Bible Questions Answered:
I don't see the question I have, what is exactly adoption?
Karen/ Plymouth, North Carolina
Bible Answers:
Here is a list of Bible definitions, concerning Christians, and their walk with the Lord.
Adoption:
Change of relationship, from sinful out casts, to the very sons and daughters of God, through faith in the Lord Jesus.
Psalm 27:10 KJV
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
John 1:12,13 KJV
12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12,13 NLT
12 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Romans 8:15-17 KJV
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
Romans 8:15-17 NLT
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.”
16 For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
17 And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.
II Corinthians 6:17,18 KJV
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Galatians 4:4-7 KJV
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Conversion:
New life through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 36:26,27 KJV
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.
John 3:1-8 KJV
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Acts 4:12 KJV
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Justification:
A new way of standing before God, “just as if we had never sinned.”
Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT
4 Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins!
5 But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.
John 5:24 KJV
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Acts 13:38,39 KJV
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Romans 1:16,17 KJV
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:16,17 NLT
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Romans 5:1 KJV
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Galatians 2:16 KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16 NLT
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Titus 3:5-7 KJV
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:5-7 NLT
5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
7 Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
Regeneration:
A new nature, a new heart, and spirit, from the Lord.
Ezekiel 11:19,20 KJV
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
John 3:3 KJV
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
I Peter 1:23 KJV
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Romans 6:3-23 KJV
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him.
10 For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Repentance:
Sorrow for sin, a turning about face and receiving the Lord.
II Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Isaiah 55:6,7 KJV
6 Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Jeremiah 14:20 KJV
We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
Joel 2:12,13 NLT
12 That is why the Lord says,“Turn to Me now, while there is time. Give Me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
Acts 3:19 KJV
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 17:30 KJV
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
II Corinthians 7:10 NLT
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
Sanctification:
Separation, and consecration to the Lord (Spiritual perfection).
A work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, it is on-going, not fully accomplished, until one with the Lord.
II Thessalonians 2:13 KJV
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
II Thessalonians 2:13 NLT
As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.
Romans 12:1,2 KJV
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 4:23,24 KJV
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Philippians 3:7-11 KJV
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11 NLT
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death,
11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Colossians 3:1-3 KJV
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Glorification:
Sanctification, forever accomplished.
Matthew 13:43 KJV
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Romans 8:17 KJV
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
II Corinthians 4:17 KJV
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Colossians 3:4 KJV
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
II Timothy 2:10 KJV
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
I John 3:2,3 KJV (When entire sanctification-glorification takes place.)
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Foolish Rich Man
Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's:
Parable: The Foolish Rich Man.
Text:
Luke 12:13-34 KJV
13 And one of the company said unto Him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And He said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22 And He said unto His disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The rich fool, made the big mistake of not knowing who's fruits and goods he had collected.
Luke 12:18 KJV
“...all my fruits and my goods.”
The rich man was a selfish man, thinking of no one but himself.
Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm 50:10,11 KJV
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
Haggai 2:8 KJV
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV
Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
We are at best stewards of God's good earth.
Luke 12:48 KJV
"...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more..."
The rich man, had labored hard for his retirement of wealth, but was poor and destitute in the sight of God.
He had thought only of himself, but not of his soul.
Matthew 16:24-26 KJV
24 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 19:23,24 KJV
23 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
That night the rich man would pass from the earthly life to the eternal life, and he had made no preparations for his entrance there.
Luke 12:15 KJV
And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Matthew 6:24-34 NLT
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Dear friend, life's day, is all so short, don't come to the end of it, spiritually impoverished.
For to do so, means separation from the God of all creation.
Proverbs 30:7-9 NLT
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s Holy Name.
Salvation Prayer
Parable: The Foolish Rich Man.
Text:
Luke 12:13-34 KJV
13 And one of the company said unto Him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And He said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22 And He said unto His disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The rich fool, made the big mistake of not knowing who's fruits and goods he had collected.
Luke 12:18 KJV
“...all my fruits and my goods.”
The rich man was a selfish man, thinking of no one but himself.
Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm 50:10,11 KJV
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
Haggai 2:8 KJV
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV
Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
We are at best stewards of God's good earth.
Luke 12:48 KJV
"...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more..."
The rich man, had labored hard for his retirement of wealth, but was poor and destitute in the sight of God.
He had thought only of himself, but not of his soul.
Matthew 16:24-26 KJV
24 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 19:23,24 KJV
23 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
That night the rich man would pass from the earthly life to the eternal life, and he had made no preparations for his entrance there.
Luke 12:15 KJV
And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Matthew 6:24-34 NLT
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Dear friend, life's day, is all so short, don't come to the end of it, spiritually impoverished.
