with the message that I taught. I did not want my work, both in past times and now, to be worth nothing…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

It all came down to a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ that satisfied the council.

Galatians 2

vs7 ‘…On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised…’

vs8 ‘…for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles…’

vs9 ‘…and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised…’ NET (New English Translation)

The‘right hand of fellowship’ = they shook my hand.

There is one key word that totally defines the Bible, that word has to be ‘MYSTERY.’ God is God, He can do whatever He wants to do whenever He wants to do it. The problem with mankind, just as it was with Satan, there are men that think they know better than God. They tell themselves they don’t need to follow the words of God, they are semi-smart, they can come up with their own rules.

It’s so unfortunate for these few people out there because they only have themselves and whoever else they may acquire on their side, but when the end comes, these few, they’ll only have their leaders to ‘protect them.’

(I hope you can read the sarcasm in my typing).

Keep your Bibles open and study the Word that we have been given. Study each and every day. Begin your days reading a devotional or read a chapter from the book of Proverbs.

Any time you spend in the Word is well planned out time.

I love y’all. Always remember, one day Jesus is going to teach each one of us exactly ALL that corresponds with that word LOVE.

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>

Friday 120624

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)

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.

Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Acts 2:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 16:18; John 1:11-12; Acts 9:31; John 1:17, 14:16; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57, :58.

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

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inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

I begin this lesson this morning, sorry there are those people out there (some of them are my friends and family), so many are caught up in what this world teaches, and they’ve never attempted to open up their Bible’s to see what God has told us in His WORD.

It doesn’t matter what some ‘man’ tells you on a Sunday morning; it doesn’t matter if you heard it on a Wednesday or Monday night at church either, if a ‘man’ said it, you have to ask yourself, did man say it or did God SAY IT?

So, next let’s ask yourself:

ARE YOU READY

It’s an easy question to ask, but it may be a hard one to answer for so many because, we’re too busy listening to what this world is teaching us instead of us following what GOD has been telling us from the start.

Another thing that really frustrates me is hearing so many people today quoting Scripture, but so many of the verses they quote from the Bible have been written to and for the Jewish person. The promises made to the Jewish believer in the Bible is only good for the Jewish believer.

If you’re going to quote from the Bible, why not quote a verse that was intended for us as a people … for us Gentiles (since the percentage of people that even read the Bible anymore are Gentiles).

The apostle Paul was hand picked by Jesus to be the teacher to the Gentile nation … why would someone go against, what God deemed to be so important for us, and go out on their own?

God didn’t feel it meant anything to continue using the eleven that waited in Jerusalem for His return after His death, burial and resurrection.

The bible can be used as a historical record in those days that followed the crucifixion.

Peter, James and John all remained in Jerusalem for Jesus 2^nd coming, to the Mount of Olives, where they were going to be, waiting for Him to return.

But the original, remaining eleven, never received the promise of the MYSTERY that was ONLY given to Paul when he taught about the Age of Grace or teaching about the Age of the Church. The eleven had no clue what the Age of Grace even meant, they thought grace was what they recited before they ate lunch or dinner.

An ‘age’ is an historical period of time or an era. Some historians divide human history into many epochs and name them according to their defining characteristics: Middle Ages, Modern Age, Postmodern Age, etc. Biblical history, too, can be divided into different eras. When those divisions emphasize God’s interaction with His creation, we call them dispensations. More broadly, biblical history can be divided into two periods, roughly following the division of Old and New Testaments: The Age of the Law and the Church Age.

There is a wrench thrown into the gearbox right here, the O.T. and N.T. doesn’t necessarily end and begin when the Bible is separated.

The N.T., or the Church Age doesn’t begin until Pentecost. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are in the Bible are considered N.T. gospels but they are NOT part of the Church Age.

The Church Age is the period of time from Pentecost to the rapture.

Acts 2

vs1 ‘…When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place…’

vs2 ‘…And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting…’

vs3 ‘…And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them…’

vs4 ‘…And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

1 Thessalonians 4

vs13 ‘…But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope…’

vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus…’

vs15 ‘…For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep…’

vs16 ‘…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first…’

vs17 ‘…Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord…’

vs18 ‘…Therefore, comfort one another with these words…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

It is called the Church Age because it covers the period in which the Church is on earth. It corresponds with the dispensation of Grace. In prophetic history, it falls between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel.

