Month: September 2026

So, this morning we are going to write a little about Paul’s writings and how they have been placed in our Bibles.

Paul’s thirteen (13) letters are arranged in our modern Bibles according to the length (from the longest to shortest) of each letter, they are not arranged chronologically as to when they were written (from the earliest to the last).

There is some variance as to which book was written first and which one was second, but with that said, we should remember that it was Jesus Christ that CHOSE Saul of Tarsus to teach this entire world what God wants for us to know.

I get that above statement from the book of Acts.

Acts 9:15

‘…But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

‘…The Lord said to Ananias, Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

‘…But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

‘…The Lord said to him, Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel…’ NIV ( New International Version)

‘…But the Lord said, Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

Jesus made it clear that He CHOSE Saul of Tarsus to teach the entire world His Message.

I have wondered for several years why this verse has been missed by so many that consider themselves Christians.

Help me voice this message to those, that you meet.

Let others know the words that are found in the Word of God.

Jesus wants to give us the GIFT of Life, but we MUST believe what He is telling us in His written Word, the Word of TRUTH.

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

Remember what is waiting for you by speaking out loud, what is found in the Word of God.

Romans 10:9 ‘…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…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

So, getting back to 1 Thessalonians, the main message is that Paul is telling the church at Thessalonica how much he notices them living their lives in holiness, love and hope. Paul is telling us, the reader of 1 Thessalonians how we should live a life of holiness, and live our lives full of love and hope while we patiently wait for the return of Jesus Christ.

We don’t know when God the Father is going to turn off the light switch and this earth, as we know it, is going to be completed and come to an end, but we should always be ready for when that event does take place.

Readily awaiting eternity so we will be in the presence of Jesus forever.

There may be a few of you that are going to ask if that will be difficult, and assuredly I can answer, YES.

But I also know from what has been written in the pages that fill our Bibles, it will most definitely be worth it.

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians around 50–51 AD from Corinth, 1 Thessalonians is likely the earliest surviving letter of the Apostle Paul.

He wrote this letter to commend the young, persecuted church, and answer their questions regarding the afterlife, and encourage them to continue living steadfast Christian lives.

The apostle Paul is writing to teach us, living today in the 21^st century, what Jesus wants for us to know.

During his second missionary journey, Paul, along with his companions Silas and Timothy, arrived in the bustling Macedonian city of Thessalonica. Although he had early success sharing the gospel, local opposition accused the new Christians of defying the Roman emperor by serving ‘another king, Jesus.’ This intense persecution forced Paul and his companions to sneak out of the city under cover of night for their own safety.

Paul traveled onward to Athens, but he remained deeply concerned for the welfare of the new, vulnerable believers, that he had to leave behind. He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on the church and help strengthen their faith. When Timothy returned, he brought Paul encouraging news: the Thessalonian believers were standing firm and remaining faithful.

1 Thessalonians 1

vs3 ‘…For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm…’

vs4 ‘…Our friends, we know that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own…’

vs5 ‘…For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

In history, time wise, this was roughly 20 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I look back throughout time, and I see where man’s religions have taken a compete 180 degree change from what this world actually seen in the 1^st century.

Replacement theology, where most religions teach today that we have replaced the Jewish nation of Jesus’ day, that entire idea is nowhere written in the Word of God, it is nothing but a man-made belief.

There is a denomination that follows the writings that were by the apostle Peter.

They lock themselves in a room and elect a man that will be their religious leader, they practice man-made beliefs and they do not follow God’s lead that has been written in His Word.

We could go on and on and continue with denomination after denomination, but we NEED to realize, THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.

Instead of READING the Word of God and FOLLOWING His lead, so many of these man-made denominations choose to teach the words that they themselves want to teach, they even write their own words to be read aloud and in front of their congregations.

We are not told that we should do that.

The apostle Paul sent Timothy to check up on the church at Thessalonica and check up on them … but what do you think would happen if Paul could send him to check on this world today, what would he think?

Here is what Timothy told the apostle Paul after his visit, checking up on the church at Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:6 ‘…Now Timothy has come back, and he has brought us the welcome news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always think well of us and that you want to see us just as much as we want to see you…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

What do you think that Jesus would say about us today IF He looked down on this earth?

God’s WRATH is keeping quiet, waiting for us human beings, to seek His GRACE.

The day is quickly approaching, whenever that day has been determined by God our Father, when enough is enough.

