whosoeverinhim

Thursday 121924

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

We have two ground rules in this study:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

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.

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

Wednesday 121824

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

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

2 Timothy 3:16-17; 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:

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)

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.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Tuesday 121724

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:

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.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Monday 121624

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

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.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Sunday 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)

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

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.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Saturday 121424

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 only verse we are going to study tonight is:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. (Our main focus will be on vs17.)

Tonight, I am going to teach our study differently.

I have spoken about it earlier, so tonight I’m going to try it … please have patience with me.

Tonight, we are going to compare Scripture with Scripture … however, I’m planning on comparing from the original GREEK to LATIN to ENGLISH Versions.

I do not speak GREEK or LATIN, so if any of the words are incorrect … I’m sorry, I am only copying and pasting.

To start with, let’s focus on vs17. This entire study is focused on the ‘RAPTURE’ taken from the word ‘RAPIEMUR’ found in the LATIN VULGATE which was translated from the original GREEK language.

I’m going to show the word and then the verse from the SBL Greek New Testament [GREEK], VUL (Latin Vulgate) [LATIN], BLB (Berean Literal Bible) [ENGLISH] and finally from the KJV (King James Version) [ENGLISH].

vs17:

‘…ἁρπαγησόμεθα…’ SBL Greek New Testament

‘…ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἀέρ νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα…’ SBL Greek New Testament

‘…rapiemur…’ VUL (Latin Vulgate)

It is from the VUL that the English word ‘RAPTURE” came from.

vs17 ‘…deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus…’ VUL (Latin Vulgate)

‘…will be caught away…’ Berean Literal Bible

vs17 ‘…Then we, the living remaining, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air; and so, we will be always with the Lord…’ BLB (Berean Literal Bible)

‘…shall be caught up …’ KJV (King James Version)

vs17 ‘…Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord…’ KJV (King James Version)

We are going to look at all the verses from 13 to 18 in the different languages in the same order as earlier.

1 Thessalonians 4

vs13 ‘…Οὐ θέλομεν δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆσθε καθὼς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα…’

vs14 ‘…εἰ γὰρ πιστεύομεν ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἀπέθανεν καὶ ἀνέστη, οὕτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἄξει σὺν αὐτῷ…’

vs15 ‘…τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῖν λέγομεν ἐν λόγῳ κυρίου, ὅτι ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ κυρίου οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας·…’

vs16 ‘…ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ, καταβήσεται ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον…’

vs17 ‘…ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα…’

vs18 ‘…ὥστε παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις…’ SBL Greek New Testament

vs13 ‘…nolumus autem vos ignorare fratres de dormientibus ut non contristemini sicut et ceteri qui spem non habent…’

vs14 ‘…si enim credimus quod Iesus mortuus est et resurrexit ita et Deus eos qui dormierunt per Iesum adducet cum eo…’

vs15 ‘…hoc enim vobis dicimus in verbo Domini quia nos qui vivimus qui residui sumus in adventum Domini non praeveniemus eos qui dormierunt…’

vs16 ‘…quoniam ipse Dominus in iussu et in voce archangeli et in tuba Dei descendet de caelo et mortui qui in Christo sunt resurgent primi…’

vs17 ‘…deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus…’

vs18 ‘…itaque consolamini invicem in verbis istis…’ VUL (Latin Vulgate)

vs13 ‘…But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those having fallen asleep, so that you should not be grieved, just as also the rest, those having no hope…’

vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those having fallen asleep…’

vs15 ‘…For this we declare to you in the word of the Lord, that we the living, remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those having fallen asleep…’

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

vs17 ‘…Then we, the living remaining, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air; and so we will be always with the Lord…’

vs18 ‘…Therefore encourage one another with these words…’ BLB (Berean Literal Bible)

vs13 ‘…But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope…’

vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him…’

vs15 ‘…For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep…’

vs16 ‘…For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first…’

vs17 ‘…Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord…’

vs18 ‘…Wherefore comfort one another with these words…’ KJV (King James Version)

Four different versions, two in a different language but if a person is willing, all can be studied ourselves.

There is no ‘ONLY’ version in English, that is absurd.

If there was only 1 version for us to read in English, God Himself would have told us the only version we should use.

Once again, it is ‘MAN’ coming up with an idea and forcing they’re own opinion on someone else.

Today, our world is quickly coming to an end.

The Bible relays this message to us regarding the end of this world, as we know it. This time is after the seven-year tribulation where this world will be totally changed from what we see today.

The Apostle Paul gives us a vision of a coming, the coming we’ve studied today in this study, where Jesus doesn’t step foot on the ground, but rather we join Him in the clouds, to be with Him forever.