For to do so, means separation from the God of all creation.
Proverbs 30:7-9 NLT
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s Holy Name.
Salvation Prayer
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Prayer Request: Larry
Please pray for Larry, a deacon of many years.
Larry has had several strokes, has had difficulty in swallowing, and food has gone into his bronchial tubes, giving him a form of pneumonia.
Upon questioning, loved ones have found out that certain medications given him, have caused the difficulty in swallowing, the drugs are being stopped.
Please pray that this faithful senior Christian, will be healed, and restored to the work of the Lord.
James 5:14-16 KJV
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Larry has had several strokes, has had difficulty in swallowing, and food has gone into his bronchial tubes, giving him a form of pneumonia.
Upon questioning, loved ones have found out that certain medications given him, have caused the difficulty in swallowing, the drugs are being stopped.
Please pray that this faithful senior Christian, will be healed, and restored to the work of the Lord.
James 5:14-16 KJV
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Bible Questions Answered: Sanhedrin
Bible Questions Answered:
Can you tell me just what exactly was the Sanhedrin?
Bible Answers:
In our day ( i.e. the United States), we have the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, in Jesus day it was the Sanhedrin, or Jewish Council.
The Sanhedrin consisted of some seventy elders, men of higher education or learning, e.g. High Priests, Lawyers, Elders (Both Pharisees and Sadducees).
They could decide most cases except those of life and death, this Rome would not allow.
Jesus was called before this body as a “false prophet.”
John 11:47 KJV
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
The Sanhedrin, also branded as deceivers, Peter, John, Stephen, and Paul.
The Sanhedrin, was fashioned after Moses' council of seventy elders.
Numbers 11:16,17 KJV
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Some have thought that the Apostle Paul (Saul), himself, at one time, may have been a member of the Sanhedrin, having been taught by Gamaliel, a doctor of the Jewish law, and a one time president of the council.
Acts 5:34 KJV
Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Acts 22:1-5 NLT
1 "Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”
2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.
4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.
5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
Deuteronomy 17:6,7 KJV
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.
Acts 7:56-59 KJV
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
The conversion of Saul/ to that of Apostle Paul, missionary to the Gentiles.
Acts 9:1-24 KJV
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
Have you had a Damascus experience, the Lord Jesus is calling you today!
Salvation Prayer
Can you tell me just what exactly was the Sanhedrin?
Bible Answers:
In our day ( i.e. the United States), we have the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, in Jesus day it was the Sanhedrin, or Jewish Council.
The Sanhedrin consisted of some seventy elders, men of higher education or learning, e.g. High Priests, Lawyers, Elders (Both Pharisees and Sadducees).
They could decide most cases except those of life and death, this Rome would not allow.
Jesus was called before this body as a “false prophet.”
John 11:47 KJV
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
The Sanhedrin, also branded as deceivers, Peter, John, Stephen, and Paul.
The Sanhedrin, was fashioned after Moses' council of seventy elders.
Numbers 11:16,17 KJV
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Some have thought that the Apostle Paul (Saul), himself, at one time, may have been a member of the Sanhedrin, having been taught by Gamaliel, a doctor of the Jewish law, and a one time president of the council.
Acts 5:34 KJV
Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Acts 22:1-5 NLT
1 "Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”
2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.
4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.
5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
Deuteronomy 17:6,7 KJV
6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.
Acts 7:56-59 KJV
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
The conversion of Saul/ to that of Apostle Paul, missionary to the Gentiles.
Acts 9:1-24 KJV
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
Have you had a Damascus experience, the Lord Jesus is calling you today!
Salvation Prayer
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for Joyce, a faithful Christian, and mother. Joyce has had meningitis, currently in the hospital, may also have had a stroke.
God answers prayer!
Psalm 107:20 KJV
He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
God answers prayer!
Psalm 107:20 KJV
He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for Margaret, a senior and faithful Christian, has been in the hospital since October. Please pray that God will renew her health.
Jeremiah 17:14 KJV
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Please pray for Carolyn, a Christian lady who has had a stroke, and who now is having kidney problems.
Psalm 103:1-3 KJV
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Jeremiah 17:14 KJV
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Please pray for Carolyn, a Christian lady who has had a stroke, and who now is having kidney problems.
Psalm 103:1-3 KJV
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Good Samaritan
Bible Lesson: Parable-Our Lord's -The Good Samaritan.
The Good Samaritan:
Text: Luke 10:30-37 KJV
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do (Before Calvary) to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
What a priceless story given to us by the Lord Jesus.
A Jewish lawyer, one who no doubt taught the law (Torah), in synagogues and schools (lawyer was often a name given to Jewish, scribes), asked Jesus an all important question.