These words written by the apostle Paul have been given to us to teach us what God wants for us to know.

Paul’s thirteen (13) books should be opened every day, especially on Sunday mornings instead of spewing the words that in some cases, have been purchased online and sold because they sound good.

Instead of worrying about what sounds good, we should seek those words that God is telling us.

We are SAVED through FAITH.

FAITH in what God is telling us.

Not in faith in what we want to hear, BUT FAITH IN THE WORDS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US.

His Word, our Holy Bibles has been given to us by the Holy Spirit so that we would know.

Just because human words are not found in the particular version of the Bible that we are reading, that doesn’t mean that idea is false, maybe it simply means we’re using the wrong words.

Our Bibles in the English language, does not use the word ‘RAPTURE.’ What is commonly used, are the words ‘CAUGHT UP,’ or ‘TAKEN UP.’

Starting in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we are given the events that will occur at the RAPTURE.

The Body of Christ, Jesus’ church is going to be removed from this earth, and the seven (7) years of Tribulation is going to follow this departure.

These verses should be studied by us daily, so we are ready to go.

Ask yourself: ARE YOU READY?

You better be like a boy scout and ‘BE PREPARED.’

You better OPEN the Word of God and READ.

1 Thessalonians 4

vs13 ‘… My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won’t grieve over them and be like people who don’t have any hope…’

vs14 ‘…We believe Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died…’

vs15 ‘…Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won’t go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died…’

vs16 ‘…With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life…’

vs17 ‘…Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever…’

vs18 ‘…Encourage each other with these words…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

Ask yourself out loud: ARE YOU READY?

Continuing in the book, Paul’s message continues to GET US READY.

1 Thessalonians 5

vs1 ‘…I don’t need to write you about the time or date when all this will happen…’

vs2 ‘…You surely know that the Lord’s return will be as a thief coming at night…’

vs3 ‘…People will think they are safe and secure. But destruction will suddenly strike them like the pains of a woman about to give birth. And they won’t escape…’

vs4 ‘…My dear friends, you don’t live in darkness, and so that day won’t surprise you like a thief…’

vs5 ‘…You belong to the light and live in the day. We don’t live in the night or belong to the dark…’

vs6 ‘…Others may sleep, but we should stay awake and be alert…’

vs7 ‘…People sleep during the night, and some even get drunk…’

vs8 ‘…But we belong to the day. So, we must stay sober and let our faith and love be like a suit of armor. Our firm hope that we will be saved is our helmet…’

vs9 ‘…God doesn’t intend to punish us, but wants us to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ…’

vs10 ‘…Christ died for us, so we could live with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes…’

vs11 ‘…This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

Our ONLY response can be that we BELIEVE.

READ His Word so that you will know.

Stop following what this world has taught us for nearly 2000 years now, and FOLLOW Jesus’ lead.

OPEN your Bible and READ His Word.

I want to invite you to join me in my pursuit to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

I love ALL of y’all.

I am InHIM.><)))o>

Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21^st century:

Day 1              –      Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5

Day 2              –      2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8

Day 3              –      1Corinthians 9-16

Day 4              –      2Corinthians 1-13

Day 5              –      Romans 1-10

Day 6              –      Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4

Day 7              –      Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6

Day 8              –      Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4

Day 9              –      Acts 1-7

Day 10            –      Acts 8-13

Day 11            –      Acts 14-20

Day 12            –      Acts 21-28

The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).

My lessons are posted every Wednesday on:

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe.wordpress.com

Let’s continue in Paul’s writings, this morning we are going to  open the book of Colossians.

Remember now, Paul is in prison as he writes this letter to the church at Colossae.

The main message found in the book of Colossians is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the creator of all things. He holds all of creation together and is the head of the church.

His CHURCH, the Body of Christ.

Not the church that follows the writings of the apostle Peter.

Not the church that wants you to feel good about yourself.

Not the church found on the corner of Main street in just about every town in America.

But HIS CHURCH.

Colossians 1:15 ‘…who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature…’ AKJV

JESUS CHRIST our Savior and Protector.

Colossians 1:20 ‘…Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

We are not told that we have to do anything, God did it, FOR US.

This shows how Sovereign God is.

This shows us how much God loves each one of us.

