whosoeverinhim – Page 12

December 24, 2024

tick, tock, tick, tock …

Tuesday 122424

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:

Hebrews 1:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 6:17; John 3:18, 11:35, 38-45, 46; Mark 9:23-24; Matthew 19:26, 17:19-20; Titus 1:15-16.

So, let’s begin …

The book of Hebrews is without an author claiming the book as his writing.

Hebrews 1:1 ‘…Many years ago, God spoke to our ancestors by his prophets. He spoke many times and in many different ways…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

In the past, God spoke to the Israelites. He spoke to them through His prophets, which were Israelites.

Our focus this entire study has been on how we are to attain the FAITH needed, so we would be able to one day walk in Jesus’ presence.

We’ve spent time noting several key verses that we’ve found in the Bible.

2 Timothey 3

vs16 ‘…All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living…’

vs17 ‘…so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

All Scripture not some, not only Paul’s writings, not just the Old Testament, not just the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John … rather, ALL Scripture.

What does it mean to be inspired? Google gives the meaning for ‘to be inspired’ as: to fill someone with confidence and desire to do something.

God has inspired us with ALL the Scripture that we have been given. We can be confident when we teach this Scripture on to others. It is in this confidence that we serve God.

When God arms us with His protection, it is by us arming ourselves with the armor that He has provided for us.

Ephesians 6:17 ‘…And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…’ KJV (King James Version)

This ‘Word of God’ is the same in Ephesians 6 as ‘All Scripture’ is in 2 Timothy 3.

John 3:18 ‘…The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Tonight’s study … is it obvious to you yet.

Tonight, we MUST put our focus on this cruelest of sins, and that is UNBELIEF.

This study of ours has been focusing on this tragedy of a sin that can affect each one of us. And hopefully, by this constant reminder of how important it is for us to BELIEVE, the thought of unbelief is easily defeated.

The shortest verse in the Bible is found in John 11:35 ‘…Jesus wept…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The shortest verse is united with one of the more powerful passages found in the Bible. It is the story of Lazarus in the tomb.

John 11

vs38 ‘…So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it…’

vs39 ‘…Jesus said, Remove the stone. Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days…’

vs40 ‘…Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God…’

vs41 ‘…So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me…’

vs42 ‘…But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me…’

vs43 ‘…And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out…’

vs44 ‘…Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go…’

vs45 ‘…Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

That very day, after witnessing a miracle performed by Jesus, rather than believing, in their UNBELIEF …

vs46 ‘…But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Unbelief is a moral problem.

The Bible says that unbelief is a moral problem of desire, and that people don’t want to believe the Christian message is true.

Just how true is that statement?

Unbelief can be exposed.

Jesus rebukes those who express unbelief to expose it so that believers can see it for what it is and fight it. Some symptoms of unbelief include doubt, skepticism, self-pity, and self-indulgence.

Unbelief can be helped.

Jesus says that if someone can believe, all things are possible for them.

Mark 9

vs23 ‘…And Jesus said to him, If you can. All things are possible for one who believes…’

vs24 ‘…Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

Matthew 19:26 ‘…Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible…’ NIV (New International Version)

Matthew 17

vs19 ‘…Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, Why couldn’t we drive the demon out…’

vs20 ‘…It was because you do not have enough faith, answered Jesus. I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, Go from here to there and it will go. You could do anything…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Titus 1

vs15 ‘…Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled…’

vs16 ‘…They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

The Old Testament is a perfect example of UNBELIEF.

This world that we live in today is more UNBELIEF than there is believing in the correct things.

We should be believing what the Bible teaches us rather than listening to a large majority of the sermons voiced every Sunday morning.

The end of this world as we know it is close to completion … there is not much time left to make up your mind.

I sit in a room with the lights off and try to listen to the quietness around me, I do this so I can clear my mind of what is going on just outside my door.

Jesus is there for us. He is there to strengthen us when we need His help. All we need to do is ask Him for His help and He will be there by our side.

As the clocks tick, tock, tick, tock …

… the end is right around the corner.

At any moment, the sound of the trump could be heard, and it will be time for us to leave.

Keep yourselves ready and be prepared for when He calls us to join Him.

I love every one of you. Jesus loves each one of us more than I could ever think of loving another human being.

Read His Word and prepare you and your loved ones for His return.

Return your voice to Jesus and pray to Him. Return your voices to Him. This will complete the relationship between you and Him.

It is going to be that relationship that will allow Jesus to know you by name, so that He can call on 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>

December 23, 2024

God is OMNISCIENT

Monday 122324

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:

Genesis 5:32, 9:24, 10:21, 11:10; Phillipians 4:13; Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 19:21, 16:9; Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 4:6-7; Romans 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 6:17.

So, let’s begin …

I have just spent the past three days working on a timeline of the Bible for our study, trying to compare Scripture to this world that we live in.

I have concluded that the Holy Bible has not been written to satisfy our ‘human’ needs. It has been given to us to prepare us for the future that GOD has waiting for us.

Let me try and explain what I’m trying to say:

The Bible hasn’t been written to lead MANKIND through time.

It wasn’t written so we could prove facts, or we could set our clocks with it.

But it was written to prevent us from making the same mistake(s) by man, twice in history.

Without getting to far into it:

Genesis 5:32 ‘…After Noah was 500 years old, he had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

According to verse 32, Shem, Ham, and Japheth are triplets? When the 3 boys are referred to in the Bible at the same time, they are always placed in this order: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 9:24 ‘…When Noah awoke from his wine [induced stupor], he knew what his younger son [Ham] had done to him…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

This verse caused my first ‘seen’ RED FLAG.

Again, in Genesis 10:21 ‘…Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber [including the Hebrews], the older brother of Japheth, children were born…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

This verse caused my second ‘seen’ RED FLAG.

According to Genesis 9:24 and Genesis 10:21, the boys, in order from oldest to youngest would be:

Shem, Japheth, and Ham and we know, they are not triplets.

This has been just one example, here is another:

Genesis 11

vs10 ‘…These are the descendants of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had a son, Arpachshad…’

My next ‘seen’ RED FLAG has been found … are we being told after the flood ‘began’ or ‘when Noah and his family came out of the ark’ and after the flood had been dissipated by God?

We haven’t even gotten part way through the Book of Genesis and flags are being drawn every few chapters.

There are positive points from spotting these RED FLAGS though … I needed the Bible open, and I needed to be in the Word for me to find these red flags.

I could have been asleep on the couch, and nothing would have happened … for now anyways that is.

We MUST open our Bibles and read the Word that God has given to us.

If and when we find these RED FLAGS, it’s not like we’re being shown to close the book and leave it alone, we’re being shown what we’re looking for isn’t as important to God as we think it is to us.

I found Scripture from Adam all the way to Jacob. The ages of the fathers when their boy child was born until Joseph was sold into slavery and he was moved into Egypt. I could have pondered on that point but, I would have missed the opportunity to see that God had planned for Joseph to be situated in Egypt before Jacob’s family would be forced into seeking out food from a foreign country, and that happened to be Egypt.