Luke 10:25 KJV “...Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
And the resulting story was our Saviour's answer. Now this story, has two important meanings.
*) The first meaning.
Mankind has fallen victim to the thief!
John 10:10 KJV
The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Left blooded and destitute, mankind lays dying unable to be helped by Priest, or Levite (Their duty was to preserve, transcribe, and interpret the law).
The works of earthly man, religious or otherwise, at best, cannot save anyone!
Isaiah 64:6 KJV
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 1:12,13 KJV
12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Which were born....
* Not of blood, speaks of, no salvation, by nobility.
* Nor of the will of flesh, no salvation through men's works, religious or otherwise, dedication, baptism, confirmation, communion, church
membership, church office,etc. Etc.
* Nor of the will of man, salvation cannot be conferred by any individual, church or organization.
Matthew 7:21-23 KJV
21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.
Romans 3:19,20; 24, 28 KJV
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 5:1,9 KJV
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 ...justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 11:6 NLT
And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
Galatians 2:16 KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 3:10,11 KJV
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
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:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Colossians 2:20-23 NLT
20 You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,
21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
Titus 3:4-7 KJV
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Hebrew 10:5,6 KJV
5 Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
The robbed and wounded man, could do nothing to help “himself!”
The Good News is that mankind has a Saviour, Good Samaritan, Jesus Christ the Lord.
Job 19:25 KJV
For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Isaiah 41:14 NLT
Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’
Isaiah 44:24 KJV
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 47:4 KJV
As for our Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 27:1 KJV
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 37:39 KJV
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Isaiah 12:2 KJV
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 25:9 KJV
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.
John 10:9 KJV
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Acts 4:10-112 KJV
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 15:11 KJV
"But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved..."
Hebrews 5:9 KJV
And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him;
Hebrews 9:28 KJV
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The Good Samaritan, poured oil and wine into the cuts and bruises of the wounded man, and took him to recover at the inn.
Isaiah 53:4 KJV
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..."
I Peter 5:7 KJV
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
The Good Samaritan, made a promise to the wounded man, a promise that he would return!
Luke 10:35 KJV
“...when I come again...”
Praise the Lord, our Good Samaritan, Healer, Saviour, will come back again, to receive us unto Himself!
John 14:3 KJV
"...I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Do you know this Good Samaritan, Saviour?
Receive Him, into your heart and life today!
Salvation Prayer
*) Second meaning:
Our Lord's message to the seemingly “self-righteous,” lawyer was, he and we are to be good Samaritans to all around us.
We are “not,” saved by good works, but then again, we are not saved “from,” doing good works!
Matthew 5:14-16 KJV
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
I Timothy 6:18 NLT
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
James 2:17,18 KJV
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
Hebrews 13:15,16 KJV
15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.
16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
The Good Samaritan:
Text: Luke 10:30-37 KJV
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do (Before Calvary) to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
What a priceless story given to us by the Lord Jesus.
A Jewish lawyer, one who no doubt taught the law (Torah), in synagogues and schools (lawyer was often a name given to Jewish, scribes), asked Jesus an all important question.
Luke 10:25 KJV “...Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
And the resulting story was our Saviour's answer. Now this story, has two important meanings.
*) The first meaning.
Mankind has fallen victim to the thief!
John 10:10 KJV
The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Left blooded and destitute, mankind lays dying unable to be helped by Priest, or Levite (Their duty was to preserve, transcribe, and interpret the law).
The works of earthly man, religious or otherwise, at best, cannot save anyone!
Isaiah 64:6 KJV
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 1:12,13 KJV
12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Which were born....
* Not of blood, speaks of, no salvation, by nobility.
* Nor of the will of flesh, no salvation through men's works, religious or otherwise, dedication, baptism, confirmation, communion, church
membership, church office,etc. Etc.
* Nor of the will of man, salvation cannot be conferred by any individual, church or organization.
Matthew 7:21-23 KJV
21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.
Romans 3:19,20; 24, 28 KJV
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 5:1,9 KJV
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 ...justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 11:6 NLT
And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
Galatians 2:16 KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 3:10,11 KJV
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
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:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Colossians 2:20-23 NLT
20 You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,
21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
Titus 3:4-7 KJV
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Hebrew 10:5,6 KJV
5 Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
The robbed and wounded man, could do nothing to help “himself!”
The Good News is that mankind has a Saviour, Good Samaritan, Jesus Christ the Lord.
Job 19:25 KJV
For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Isaiah 41:14 NLT
Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’
Isaiah 44:24 KJV
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 47:4 KJV
As for our Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 27:1 KJV
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 37:39 KJV
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Isaiah 12:2 KJV
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 25:9 KJV
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.