Colossians 1:22 ‘…But now you have become God’s friends. This happened because Christ’s human body died on the cross. As a result, God has brought you to himself. As you stand in front of him, you are completely good and clean inside. He sees nothing in you that is bad…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

If you were to attend a man-made religion today they’d tell you what you need to give-up, what you need to stop doing, what you need to do and how much money you need to put in the offering basket … but ALL of that is different than what God tells us in this verse.

Who do you figure is lying to you?

God or mankind?

Colossians 2

vs6 ‘…Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him…’

vs7 ‘…Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Be stronger in your FAITH that you were taught … taught and learned from the Word of God, NOT what you were taught and remembered from a man-made religion on Sunday morning’s.

Keep your FAITH and TRUST in Jesus. Allow Him to protect you and keep you safe.

This next part might be difficult for you, but it is the Word of God.

Colossians 2

vs18 ‘…Some people may tell you that you must always serve other people like a slave. They may tell you that you must worship angels. Do not let those people speak bad things against you. They like to talk a lot about the special things that God has shown them. They think that they are very clever. But their ideas only come from human minds…’

vs19 ‘…False teachers like that do not receive their message from Christ. As God’s people, we are like a body, and Christ is like our head. He is the one who causes the whole body to be strong. He helps us to work well together, like the different parts of a body. Then we can all grow properly, because it is God who is helping us to grow…’

vs20 ‘…Remember that your old nature has died with Christ. So, the powerful spirits that rule this world no longer have any authority over you. You do not need to serve them, because you do not belong to this world now. You do not need to obey their rules…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

This is the difference between the Word of God, the words that He wants us to know and share with others compared to the words spewed in man-made religions, where they try and make themselves appear wise and god-worthy.

This is why I tell pastors, open your Bible and READ His words to the people in your congregation. Invest God’s knowledge into their lives. Make them aware what God wants for them to see.

READ the words that God has laid out for them to see.

TEACH them how to know and find God.

Stop putting your own spin on the perfect Word that God has already given to us.

Just think of the wealth that mankind would give to God to help others, so they could see, compared to your offering basket that is located at every exit door, at the back of the church and passed through the seats during every service.

Pastors, take your eyes off yourself and look out at your congregation.

Those people are there for Him … NOT YOU!!!

Allow me to continue with these next 3 verses.

Colossians 2

vs21 ‘…They teach, Do not touch things like that! or, Do not eat that kind of food! or, Keep away from that thing…’

vs22 ‘…Rules like that are only about things that spoil when you use them. They are rules that come from human ideas…’

vs23 ‘…They teach you ideas about what you must do to worship God. They teach you to serve other people like a slave. They say that you must hurt yourself. You must show that you control your body. Rules like that may seem to be wise, but really they are not worth anything. They cannot stop our weak human nature from doing the bad things that we want to do…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, OUR SINS WERE FORGIVEN.

Period … end of story … nothing else needs to be said.

WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.

All we have to do is have the FAITH and BELIEVE that it is so.

Visit a man-made religion and we have to ask for forgiveness every moment that we are awake … and we need to tithe in the offering basket, and our sins will be forgiven.

God is PERFECT. He has given us the Word so we could find out HIS TRUTH.

All we have to do is OPEN our Bibles and READ His Word for ourselves.

Colossians 3

vs1 ‘…You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God…’

vs2 ‘…Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth…’

vs3 ‘…For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God…’

vs4 ‘…Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

TRUST what God wants you to know is the TRUTH.

HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE IN HIM.

As I said earlier in this lesson, the main message in the book of Colossians is showing God’s Supremacy and the Sufficiency of having Jesus Christ in your life.

ALLOW JESUS TO WALK WITH YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.

As the title, from my latest book, Follow in Jesus’ FOOTSTEPS.

TRUST where He takes you.

Be in communication with Him at all times.

One of my favorite verses found in Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:17

‘…Pray without ceasing…’ AKJV

‘…and never stop praying…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

‘…Pray at all times…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

‘…pray at all times…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…pray without ceasing…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…constantly pray…’ NET (New English Translation)

How can God’s Word be any more plain?

We are to FULLY rely on Him for everything.

If and when we visit a man-made religion, we should go because we want to be in the presence of God the Father.

We want to HEAR Him speak to us.

When we leave the man-made building, we should respond HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD … not comment how good the sermon was or how the music was or the air conditioner was really working or how good the coffee and doughnuts were.

WE CAME TO VISIT WITH GOD … PERIOD!!!

