Bible Lesson: Holy Spirit-God The

Get to know your friend, God the Holy Spirit. Part I

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and as such, is God.

Acts 5:3,4 NLB
1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.
2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.
4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God!"
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.
6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her, "Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?"
"Yes," she replied, "that was the price."
9 And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too."
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

God the Holy Spirit, is equal to God the Father, and God the Son.

Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God the Holy Spirit, is eternal.

Hebrews 9:13,14 NLB
13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity.
14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

God the Holy Spirit is Omnipotent, (All-Powerful).

Genesis 1:2 KJV
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

God the Holy Spirit is Omniscient, (All-Knowing).

I Corinthians 2:9-16 KJV
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
[10] But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

God the Holy Spirit is Omnipresent, (Everywhere Present).

Psalm 139:7 KJV
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

God the Holy Spirit, intercedes for Believers.

Romans 8:26,27 NEB
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray,but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

God, the Holy Spirit, shares the Mind of Christ, with believers.

I Corinthians 2:9-16 NEB
9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.
13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
14 The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.

God the Holy Spirit, speaks.

Acts 8:29 KJV
“Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”

God, the Holy Spirit, forbids, and leads.

Acts 16:6-10 NLT
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.
7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.
8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"
10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

God, the Holy Spirit, loves.

Romans 15:30 KJV
“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me (the Apostle Paul) in your prayers to God for me;

God, the Holy Spirit, may be grieved.

Ephesians 4:30 KJV
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Genesis 6:3 KJV
“ And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,..”

Bible Lesson: Great White Throne Judgment

The Great White Throne Judgment

The Great White Throne Judgment takes place after the one thousand year millennium.

Revelation 20:11-15 KJV
[11] And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened (God keeps perfect records): and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death (the grave, where the body lies) and hell (hades, where condemned souls are in torment) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Daniel 7:9,10 KJV
[9] I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire.
[10] A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Matthew 25:41,46 KJV
[41] Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
[46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment :..”

Jude 1:12,13 KJV
[12] These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
[13] Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

This is the judging of the evil dead.
No sin however small escapes the attention of Almighty God, He sees and knows all.
These evil dead, have all rejected the living God.
All their sins will be accounted for.

Romans 6:23 KJV “For the wages of sin is death;..”

Revelation 21:8 KJV “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

The Lake of Fire, called the Second Death.

Will never end.

Revelation 14:10,11 KJV
[10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
[11] And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,...”

Hebrews 2:1-3 KJV
[1] Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
[2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him;

Bible Lessons: Second Coming Of Christ

The Second Coming Of Christ

So many mistake the rapture of the church and the second coming. Some think that they are one.

The Rapture of the church which is very imminent, is not the second coming.

The Rapture of the church is described in ...
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 KJV and I Corinthians 15:51-58 KJV, and is the secret catching away of the Bride of Christ.

The Second Coming of Christ occurs at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period, ending the Armageddon war.

Matthew 24:29-31 KJV
[29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31] And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Day of the Lord

I Thessalonians 5:1-3 KJV
[1] But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
[3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Revelation 19:11-16 KJV
[11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.
[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
[13] And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.
[14] And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
[15] And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
[16] And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This our Lord's Second Advent, His first being, His birth.
He comes to earth to end the battle of Armageddon, (the official end of the “Times of the Gentiles,”) to judge as the Son of Man, He will divide the goats from the sheep, and set up His one thousand year rule, called the Millennium.

Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
[31] When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
[32] And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats:
[33] And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
[34] Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
[36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
[37] Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
[38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
[39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
[41] Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
[42] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
[43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
[44] Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
[45] Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
[46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

As King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, our Saviour will sit on King David's throne.

Jeremiah 23:5-8 KJV
[5] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
[6] In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
[7] Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
[8] But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Isaiah 9:6,7 KJV
[6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace.
[7] Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Bible Questions Answered: Capital Punishment

Bible Questions Answered:
Is God in favor of capital punishment?
Jerome L./ Hamilton, Texas

Bible Answer:
God is in favor of mankind living in righteousness, and doing what is right, but when He does not, judgment is at the door, and not by God's choosing, but by man's.

God's covenant with Noah, would make it seem so.

Old Testament:

Genesis 9:6 KJV
“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man.”