John 10:9 KJV
I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Acts 4:10-112 KJV
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 15:11 KJV
"But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved..."
Hebrews 5:9 KJV
And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him;
Hebrews 9:28 KJV
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The Good Samaritan, poured oil and wine into the cuts and bruises of the wounded man, and took him to recover at the inn.
Isaiah 53:4 KJV
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..."
I Peter 5:7 KJV
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
The Good Samaritan, made a promise to the wounded man, a promise that he would return!
Luke 10:35 KJV
“...when I come again...”
Praise the Lord, our Good Samaritan, Healer, Saviour, will come back again, to receive us unto Himself!
John 14:3 KJV
"...I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Do you know this Good Samaritan, Saviour?
Receive Him, into your heart and life today!
Salvation Prayer
*) Second meaning:
Our Lord's message to the seemingly “self-righteous,” lawyer was, he and we are to be good Samaritans to all around us.
We are “not,” saved by good works, but then again, we are not saved “from,” doing good works!
Matthew 5:14-16 KJV
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
I Timothy 6:18 NLT
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
James 2:17,18 KJV
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
Hebrews 13:15,16 KJV
15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.
16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Bible Lesson: Giving
Bible Lesson: Giving
(Giving, how should a Christian give?)
Give to the Lord, before one gives to oneself:
Proverbs 3:9 KJV
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Freely:
Exodus 25:2 KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering.
I Chronicles 29:9 KJV
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
Matthew 10:8 KJV
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Cheerfully:
II Corinthians 8:12 NLT
Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
II Corinthians 9:7 KJV
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Regularly:
I Corinthians 16:2 KJV
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Tithes our Responsibility:
Leviticus 27:30 KJV
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.
Malachi 3:10 KJV
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Matthew 23:23 KJV
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
(The one who gives is blessed.)
Spiritual Blessings:
Proverbs 11:25 KJV
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
The Blessed Life:
Acts 20:35 KJV
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Law of attraction:
Proverbs 11:23-25 NLT
23 The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 28:27 KJV
He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Luke 6:38 KJV
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Treasurers in heaven:
Matthew 6:20 KJV
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Matthew 19:21 KJV
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.
(Giving, how should a Christian give?)
Give to the Lord, before one gives to oneself:
Proverbs 3:9 KJV
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Freely:
Exodus 25:2 KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering.
I Chronicles 29:9 KJV
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
Matthew 10:8 KJV
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Cheerfully:
II Corinthians 8:12 NLT
Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
II Corinthians 9:7 KJV
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Regularly:
I Corinthians 16:2 KJV
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Tithes our Responsibility:
Leviticus 27:30 KJV
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD.
Malachi 3:10 KJV
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Matthew 23:23 KJV
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
(The one who gives is blessed.)
Spiritual Blessings:
Proverbs 11:25 KJV
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
The Blessed Life:
Acts 20:35 KJV
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Law of attraction:
Proverbs 11:23-25 NLT
23 The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Proverbs 28:27 KJV
He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Luke 6:38 KJV
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Treasurers in heaven:
Matthew 6:20 KJV
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Matthew 19:21 KJV
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Bible Questions Answered: Sanctification
Bible Questions Answered:
How do you get sanctified, when does this happen?
Alejandro /Bogota, Colombia
Bible Answers:
Sanctification:
Old Testament Hebrew: Qadash (Kaw-dash): To make, pronounce or observe as clean (ceremonially or morally); consecrate, dedicate, hallow, purify.
New Testament Greek: Hagiasmos (Hag-ee-as-mos): Purification, purity, holiness. (Abingdon/Strong)
Sanctification is both, static as being already complete, and yet dynamic as it is yet an on going process.
Romans 8:29 AMP
For those whom He foreknew of whom He was aware and loved beforehand, He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son (Sanctification) [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 15:16 KJV
That I should be the minister (The Apostle Paul) of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
I Thessalonians 4:3-8 KJV
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.
I Thessaolnians 4:3-8 NLT
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—
5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways.
6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.
7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
I Thessalonians 5:21-24 KJV
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.
Hebrews 13:12 KJV
Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.
I Peter 1:2 KJV
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
I Peter 3:15 KJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Sanctification is both, static as being already complete, and yet dynamic as it is yet an on going process.
Job 17:9 KJV
The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
Job 17:9 NLT
The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.
Psalm 84:5,7 NLT
5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord...
7 They will continue to grow stronger..."
Psalm 92:12 KJV
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Proverbs 4:18 KJV
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
II Corinthians 3:18 KJV
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I Timothy 4:15 KJV
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
II Timothy 2:19-21 KJV
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Our Lord's prayer for His church.