Daniel 9

vs24 ‘…Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place…’

vs25 ‘…So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress…’

vs26 ‘…Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined…’

vs27 ‘…And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus predicted the Church Age in Matthew. Jesus has kept His promise, and His Church has now been growing for almost 2,000 years.

Matthew 16:18 ‘…And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The Church is composed of those individuals who have by faith accepted Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

John 1

vs11 ‘…He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him…’

vs12 ‘…Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so, he gave them the right to become God’s children…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Acts 9:31 ‘…And so it was that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Therefore, the Church is people rather than denominations or buildings. It is the Body of Christ of which He is the head. The Greek word ecclesia, translated ‘church,’ means ‘a called-out assembly.’ The Church is universal in scope but meets locally in smaller bodies.

The Church Age comprises the entire dispensation of Grace.

John 1:17 ‘…God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

For the first time in history, God actually indwells His creatures, permanently and eternally. In other dispensations the Holy Spirit was always present and always at work, but He would come upon people temporarily. The Church Age is marked by the Holy Spirit’s permanent indwelling of His people.

John 14:16 ‘…I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Scripture makes a distinction between the nation of Israel and the Church.

1 Corinthians 10:32 ‘…Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

There is some overlap because, individually, many Jews believe in Jesus as their Messiah and are therefore part of the Church. But God’s covenants with the nation of Israel have not yet all been fulfilled. Those promises await fulfillment during the Millennial Kingdom, after the Church Age ends.

Matthew 19:28 ‘…Jesus said to them, you can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

This one verse in Matthew, though it may show a promise made to His followers, it also shows, I think, the reason why these men never left Jerusalem after Jesus was crucified because in their minds, Jesus was returning to set up His kingdom and they wanted to be the first ones in line so they could sit on the thrones that had been promised to them.

The Church Age will end when God’s people are raptured out of the world and taken to be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15

vs51-52 ‘…Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed…’

vs53 ‘…For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die…’

vs54 ‘…So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: ‘Death is destroyed; victory is complete…’

vs55 ‘…Where, Death, is your victory?
Where, Death, is your power to hurt…’

vs56 ‘…Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law…’

vs57 ‘…But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

The rapture will be followed in heaven by the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9) as the Church, the Bride of Christ, receives her heavenly reward. Until then, the Church carries on in hope, exhorted to ‘stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.’

1 Corinthians 15:58 ‘…So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

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 120524

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:

John 3:16; Matthew 4:18-22; John 1:1, 4:3-43; Leviticus 19:28; Leviticus 19:27.

Several years ago, while reading the Bible, I was in the Book of John, reading chapter 3 verse 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…’ KJV (King James Version)

I knew that day, at that very moment, I would be known as WHOSOEVER.

This is the verse that gave this study, its name.

Here are some other versions of this very popular verse found in the Bible.

‘…For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…’ NIV (New International Version)

‘…For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

‘…God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

This verse in John, is not going to save the Gentile today in the 21^st century, but it is a promising verse that shows us God’s love.

Some of the more thoughtful writings I find are in the book of John. All the apostles were Jewish. John and his brother (big James) were fisherman on the sea of Galilee, and they were asked by Jesus to be His disciples, on the same day that Simon Peter and his brother (Andrew), were chosen.

Here is the same subject but written by Matthew in chapter 4.

vs18 ‘…And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers…’

vs19 ‘…And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men…’

vs20 ‘…And they straightway left their nets, and followed him…’

vs21 ‘…And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them…’

vs22 ‘…And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him…’ KJV King James Version)

John 1:1 has always intrigued me …

‘…In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…’ KJV (King James Version)

I’ve spoken about a television series called ‘the CHOSEN’ before and this scene when John was sitting at a table, writing John 1:1 was an experience for me.

John spoke: … In the beginning was the Word … and the thunder rumbled in the background.

John spoke: … and the Word was with God … and again the thunder rumbled in the background.

John spoke: … and the Word was God … and again the thunder rumbled in the background along with bolts of lightning.

As I stated earlier, John and his brother big James, were Jews and they were very much against the Gentile’s. All the original 12 apostles were.