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 KJV (Moses)
[6] If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
[7] Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
[8] Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
[9] But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
[10] And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
[11] And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

New Testament:

Romans 13:1-4 NLT
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4 The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

Matthew 18:1-10 KJV (Jesus)
[1] At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
[2] And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,
[3] And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[5] And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
[6] But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
[7] Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
[8] Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
[9] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
[10] Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

(Luther in rendering verses 8-9, It is not to be understood that a person mutilate his body, but that he should keep his members in sujbection with the help of the Holy Ghost, in true faith.)

What is Jesus saying here?

He is saying that anyone who offends a child (Temtations, leading them astray, harming them spiritually, or physically.)has such horrendous (hellish) judgement, coming, that it would have been better for that individual, if someone had tied a millstone (large grinding millstone from a mill) round about his neck and drowned him in the depths of the sea.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 KJV
[11] Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
[12] Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
[13] But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Psalms 9:17 KJV
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Bible Questions Answered: Judges Of Israel

Bible Questions Answered:
Who were Israel's judges?
Larry C./ Springfield, Massachusetts

Bible Answers:

In Patriarchal times, all were judged by civil magistrates, who were heads of families and elders, and there were eighteen such Judges of Israel.

Othniel

Judges 3:9-10 KJV
[9] And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

Ehud

Judges 3:15-30 KJV
[15] But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded:..”

Shamgar

Judges 3:31 KJV
“And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.”

Deborah

Judges 4:3,4 KJV
[3] And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
[4] And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

Barak

Judges 4:6
“And she (Deborah) sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali,...”

Gideon

Judges 6,7,8 KJV
Judges 6:11,12 KJV
[11] And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
[12] And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him (Gideon), and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Abimelech

Judges 8:30-9:5 KJV
Judges 8:30,31 KJV
[30] And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
[31] And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Tola

Judges 10:1,2 KJV
[1] And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
[2] And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

Judges 10:3 KJV
“And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.”

Jephtah

Judges 11/ 121-7 KJV
Judges 11:1 KJV “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour,...”

Ibzan

Judges 12:8,9 KJV
“And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.”

Elon

Judges 12:11 KJV
“And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.”

Abdon

Judges 13-16: KJV
“And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.”

Samson

Judges 13-16 KJV
Judges 13:24 KJV
“And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.”

Eli

I Samuel 4:18 KJV
“And it came to pass, when he (a messenger) made mention of the ark of God, that he (Judge Eli) fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

Samuel

I Samuel 7:15-17 KJV
I Samuel 3:19-21 KJV
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
[20] And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
[21] And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

Joel

I Samuel 8:1,2 KJV
[1] And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
[2] Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; ...”

Abiah

I Samuel 8:1,2 KJV
[1] And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
[2] Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

Bible Questions Answered: Soul Sleep

Bible Questions Answered:
I have heard that some people believe in soul sleep, what is that, and is it true?
Alex K. / Lowell, Massachusetts

Bible Answers:
The false belief of soul sleep, is that upon death of the body, the soul sleeps (unconscious), or enters a state of rest, together with the body, until the resurrection.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV
“Then shall the dust (body) return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

In Luke 9:28-36, we read the story of the Mount of Transfiguration.
Our Lord, in prayer, was transfigured before them, into His former eternal glory, and there appeared with Him, Moses (who had died and been buried, centuries before), and Elijah (who had been taken up bodily to heaven, centuries before).

Luke 9:29-31 KJV
[29] And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering.
[30] And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
[31] Who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Our Lord told the true story (The proper names, Abraham, and Lazarus are given.) of two men who died and what happened to them after death.

Luke 16:19-31 KJV
[19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
[27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Jesus said, though their bodies were in the grave, their souls had gone to their eternal rewards. The beggar to Paradise, the rich man to hell.

On Calvary's cross, our Lord spoke to the penitent thief,....

Luke 23:43 KJV
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

The thief's body would that day lay in the grave, but Jesus promised that his soul would enter paradise, with Him.

On His cross, our Lord's dying words were...

Luke 23:46 NLT
“46 Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words He breathed His last.”

His body, would lay in the tomb (for three days), but His soul would proceed to the Father in Heaven.

In Acts 7:59, Stephen (A deacon of the early church.), before his stoning said....

Acts 7:59 NLT

“As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

In I Thessalonians 4:13-18, the Apostle Paul, gives us a picture of what the Resurrection will be like.

Christ will come from heaven, with those saints who have already died, and have been in heaven with Him (Not from some unconscious sleep).

He,will secretly come to catch away the church, returning saints will receive their immortal resurrected bodies, and unite with those living saints who also will be changed into immortals.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died.
16 For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
18 So encourage each other with these words.