Jacob didn’t foresee it, Joseph didn’t foresee it, I didn’t foresee it when I first read it but after God showed me the mystery, my eyes were opened.

God, the ‘Omniscient’ God. Omniscient is defined as ‘ALL KNOWING.’ God knew beforehand that Jacob and his family were going to need help. His solution was to put a member in place to satisfy the need.

This same God is looking out for you and me.

What we might see as a need, God may know ahead of time, something that is better for us.

It is only going to be when we seek His assistance that we will be able to conquer what it is that He needs to have us defeat.

Phillipians 4:13 ‘…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…’ NKJV (New King James Version)

Hebrews 11:6 ‘…Unless we trust God, it is impossible for us to make God happy. Anyone who comes to God must believe that God is there. They must also believe that God helps everyone who wants to know him…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

I could have kept going trying to pinpoint a year to a verse in the Bible but there is so much more in the Bible for me to find out about.

It is so easy to get sidetracked when reading the Word. Maybe something might appear as if it is important but you’re putting ‘your own situations’ in front of what God is trying to tell us.

Proverbs 19:21 ‘…You may have lots of ideas about what you want to do. But it is the Lord’s plans that are important…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Don’t scan through the Bible trying to solve a problem that you might face in your life, but rather READ the Word and learn what God wants from us so our life is made complete in Him.

Here is another one from the Old Testament:

Proverbs 16:9 ‘…People make plans for what they will do, but it is the Lord who leads them in the right way…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Allow God the Glory to lead you to better your life.

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 (Good News Translation)

Everything today is ‘rush, rush, rush!!!’ ‘Hurry, quick. Let’s go.

Just calm down, take a breather and allow God to satisfy your needs.

Philippians 4

vs6 ‘…Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart…’

vs7 ‘…And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

It is impossible for me to answer every question that may arise from a member in our study group.

It’s going to be impossible for any one of you to solve every problem that you might be faced with.

God already knows the solution for every problem that will occur in our lives. We need the FAITH and believe that He can heal every problem. He can prevent every problem from ever occurring to us, the thing is we, we must have FAITH in Him, knowing that He can solve and prevent all our problems.

It is through this same FAITH that God can work through us to help others that are in need. Our FAITH is what is going to keep us moving forward.

We attain this FAITH from the strength found in our relationship with God.

The more times that we’re in His Word, and we return our voices back to Him in prayer, we are strengthening our relationship with Him.

Romans 8:28 ‘…And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Relax, keep in His Word and strengthen yourself every day.

2 Timothy 3

vs16 ‘…All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living…’

vs17 ‘…so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Here is a different version for you …

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)

No matter how you read it, it is through His Word when we are made strong.

Evil lies around every corner. Just waiting to pounce on our unprotected minds.

Keep yourselves protected by keeping yourself armed with the ARMOR He has prepared for us.

One very important piece of that armor is the sword, which is the Holy Bible.

Ephesians 6:17 ‘…And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

I love all of you. Remember, God loves each one of us even more.

InHIM ><)))o>

December 22, 2024

COMMON SENSE

Sunday 122224

Do not 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:

First we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.

Second, we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.

The verses we are going to study tonight:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Philippians 1:6, 10, 2:16; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Zephaniah 1:14; Amos 5:18; Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; 2 Samuel 23:3; Psalms 18:2, 62:7; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8.

As you are reading this lesson it is Sunday December 22^nd, and I am proofreading this lesson on Saturday December 21^st, getting it ready for posting tomorrow morning.

I hope our lesson this morning is not as difficult for you to read as it has been for me to write.

Let me note that in my Bible in the NASB version, there are subtitles used in 2 Thessalonians 2.

The first subtitle is MAN OF LAWLESSNESS, for verses 1 through 12.

The second subtitle is STAND FIRM, for verses 13 through 17.

It is like this Bible is alerting me to realize and see both subtitles.

The Man of Lawlessness is speaking of Satan, and Stand Firm is the reminder God has told us to guard ourselves from this evil that is always lurking out in front of us.

So, let us STAND FIRM and walk through this lesson this morning.

We MUST always remember to keep our guard up, which means our FAITH and TRUST in Jesus Christ is to remain always on HIGH ALERT.

Our study tonight maybe involves a little bit of thinking, a little bit of common sense, and that is one thing this world is really lacking right now today in the 21^st century.

One must agree though, that the world that we live in is full of evil.

There are evil people, evil thoughts, evil television, and the list could go on and on for quite a while; evil is everywhere, all around us, all the time.

I am going to post what I have been having a tough time with, this morning.

2 Thessalonians 2

KJV

vs1 ‘…Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him…’

vs2 ‘…that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand…’

vs3 ‘…Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come, a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)

And again, same verses in a different version.

NASB

vs1 ‘…Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…’

vs2 ‘…that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come…’

vs3 ‘…No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Paul wrote this letter because there were those claiming that the day of the Lord had already come.

These would have been false teachers trying to influence a crowd into believing what, these false teachers wanted a person to believe in and not necessarily what was the truth.

The Bible describes The Day of Christ as a specific day when Jesus will reward His children at the Rapture and The Day of the Lord is speaking of the beginning of the Tribulation.

My difficulty this morning is explaining why these two different versions are using these two different time periods in the same place.

As I try to figure out an explanation, let me show you how the Bible defines these two different days.

First is The Day of Christ:

Philippians 1:6 ‘…Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

Philippians 1:10 ‘…That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

Philippians 2:16 ‘…Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain…’ KJV (King James Version)

1 Corinthians 1:8 ‘…Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ…’ KJV (King James Version)

The Day of the Lord is about the judgement coming onto this earth and its inhabitants.

Zephaniah 1:14 ‘…The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly…’ KJV (King James Version)

Amos 5:18 ‘…Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light…’ KJV (King James Version)

Isaiah 13:6 ‘…Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty…’ KJV (King James Version)

Ezekiel 30:3 ‘…For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen…’ KJV (King James Version)

Today in the 21^st century, there are those that still believe in Jesus Christ, hence, there is you and me, agree.

In the KJV (King James Version), vs3 speaks of ‘a falling away’ and the NASB (New American Standard Bible) speaks of ‘APOSTASY.’

In the Bible, ‘APOSTASY’ is the act of turning away from the Christian faith and abandoning Christ.

This is, the ‘falling away’ spoken about in the KJV.

I am not going to speak for you but only for me, I have no intentions of ever abandoning Jesus.

He is my ROCK.

2 Samuel 23:3 ‘…The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

Psalm 18:2 ‘…The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

Psalm 62:7 ‘…On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

1 Corinthians 10:4 ‘…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

Why would I leave the only one that I have in this life?

What is there in this world if I do not have Jesus by my side?