They could not understand why Jesus would spend time helping them or walking through parts of land that were inhabited by the Gentile’s, such as Samaria.

John 4

vs3 ‘…He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee…’

vs4 ‘…And he must needs go through Samaria…’

vs5 ‘…Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph…’

vs6 ‘…Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour…’

vs7 ‘…There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink…’

vs8 ‘…For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat…’

vs9 ‘…Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans…’

vs10 ‘…Jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…’

vs11 ‘…The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water…’

vs12 ‘…Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle…’

vs13 ‘…Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again…’

vs14 ‘…But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life…’

vs15 ‘…The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw…’

vs16 ‘…Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither…’

vs17 ‘…The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband…’

vs18 ‘…For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly…’

vs19 ‘…The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet…’

vs20 ‘…Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship…’

vs21 ‘…Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father…’

vs22 ‘…Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews…’

vs23 ‘…But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him…’

vs24 ‘…God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth…’

vs25 ‘…The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things…’

vs26 ‘…Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he…’

vs27 ‘…And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her…’

vs28 ‘…The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men…’

vs29 ‘…Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ…’

vs30 ‘…Then they went out of the city, and came unto him…’

vs31 ‘…In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat…’

vs32 ‘…But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of…’

vs33 ‘…Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat…’

vs34 ‘…Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work…’

vs35 ‘…Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest…’

vs36 ‘…And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together…’

vs37 ‘…And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth…’

vs38 ‘…I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours…’

vs39 ‘…And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did…’

vs40 ‘…So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days…’

vs41 ‘…And many more believed because of his own word…’

vs42 ‘…And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world…’

vs43 ‘…Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee…’ KJV (King James Version)

I apologize, today’s study is apparently of: ‘the Woman at the Well.’

Just these 40 some verses are so full of information that mankind has polluted the minds of so many by changing certain words, placing an emphasis on a word that Jesus only speaks about 1 time.

What do I mean, you might ask.

vs16 ‘…Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither…’

vs17 ‘…The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband…’

vs18 ‘…For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly…’

vs19 ‘…The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet…’

Jesus knew the woman had been married more than 1 time, He knew she had been divorced multiple times, He knew she was living with a man that she was not married to …

BUT

… Jesus stated the fact 1 time. He never spoke about her divorce again. He never spoke of her living with a man she wasn’t married to ever again.

In some churches today, in the 21^st century, this matter would’ve been a weekly sermon on how wrong divorce was or how wrong living with someone you’re not married to.

Jesus stated the fact 1 time never to be repeated, ever again.

I have told people, don’t read the Bible and find a word and associate it with something that happens today in our lives in the 21^st century … and a BIG example is ‘divorce.’

Back in the times of Jesus, a man would have a room with his 5 wives and one day he decided to ‘divorce one of them.’ He would walk up behind the woman, grab her by the hair, pull her towards the front door, open the door and throw her out of his house … this was the man divorcing his wife.

Today there is child support, there is the court system, there is the government voicing what needs to be done; none of this happened in Jesus’ day.

Another word is tattoos, when the word was used in the Bible, mankind would grab a rock or a sharp piece of wood and scrape into their arms the names of a deceased loved one. This would cause infection and possibly death, nothing like what occurs today in the 21^st century.

Leviticus 19:28 ‘…Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord…’ KJV (King James Version)

People quote this verse, they change words that have been used in the Bible, to words that we use today, such as the word, ‘tattoos’ …

… the first words out of my mouth are WHY DON’T THESE PEOPLE READ THE VERSE JUST AHEAD OF VERSE 28!!!

vs27 ‘…Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard…’ KJV (King James Version)

Another words, NO haircuts and NO shaven faces.

I am sorry I went so long. Today’s lesson must be:

READ THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELF SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS AND IS NOT IN THE WORD.

I love you ALL. Jesus loves each one of us, even more. Open your Bibles and read His Word for yourself so that you will know when someone is lying to you.

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 120424

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:

Ephesians 2:8-9; Exodus 20:3-17; Deuteronomy 5:7-21; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 10:14; Romans 13:9, 2:1; Ephesians 6:1-2.

Today, in the 21^st century, we are living in the Age of Grace. Grace that God gave us for Everlasting Life.

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)

Back in Exodus, God gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments. They can be found in Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5.