In II Corinthians 5:6,8 KJV, the Apostle Paul said...
“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. “

Praise the Lord, the soul does not go to the grave!

I Corinthians 15:54-58 KJV
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written,

Death is swallowed up in victory.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
[58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.

Bible Questions Answered: Prayer-Steps To Answered

Bible Questions Answered:
What steps should one follow to get answer to prayer?
Randolph W. / Mackay, Queensland, Australia

Bible Answer:
Steps to answered prayer:

First: Have A Heart Right With God:

God will not hear us, if our heart is not right with Him.

I Timothy 2:8 KJV
“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, ...”

Proverbs 15:8 KJV
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is His delight.”

I Peter 3:7 KJV
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them (wives) according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

Husbands or wives, brothers or sisters, if at odds with one another, Jesus taught us....

Matthew 5:21-26 KJV
[21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
[22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (Greek. Rhaka: thou worthless), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
[23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
[24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
[25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
[26] Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

When we pray, we must have a pure conscience.

I John 3:20,21 KJV
[19] And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
[20] For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
[21] Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

Second: We Must Live, and pray According to God's Word!

I John 3:22 KJV
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

James 4:3 KJV
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

James 5:16 KJV
“...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I John 5:14,15 KJV
[14] And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:
[15] And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

Third: We Must Ask In Jesus Name.

John 14:13,14 KJV
[13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
[14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Fourth: We Must Ask In Faith.

James 1:5-8 KJV
[5] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
[6] But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
[7] For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
[8] A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Romans 14:23 KJV
“...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Fifth: We Must Not Be Afraid To Be Persistent In Praying.

I Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
“Pray without ceasing.”

Luke Chapters 11:/ 18:
e.g.

Luke 11:5-13 KJV
[5] And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
[6] For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
[7] And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
[8] I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (persistence) he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
[9] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
[10] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
[11] If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
[12] Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
[13] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Luke 18:1-8 KJV
[1] And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
[2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
[3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
[4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
[5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
[6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
[7] And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?
[8] I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

Sixth: We Must Remember In All Our Asking, To Give Thanks!

Philippians 4:6 KJV
“Be careful (Greek. Merimnao: Anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Seventh: We Must Pray One For Another.

James 5:16 KJV
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,...”

I Thessalonians 5:25 KJV
“Brethren, pray for us.”

Bible Questions Answered: Mammon

Bible Questions Answered:
How can the friends of unrighteousness receive anyone into heaven?
Alex P./ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatchewan

Bible Answer:

The scripture, to which you refer is....

Luke 16:8,9 KJV
[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Here is the meaning of the word “mammon.”
Aramaic: (Mamona: Riches)
Greek: (Mammonas: Wealth)

And so, the phrase,”the mammon of unrighteousness;” refers to riches, and it's worship, which is “unrighteous-ness.

“Mammon of unrighteousness,” times may change, but people do not. Wealth, is still made a god, today.

Our currency may, indeed state, “In God we trust,” but the god most trust in, is the money itself.

Worshiped, revered for it's power, bowed down to, no sacrifice too great.

Here again are these verses in the New Living Translation.

Luke 16:1-9 NLT

1"There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer's money.

2 So the employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.'

3 "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what? My boss has fired me. I don't have the strength to dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg.

4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I'll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.'

5 "So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?

6 The man replied, 'I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.' So the manager told him, 'Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.*'

7 "'And how much do you owe my employer?' he asked the next man. 'I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the manager said, 'take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.

8 "The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

9 Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

I Timothy 6:10-11 KJV
[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain.
[7] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
[8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
[9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
[10] For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
[11] But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

We certainly cannot buy our way into heaven, but our giving as Christ's stewards, can certainly be rewarded and precede us there!

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Jesus)
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Matthew 10:37-42 KJV
[37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
[38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
[39] He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
[40] He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me.
[41] He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
[42] And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Luke 16:9 NLT
“Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.”

As Christians, we are to be Stewards of God earth, and all it's riches.
We through the wise use of our tithes, and monies may win souls for the Kingdom of God!

Proverbs 11:30 KJV
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Daniel 12:3 KJV
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

Dear Christian, when your time comes to go home, will anyone there, greet you in thanksgiving because of your earthly generosity?

Bible Questions Answered: Bride Of Christ

Bible Questions Answered:
Who is the bride of Christ?
Andrew S./ Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania

Bible Answers:

II Corinthians 11:2 KJV “For I am (the Apostle Paul) jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused (promised) you to one husband, that I may present you (the Church) as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Ephesians 5:25-33 KJV
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;
[26] That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
[27] That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
[28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
[29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
[30] For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.