This promise has been given to a true Christian, a believer. If one has FAITH and believes, this is a promise that Paul felt we needed to know.

In vs17, there is a particular statement, not found anywhere else in the Bible.

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

God will suddenly take us up into the clouds … throughout the Bible it is written that Jesus will return to this earth but here in vs17, we will be taken up into the clouds. In that way, we will all meet the Lord in the sky. So, we will all be with the Lord forever.

I am missing the part where Jesus comes and steps foot on the earth.

Continue reading the word for yourself. Share your feelings and your concerns with others. Together, help teach one another about what we must look forward to.

It has always been my desire, to instill in you a hunger where you want to find out all that you can about what God has given us.

I love ALL of you. I want you to know and understand that Jesus loves you even more than I even could know how to love one another.

Read God’s Word and when you have questions, return your voice to Him and ask Him for an explanation to your questions. In prayer, complete the relationship that He so desires from each one of us.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Friday 121324

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

Hebrews 11:1; Luke 1:37; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 10:17; Matthew 15:24, 28, 8:13, 9:29; Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50, 18:42; John 11:40, 6:28-29.

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

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

On Facebook, I am:

Whosoever Inhim

Whosoever inhim Bible Study

Or, in a search engine, simply type:

lrabbe.wordpress.com

whosoeverinhim.weebly.com

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/my-site-2

lrabbe2024.wixsite.com/whosoeverinhim

whosoeverinhim.blogspot.com

www.tumblr.com/whosoeversblog

whosoeverinhim.cw.center

inhim.webador.com

free-4140862.webador.com

Tonight’s study is going to be about FAITH.

The Bible describes FAITH as a belief and trust in God and his promises, even when God or his work is not physically visible. Hebrews 11:1 is considered the Bible’s closest definition of faith … here are 10 different versions.

Hebrews 11

vs1 ‘…Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

vs1 ‘…Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see…’ NLT (New Living Translation)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…’ ESV (English Standard Version)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see…’ BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…’ KJV (King James Version)

vs1 ‘…This is what it means to trust God: We will be sure about the things that we hope for. We will be sure in our minds about things that we cannot even see…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

vs1 ‘…To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see…’ NET (New English Translation)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen…’ WEB (World English Bible)

vs1 ‘…Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see…’ NIV (New International Version)

Years ago, in a study I was having in my kitchen while sitting at the table and recording on Facebook LIVE, I made a comment of denominations that had the symbol of the cross hanging throughout their churches. Some of the crosses had a figure on them and some were just wooden crosses.

I continued speaking how we are told in the Bible NOT to have or carry idols. I was making a point in the study that night that the cross, at these churches, were being used as idols.

Well, my aunt who was watching the video, had a very bad time with me and my discussion about the cross that was being portrayed and displayed in their church.

To this day, I don’t think she ever watched another one of my studies and I’ve not spoken with her about the matter. To this day, those denominations are still physically portraying a cross, and to me, it’s still being used as an idol, no more.

Rather than making more enemies tonight, let’s step back and discuss what ‘the cross’ should mean to the Christian believer.

Google’s definition is: The cross is a central symbol of Christianity, representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the benefits of his death and suffering. It is a sign of both Christ and the Christian faith.

Just for the heck of it, let’s see if Google has a definition for an idol. So, I asked Google: what is the meaning of an idol, and Google responded: an image used as an object of worship.

This is what FAITH is for me … my FAITH allows me to see that cross and I’m able to remember what I, as a person, has benefitted from that cross. I don’t need a piece of wood hanging on the wall for me to remember what a cross looks like.

vs1 ‘…To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Luke 1:37 ‘…For there is nothing that God cannot do…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

2 Corinthians 5:7 ‘…For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Romans 10:17 ‘…So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

So, FAITH is something that I put my trust and belief in … when something is written in the Word and maybe I don’t understand what has been written, it is my FAITH in Jesus that is going to take care of me.

Where are we told in the Bible that we NEED to understand everything before we will be able to have Everlasting Life?

Where is it written why our God wouldn’t keep secrets from mankind?

Where is it written it’s okay for us to go in a different direction when we have these moments of questioning our God and what He said?

Where is it written that it’s okay for us to believe something other than what’s been written, especially when we don’t understand what it is that’s been written?

That’s my point, it is our FAITH that is going to allow us to step over those times when we have questions.

FAITH is going to keep us moving forward.

FAITH is what is going to set us free.

Romans 10:17 ‘…So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

This must be one of the more powerful verses in the Bible.

‘…faith comes from hearing the message…’

Not ‘A’ message but it says, ‘THE MESSAGE.’