The Day of Christ will happen just before the Day of the Lord begins. As soon as Jesus’ church is gone, the Tribulation (7 years) will begin.

Let us go back to the reading to further clarify these verses.

2 Thessalonians 2

vs4 ‘…Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God…’

vs5 ‘…Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things…’

vs6 ‘…And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time…’

vs7 ‘…For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…’

vs8 ‘…And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming…’ KJV (King James Version)

a newer version again …

vs4 ‘…who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God…’

vs5 ‘…Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things…’

vs6 ‘…And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time…’

vs7 ‘…For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed…’

vs8 ‘…Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

There are two things we can take from these readings:

First – Paul does not speak of anything but GRACE in his writings, except in these verses. This is the only time he speaks on the tribulation.

Second – That word MYSTERY appears again.

From vs3, this ‘falling away’ is only going to happen on the Day of Christ. As soon as Jesus’ church is gone from this earth, the Day of the Lord will begin with the 7 years of Tribulation.

This word mystery is used that I believe ties the entire passage together in both versions.

From vs2 this ‘Man of Sin’ and this ‘Man of Lawlessness’ ties in with vs8, this ‘wicked, lawless one,’ will appear; Satan Himself.

This is another time, in Paul’s writings where he speaks on the RAPTURE.

Jesus’ church MUST be removed from this earth so that there is a huge falling away or abandonment of Him and evil and lawlessness will appear thus exposing the evil one and beginning the process of the Tribulation that the Bible speaks for those not under the Grace of God.

This, along with what we find in the Bible today is all based on our FAITH in Jesus Christ.

As in our earlier studies, this is all based on our BELIEF or our UNBELIEF in God.

I cannot tell you how you must think. The only way you can find out for yourself is through your relationship with Jesus Himself.

I’d caution you to be certain that you’re not going to be one of those, like those at Kadesh Barnea that ended up wandering for 40 years in the desert, just because they didn’t believe.

I love all of you. Jesus loves you even more than I can. Open His Word, read what we have been given and then return your voices to Him and ask that He would give you the knowledge to know what is right and what is wrong.

The stories and descriptions of hell has been all that I needed to make certain that I am ready for that day when the angel shall sound the trump.

I pray you will be prepared as well.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 21, 2024

LISTEN

Saturday 122124

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 4:4, 7a; Philippians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16.

So, let’s begin …

From a previous study we know that we MUST change our lives to fit around the Word and not change the word to fit around our lives.

After me re-reading the past study, I also have realized just how bad off my family and friends really are. I keep asking myself, ‘what do I need to do to help them?’

All I can do is pray for them and ask that God might give them a peek at what their future is looking like.

So tonight, I want to focus on what God tells me I can do for those that are lost.

As I have been online, searching for ways to minister to the lost, I have found some very interesting viewpoints.

Maybe the 1^st and most relevant for me was when there was a posting that put ‘LISTEN and EMPATHIZE’ as being the way one should approach to help minister to the lost individual.

I found an opinion on google.com:

What is an example of a good listener in the Bible?

One notable example is the encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4:1-42). Jesus listened intently to her story, acknowledging her deepest struggles and offering her living water. His attentive listening broke societal barriers transformed her life and ignited a revival in her community.

I know for myself personally, the woman at the well is one of my favorite stories of Jesus interacting in a Gentile land with a Gentile woman from Samaria.

John 4:4 ‘…on his way there he had to go through Samaria…’

And in vs7a ‘…A Samaritan woman came to draw some water… GNT (Good News Translation)

Rather than us holding up the Bible and confronting the lost individual with verse after verse of Scripture, we should be sitting and opening our ears and listening to their struggles and stories of the lost before we even begin thinking about anything else.

We should listen to the lost person’s struggle before we begin to think about a way out for the lost to find their way back to Jesus.

Empathize in the dictionary is defined as understanding and sharing feelings with an individual.

When Jesus was at the well with the woman in Samaria, He wasn’t quoting Scripture or accusing the woman of what she had done wrong in her life. He didn’t make comments on her appearance or her cleanliness.

The next thing on this list after listening and empathizing was for us to PRAY.

We should pray asking God what is it that we can do for this individual.

Ask that He gives us the knowledge to be able to speak the words needed to help the individual redirect their focus away from what has been keeping them lost, whether it’d be because of a religion or whatever.

Phillipians 4:8 ‘…Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)

Rather than quickly determining a solution and reacting, allow God the opportunity to be the reaction. Allow Him to make the next move, instead of you interrupting His plan for saving those lost souls that are found all around us today.

Next, voice your experiences that you have either faced yourself or voice those experiences you’ve seen with others.

Interact with caution, care and concern. Don’t overburden the individual with your beliefs or your solutions but rather, try and seek what and where the individual is in their own walk in this life.

When the time comes for eventually voicing relevant verses from the Bible, share verses that mean the most to you, but give extra consideration for the individual that you are speaking to and consider specific situations and possible specific emotions the unbeliever may be facing at that present time.

1 Corinthians 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a second article on google, I found a list of 5 things that help us understand our salvation.

1-we all are sinners and stand under the judgment of God.

2-God loves us, and Jesus came to make forgiveness and salvation possible. He died on the cross as the complete sacrifice for our sins. He took on Himself the judgment that we deserve.

3-God in His grace offers us the gift of eternal life. But like any gift, it becomes ours ONLY when we respond and receive it.

4-salvation is intimately linked to Jesus and the cross. Jesus’ virgin birth, by the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit, meant that He did not inherit a sinful human nature like we did. Neither did Jesus commit any sin during His lifetime. Jesus became the only perfect Man, and as such, He was uniquely qualified to put into action God’s plan of salvation for mankind. On the cross, Jesus took the punishment of our sin. He was our Substitute. He suffered the judgment and condemnation of death that our sinful nature and deeds deserve.

5-faith is essential for salvation. But there are various kinds of beliefs or faith, and not all are linked to salvation. In the New Testament, faith means more than intellectual belief. It involves trust and commitment. I may say that I believe a bridge will hold my weight. But I really believe it only when I commit myself to it and walk across it. Salvation faith involves an act of commitment and trust, in which you commit your life to Jesus Christ and trust Him alone as your Savior and Lord.

So far, just from this study I have been so calmed down just realizing to sit down, relax and calmly allow God the glory to gather His lost.

God will use us but we MUST allow God to work through us so His work can be fulfilled.

If we enter into the task …, WHAT CAN I DO … we are going to fail the lost, fail ourselves and we are going to fail God for allowing Him the opportunity to recover the lost soul.

Keep your mind and focus on God and allow Him to work through you.

I love every one of you. Always remember that God loves us even that much more. He wants you to be with Him and by His side. Keep in His Word and allow Him to work through you.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 20, 2024

Is it for a Jew or a Gentile

Friday 122024

We have two ground rules in this study:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 42:1, 7:14, 9:6; Romans 11:13; 1 Corinthians 12:2, 15:1-4; Galatians 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:11, 19; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:2; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; 2 John 1:1; Jude 1:1; Revelation 1:1.