Jesus came to this earth, NOT to destroy the Law, He came to fulfill, to complete the Law for the Jewish people.

Us Gentiles, we have never been under the Law. I am fairly certain there are many throughout this land that celebrate their church services today, resembling the Law.

This morning, I was made aware that the apostle Paul mentioned 9 of the 10 commandments in his writings. I had never noticed them before, but that is what this lesson is going to be about today, the 10 Commandments, actually, the 9 Commandments.

Below are the 10 Commandments and where they are found in the Bible, I’ve also included the 9 that Paul mentions in his writings.

Exodus 20:3 / Deuteronomy 5:7 / 1 Corinthians 8:6 #1-you shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:4 / Deuteronomy 5:8 / 1 Corinthians 10:14 #2-you shall not make idols.

Exodus 20:7 / Deuteronomy 5:11 / Romans 2:1         #3-you shall not take the name of the lord your god in vain.

Exodus 20:8 / Deuteronomy 5:12                                     #4-remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:12 / Deuteronomy 5:16 / Ephesians 6:1-2 #5-honor your father and your mother.

Exodus 20:13 / Deuteronomy 5:17 / Romans 13:9   #6-you shall not murder.

Exodus 20:14 / Deuteronomy 5:18 / Romans 13:9   #7-you shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:15 / Deuteronomy 5:19 / Romans 13:9   #8-you shall not steal.

Exodus 20:16 / Deuteronomy 5:20 / Romans 13:9   #9-you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:17 / Deuteronomy 5:21 / Romans 13:9 #10-you shall not covet.

Here are the verses, from the Bible, of the 10 Commandments.

Exodus 20

*vs3 ‘…Thou shalt have no other gods before me…’

*vs4 ‘…Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth…’

vs5 ‘…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…’

vs6 ‘…And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments…’

*vs7 ‘…Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain…’

*vs8 ‘…Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…’

vs9 ‘…Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work…’

vs10 ‘…But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates…’

vs11 ‘…For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it…’

*vs12 ‘…Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee…’

*vs13 ‘…Thou shalt not kill…’

*vs14 ‘…Thou shalt not commit adultery…’

*vs15 ‘…Thou shalt not steal…’

*vs16 ‘…Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour…’

*vs17 ‘…Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s…’ KJV (King James Version)

Deuteronomy 5

*vs7 ‘…Thou shalt have none other gods before me…’

*vs8 ‘…Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth…’

vs9 ‘…Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…’

vs10 ‘…And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments…’

*vs11 ‘…Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain…’

*vs12 ‘…Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee…’

vs13 ‘…Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work…’

vs14 ‘…But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou…’

vs15 ‘…And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm: therefore, the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day…’

*vs16 ‘…Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee…’

*vs17 ‘…Thou shalt not kill…’

*vs18 ‘…Neither shalt thou commit adultery…’

*vs19 ‘…Neither shalt thou steal…’

*vs20 ‘…Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour…’

*vs21 ‘…Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour’s…’ KJV

We now are going to look at the 9 Commandments that Paul talks about in his writings.

1Corinthians 8:6 ‘…But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him…’ KJV (King James Version) (#1)

1 Corinthians 10:14 ‘…Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry…’ KJV (King James Version) (#2)

Romans 13:9 ‘…For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou for this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…’ KJV (King James Version) (#6, 7, 8, 9 and 10)

Now here for a little, we’re going to look deeper into the words that were used and what they actually mean.

Consider this: to take God’s name in vain is to say we are Christian but not live a life in keeping with that profession. That is like spitting in God’s face. To claim you are a Christian and then doing everything ungodly, wouldn’t you consider that to take God’s name in vain?

What God is saying is that we should not claim His name without living under His lordship. Taking the Lord’s name in vain is another way of saying ‘false believer’ or ‘hypocrite.’

A false believer is someone who pretends to be a believer, but doesn’t try to live by their principles, or doesn’t take their beliefs seriously.

Romans 2:1 ‘…Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things…’ KJV (King James Version) (#3)

Ephesians 6

vs1 ‘…Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right…’

vs2 ‘…Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise…’ KJV (King James Version) (#5)

The one Commandment that Paul never does speak of is #4-remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

We need God more than just one day a week. Myself personally, I enjoy being in the presence of God every day, seven days a week. Do I fail, do I sin and sometimes fall short, of course I do. If I said I was perfect, I’d be lying to you all. Get in the habit of keeping God open to you more than just one day a week.