Well then ask yourself when you have questions, what is THE MESSAGE?

The Bible, as God’s Word written, is centrally about what our glorious triune God has done to glorify Himself by the redemption of His people, the judgement of sin, and making all things new in Christ. For the church, such a message is good news, which ought to move us to faith, hope, love, and faithfulness to Christ.

The Holy Bible, God’s written Word is the message that He has given us.

Why are there churches today that print their own books to follow along instead of just opening the Word and reading the pages, the MESSAGE?

Why are their Bible studies today that teach what their denomination believes in and not read the Word to find out what it tells us to believe in?

And maybe the icing on the cake concluding that verse from Romans …

‘…the message comes through preaching Christ…’

When Jesus walked this earth, He was man but at the same time, He was God.

He came for the House of Israel, but He came to teach ALL of us about Faith.

Matthew 15:24 ‘…But He answered and said, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

But, in continuing to read, just four verses, Jesus let the Gentile woman know that it was because of her FAITH that healed her daughter.

Matthew 15:28 ‘…Then Jesus said to her, O woman, your FAITH is great; it shall be done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed at once…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

How many stories have we been told how Jesus replied to them, ‘your FAITH has made you well.’

Matthew 8:13 ‘…And Jesus said to the centurion, go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant was healed at that very moment…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Matthew 9:29 ‘…Then He touched their eyes, saying, It shall be done for you according to your faith…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Mark 5:34 ‘…And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Luke 7:50 ‘…And He said to the woman, your faith has saved you; go in peace…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Luke 18:42 ‘…And Jesus said to him, regain your sight; your faith has made you well…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

John 11:40 ‘…Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Why do we think it will be different for us today? That is the entire story behind FAITH. Jesus told us, IF YOU BELIEVE, SO IT WILL BE SO. Why are there those that still pause and hesitate today? It is because of their UNBELIEF.

Too many churches today, mankind’s churches, are too interested in making a profit instead of saving the souls of their members.

Too many people today, rely on and put their trust in these, man-made churches, rather than them trusting and believing in God themselves.

Instead of these people opening their Bibles for themselves, they give money to a church and gamble that their wishes and desires will be answered.

This is our greatest defeat as a people. We have allowed ourselves to be led in a man-made lie that is going to lead us all into destruction and torment.

BREAK YOURSELF FREE

Open your Bibles and read His Word and learn what He is offering you … ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE.

John 6

vs28 ‘…Therefore they said to Him, what are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God…’

vs29 ‘…Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent …’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

All you have to do is BELIEVE.

The more we read and study His Message the easier it is going to be for this to happen.

Keep your Bibles open and continue reading His Word.

Read ALL the Word that God has given to us. Don’t just stop because you like what you hear, read ALL the Word that God has given and meant for YOU.

Trust me, you are going to be surprised what the Word tells you.

Share what you read with those around you. Shout the joys at the top of your lungs so that others will be able to hear.

I love all of you. One day we’re going to be able to feel just how much of that love is from Jesus Himself.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Thursday 121224

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

We have two ground rules in this study:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

1 Corinthians 3:1-2, 15:1-4, 3:10-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Matthew 15:22-28; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 10:8-17.

In this lesson we are going to delve into a passage in Scripture where I place most of our churches today.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 3

vs1 ‘…And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only fleshy, as to infants in Christ…’

vs2 ‘…I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Is this not a description of mankind’s churches today?

Our churches would rather feed us milk and keep us needing and looking up to them for their assistance rather than telling us the truth.

Churches today, not all but some, are too interested in money. Are you tithing your 10 percent? I heard of a church nearby that required the new members to turn in their previous year’s tax form so the church could remind that new member of their financial requirements. What part of the Bible is this practice found in?

In some churches, it will cost $500.00 to have a marriage inside the church. As well as funeral services inside the church begin at $500.00, more if it is a graveside service.

Most churches offer First Communion ceremonies, Bible studies, free daycare and baby-sitting during church services, baptisms, the list continues but are these churches still not only feeding their congregations ‘MILK’ rather than real ‘MEAT’ that can be found in the Bible?’

When is the Gospel of Grace going to be taught to a church member?

1 Corinthians 15

vs1 ‘…Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand…’

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

vs3 ‘…For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…’

vs4 ‘…and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Is the Gospel of Grace, not more important than reminding a member how much they need to tithe to a church?

Is it not better to save a soul than it is to remind a congregation of a Jewish rite and then lying to those members informing them how they too, must tithe 10% of their income to be a member of that church.

Where in the Bible are we told we MUST tithe 10% of our income to the church?