Colossians 4:2 ‘…Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

This book is full of knowledge just waiting for us to learn from it.

Colossians 4

vs5 ‘…Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have…’

vs6 ‘…Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Here is a verse we should keep in our memory always, everywhere we go.

Romans 10:9 ‘…because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved …’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

How many times throughout your year in a man-made religion have you heard this verse?

I’d bet probably not often.

OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND SHARE THE WORDS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT WITH THOSE AROUND YOU.

GOD LOVES YOU … GOD LOVES THEM AS WELL.

I want to invite you to follow me in my pursuit to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

I love ALL of y’all. I am InHIM.><)))o>

Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21^st century:

Day 1              –      Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5

Day 2              –      2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8

Day 3              –      1Corinthians 9-16

Day 4              –      2Corinthians 1-13

Day 5              –      Romans 1-10

Day 6              –      Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4

Day 7              –      Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6

Day 8              –      Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4

Day 9              –      Acts 1-7

Day 10            –      Acts 8-13

Day 11            –      Acts 14-20

Day 12            –      Acts 21-28

The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).

My lessons are posted every Wednesday on:

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe.wordpress.com

This morning we are going to look at the writings that the apostle Paul gave us in the book of Philippians.

Paul begins:

Philippians 1:1 ‘…Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons…’ AKJV

This letter is addressed to the entire congregation (all saints) at Philippi, to be read by the bishops and deacons (the leaders) in that church … I’m 68 and I’ve NEVER heard this letter taught from the Bible.

This is the reason I say our ‘church buildings’ we find, all throughout America, are nothing but, man-made buildings housing man-made religions NOT interested in teaching us God’s Word, they are more interested in accumulating our money in the offering baskets and teaching what ‘they’ want for us to hear.

God’s Word is rarely even opened or looked at anymore, and if it is opened, the incorrect messages are taught by incompetent people, they don’t want to teach us what God wants us to hear, they instead want to preach about their relatives doing their laundry or a relative that lives on a train traveling the country side, man-made sermons.

Let’s this morning READ the words that God wants for us to HEAR.

From verse 1 through verse 11, the apostle Paul is in prison and instead of asking for anything for himself, he is unselfishly praying for those people at Philippi.

This should be shouted from every rooftop, throughout every day … don’t focus on what is going wrong in your own life, look to others and pray for them.

Pray that they’re happy, and pray that they’re full.

Pray that they’re healthy and pray that they’re protected under God’s protection.

TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOURSELF and pray for someone else.

Worry about how someone else is doing and STOP looking at yourself.

Philippians 1

vs12 ‘…My friends, I want you to know this. The trouble that has happened to me has helped more people to know about God’s good news…’

vs13 ‘…I am in a prison because I am Christ’s servant. The soldiers in the king’s house and all the people here know that…’

vs14 ‘…Also, because I am in a prison, most of the other believers here trust the Lord even more. The Lord has made them brave, so that they are not afraid to speak God’s message to people…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

EDIFY

There is an old Chinese proverb: feed a man a fish and he eats for a day … teach a man to fish and he will eat forever.

EDIFY

Teach those around you the Word of God. Speak with your mouths the words that you have found. Let others know how what you’ve been taught is not the real message, teach them the Message that God wants for us all to HEAR.

EDIFY

Philippians 1:27 ‘…Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

EDIFY … stop looking at what you think is wrong in your life and instead …

… THANK GOD for what He has given you.

Let others know how thankful you are. Stand tall and walk with pride … be proud that you have God in your life.

Philippians 2:1 ‘…Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Here is some very WISE advice that every one of should take to heart today in the 21^st century.

Philippians 2:3 ‘…Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

I always felt bad when I repeated something … especially the amount of times I have taught and repeated Acts 9:15 … but here is a verse we should ALL remember.

Philippians 3:1 ‘…In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don’t mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

I think we will ALL be safer when we repeat the truth.

Philippians 4

vs4 ‘…Always be happy because you belong to the Lord. I will say that again, Be happy…’

vs5 ‘…Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near…’

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

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

God is telling us through the apostle Paul that we are to be HAPPY.

There is nothing that we need to worry about. If there is a problem in our life, GO TO HIM IN PRAYER.

THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU.

Take your eyes off what you think you need and look across the room and notice what someone else might need.

The book of Philippians is short, so this mornings lesson is also going to be short.