John 17:17 KJV (Read the whole chapter verses 1-26.)
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The call to sanctification:
Genesis 17:1 (Abraham)
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.
Acts 20:32 KJV (Apostle Paul)
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
I Corinthians 1:2,3,30 KJV (Apostle Paul)
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
I Corinthians 6:9,11 KJV
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?...
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Ephesians 5:25-27 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.
Hebrews 2:11 KJV
For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Hebrews 12:14 KJV
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I Peter 1:15,16 KJV
15 But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Sanctification in the life of the believer is evidenced by:
1) Hatred of sin. The church has a problem today, it is to cozy to the things of this world! God give Christian people a “hatred,” for sin, no gray areas, no shadows of the truth, black and white, light versus darkness.
2) A love for the things of God. Bible study, prayer meeting, church work, witnessing for the Lord, testimonies, giving the tithe, and offerings of love, liberal acts of brotherly love, etc. etc..etc.
3) A life that adheres to holiness. A life controlled by the Spirit of God, not just hatred of sin, but love of God, heart, mind, soul, and body, and His service.
Dear friend, are there signs of sanctification in your life?
Make the Lord, the Master of your life.
And He will change you into His glorious image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
How do you get sanctified, when does this happen?
Alejandro /Bogota, Colombia
Bible Answers:
Sanctification:
Old Testament Hebrew: Qadash (Kaw-dash): To make, pronounce or observe as clean (ceremonially or morally); consecrate, dedicate, hallow, purify.
New Testament Greek: Hagiasmos (Hag-ee-as-mos): Purification, purity, holiness. (Abingdon/Strong)
Sanctification is both, static as being already complete, and yet dynamic as it is yet an on going process.
Romans 8:29 AMP
For those whom He foreknew of whom He was aware and loved beforehand, He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son (Sanctification) [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 15:16 KJV
That I should be the minister (The Apostle Paul) of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
I Thessalonians 4:3-8 KJV
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.
I Thessaolnians 4:3-8 NLT
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—
5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways.
6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.
7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
I Thessalonians 5:21-24 KJV
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.
Hebrews 13:12 KJV
Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.
I Peter 1:2 KJV
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
I Peter 3:15 KJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Sanctification is both, static as being already complete, and yet dynamic as it is yet an on going process.
Job 17:9 KJV
The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
Job 17:9 NLT
The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.
Psalm 84:5,7 NLT
5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord...
7 They will continue to grow stronger..."
Psalm 92:12 KJV
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Proverbs 4:18 KJV
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
II Corinthians 3:18 KJV
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I Timothy 4:15 KJV
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
II Timothy 2:19-21 KJV
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Our Lord's prayer for His church.
John 17:17 KJV (Read the whole chapter verses 1-26.)
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The call to sanctification:
Genesis 17:1 (Abraham)
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.
Acts 20:32 KJV (Apostle Paul)
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
I Corinthians 1:2,3,30 KJV (Apostle Paul)
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
I Corinthians 6:9,11 KJV
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?...
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Ephesians 5:25-27 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.
Hebrews 2:11 KJV
For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Hebrews 12:14 KJV
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I Peter 1:15,16 KJV
15 But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Sanctification in the life of the believer is evidenced by:
1) Hatred of sin. The church has a problem today, it is to cozy to the things of this world! God give Christian people a “hatred,” for sin, no gray areas, no shadows of the truth, black and white, light versus darkness.
2) A love for the things of God. Bible study, prayer meeting, church work, witnessing for the Lord, testimonies, giving the tithe, and offerings of love, liberal acts of brotherly love, etc. etc..etc.
3) A life that adheres to holiness. A life controlled by the Spirit of God, not just hatred of sin, but love of God, heart, mind, soul, and body, and His service.
Dear friend, are there signs of sanctification in your life?
Make the Lord, the Master of your life.
And He will change you into His glorious image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Great Supper
Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's
Parable: The Great Supper.
Text: Luke 14:16-24 KJV
16 Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
There are similarities, between this parable and that of “The Marriage of the King's Son.”
In Matthew's gospel, it was a story about a King.
In Luke's gospel it is a story about “a certain man.”
In Matthew's gospel, it was a story about the marriage of a King's son.
In Luke's gospel it is a story about a “great supper.”
In Matthew's gospel, and Luke's the first invited are the same.
In Luke's gospel, one had married a wife and could not come.
In Matthew's gospel, one went to his farm, and another to his land.
In Luke's gospel, one went to his merchandise, and another to his five yoke of oxen, and the last had taken a wife.