Is it not amazing, every verse is found in the Old Testament? Verses written to the Jewish people. I wonder how many of these churches remind their congregation of this on Sunday mornings when they’re being reminded about tithing?

1 Corinthians 3

vs10 ‘…According to the Grace of God, which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it…’

vs11 ‘…For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

These churches are lying to their members.

The Bible uses the metaphor of ‘MEAT’ to refer to multiple things, including spiritual food, spiritual comfort, and the more complex doctrines of the gospel. Some Christians believe that the ‘MEAT of the Word’ is a way to gain God’s strength, vision, and hearing, and to learn the first principles of God’s oracles. Others believe that ‘strong spiritual MEAT’ is a way to become skilled in righteousness by using one’s mind and God’s Spirit to discern right from wrong.

The Word of God is often referred to as spiritual MEAT, providing believers with wisdom and guidance to grow in their faith. MEAT symbolizes the physical body, sin and the need to submit ourselves to God’s power.

What is some of the MOST significant MEAT found in our Bibles?

Ephesians 2

vs8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…’

vs9 ‘…not a result of works, so that no one may boast…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

Vs8, to me, must be one of the meatier meals found in our Bibles.

vs8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith…’ ‘…IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD…’

It is through our FAITH that we’re saved. There is no tithing! There is no we MUST go to church on Sunday mornings!! There are no bells to ring or hoops to jump through!!!

Rather it is a GIFT that God has given to each one of us. It’s FREE.

Why don’t our churches JUST focus on this FAITH?

During Jesus’ Ministry to the people of this earth, we were told a fact that many have overlooked today.

Matthew 15

vs22 ‘…A woman was living in this part of the country. She was one of the Canaanite people. She came to see Jesus. She was shouting with a loud voice, Son of David, help me, sir! A bad spirit is living inside my daughter. It is giving her much pain…’

vs23 ‘…Jesus did not say anything to the woman. So, his disciples came to him. They said, please, send this woman away. She is following us, and she is making a lot of noise…’

vs24 ‘…Jesus replied to his disciples, God has sent me to help only the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have lost their way…’

vs25 ‘…Then the woman came to Jesus, and she went down on her knees in front of him. Sir, please help me,’ she said…’

vs26 ‘…Jesus did answer the woman this time. He said, it is not right to take food from the children and then throw it to the dogs…’

vs27 ‘…The woman replied to Jesus. Yes sir, that is true. But even the dogs eat the small pieces of food that fall from their master’s table…’

vs28 ‘…Jesus answered her, Woman, you show clearly that you believe in God. God will do what you have asked. At that moment the woman’s daughter became well again…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)

There are so many things in just these few verses.

1^st off the woman was a Gentile, she was a Canaanite (vs22).

2^nd Jesus came to this earth to only serve the House of Israel [the Jews] (vs24).

3^rd at the time of Jesus’ ministry, Gentiles were referred to as ‘dogs’ (vs26).  

4^th it was the woman’s FAITH (her BELIEF) that made her daughter well (vs28).

The Bible can teach us much about this FAITH.

Hebrews 11:6

‘…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…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)

‘…No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

Romans 10

vs8 ‘…What it says is this: God’s message is near you, on your lips and in your heart—that is, the message of faith that we preach…’

vs9 ‘…If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved…’

vs10 ‘…For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved…’

vs11 ‘…The scripture says, whoever believes in him will not be disappointed…’

vs12 ‘…This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him…’

vs13 ‘…As the scripture says, everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved…’

vs14 ‘…But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed…’

vs15 ‘…And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, how wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news…’

vs16 ‘…But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, Lord, who believed our message…’

vs17 ‘…So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ…’ GNT (Good News Translation)

There are many verses in the Bible regarding FAITH. It is up to each one of us to seek and learn those verses so we can apply what we learn into our daily lives so we can be sure that we’re following how
God wants us to live.

I searched and searched and searched for the perfect verse on FAITH …

… but think about it, if I need to show a physical verse on ‘FAITH,’ to a person to have that faith, I have just given the explanation for what it means to NOT have ‘REAL’ FAITH.

Continue studying His Word. I love y’all.

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Wednesday 121124

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

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

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

Galatians 3

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

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

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

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

Let me use a different version …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Timothy 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Gospel of Luke

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

The Letters of Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles

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

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

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

Acts of Apostles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Romans 11:13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Numbers 33

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

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

InHIM. ><)))o>

Tuesday 121024

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

So, our study consists of two ground rules:

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

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

The verses we are going to study tonight:

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

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

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

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

2 Peter 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Thessalonians 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

InHIM. ><)))o>