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

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

On Facebook, I am:

Whosoever Inhim

Whosoever inhim Bible Study

Or, in a search engine, simply type:

lrabbe.wordpress.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/my-site-2

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/whosoeverinhim

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

I have tried to organize who the books in the Bible were specifically written to. As we read in 2 Timothy 3 that ALL Scripture has been inspired by God, it must be acknowledged though, that NOT all Scripture has been meant for us to follow. This is the main reason for this study to show who these letters were written to.

I am hoping to show that NOT all the Bible is meant for the Gentile.

O.T.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

—

In searching the Bible I’ve been looking for a written record showing who the O.T., Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were originally written to … I stumbled across the following:

Here’s what we see when we look back at the Old Testament. When you look at the specific passages of the promised coming Messiah you find four distinct aspects.

The Messiah would be the King:

Zechariah 9:9 ‘…Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey …’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The Messiah would be a servant:

Isaiah 42:1 ‘…Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The Messiah would be a man:

Isaiah 7:14 ‘…Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The Messiah would be God:

Isaiah 9:6 ‘…For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

What’s amazing is that in the New Testament, the four gospels show just that!

Matthew – Presents Jesus as the King

Mark – Presents Jesus as the Suffering Servant (Jehovah’s servant come to do the will of the Father)

Luke – Presents Jesus as the Son of Man (Christmas Story when Jesus was born)

John – Presents Jesus as God (The Word WAS God)

The O.T. was written to document for the Jewish people of the promise of a Messiah.

The 4 gospels were written to the Jewish believer to show them that Jesus Christ was that Messiah promised to the Jewish forefathers, in the O.T.

—

Acts is a history of the early church, covering the founding of the church under Peter and the missionary journeys of Paul. The book emphasizes the fulfillment of the Great Commission, and the apostles’ role as witnesses for Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and beyond. Luke also portrays Christianity as a universal religion that’s open to all, while emphasizing the piety, purity, and innocence of Jesus’s followers

Romans 11:13 ‘…I am speaking now to you Gentiles: As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will take pride in my work…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

1 Corinthians 12:2 ‘…You know that while you were still heathen, you were led astray in many ways to the worship of lifeless idols…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

1 Corinthians15 (the Gospel preached by Paul)

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)

2 Corinthians – he then turns his evangelistic focus to the non-Jew (or Gentiles), where he found considerably more fruit. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half teaching God’s Word to the new converts. Those new believers became the church at Corinth, to whom Paul wrote his two New Testament letters.

Galatians 2

vs7 ‘…On the contrary, they saw that God had given me the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the task of preaching the gospel to the Jews…’

vs8 ‘…For by God’s power I was made an apostle to the Gentiles, just as Peter was made an apostle to the Jews…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

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…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

vs19 ‘…So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Philippians was written by Paul to the Christian church in Philippi, Macedonia. It was penned while he was in prison.

Colossians was written by Paul to the Christian congregation in Colossae, Asia Minor. It was penned while he was in prison.

1 Thessalonians was written by Paul to the Christian community in Thessalonica.

2 Thessalonians was written by Paul to the Christian community in Thessalonica.

1 Timothy 2:7 ‘…and that is why I was sent as an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth. I am not lying; I am telling the truth…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

2 Timothy Paul encouraged Timothy and offered strength to help him carry on after Paul’s impending death. Paul was aware that his time was short, and he desired to see Timothy, whom Paul figuratively called ‘my dear son’ (1:2).

1:2 ‘…To Timothy, my dear son: May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Titus was written by Paul where he instructs Titus on how to lead the churches, including how to appoint elders, preach sound doctrine, and live a virtuous Christian life. The letter also discusses the roles of different groups of people in the church, such as older and younger men and women, and slaves.

Philemon was written by Paul to Philemon, a wealthy Christian leader in the Colossian church in Asia Minor. It was penned while he was in prison in Rome.

Hebrews The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ during the early days of the Gospel. The book’s main purpose was to encourage these believers to remain steadfast in their faith and not to return to Judaism or the Jewish law system to escape persecution. The book also teaches about the role of Christ as a mediator between God and humanity. The author has been left unnamed. Many scholars believe the letter was written by the apostle Paul but, there are just as many scholars that believe Paul is not the author.

James 1:1 ‘…This letter is from me, James. I am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the 12 tribes of God’s people who live in many different parts of the world. I say ‘hello’ to all of you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

1 Peter 1:1 ‘…This letter is from me, Peter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you, God’s own people that he has chosen. You are now living in many different places, in the regions called Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. You are living in these foreign places as strangers…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Most scholars are convinced that the recipients of 1 Peter were primarily Gentiles. The reference to their ‘former ignorance’ (1:14) and the ‘futile ways inherited from your forefathers’ (1:18) suggests a pagan past that would not fit with Jewish readers.

2 Peter 1:1 ‘…This letter is from me, Simon Peter. I am Jesus Christ’s servant and his apostle. I am writing to you people who believe in Jesus Christ, as we do. That is a valuable gift that God has given to us all. He has done this because Jesus is completely good and right. Jesus is the one who saves us. He is the God that we serve…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

1 John The audience for 1 John is not explicitly stated, but it appears from his writings that John wrote to believers, perhaps those in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), where some historical sources say John may have lived and ministered in the late first century A.D.

2 John 1:1 ‘…This letter comes from me, the leader of the believers. I am writing to you, a special lady that God has chosen, and to your children. I love all of you, because you have believed God’s true message. And I am not the only one who loves you. Everyone who knows the true message about God really loves you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

3 John was written by John to Gaius, a leader of one or more churches in Asia Minor. The letter is a personal letter of encouragement and strengthening, written to help Gaius deal with troubles in his area. John praises Gaius for his unselfish devotion to Christ, such as providing accommodations for God’s traveling servants.

Jude 1:1 ‘…This letter is from me, Jude. I am Jesus Christ’s servant, and I am James’s brother. I am writing to you people that God, the Father, loves. God has chosen you to be his own people. He is keeping you safe until the time when Jesus Christ returns…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Revelation 1:1 ‘…This book describes the things that God showed to Jesus Christ. He wanted Jesus to show these things to his own servants. They are events that must happen soon. Jesus sent his angel to show them to me, his servant John…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Keep reading His Word and strengthen your mind the way that He desires it to be strengthened.

I love y’all.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 19, 2024

are you READY

Thursday 121924

We have two ground rules in this study:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

1 John 1:5-7; 2 Peter 3:14-18; Hebrews 8:7.

There is going to come the day when God is going to call it finished. ARE YOU READY?

It’s an easy question to ask and it better be an easy question for you to answer, also. If it’s not, you better begin opening your Bible and begin reading the words He wants us to hear and forget about listening to your pastors’ words that are preached to you on Sunday mornings.