Keep your Bibles always open and near all the time so you can constantly study His Word.

I love ALL of you.

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 120324

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:

2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 15:24; Acts 9:15; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 7:13-14.

This week’s lesson is for anyone that studies the Bible by themselves or maybe in a group. Tonight, we’re going to compare Scripture with Scripture.

There are many people today that see no problem with ‘Man’s Churches,’ I’m okay with any church but I criticize many of them because the churches today, cloud Scripture to fit what they want to portray instead of teaching us Gentiles, what we should be reading instead of Scripture that was written for the Jewish people to document their history as a people.

2 Timothy 3:16 ‘…All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…’

Keyword here is the word ALL. Everything from cover to cover, EVERYTHING.

‘…and is profitable for doctrine…’

The adjective ‘profitable’ in this verse means useful or beneficial, promoting or enhancing well-being. In other words, the Bible is good for us.

‘…for reproof…’

The word ‘reproof’ in the Bible can have multiple meanings, including rebuke, chastening, scolding, correction, disputing, judging, arguing or proving.

In this verse in 2 Timothy, it is generally understood to mean ‘rebuke’ or ‘correction’ in a kind way. The verse can be interpreted as Scripture being useful for showing people what is wrong in their lives and how to live right.

The thing we all must realize, even though SCRIPTURE has been given by the inspiration of God, ALL SCRIPTURE hasn’t been meant for ALL of us to follow.

I’ve said for several years now, the Old Testament was written for the Jewish man so his history, the history of the Jewish people could be remembered.

There is nothing in the Old Testament for a Gentile to learn. There is nothing in the Old Testament that tells me how to live my life.

The Old Testament for me, is like a road map, it shows me when the Jewish person did wrong. It sends a caution flag up for me, warning me to not make the same mistakes as they did.

So, the Bible tells us when people have lived their entire lives the wrong way and at the same time, the Bible shows us how we can live our lives right.

From the two earlier facts, there are several verses that we really need to look at.

Matthew 15:24 ‘…Jesus replied to his disciples, God has sent me to help only the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have lost their way…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

This is Jesus talking to His disciples in vs24.

Jesus, Himself tells us He came ONLY for the house of Israel, that is the Jewish people.

Jesus didn’t focus on us Gentiles until after He was crucified, buried and was resurrected back to life.

To me, maybe the most powerful verse in the Bible for us Christians today.

Acts 9:15 ‘…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…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

If God chose Saul/Paul, why do we turn our backs and not focus specifically on Paul’s writings?

Why do we feel the need to do extra instead of just following God’s lead?

Are we not being just as the Jews doing things the way we want to do things and not worrying what God wants us to do?

In a way, churches today focus on Scripture that was written for the Jewish individual, it shouldn’t be that hard to believe that since they’re picking which verses they do and don’t want to read they’re steering their congregations in the wrong way also.

Why don’t they just repeat this next verse over and over again …

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…’ KJV (King James Version)

Here is a newer version:

‘…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…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…When you believed in Jesus, God saved you because he is very kind. You could not save yourselves, but that is God’s gift to you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Some common sense here, what do we think we’ll gain if we try to DO something?

God has already told us IT’S A GIFT, a gift is free.

Let’s read 2 Timothy again and maybe in a newer version so we might see it clearer.

vs16 ‘…Everything that is written in the Bible comes from God’s Spirit. It helps us in many ways. The Bible teaches us what is true. It warns us when we are doing wrong things. It shows us what is right. It teaches us how to live good lives…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Why do we feel we have to do better than what God has tried giving us?

It is called UNBELIEF.

We, human beings, we don’t believe that God can do what He has told us.

Adam and Eve didn’t believe God when they were in the garden.

Jonah didn’t believe God, not until he came out of the fish’s belly.

The Israelites didn’t believe God at Kadesh Barnea.

The list goes on and on throughout the entire Bible.

The Sadducees and the Pharisees didn’t believe when Jesus walked the earth.

Today, it’s the 21^st century, there are millions of people that still don’t believe that God can do what He’s told us.