As Eve was taken out of the body of her husband, Adam (Genesis 2:21-23), so we too, as the Bride of Christ (all born-again believers) have been taken

from the body of the Second Adam, Christ, (Apostle Paul says of His flesh, and of His bones).

The Dowry of this Great Husband, has been, as the Apostle has said, His own flesh and blood!

[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
[32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
[33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The Bride of Christ are all born-again believers of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.

The dowry paid, the bridegroom, with His friends, travels (oft at night) to the home of His beloved Bride to Steal her away to His Father's house.

The Elopement:

I Corinthians 15:51-58 NLT
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!
52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

"Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?"

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

John 14:1-6 KJV
[1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
[4] And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
[5] Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
[6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Father's House and Betrothal:

Rev.21:

[1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

[2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

[3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
[4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
[5] And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
[6] And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
[7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
[8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
[9] And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
[10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
[11] Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
[12] And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
[13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
[14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
[15] And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
[16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
[17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
[18] And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
[19] And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
[20] The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
[21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
[22] And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
[23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
[24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
[25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
[26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
[27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

---

Rev.22

[1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
[3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him:
[4] And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.
[7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
[8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
[10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
[11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
[14] Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
[20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bible Lesson: Warfare - Spiritual

Spiritual Warfare:
Spiritual Warfare has been exercised and is now being exercised upon humanity.

I Peter 5:8 KJV “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:“

At the beginning of His ministry, after He had fasted for forty days, the Lord Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted of the devil.

Matthew 4:1-11 KJV
[1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
[2] And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred.
[3] And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
[4] But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

1) The devil, knows our physical weaknesses, and he comes to tempt us physically.

[5] Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,
[6] And saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.(Part of an Angelic Code, found in Psalms 91:10,11)
[7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

2) The devil, knows how to deceive, and distort, and cast doubt on what God has said, to deceive us. He told Eve “...Yea, hath God said,...”Gen. 3:1

[8] Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
[9] And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
[10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

3)The devil, knows that God has created mankind to be “the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I Corinthians 6:19,20 KJV

[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Vessels, created to be men and women of worship.

II Timothy 2:21 KJV
“ A vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

The enemy tries to fill the spiritual void in men, with earthly things, leaving them empty, of the presence and power of God.

(It has been said that all men will bow to some one, because we have not only been created physical beings, but spiritual as well.)

[11] Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

Jesus taught us how to fight the enemy, by doing what He did.

Matthew 4:
[4] But He answered and said, It is written, (The Word of God)
[7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, “ “ “ “
[10] Then saith Jesus unto him, “ “ “ “

The Apostle Paul:

II Corinthians 10:4 KJV “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”

Ephesians 6:11-18 KJV “
[11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
[13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
[14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with (1)truth, and having on the breastplate of (2)righteousness;
[15] And your feet shod with the preparation of (3)the gospel of peace;
[16] Above all, taking the shield of (4)faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
[17] And take the helmet of (5)salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is (6)the word of God:
[18] Praying always with all (7)prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Hebrews 4:12 KJV “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Revelation 12:11 KJV “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

I Corinthians 10:12 KJV “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

I Corinthians 16:13 KJV “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

James 4:7 KJV “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Luke 10:19 KJV “Behold, I (Jesus) give unto you power...over all the power of the enemy:”

Romans 8:35,37-39 KJV “
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
[39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Bible Lessons: Trouble-Strength In Times Of

Strength In The Time Of Trouble:

Isaiah 43:1-3 KJV
[1] But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob (true for Jew and all Spiritual Jews, the Gentile Church), and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
[2] When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
[3] For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:...”

Israel miraculously crossed the swollen Jordan, and so shall the Church of Jesus Christ.

Joshua 3:15-17 KJV

[15] And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
[16] That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
[17] And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, miraculously survived the fire and so shall the Church of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 3:13-25 KJV
[13] Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
[14] Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
[15] Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
[17] If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
[18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
[19] Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
[20] And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
[21] Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[22] Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
[23] And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
[25] He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Right about now, we can hear some old saint say, “If you have faith, you won't go through any fire or floods!”

That is not correct according to the Word of God.

The Lord told Isaiah, “When (you) pass through the waters,..,” “ when (you) walk through the fire,”

“I will be with thee;”

“the rivers, they shall not overflow (you): when (you) walkest through the fire, (you) shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (you).”

But though troubles come, the child of God, does not have go through them alone!