Sometimes those sermons talked about on Sunday mornings are bought and sold online, other times, depending on what denomination you attend, sermons might be repeated once every three-years.

The sermons in the Bible are the same every time you open the Bible with the difference being that on certain days, when the Spirit feels it necessary, a simple word might stand out and a new meaning to a passage can be seen.

Your eyes have been opened so you can see a NEW message, or your ears have been opened so that you could hear the message differently.

The Word remains the same, but it is our own self that has been renewed by the Spirit to see and hear a more personable message, meant just for us.

I found a comment made online and rather than paraphrasing what this man commented on, allow me to copy his answer for you to read it for yourself.

The question asked was: Can the Bible be seen in a NEW light each time we read it?

I’ve read the other posts but let me try and add something to this discussion. We who are believers affirm that the Bible is the way that God communicates His truth to us. The words don’t change, nor does their underlying original meaning. But as we meditate on the Scriptures, God reveals things to us which we did not know or understand before. Sometimes those ‘revelations’ are insights into what the original authors really meant when they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But sometimes, those revelations are things that God is saying to us in our own context. Example. A few weeks ago, someone wronged me. I wanted to strike back verbally. But I was reading about Jesus who did not retaliate when he was abused but rather committed himself to God I thought, I will do the same. Now, I have read that passage before, but I never got that meaning out of it before … so yes, God does speak to us in different ways through the same written Scripture.

What I am saying is different than those who want to change its message to whatever they like. No, that is NOT what I am saying. The plain words of the Bible are true and not subject to change. But the way we apply them does.

We are told in the Bible that God is LIGHT.

1 John 1

vs5 ‘…This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all…’

vs6 ‘…If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth…’

vs7 ‘…but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Remember, it doesn’t matter what another human being may see or hear coming from you, what should matter is that God KNOWS what you’ve done, and He KNOWS what you’ve said.

We’re not going to hide anything that we’ve ever done or said from God. He is the ALL-KNOWING (Omniscient) God.

Don’t ever think just because you’ve read the Bible through, from cover to cover, ONE TIME, that you’re going to be some GIFT to mankind.

It might be the three-hundredth time that you’ve read a verse, and the Word simply opens in front of you. I’m unsure how many times this has happened to me.

This has nothing to do with what we’ve done as individuals. This is the Holy Spirit allowing us to see things just a little bit more clearly than it was just a few moments earlier.

This little bit of clarification to you is a GIFT that you’ve been given. Cherish it and share it with others. Let others know what you’ve been shown.

Who knows, there may be someone else out there, who has been given that same preview as you. This in turn will help mankind so we all might be able to have a little glimpse into the Spirit.

2 Peter 3

vs14 ‘…Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace…’

vs15 ‘…and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you…’

vs16 ‘…as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction…’

vs17 ‘…You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment…’

vs18 ‘…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

How many times have we read a passage, found in the Bible and it basically says, if the first was good there would have been no reason for a second.

Hebrews 8:7 ‘…For if that first covenant had been free of fault, no circumstances would have been sought for a second…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

In 2 Peter 3, Peter, is acknowledging why Paul was given the mission to teach the Gentiles instead of the original disciples.

Let’s read 2 Peter 3 in a newer version …

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 returns. 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…’

vs17 ‘…My friends, you already know about these false teachers. So be very careful that you do not believe those bad people. Do not let them lead you away from God. You know what is true, so do not leave that safe place…’

vs18 ‘…Instead, you must grow as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, who saves us. Continue to know him better and better. He will be kind to you, and he will help you more and more. We praise him as he deserves! He is great now and he will be great for ever…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Peter is saying that Paul was given an amount extra wisdom that the original disciples were not given.

It also must be acknowledged that Jesus chose Paul to teach the Gentiles, instead of the original disciples.

The twelve had no idea of what Paul was teaching. They found Paul’s words difficult to comprehend. But that is the reason God gave us the apostle Paul to teach us Gentiles because the twelve were unable to accept the message that God wanted to be brought forth.

The original disciples were too heavily influenced in the Jewish religion.

Paul too, was a Jew and he was a pharisee on top of that, but God was able to change him and use him as a mouthpiece for us Gentiles.

Too often today we find ourselves stuck in a place where there is no movement.

All these examples strengthen the word ‘MYSTERY.’

I know there is going to come that one moment in time when every question will be answered in an instant. In the blinking of an eye.

This is the reason we must be ready for that moment to occur.

Once again, everything all depends on our FAITH.

Don’t allow yourself to be taught a message that you don’t necessarily believe in. Re-read the Word, repeatedly. Study a passage that just will not clarify itself.

Study until you are satisfied with what you have determined to be the truth. Not what I’ve said and not what another man has said to you. Make sure that it is what you have told yourself is true, it’s what you BELIEVE in.

This must be the reason why we study repeatedly so that we will know.

I love all of you. Jesus loves us even more.

When Jesus was in heaven, there was nothing more that He could ever want. When Jesus came to this earth to become a human being, he put His divinity on the back burner for us.

Jesus gave up more than what we will ever know, just for us. When the statement is made, how much more Jesus loves us, it cannot be any more evident as it is in this example of putting His divinity on the back burner for you and me.

Jesus loves us more than we can ever know. There is going to be that day when we will be able to find out just how much Jesus loves us.

December 18, 2024

read the WORD

Wednesday 121824

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 3:16-17; Acts 9:15; John 3:18; Luke 21:20-24; Romans 11:25.

The Bible has been given to us by God.

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)

In a newer version:

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)

Posters should be made and displayed everywhere so that these verses are repeated all the time.

People that want to serve God can know how to live properly, simply by reading the Word.

The Word doesn’t say anything about doing only what our pastors, our churches or our denominations preach to us on how we are to live properly.

Scripture, the Word tells us how we are to live; ALL we have to do is read it.

The definition for serving God is to love Him with ALL that we are and to obey Him.

When God chose the apostle Paul to be the apostle for the Gentiles, I think we should follow what God had planned rather than us turning our backs on Him and changing His words.

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)

It is amazing to me how strong and powerful this UNBELIEF is throughout this world today.

The UNBELIEF we see in the 21^st century is the same as it was at Kadesh Barnea or in Jerusalem with the Sadducees and the Pharisees when Jesus walked this earth.

Today, we need to read the Bible every day so we can learn what it is that we can look forward too.

John 3:18 ‘…Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son…’ GNT (Good News
Translation)

So where is it in the Bible where we are told we can change the words to fit our own lifestyle?

Where we’re told, we don’t need to follow the Word of God?

I’m serious …

Where in the Bible does it tell us any of these things?

This is the number one problem with our churches today, this is ‘MANKIND’s CHURCH.’