We recite verses that have never been meant for us to follow and yet, those verses that WERE written for us Gentile’s, it seems that part of our Bibles have been ripped out from the covers and thrown away.

We just don’t BELIEVE, there is this cloud of UNBELIEF hanging over our heads.

This must be the number one reason why the gate is so narrow. Most of mankind has always followed the wrong path.

Matthew 7

vs13 ‘…Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate…’

vs14 ‘…But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

The reason it is so hard for us to find and follow the narrow road is maybe because it’s really too easy for us to find and follow. ‘MAN’ keeps getting himself involved in trying to do things just a little bit better.

The Bible tells me it is a GIFT that we’ve already been given … all we must do is accept it, as it is.

All the above words, taken from this lesson has happened and then suddenly, the Bible uses the word ‘MYSTERY’ that flip-flops everything that we thought we knew but instead, all of this has been kept secret and has now been shown to mankind.

What we thought we knew, or what we thought we just began to understand now has all been changed.

The first thing we MUST figure out is that it is our
FAITH that is going to save us from Everlasting Damnation.

It is our FAITH that God can do what He has told us.

It is our FAITH that will allow us to attain the gift that God has given us.

It is our FAITH that is going to allow us to believe that JESUS died on a cross for our Salvation.

It is our FAITH that God is who He says He is.

So, at the beginning of this lesson, we read a verse where Jesus told His disciples that He ONLY came to the House of Israel.

Matthew 15

24 ‘…Jesus replied to his disciples, God has sent me to help only the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have lost their way…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

If we kept on reading Matthew 15, in fact, 4 more verses:

vs28 ‘…Jesus answered her, Woman, you show clearly that you believe in God. God will do what you have asked…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

in a different version:

vs28 ‘…So Jesus answered her, you are a woman of great faith! What you want will be done for you. And at that very moment her daughter was healed…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

The woman’s FAITH had her request answered.

This is an example in the Bible, where this writing in Matthew was written for the Jewish individual to prove how the promises made by God in the Old Testament were being fulfilled by Jesus through His ministry.

In three Bible passages, Jesus healed people and told them ‘Your faith has made you well.’ He healed 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19), the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22), and a blind man (Mark 10:46-52).

Luke 17:19 ‘…And Jesus said to him, get up and go; your faith has made you well…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Matthew 9:22 ‘…Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, Courage, my daughter! Your faith has made you well. At that very moment the woman became well…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Mark 10:52 ‘…Go, Jesus told him, your faith has made you well…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Even though the Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are written to those Jews that were attempting to change into Christianity, these verses show how important FAITH is in our Christian life.

FAITH made these three believers well … so too will our lives be changed if we apply FAITH into our lives.

Keep yourselves in the Word. Strengthen your BELIEFS in what He teaches us and get away from believing in what our churches of the day want us to believe.

Believe in what God teaches us.

I love y’all very much. Jesus loves us even more than we can comprehend love and what it really means.

Trust and BELIEVE in Him.

Open your Bibles and read the real Word He wants us to hear.

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 120224

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:

Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:27; Romans 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Romans 10:9-11.

So, let’s begin …

One of my neighbors came over to my house the other morning and began telling me, how her kids were home reading the Bible and they were learning the 10 Commandments for themselves.

I didn’t say anything positive or negative about her comment but, it is truly a shame that parents are not following what has been written in the Bible so they can teach their young, the truth.

It is a shame; our parents didn’t learn what was written in the Bible. It’s a shame they allowed another person to tell them what the Bible said, instead of them finding out for themselves what was written.

It’s a shame our grandparents didn’t teach what was written in the Bible to their kids. How many generations will it take before God’s Word is read aloud and followed by His believers … maybe today, there just aren’t that many believers left to read His Words.

The 10 Commandments were given to Moses to then give to the Israelites and it was meant for them to follow God’s Law.

Exodus 20

vs1 ‘…And God spake all these words, saying…’

vs2 ‘…I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage…’

vs3 ‘…Thou shalt have no other gods before me…’

vs4 ‘…Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth…’

vs5 ‘…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…’

vs6 ‘…And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments…’

vs7 ‘…Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain…’

vs8 ‘…Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…’

vs9 ‘…Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work…’

vs10 ‘…But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates…’

vs11 ‘…For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it…’

vs12 ‘…Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee…’

vs13 ‘…Thou shalt not kill…’

vs14 ‘…Thou shalt not commit adultery…’

vs15 ‘…Thou shalt not steal…’

vs16 ‘…Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour…’

vs17 ‘…Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor man’s problem, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s…’ KJV (King James Version)

Man’s problem, since the time of Moses, has mostly been himself, his inability to hear the Words that God gave him.