In Matthew's gospel, the Kings servants were killed, the King had the people killed, and their city burnt up. The King sent other servants into the highways to bid all, both good and bad to come to the marriage feast.
In Luke's gospel, the refused invitation, is not met with judgment, the servant has not been hurt, but the invitation has been opened up instead to the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, out in the streets and lanes, the highways and hedges of the city.
In Matthew's gospel, we hear of the man without a wedding garment, and his judgment.
The spiritual truth of this parable is the same as the “The Marriage of the King's Son.”
God has planned a marriage and wedding feast for His dear Son.
All have been called.
Acts 2:21 KJV
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I Timothy 2:4 KJV
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Titus 2:11 KJV
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
II Peter 3:9 KJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Revelation 22:17 KJV
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.
Do you have the wedding garment on?
Revelation 19:6-8 KJV
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Hebrew 12:14 KJV
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I Peter 1:15,16 KJV
15 But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Romans 5:8,9 KJV
8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Not saved by works, religious or otherwise, saved only by the blood of Christ.
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:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ye servants of the Lord....
Mark 16:15 NLT
And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
Dear friend, accept His invitation!
Salvation Prayer
Parable: The Great Supper.
Text: Luke 14:16-24 KJV
16 Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
There are similarities, between this parable and that of “The Marriage of the King's Son.”
In Matthew's gospel, it was a story about a King.
In Luke's gospel it is a story about “a certain man.”
In Matthew's gospel, it was a story about the marriage of a King's son.
In Luke's gospel it is a story about a “great supper.”
In Matthew's gospel, and Luke's the first invited are the same.
In Luke's gospel, one had married a wife and could not come.
In Matthew's gospel, one went to his farm, and another to his land.
In Luke's gospel, one went to his merchandise, and another to his five yoke of oxen, and the last had taken a wife.
In Matthew's gospel, the Kings servants were killed, the King had the people killed, and their city burnt up. The King sent other servants into the highways to bid all, both good and bad to come to the marriage feast.
In Luke's gospel, the refused invitation, is not met with judgment, the servant has not been hurt, but the invitation has been opened up instead to the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, out in the streets and lanes, the highways and hedges of the city.
In Matthew's gospel, we hear of the man without a wedding garment, and his judgment.
The spiritual truth of this parable is the same as the “The Marriage of the King's Son.”
God has planned a marriage and wedding feast for His dear Son.
All have been called.
Acts 2:21 KJV
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I Timothy 2:4 KJV
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Titus 2:11 KJV
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
II Peter 3:9 KJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Revelation 22:17 KJV
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.
Do you have the wedding garment on?
Revelation 19:6-8 KJV
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Hebrew 12:14 KJV
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I Peter 1:15,16 KJV
15 But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Romans 5:8,9 KJV
8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Not saved by works, religious or otherwise, saved only by the blood of Christ.
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:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ye servants of the Lord....
Mark 16:15 NLT
And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
Dear friend, accept His invitation!
Salvation Prayer
Friday, December 25, 2009
Bible Questions Answered: Vicar-Peter?
Bible Questions Answered:
Was Peter the first vicar of the church?
Davi /Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Bible Answers:
Vicar: A person who acts in the place of another, deputy, earthly representative of Christ.
(New World Dictionary)
Concerning Peter:
Peter was a married man, who's mother in law lived with them.
Matthew 8:14 KJV (Mark 1:30)
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
I Timothy 4:1-5 KJV
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry (celibacy), and
commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Acts 10:9-16 KJV (The Lord taught Peter...)
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Matthew 16:21-23 KJV
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But He (Jesus) turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Matthew 20:25-27 KJV (Servitude, not Lordship.)
25 But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:25-27 NLT
25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Acts 8:14,15 KJV (Not acting alone.)
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.
15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 15:4-20 NLT (Leader of the early church-James.)
4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.
5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”
6 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.
7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.
8 God knows people’s hearts, and He confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us.
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts through faith.
10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?
11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
12 Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.
14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for Himself.
15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:
16 ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins
and restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles— all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken—
18 He who made these things known so long ago.'
19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
I Peter 5:1 NLT
And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in His glory when He is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:
Isaiah 42:8 KJV
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 NLT
“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not give My glory to anyone else, nor share My praise with carved idols.
See also: Vicar, Bishop, Elder, Pastor
Was Peter the first vicar of the church?
Davi /Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Bible Answers:
Vicar: A person who acts in the place of another, deputy, earthly representative of Christ.
(New World Dictionary)
Concerning Peter:
Peter was a married man, who's mother in law lived with them.
Matthew 8:14 KJV (Mark 1:30)
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
I Timothy 4:1-5 KJV
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry (celibacy), and
commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Acts 10:9-16 KJV (The Lord taught Peter...)