Most churches today believe in what the church itself desires to believe in. They make it known that they have a god, but they don’t even follow what God has told us to follow and they instead, write their own bi-laws and their own rules and regulations and they expect their congregation to follow their example. They re-mold God to fit into their lifestyles and into their congregation lifestyle.

Luke 21

vs20 ‘…One day you will see Jerusalem with armies all around it. Then you will know that enemies will soon destroy that city…’

vs21 ‘…People in Judea must then run away to the hills to hide. People that are inside the city must leave it. People that are outside in the fields must not go back into the city…’

vs22 ‘…This is when God will punish Israel’s people. Then all the things will happen that his servants wrote about in the Bible…’

vs23 ‘…That will be a very bad time for women who are soon to have a baby! It will also be a bad time for those women who have little babies! Yes, very bad things will happen to all the people of this country. God will be very angry with the people who live here…’

vs24 ‘…At that time, enemies will fight God’s people and kill many of them in war. They will take some of them away as prisoners to live in all the other countries. They will not be free to return home. People that are not Jews will destroy Jerusalem. They will rule here until it is time for them to stop…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Jesus speaks of future events, including the destruction of Jerusalem and His return. He says that ‘Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the Gentiles are fulfilled’ (ESV).

Romans 11:25 ‘…Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

Romans 11:25 tells us that a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

As of right now, as I am writing this, there is still time, but no one knows when that exact day will come when the church is raptured.

This hardening has happened previously throughout the Bible.

Exodus 8:15 ‘…But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said…’ KJV (King James Version)

Exodus 9:12 ‘…And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses…’ KJV (King James Version)

Deuteronomy 2:30 ‘…But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day…’ KJV (King James Version)

1 Samuel 6:6 ‘…Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed…’ KJV (King James Version)

2 Kings 17:14 ‘…Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God…’ KJV (King James Version)

Isaiah 63:17 ‘…O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance…’ KJV (King James Version)

Matthew 13:15 ‘…For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them…’ KJV (King James Version)

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

Hardening is an act that God uses when He needs to show His strength in controlling mankind. It is His strength that hardens the human heart when it is deemed necessary.

Continue to read and study the Word. God gave us this Word so we will be able to know what God desires from us.

God didn’t write the Word so some church could sway its congregation into believing what that church wants them to believe in.

Read the Word and find out for yourself what is actually written down in those words. Read for yourself so that you’ll know what is actually inside those covers.

Don’t fall into the trap and repeat verses that, when those certain words were written, they actually had a meaning for the people those words were written to.

Read the Word so you know what has actually been written and who it was written to.

Make certain, as you’re reading His Word, that you return your voices and pray back to Him and ask Him that your eyes and ears would be opened so that you will be able to see where God desires you to be.

I love y’all. Remember that God loves each one of us even more than what we can comprehend what love even is. Look back at ALL the things we have been given in our lives, even though we don’t deserve any of what we’ve been given.

Open your mouth and let others know what you’ve been told. Share it with others and let them know how you really feel.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 17, 2024

be made NEW

Tuesday 121724

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:

Ephesians 4:17-32; Romans 12:2; Joshua 2:2; Ephesians 5:1-10.

So, let’s begin …

Over the past weeks, I hope I have shown how much UNBELIEF there was back in the Old Testament, but I also hope I have shown the amount of UNBELIEF there is remaining in this world today in the 21^st century.

The past is behind us, there is nothing going to be changed from what history tells us but what can be changed is our lives looking forward, from this point on right now.

Mankind needs to learn how to stop trying to change the word to fit into our lives and we need to begin changing our lives to fit around the Word.

Our lives can change but the Word, it will NEVER change; it has never been changed nor will it ever be changed.

So, the way millions look at themselves in a mirror and recognize they need to go on a diet, so too must we look at ourselves and realize our lives need to be changed, but rather than looking into a mirror all we need to do is sit down and open a Bible and we can read how and what we need to do to make the difference in our lives.

The New Life in Christ

Ephesians 4

vs17 ‘…In the Lord’s name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless…’

vs18 ‘…and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn…’

vs19 ‘…They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint…’

vs20 ‘…That was not what you learned about Christ…’

vs21 ‘…You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus…’

vs22 ‘…So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires…’

vs23 ‘…Your hearts and minds must be made completely new…’

vs24 ‘…and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy…’

vs25 ‘…the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ…’

vs26 ‘…If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day…’

vs27 ‘…Don’t give the Devil a chance…’

vs28 ‘…If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor…’

vs29 ‘…Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you…’

vs30 ‘…And do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free…’

vs31 ‘…Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort…’

vs32 ‘…Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

The Word plainly tells us to change our lives. The sub-title to the above passage from Ephesians is The New Life in Christ.

In vs22 we read how we were to ‘Get rid of our Old Self.’

In vs23 we read how we ‘Must be Made NEW.’

In vs 24 we were told we needed to ‘Put on our NEW Self.’

How many verses does it take for us to recognize that God is trying to save us here … all we need to do is wake up before it is too late.

Most of all, vs27 is made of a reminder that we should have copies posted around our rooms by the hundreds …

‘DON’T GIVE THE DEVIL A CHANCE.’

Jesus defeated death when he rose from His tomb.

Jesus has defeated the devil but you and I, when we are by ourselves, we are still unprotected from him. It is only when we arm ourselves with the armor that God has given us that we are protected from his evil threats.

Romans 12:2 ‘…Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

How many lives need to be ‘TRANSFORMED’ today?

Too often, I see family and friends that are still caught up in the enticements of this world today. They are trapped in the confines of their family religion that won’t allow them to get out on their own. Some of these religions teach their members to NOT read the Bible on their own because of different interpretations. I voice the exact opposite thinking; I think individual interpretations is what is going to allow us to be broken free from the hardships that have been put on us for centuries by mankind and the devil himself.

It isn’t a church that is going to save us from the devil … it is ONLY GOD.

It isn’t a church that is going to defeat Satan when he this world comes to an end … it is ONLY God.

There isn’t a denomination known to man that will be there on the earth last day that will be able to save us … it is ONLY GOD.

No matter how we were to look at it, the answer is right there in front of us.

It troubles me many times, I bow my head in shame because I know people that are too caught up in their beliefs and I will never be able to tell them how to free themselves.

Their shackles have them locked in place where they will be unable to free themselves from what their future is so plainly visualized in the Word.

I talk and I repeat, OPEN THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELF AND READ THE GLORY THAT GOD IS OFFERING YOU … but I know, to no avail, their religion, their beliefs, from their childhood has been beat into their minds. Their religion will not allow them to look elsewhere.

I pray at night for them. I pray on moments as I’m writing these pages for them. I think of the generations before them that all were led down by the same falsehood and I need to ask, why have I been selected to be any different?

Think back to Abram, he lived in a time of idolatry.

Joshua 2:2 ‘…Joshua said to the people, This is what the Lord, Israel’s God, says: A long time ago, your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. They included Terah who was the father of Abram and Nahor. They worshipped other gods…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

The people around him, his family and friends all worshipped many gods.