I asked google.com, what was the main message found in the book of Philippians. Here is the response:

The core themes of the book include:

Joy in Suffering: Paul highlights joy and rejoicing throughout the letter. He teaches that circumstances (including his own imprisonment) do not dictate a Christian’s happiness.

Christ as the Example: The letter contains one of the most profound descriptions of Jesus’ humility (Philippians 2:5-11), urging believers to adopt the same selfless mindset.

Church Unity: Paul pleads with the Philippians to put aside personal conflicts and selfish ambition, working together with one mind and purpose to advance the gospel.

Contentment and Peace: The letter provides actionable encouragement to focus on what is good, trust God with anxieties, and find contentment in every situation.

Calm down. RELAX. Let the Spirit of God fill your body with His love towards your fellow man. CHILL.

God doesn’t want us to picket abortion clinics.

God doesn’t want us to protest in His name.

Show His love towards your fellow man.

EDIFY.

I want to invite you to join me in my pursuit to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

OPEN your Bible and let’s study His Word.

Join me as we search His Word so we can follow Him.

I love ALL of y’all.

I am InHIM.><)))o>

Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21^st century:

Day 1              –      Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5

Day 2              –      2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8

Day 3              –      1Corinthians 9-16

Day 4              –      2Corinthians 1-13

Day 5              –      Romans 1-10

Day 6              –      Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4

Day 7              –      Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6

Day 8              –      Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4

Day 9              –      Acts 1-7

Day 10            –      Acts 8-13

Day 11            –      Acts 14-20

Day 12            –      Acts 21-28

The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).

My lessons are posted every Wednesday on:

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe.wordpress.com

We are going to begin this lesson looking at a verse in the OT.

Deuteronomy 29:29 ‘…The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

Here is a little closer of a look at the first part of that verse:

Deuteronomy 29:29a ‘…There are some things that the Lord our God has kept secret…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

This shows us mere human beings, just how sovereign God really is. God didn’t have to tell us that He keeps secrets … but He did. Remember this fact as we begin our study in the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 1

vs4 ‘…Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love…’

vs5 ‘…God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose…’ GNT

God knew all the way back from the beginning of time that He was going to SAVE us Gentiles. But reading the entire OT you would never read that statement anywhere or in any book.

Even when man divided up God’s Word into 2 sections, the OT and the NT, the 4 synoptic gospels do not include the Gentiles being saved either.

It is because of that reason why I believe the 3 synoptic gospels and the gospel of John, should ALL be included in with the OT.

In the book of Acts, we can READ in chapter 9, where God decided to let it be known that He was going to save the Gentiles.

Romans 11:11

‘…I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy…’ AKJV

‘…Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

God knew beforehand. It’s been written in God’s Word back when Paul wrote his letters back in the 1^st century.

The Jews knew but they were blinded. Christendom has had the letters, but they too have been blinded. I believe Satan is the reason their loss of sight. Why else can an excuse be made?

Ephesians 1:11 ‘…All things are done according to God’s plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning…’ GNT

The main message found in the book of Ephesians is that God’s grand plan is to unite everything in heaven and on earth under Jesus Christ, His Son.

Here we haven’t made it half way in the 1st chapter and already, all we’ve seen is God’s plan for us.

Ephesians 1:23 ‘…The church is Christ’s body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere…’ GNT

The church is NOT a Catholic, Pentecostal, Methodist, Baptist or non-denominational building.

The church is Christ’s body. Christ’s body is made up of BELIEVERS seeking to find His Word.

We MUST OPEN up our Bibles to find His Word … the Word that is meant for us to see.

One of my favorite verses found in the Word of God:

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE are ye SAVED through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God…’ AKJV

We don’t have to do anything except BELIEVE what is written in the Word. Not the words that are preached on a Sunday morning, but rather the words that God has intended for us to HEAR in His Word.

Ephesians 2

vs11 ‘…You Gentiles by birth – called the uncircumcised by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies) – remember what you were in the past…’

vs12 ‘…At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God’s chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God’s promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God…’

vs13 ‘…But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ…’ GNT

We are going to dive deeper into this secret of God.

Ephesians 3

vs3 ‘…God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. I have written briefly about this…’

vs4 ‘…and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ…’

vs5 ‘…In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets…’

vs6 ‘…The secret is that by means of the gospel the Gentiles have a part with the Jews in God’s blessings; they are members of the same body and share in the promise that God made through Christ Jesus…’ GNT

In the book of Ephesians, God is revealing His secret to Paul so we all will know.