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Matthew 16:21-23 KJV
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But He (Jesus) turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Matthew 20:25-27 KJV (Servitude, not Lordship.)
25 But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:25-27 NLT
25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Acts 8:14,15 KJV (Not acting alone.)
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.
15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 15:4-20 NLT (Leader of the early church-James.)
4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.
5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”
6 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.
7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.
8 God knows people’s hearts, and He confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us.
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts through faith.
10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?
11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
12 Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.
14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for Himself.
15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:
16 ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins
and restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles— all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken—
18 He who made these things known so long ago.'
19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
I Peter 5:1 NLT
And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in His glory when He is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:
Isaiah 42:8 KJV
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 NLT
“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not give My glory to anyone else, nor share My praise with carved idols.
See also: Vicar, Bishop, Elder, Pastor
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Bible Questions Answered: Divinity Of Christ
Bible Questions Answered:
Some people in our group say, Jesus never claimed to be God, what about this?
Macarena/ Manila, Philippines
Bible Answer:
Jesus claimed to be God, and those who knew Him, also claimed He was!
Matthew 3:17 KJV
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 16:16 KJV
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 17:5 KJV
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
Luke 22:66-71
66 At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,
67 and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” But He replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe Me.
68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.
69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”
70 They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” And He replied, “You say that I am.”
71 “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard Him say it.”
John 1:1,2 KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 8:18 KJV
I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me.
John 10:30 KJV
I and My Father are one.
John 10:30-33; 37,38 KJV
30 I and My Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
37 If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
John 14:8-11 KJV
8 Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake.
John 20:26-29 KJV
26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My LORD and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
The resurrection, proved to Thomas, that indeed, Jesus was God.
Romans 1:4 KJV
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 9:5 KJV
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Colossians 2:8,9 KJV
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
I Timothy 3:16 KJV
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
I John 5:9 KJV
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.
Evil spirits confessed that Jesus was the Son of God:
Matthew 8:28,29 KJV
28 And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Mark 1:23,24 KJV
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mark 3:11 KJV
And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Luke 4:41 KJV
And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And He rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was Christ.
I John 4:15 KJV
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Some people in our group say, Jesus never claimed to be God, what about this?
Macarena/ Manila, Philippines
Bible Answer:
Jesus claimed to be God, and those who knew Him, also claimed He was!
Matthew 3:17 KJV
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 16:16 KJV
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 17:5 KJV
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
Luke 22:66-71
66 At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,
67 and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” But He replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe Me.
68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.
69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”
70 They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” And He replied, “You say that I am.”
71 “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard Him say it.”
John 1:1,2 KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 8:18 KJV
I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me.
John 10:30 KJV
I and My Father are one.
John 10:30-33; 37,38 KJV
30 I and My Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
37 If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
John 14:8-11 KJV
8 Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake.
John 20:26-29 KJV
26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My LORD and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
The resurrection, proved to Thomas, that indeed, Jesus was God.
Romans 1:4 KJV
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 9:5 KJV
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Colossians 2:8,9 KJV
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
I Timothy 3:16 KJV
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
I John 5:9 KJV
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.
Evil spirits confessed that Jesus was the Son of God:
Matthew 8:28,29 KJV
28 And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Mark 1:23,24 KJV
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mark 3:11 KJV
And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Luke 4:41 KJV
And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And He rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was Christ.
I John 4:15 KJV
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Bible Questions Answered: Remembering This Life After Death
Bible Questions Answered:
Once in heaven, will we remember what we did here on earth?
Freja/ Eidsvoll, Norway
Bible Answer:
Our Lord, best answers this in His story of the “rich man and Lazarus.”
Text: 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.
*Lazarus-A form of the Hebrew word Elazar (El-aw-zawr): God is my helper. (Abingdon/Strong)
In the first eight verses of St. Luke sixteen, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man and his shrewd manager, who was dishonest with his employers money to say the least, and to his own advantage.
Then Jesus addresses the Pharisees by saying....
Luke 16:13-15 NLT
13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him.
15 Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.
The “love of money and riches,” again outlines the last story of Luke sixteen, that of the rich man and Lazarus.
The debate of whether this is an actual story or parable will go on infinitude.
Luther say, that he believed the story to “actual,” due to the informative content of the story.
It has long been pointed out that Jesus did not use proper names in His parables, and yet here He does.
The rich man and his love of luxury and wealth, which excluded any love for God, and his fellowman with their needs, had landed him in hell.
The poor diseased, Lazarus, was born to paradise on angels wings.
And now the question, what survives death?
First answer, the soul.