Why would Abram be any different, why would he have been separated from the group?

Abram believed God. It wasn’t that Abram was so very special to those around him it is just that he believed God. I do not claim to be even close in resemblance to Father Abraham but there is a similarity, I believe more in God than I do in the religion that my family and their family all believed in.

I believe in God, not gods. Not a religion that has a god, or popes, or bishops, or priests, or statues, or chalices, or crosses made of wood or gold.

It’s difficult knowing I have family that are lost, and they will always remain lost. All I can do is pray for them and portray myself to be how God wants me to look so that when others look at me, they see what God wants from us.

Ephesians 5

vs1 ‘…Since you are God’s dear children, you must try to be like him…’

vs2 ‘…Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God…’

vs3 ‘…Since you are God’s people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you…’

vs4 ‘…or is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God…’

vs5 ‘…You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God…’

vs6 ‘…Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God’s anger will come upon those who do not obey him…’

vs7 ‘…So have nothing at all to do with such people…’

vs8 ‘…You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord’s people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light…’

vs9 ‘…for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth…’

vs10 ‘…Try to learn what pleases the Lord…’

vs11 ‘…Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light…’

vs12 ‘…It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret…’

vs13 ‘…And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed…’

vs14 ‘…for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you…’

vs15 ‘…So be careful how you live. Don’t live like ignorant people, but likewise people…’

vs16 ‘…Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days…’

vs17 ‘…Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do…’

vs18 ‘…Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit…’

vs19 ‘…Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts…’

vs20 ‘…In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father…’ GNT (Good New Translation)

Jesus loves every one of us … we just must flee from the clenches of our past and run to Him and allow Him to free us from our shackles and chains.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 16, 2024

UNBELIEF

Monday 121624

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:

Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:23-29; Romans 6:14; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:18-19; 1 Peter 4:11; Romans 6:23; 2 Peter 2:1, 1:19-21.

There are many people out there today that still suffer from the sin of UNBELIEF.

For them, this lesson tonight, I hope, might be able to open their eyes and allow them to see the LIGHT.

Where in the Bible does it say we don’t have to follow the Old Testament?

As followers of Christ, we are no longer under the requirements of the Old Testament law, but instead, we have been set free to pursue righteousness by the redeeming blood of Christ

Galatians 3:13 ‘…So, God’s Law shows that it is right for God to punish us. But Christ took that punishment away from us, because God punished him instead of us. It says in the Bible: When people hang someone on a tree to kill him, it shows that God has cursed that person…’ EASY

Maybe we should show some other versions as well for the UNBELIEVERS.

‘…Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…’ KJV (King James Version)

‘…Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings; for the scripture says, anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God’s curse…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

This punishment from the Law comes from Deuteronomy 21:23 ‘…his body is not to be left overnight on the tree, but you shall certainly bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is cursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

We can continue in Galatians 3 and find out more of what Paul taught those back in the 1^st century.

Galatians 3

vs23 ‘…But before God showed us the way of faith, the Law had authority over us. God’s Law kept us safe, until God showed us that we must believe in Christ…’

vs24 ‘…In that way, God’s Law was like our guide. It kept us safe until Christ came. Then God could accept us as right because we trusted Christ…’

vs25 ‘…But now that the way of faith in Christ has come, we do not need God’s Law to keep us safe any longer…’

vs26 ‘…All of you are God’s children because you believe in Christ Jesus…’

vs27 ‘…They baptized you as believers in Christ. That means that you have put on Christ, like someone who puts on new clothes…’

vs28 ‘…It does not matter whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. It does not matter whether you are a slave or a free person. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman. You all belong together because you all belong to Christ Jesus…’

vs29 ‘…And if you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham. Because of that, you will receive all the good things that God promised to Abraham…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

I’m not going to copy and paste additional versions in this lesson. If you have a problem with what you’re reading from the EASY version, please feel free to search for the same verses in other versions.

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)

These verses can easily be found just by keeping your Bibles open and looking for them. I hope and pray that those individuals that are having a problem believing are looking close at what verses are being shown to them tonight.

This UNBELIEF is what is going to cause so many to miss the NARROW gate and it’s all because of their inability to believe what has been written in the Word.

Don’t listen to that man-made church when you visit them. They’re lying to you. Read the verse for yourself and it tells you what you need to see.

Ephesians 2

vs8 ‘…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…’

vs9 ‘…He has not saved you as a result of any good things that you have done. So, nobody has any reason to be proud about it…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Your man-made churches, they don’t like these two verses … FREE, that mean they can’t charge you for them … no extra tithing, no extra anything … they’ll tell you you’re reading the verse out of context.

Back when the verse was being written, there wasn’t such a thing as ‘in context.’ Paul didn’t question Jesus and ask Him how He was using that word ‘GIFT.’

James 1:17 ‘…Remember that every good gift comes to us from God. He only does what will help us. He is our Father in heaven. He made everything in the sky that gives us light. Those things do not give us the same light all the time. They change, but God does not change…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

1 Timothy 6

vs18 ‘…Tell those rich people to do many good things to help other people. They should be very kind to other people and share their things with them…’

vs19 ‘…In that way they will store valuable things for themselves in heaven. These things will be a strong help for them in the future. As a result, they will have true life with God…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

1 Peter 4:11 ‘…Has God helped you to speak well? Then speak God’s messages to people. Or has God helped you to serve other people? Then let God make you strong to do that. Do everything so that people will praise God. They will say that God is great, because of Jesus Christ. He is the one who has all authority and power for ever. Everyone should praise him! Amen! This is true…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

1 Peter is talking about a Spiritual Gift that is given to mankind. I would consider our (FREE) Gift to Eternity a decent Spiritual Gift. ‘Mankind’ will find much difficulty accepting this Gift from God.

If and when you have accepted and believe in this Gift that God has given to you, shout and repeat it to everyone that you know so that, hopefully, they too might be able to accept this Gift that God wants to give to us … all we have to do is accept it.

Romans 6:23 ‘…If you serve sin as your master, it will pay you with death. But if you belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, God gives you a gift! That gift is life with God for ever …’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

Here might be that verse that deserves to be shown in a different version for the UNBELIEVER …

‘…For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Many will argue this point that God’s GIFT is not FREE. And I truly hate disagreeing with anyone but in this case, they’d be wrong. God has given us, you and me, ALL OF US, this Gift, that all we have to do is take it and BELIEVE and it will be ours.

But just think for a moment, how many are going to elect on missing out on this one opportunity of LIFE … EVERLASTING LIFE from the day Jesus returns at His 2^nd Coming until forever … ETERNITY.

There are going to be those that are going to miss out.

Simply because there will be some that will not believe. Their UNBELIEF will give them an Everlasting Life of Torment.