John 14:18 KJV “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

Hebrews 13:15 KJV “... I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Psalms 31:23 KJV “ O love the LORD, all ye His saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful,...”

Psalms 37:28 KJV “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”

Isaiah 26:3,4 KJV
[3] Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
[4] Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

I Peter 4:12,13 KJV
[12] Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Friend, trust the Lord Jesus!

Romans 8:28 KJV “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

Philippians 4:4-7 KJV
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
5 ...Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 146:5-8 KJV
[5] Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
[6] Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
[7] Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
[8] The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

Job 5:19 KJV “He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.”

Bible Questions Answered: Prayer-Repetitions

Bible Questions Answered:
What is considered vain repetitions?
Lanny A. / Oak Park, Chicago

Bible Answers:

Prayers of Vain Repetitions, are prayers of rote. These prayers are not, spontaneous, and because they are not, there is no feeling and no personal supplication from the heart.

The one, thus praying thinks that he or she will be heard, simply because of all the volume of praying that they are doing. False.

Matthew 6:1-8 KJV
[1] Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
[2] Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[3] But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
[4] That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
[7] But when ye pray, (1) use not vain repetitions, (2)as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
[8] (3)Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Are all repetitions worthless?
No.

Matthew 26:42-44 KJV
[42] He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
[43] And He came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
[44] And He left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Mark 14;35-41 KJV
[35] And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.
[36] And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
[37] And He cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
[38] Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
[39] And again He went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
[40] And when He returned, He found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer Him.
[41] And He cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Jesus prayed the same prayer to His heavenly Father, three times, and each time He prayed it with all earnestness.

The Apostle Paul, prayed three times that a “thorn in the flesh,” might be removed from him.

II Corinthians 12:7,8 KJV
[7] And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
[8] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

Again this was not some written prayer, this was a prayer of earnestness from Paul's heart to the Lord.

Praying relentless prayers that storm the gates of heaven, scriptural?

If, from a heart in need, Jesus thought so.

In Luke 11: He told the story about the householder who had a late night visitor.

Luke 11:5-10 NLT
5 "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,
6 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'
7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.'
8 But I tell you this—though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
9 "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This parable, does “not,” teach that God is unwilling, to help the least of all His children, but rather that often, He will test us to strengthen our faith.

James 4:1-3 NLT (Prayer caveat, one Must Pray According To The Will Of God, i.e. His Word.)
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?
2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.
Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.
3 And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Luke 18 here we see another of our Lord's parables, of the “unjust judge.”

Luke 18:1-8 KJV
[1] And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
[2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
[3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
[4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
[5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
[6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
[7] And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?
[8] I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

Some times God, delays His answers, but keep the faith, delay, does not necessarily mean, that He will not answer!

Bible Lessons: Rewards For Faith Believers

Bible Lessons: Rewards for faithful believers
Rewards vary according to works.

Note: no one is saved by his works (Ephesians 2:8,9), and yet works produce rewards.

I Corinthians 3:11-15 KJV
[11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
[12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
[13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
[14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
[15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

II Corinthians 5:10 KJV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Rewards given:

Soul winners:
Daniel 12:3 KJV “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

Humble Servants of the Lord:

Matthew 10:42 KJV “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

Faithfull Stewards:

Matthew 25:23 KJV “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Benevolent:

Luke 6:35 KJV “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

The Good of all Nations:

Romans 2:10 KJV “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: “

The Good of all people:

Ephesians 6:8 NLT “Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.”

Five Crowns mentioned for rewards for believers:

1) Crown of Rejoicing

I Thesalonians 2:19,20 KJV
[19] For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
[20] For ye are our glory and joy.

Philippians 4:1 KJV Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.“

2) Crown of Righteousness/ faithful in life

II Timothy 4:8 KJV “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

3) The Crown of Life – faithfulness under hardship and trial.

James 1:12 KJV “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Revelation 2:10 KJV “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

4) Crown of Glory – “faithful through hardship and suffering”

I Peter 5:4 KJV “ And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

Hebrews 2:9 KJV “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

5) A Crown Incorruptible – faithfulness and self-control

I Corinthians 9:24-27 KJV
[24] Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
[25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
[26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
[27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Revelation 3:11 KJV “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Greatest reward of all...one day

II Corinthians 5:8 “...to be present with the Lord.“

Revelation 22:2 KJV “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

The reward of the wicked:

Isaiah 59:18 “According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompence.”

Isaiah 13:11 KJV “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”

Romans 2:8,9 KJV
[8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
[9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

Hebrews 10:29 KJV “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”