To contradict what has and is being taught in the man-made religions throughout this world, we have not been told we are replacements for the Jewish individual, we are offered everlasting life through the GRACE of God.

To repeat the verse, we studied just a moment ago:

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE are ye SAVED through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God…’ AKJV

Now throughout the entire OT, there is no mention of a 2000 year period known as the times of the Gentile.

Right now, there has been 1983 years since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

In the past I have made the comment, who’s to say there may not be more secrets that God has kept to Himself that will happen before the end is here?

ONLY God knows for sure.

We are told to be READY. We are told to TRUST in Him.

Ephesians 4

vs20 ‘…But when you learned about Christ, you did not learn to do things like that…’

vs21 ‘…I am sure that you have heard about him properly. People taught you the true message that comes from Jesus…’

vs22 ‘…They taught you to change the way that you live. You must put away the nature that you had before. That old nature deceived you. As a result, you wanted to do things that would destroy you…’

vs23 ‘…Instead, let God’s Spirit make you think in a new way…’

vs24 ‘…Take up the new nature that God has prepared for you. That nature is like God’s own nature. Then you will live in a truly good way that pleases God…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

God is what makes us NEW. We cannot just decide that we are going to be different and then go and break new trails. We have to leave what we’ve known, and we have to OPEN up His Word and FOLLOW the words that He wants us to HEAR.

God is the One that has given us LIFE and He is the ONLY One that we can find the words that He wants us to FOLLOW.

We have to trust in Him.

We have to have the FAITH to BELIEVE in Him.

Ephesians 6

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

vs11 ‘…Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…’

vs12 ‘…For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places…’

vs13 ‘…Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand…’

vs14 ‘…Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness…’

vs15 ‘…and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…’

vs16 ‘…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one…’

vs17 ‘…And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…’

vs18 ‘…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

God knows what we are going to be up against every day of our lives.

God loves us and He wants us to be prepared to defend ourselves from the evil one.

God has given us His armor that we should wear every day when we leave our house.

Notice, among the pieces of armor, there is ONLY one offense piece of equipment.

That equipment is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Our Holy Bibles, God has given us His Word so we could defend ourselves.

We can know when someone is lying to us when they tell us something that is NOT written in the Word.

If we are wise and knowledgeable with what is in the Word, we can use it offensively and defensively.

I want to invite you to follow me in my pursuit to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

I love ALL of y’all.

I am InHIM.><)))o>

Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21^st century:

Day 1              –      Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5

Day 2              –      2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8

Day 3              –      1Corinthians 9-16

Day 4              –      2Corinthians 1-13

Day 5              –      Romans 1-10

Day 6              –      Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4

Day 7              –      Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6

Day 8              –      Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4

Day 9              –      Acts 1-7

Day 10            –      Acts 8-13

Day 11            –      Acts 14-20

Day 12            –      Acts 21-28

The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).

My lessons are posted every Wednesday on:

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe.wordpress.com

We are going to take a small detour this morning, and we are going to speak on the ‘prison letters’ that were written by our apostle Paul.

The reason for this is because of the 4 letters that were written by Paul while he was imprisoned, 3 of those letters are the next 3 books in the Bible that we are going to study.

Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.

Paul mentions that he is in prison in these verses:

Ephesians 3:1 ‘…That is why I pray for you. I, Paul, am in prison because I serve Christ Jesus. He has sent me to help you Gentiles…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Ephesians 4:1 ‘…Because I serve the Lord, I am here in prison. I really want you to live as God’s own people should live. God has called you to come to him. He has chosen you to be his own people…’ EASY

Philippians 1:13 ‘…I am in a prison because I am Christ’s servant. The soldiers in the king’s house and all the people here know that…’ EASY

Colossians 4:3 ‘…Also pray for us. Ask God to make it possible for us to tell people his message. We want people to understand the message about Christ that was a secret before. I am now in a prison because I taught people those things…’ EASY

Colossians 4:18 ‘…I, Paul, am writing these words at the end of this letter with my own hand. Remember to pray for me while I am in prison. I pray that God will continue to be very kind to you…’ EASY

Besides the times he spent in prison, Paul survived horrific physical, environmental, and emotional abuse for his missionary work. According to his own accounts, these hardships included:

Severe beatings, shipwrecks, environmental and travel perils, physical deprivation, hostility and betrayal, the ‘Thorn in the Flesh’ that caused him much personal stress.