2 Peter 2:1 ‘…But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction…’ KJV (King James Version)

This is a writing by the apostle Peter. The ROCK. He walked with Jesus. He talked with Jesus. He ate and slept with Him. Peter walked on water with Jesus.

Peter denied Jesus three times during Jesus’ crucifixion (Luke 22:34) but Peter also affirmed when Jesus asked, who do you say I am (Luke 9:20).

There is one that wants us to fail Jesus, fail ourselves, and that is the devil himself. From the days of Cain and Able, the devil thought he would be able to crush Jesus’ Glory by making Him fail. So too does the devil want each one of us to fail.

2 Peter 1

vs19 ‘…As well as that, we have the prophets’ messages from long ago. They also show us very clearly that these things are true. The prophets’ words are like a light that shines in a dark place. That light continues to shine in the dark until the dawn comes. So, you need to think about those messages carefully. Then the morning star will rise, and it will bring light deep inside you…’

vs20 ‘…It is very important that you should understand this: The prophets’ messages in the Bible did not come from their own ideas. That never happens…’

vs21 ‘…None of the prophets’ messages came because any person wanted to say something. Instead, God’s Holy Spirit caused people to speak words that came from God…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

This is the reason we open our Bibles and read the Word for ourselves. The Word found in the Bible has been Inspired by God.

The prophets didn’t change the message to fit their case, they wrote what God Inspired them to write.

These man-made churches today, they preach what they’ve read, what they’ve interpreted, what they want the ‘context’ to be.

Read the Word for yourself and look at God’s context, the only one that matters.

Keep your Bibles open and read them all the time.

I love y’all. Remember, Jesus loves each one of us even that much more.

Read your Bibles and then open your mouth and share what you’ve read with someone near you.

Voice to others the importance for them to open their own Bibles and read the Word for themselves so that they know the truth that has been written.

InHIM. ><)))o>

December 15, 2024

Belief -vs- Unbelief

Sunday 121524

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)

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Genesis 11:26, 12:1-3; Hebrews 11:1-19; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23; Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

BELIEVE and UNBELIVE

As we leave chapter 11 of Genesis, right at the end we see the first mention of Abram.

Genesis 11:26 ‘…Terah lived seventy years, and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Genesis 12

vs1 ‘…Go from your country, and from your relatives
And from your father’s house to the land which I will show you…’

vs2 ‘…And I will make you into a great nation,
And I will bless you, and make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing…’

vs3 ‘…And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

This is the first covenant that God made with Abram. It was from this that began the expression of FAITH that Abram had towards God.

Go back a little farther to Noah when God told him to build an ark. Just imagine the amount of belief there had to be back then between Noah and God.

Genesis 6

vs14 ‘…Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out…’

vs15 ‘…Make it 133 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 13 meters high…’

vs16 ‘…Build a roof on the boat and leave a space of about 44 centimeters between the roof and the sides. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side…’

vs17 ‘…I’m going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive…’

vs18 ‘…But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)

Can you just imagine what Noah must’ve thought, ‘build an ark that floats on water.’ Can you just imagine what Noah, his family and his friends must’ve thought?

Hebrews 11

vs1 ‘… Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen…’

vs2 ‘…For by it the people of old gained approval…’

vs3 ‘…By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible…’

vs4 ‘…By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks…’

vs5 ‘…By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God…’

vs6 ‘…And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him…’

vs7 ‘…By faith Noah, being warned God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith…’

vs8 ‘…By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going…’

vs9 ‘…By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise…’

vs10 ‘…for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God…’

vs11 ‘…By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised…’

vs12 ‘…Therefore even from one man, and one who was as good as dead at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore…’

vs13 ‘…All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth…’

vs14 ‘…For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own…’

vs15 ‘…And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return…’

vs16 ‘…But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them…’

vs17 ‘…By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son…’

vs18 ‘…it was he to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your descendants shall be named…’

vs19 ‘…He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Throughout the O.T., mankind has shown nothing but UNBELIEF in God. Yes, there were those that truly believed in what God was telling them, but the Bible is full of stories that show just how much UNBELIEF there really was.

The Israelites didn’t trust in God and what He told them. It would be easier for anyone to count the times when there was that one sign of belief compared to the hundreds of times when they did NOT believe Him.

The Jews in Jerusalem, how many times did they not believe in Jesus and in His teachings? Sure, there were some that believed but over the years of His ministry, His death on the cross and the persecution by Rome and the threat that they themselves would be killed, how many Jews would still believe in God?

UNBELIEF was very high. So, let’s stop picking on the old and let’s speed up and move forward to today, the 21^st century, just look at the UNBELIEF in this world that we live in.

So much of the blame has to be put on Satan. He is still trying to keep people from believing in God because he still thinks he’s going to overthrow God and His Kingdom. The problem is that Satan is never going to overthrow God.

Today we live in a world where mistrust and evil run rampant. We see signs and threats of hackers, data breaches and social media networks hungrily attacking human beings throughout our everyday life.

When God foretold our future, sensationalism was not as apparent then as it is today and even today, we are not even going to recognize what I think will be in our future tomorrow.

The one ace in the hole for any one of us today is still found in Ephesians 2, once again.

Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

For by GRACE, God’s GRACE, it isn’t something Satan has promised us or something that he could even phantom to promise to anyone.

This is taken from the Bible, so it is from God’s own mouth. I think ALL mankind, need to accept the free Gift that God has given to us.

Ephesians 2:8 should be the one verse that every person in the world knows and remembers forever.

I’m thinking on adding it to my weekly prayer for the start of a lesson and maybe even posting it on the different sites where I’m running my weekly blogs at.

So, we began this lesson speaking on SALVATION.

I think it fitting that we return and see what other verses God has spoken to us on this subject.

Romans 6:23 ‘…For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Do you remember the first lesson on the subject of salvation?

SALVATION means deliverance or healing. It is the word Paul most often uses to denote deliverance from sin and its deadly consequences.

God’s GRACE and His GIFT of Everlasting Life is more than what most individuals are even capable of achieving by themselves.

In this verse, taken from Romans, we have once again been told how it is a GIFT that God is giving to us … all we have to do is BELIEVE in God and accept His GIFT.

The apostle Paul, picked by Jesus after His resurrection into heaven, used the word of SALVATION more than any other writer in the Bible.

Paul is the only teacher that has taught us about GRACE and the Gift that God has given us.

Philippians 2

vs12 ‘…Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear…’

vs13 ‘…For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

I am amazed every time I hear someone quoting an author in the Bible that is anyone other than the apostle Paul and His writings.

2 Timothy 3

vs16 ‘…All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness…’

vs17 ‘…so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

ALL Scripture is inspired by God, but NOT all Scripture have we been told to follow.

I love all of y’all. Remember Jesus loves each one of us even more than how we comprehend the word LOVE.

Keep your Bibles always open and near you so you can grab it and read it in an instant.

InHIM. ><)))o>