This problem has apparently lasted through to this day.

In Jesus’ time when He walked this earth, the religious men of the day, they knew the Word but instead of them listening, following and teaching what God was telling them, they were more interested in overseeing that 613 rules were followed by the Jewish people. They were jealous of the power that the Romans projected and the pharisees wanted to be seen as powerful as them, so they mirrored the Romans in a way.

They read from the scrolls daily to the Jews but, they didn’t take the time to teach what was being told to them, instead they enforced the 613 rules.

When Jesus was able to quote the passages from the scrolls, before He ever even opened them, the astonished religious leaders, rather than acknowledging Jesus, they instead called Him a hoax.

What was it that really made the pharisees mad and upset with Jesus and His followers?

Jesus and His followers ignored the trivial 613 rules that the pharisees considered to be the most important thing in any ones lives.

In Matthew 12

vs1 ‘…At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat…’

vs2 ‘…But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day…’

vs3 ‘…But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him…’

vs4 ‘…How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests…’

vs5 ‘…Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless…’

vs6 ‘…But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple…’

vs7 ‘…But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless…’

vs8 ‘…For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day…’ KJV (King James Version)

The pharisees were irrate because Jesus and His followers were not keeping the Sabbath.

Mark 2:27 (this was Jesus speaking) ‘…And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath…’ KJV (King James Version)

Throughout history, man has failed to follow what God has wanted from us. Instead of us changing our lives to fit around the Word of God, man has continuously changed the words they wanted to use that God gave us and they fit those words around their lives.

Am I 100% right all the time, maybe not; but I do know that we should be changing our lives to fit the Word of God that He has given us and stop trying to fit the word around our lives.

We should be talking about how wonderful the Word is or how wonderful our God is instead of talking about a pastor, his message or the building he preaches from.

Romans 6:14 ‘…For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace…’ KJV (King James Version)

Here is a newer version …

Romans 6:14 ‘…Sin will no longer have authority over you. You do not have a new life because you obey the Law which God gave to Moses. You have a new life because God is very kind to you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Eventually, one day, mankind will wake up and smell the roses … I fear that day will be on that day the trumpet calls, and Jesus gathers His church, up into the sky, to remain in the presence of Him, forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ‘…Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord…’ KJV (King James Version)

Again, in a newer version …

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ‘…After that, those of us who are still alive will join together with them. God will suddenly take us up into the clouds. In that way, we will all meet the Lord in the sky. So we will all be with the Lord for ever…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

God in His love, kindness and mercy towards us has allowed us to have His GRACE. This is a gift that God gave all of mankind at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus died for the sins of this world. Not just my sins … not just our sins (mine and yours), but for ALL the sins ever committed by mankind, ALL mankind.

All you must do is believe and you are saved.

Romans 10

vs9 ‘…That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…’

vs10 ‘…For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…’

vs11 ’…For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed…’ KJV (King James Version)

Once again, here is the same passage in a newer version of the Holy Bible.

Romans 10

vs9 ‘…The message is this: You must say clearly that Jesus is the Lord. Also, you must believe deep inside yourself that God raised him to life again after his death. Then God will save you…’

vs10 ‘…God accepts people as right with him when they believe like that, deep inside themselves. And when people say clearly that Jesus is Lord, God saves them…’

vs11 ‘…It says in the Bible: Everyone who believes in him will not be disappointed…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

I pray every day that I hope I can be used as a mouthpiece to allow mankind to think for just a moment that they would open their Bibles and look at the Word for themselves.

There is no 1 correct version of the Bible that must only be used. If there were, God would have told us.

Eventually, there must be a little ‘common sense’ used by us individuals. We cannot remain forever with our heads buried in the sand and making comments that we don’t understand.

We need to realize His Words before He returns because after then, it will be too late.

I love you ALL. God loves ALL of you, even more. Take the time and read His Word before it is too late.

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>