Just ask yourself, could you today survive such hardships?

This is from the mouth of Jesus Christ.

Acts 9:16 ‘…I myself will tell him about the many troubles that he will have. He will have much pain on my behalf…’ EASY

Being locked up in prison is unthinkable to most human beings today, but can you just imagine what Paul went through to allow you and I to have the opportunity to HEAR what God wants for us to know, and there is a large population of people that call themselves christians that won’t even read the letters that Paul wrote for us.

There are many that do not believe the words I speak, but I repeat what God has given us through His Word … so in essence they are saying they don’t want to believe what God is telling them.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES GOD FEEL?

I know that I am not perfect. I know that to, many people, my hair is way too long. I know that I upset many when they see me drink a beer or two.

God has created EVERYTHING in this world that we can see in front of us. God has forgiven me, and all of us, for ALL OF OUR SINS … ALL OF THEM.

It is a shame there are those human beings that feel they should be more judicious than God Himself.

The apostle Paul loved Jesus more than any of us will ever really be able to know.

The apostle Paul loved each one of us because he loved Jesus.

Paul suffered for us because he wanted us to know what each one of us have waiting for us, after we leave this body that we are living in.

Jesus Christ died on a cross to forgive us of our sins so that we could have the promise to live eternity in the presence of Him after we leave this life.

Jesus did that for us before we were perfect, while we were still sinners.

Here are several different English versions for you to read this verse in.

Romans 5:8

‘…But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

‘…But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

‘…But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

‘…But God has shown us how much he loves us. Even when we still did not obey God, Christ died on our behalf…’ EASY

‘…But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

‘…But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…’ NET (New English Translation)

What more proof do you need?

GOD LOVES YOU … NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK YOU’VE DONE TO HARM HIM … GOD LOVES YOU!!!

I don’t quote from the teachings that Jesus taught the Jews very often, but here is a verse written by John to the Jewish believers.

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

You might ask, why do I say that John wrote to the Jewish individual only.

John 1:19 ‘…And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou…’ AKJV

John NEVER speaks of Everlasting Life being offered to the Gentile individual.

John NEVER speaks of Jesus’ death, burial or resurrection and how it is our promise of Everlasting Life for the non-Jew (Gentile).

John didn’t understand what it meant to die and to be resurrected back to life … how could he preach it?

How do I know John didn’t understand … it is written in the synoptic gospels of Mark and Luke.

Mark 9

vs31 ‘…For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day…’

vs32 ‘…But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him…’ AKJV

Luke 18

vs31 ‘…Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished…’

vs32 ‘…For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on…’

vs33 ‘…and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again…’

vs34 ‘…And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken…’ AKJV

John writes in his own gospel, on the day of Jesus’ resurrection when John was standing in the tomb of Jesus, that, as of yet, he didn’t understand the Scriptures.

John 20:9 ‘…For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead…’ AKJV

But we are shown in several verses that have been meant for us Gentiles to BELIEVE.

Acts 16:31 ‘…Paul and Silas said to him, Believe in the Lord Jesus and then God will save you. He will save you and the people who live in your house, if they believe too…’ EASY

Romans 10:9 ‘…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…’ EASY

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…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

How many people out there in this world do not READ the Word of God?

They instead listen to their pastor or priests in their man-made religions and think that the man-made sermons heard on Sunday mornings will save them, when actually, those Sunday morning sermons have done nothing but confuse the Truth of God.

The ONLY way to HEAR the words that God intends for you to HEAR is to OPEN up your Bible and READ His words for yourself.

Mankind, over the 2000 years since Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection have wandered some from the actual teachings that have been meant for us to abide by, that is written in the Word of God.

I want to invite you to follow me in my pursuit to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and continue in His Word.

Join me … I love ALL of y’all.

I am InHIM.><)))o>

Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21^st century:

Day 1              –      Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5

Day 2              –      2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8

Day 3              –      1Corinthians 9-16

Day 4              –      2Corinthians 1-13

Day 5              –      Romans 1-10

Day 6              –      Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4

Day 7              –      Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6

Day 8              –      Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4

Day 9              –      Acts 1-7

Day 10            –      Acts 8-13

Day 11            –      Acts 14-20

Day 12            –      Acts 21-28

The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).

My lessons are posted every Wednesday on:

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe.wordpress.com