Sunday 120124
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:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:1; Romans 8:18-30.
We should evaluate our lives, what we have and where and what we are lacking in and through our attempts, we should try and make ourselves better.
While we, us human beings, while we are alive and on this planet earth, we will NEVER be perfect on our own. It is going to involve Jesus in our lives to make us that way.
We know that there is coming the day, when Jesus is going to return for His Church and those that are not ready are going to be left behind and face the horrors of what has been foretold in the Tribulation.
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 forever…’
vs18 ‘…Because this message is true, tell it to each other. Help one another to be strong, not sad…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
I have purposefully used the EASY (Easy English Bible) version while displaying these verses for you, because I have found the EASY version so calmly and peacefully printed.
I could have used the AKJV (Authorized King James Version) but so many times, words are used that today in the 21st century, they don’t make any logical sense.
I don’t believe the version we use makes any difference as long as we are reading His Word.
How many times have you heard someone say, ‘you’ll see your daughter again, one day soon,’ or ‘you’ll see your mom again’ or ‘your dad’, ‘your brother’ or ‘sister,’ ‘aunt’ or ‘uncle,’ my point is we’ve all heard this said to someone.
There is going to be that event in our life when we are going to face the realism that people on this earth are one day going to die and leave us.
It has to be recognized that this is going to happen.
It is a reality we ALL are one day going to experience.
Let’s begin to search in the Bible to clearly answer ALL of our questions.
Today, the most known verse in the Bible is found in John.
John 3:16
‘…For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
I myself, do not BELIEVE John 3:16 is meant for the Gentile believer.
Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are not mentioned in this verse by John.
Here is the verse I put all of my confidence in:
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…’ ESV (English Standard Version)
This word ‘GRACE’ is so powerful.
Here is the same verse taken from the Amplified Bible.
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)
Here is another verse that is found in Romans:
Romans 10:9 ‘…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
These verses by the apostle Paul speak of our Salvation so that we can be able to attain Everlasting Life with Jesus.
What else can be said, it is complete.
While writing this lesson, I got online and began comparing words. And it is through ‘words’ that we are able to communicate with one another.
There have not been many times when I have disagreed or found it difficult to contemplate what has been written, but today I find that this is the case.
Online there is a disagreement that FAITH and BELIEVE are words with identical meanings.
So, as always, hopefully God will step into this paper and guide me with the wisdom He wants to be portrayed.
When a person says they have FAITH in God, it is because they BELIEVE in God.
Look at it in the opposite way:
When a person says they have FAITH in God, it is because they DO NOT BELIEVE in God.
How can you NOT believe in something and have faith in it?
Try another sentence.
A person will only be able to keep their FAITH in something when they BELIEVE in that same thing.
Again, look at it in the opposite way:
A person will only be able to keep their FAITH in something when they DON’T BELIEVE in that same thing.
Once again, how can you NOT believe in something and have faith in it?
I’m unsure I agree with all of the information we can find online comparing these two (2) words.
Let me see what the Word shows me.
The plainest verse in the Bible on FAITH is found in Hebrews 11:1.
‘…Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…’ ESV (English Standard Version)
‘…Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
One word that is used in every version is the word ‘hope.’
All I can say to each one of you is to keep your Bibles always open and read the words that have been written in the Word.
Romans 8
vs18 ‘…I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us…’
vs19 ‘…All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children…’
vs20 ‘…For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope…’
vs21 ‘…that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God…’
vs22 ‘…For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth…’
vs23 ‘…But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free…’
vs24 ‘…For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who of us hopes for something we, see…’
vs25 ‘…But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience…’
vs26 ‘…In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express…’
vs27 ‘…And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is, because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will…’
vs28 ‘…We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose…’
vs29 ‘…Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers…’
vs30 ‘…And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
We are shown more than what we ask for. All we need to do is ask and it will be given to us.
Hope is not merely a ‘wish’ that we ask for. Hope is an assured GIFT we will receive. We haven’t received it yet but, we KNOW we will, ONE day.
Keep you Bibles always open and study as much as you can. Seek the words He has given to us and keep yourselves protected from what someone may have written or explained online. Just because it’s in print doesn’t mean it has to be so.
Listen to Jesus speak to you through the words we have been given in the Word.
Be wise and be aware that there are those out there in this world that want you to see a different way. When their hands reach out for you to deposit a payment, BEWARE!!!
An entire study needs to begin by just being aware of your surroundings.
Study the Word of God and put on the Armor that He has given us to protect us from the evil one.
Ephesians 6 has been given to us by God to protect us. ARM YOURSELVES AND BE SAFE.
I love ALL of you. I could keep on going tonight. Open your Bibles and let Him guide you where He wants you to go.
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>