There may be some who doubt the existence of the soul, but God's Son, specifically stated that it was so.
Both men existed, “after-death.”
They weren't reincarnated, which is a false idea!
Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27 NLT
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 NAS
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 NRSV
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 AMP
And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment,
One life/ one death/ one judgment.
Men love to embellish these simple facts, so that they may have countless tries at heaven, salvation, the life here after, but that is simply “not,” the case.
These two men had died.
Death is the “agent,” that forever seals, and sets, life's mold of spiritual choice, forever.
These two men had been judged.
These two men had a final resting place by their choices in life!
They had an eternal soul, their life did not end upon the death of their body!
And now what of the quality and satisfaction of the soul?
The beggar, Lazarus.
Where as in life (physical), he had only pain and disease, poverty, and disrespect.
In eternity, he was whole, and elevated as a “child of God,” carried to paradise.
Psalm 16:11 KJV
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
The beggar, was without disease, whole.
The beggar, was in the luxury of paradise.
The beggar, in his thankfulness and rejoicing (assumed, but certainly true), had no regrets.
Then there was the “rich man.”
Whereas he once (in the flesh), lived in total “selfishness,” luxury, and wealth, he found now that they had left him.
He was, now the beggar, and beg he did, and still is!
A wealthy man is “used to,” having every wish of his desires granted, and so commanding orders was nothing new for the rich man.
But though commands were given, nothing was given to him.
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.
A test, for could a drop of water be brought to the rich man, then too the flames of hell could be assuaged, but water cannot exist in a flame!
The rich man, was now...destitute, penniless, without luxury and without servants.
But he was rich in ….torment, tears, requests, and a multitude of regrets, and fears!
He was not in paradise but hell.
He was tormented in the flames of hell, yet “not,” destroyed.
He cried.
He petitioned, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me...”
He saw and remembered Lazarus, and requested that the now well-bodied child of God, come help him, to no avail.
He remembered, with regret, his five brothers who would no doubt follow their older brother's example, and one day one by one follow him into hell.
(Was he in agony over their coming to such a place to suffer, cursed idea/ an implantation by the seducer!
This “selfish man was in agony over their coming to hell, to deride him (torment) for time without end, because of his sinful life, which they would follow!)
Men in hell, do not, “get religion,” they exist as they existed on earth.
The rich man was a “selfish man,” and we see true to form, his sin, of selfishness, was now all the more “full-blown, in nature,” the seed sown in life had now come to fruition!
And the rich man could do something earthly men could not do, he could see into paradise, it was there that he saw Lazarus.
What remorse, what regret, that he too could have been there in paradise, but for his sinful gluttony, and lack of serving the Creator more than the creature.
Dear friend, do not, be confused, all the regret possible, in hell, is regret eternally misplaced, and forever worthless!
It is worthless, because it is not regret, that one did not live a “Godly,” life!
It is regret that one cannot be in paradise, and sin just like they did once on earth.....and this will and can never, ever be!
Will we know or remember our earthly life once passed on to our reward?
Jesus, definitely says yes!
Hebrews 12:1,2 KJV
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
Who are these heavenly witness of the affairs of earthly men?
No doubt they are the angels and saints of all ages, cheering the children of God on, on to victory, in the name of Jesus!
Once in heaven, will we remember what we did here on earth?
Freja/ Eidsvoll, Norway
Bible Answer:
Our Lord, best answers this in His story of the “rich man and Lazarus.”
Text: 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.
*Lazarus-A form of the Hebrew word Elazar (El-aw-zawr): God is my helper. (Abingdon/Strong)
In the first eight verses of St. Luke sixteen, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man and his shrewd manager, who was dishonest with his employers money to say the least, and to his own advantage.
Then Jesus addresses the Pharisees by saying....
Luke 16:13-15 NLT
13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him.
15 Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.
The “love of money and riches,” again outlines the last story of Luke sixteen, that of the rich man and Lazarus.
The debate of whether this is an actual story or parable will go on infinitude.
Luther say, that he believed the story to “actual,” due to the informative content of the story.
It has long been pointed out that Jesus did not use proper names in His parables, and yet here He does.
The rich man and his love of luxury and wealth, which excluded any love for God, and his fellowman with their needs, had landed him in hell.
The poor diseased, Lazarus, was born to paradise on angels wings.
And now the question, what survives death?
First answer, the soul.
There may be some who doubt the existence of the soul, but God's Son, specifically stated that it was so.
Both men existed, “after-death.”
They weren't reincarnated, which is a false idea!
Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27 NLT
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 NAS
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 NRSV
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment,
Hebrews 9:27 AMP
And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment,
One life/ one death/ one judgment.
Men love to embellish these simple facts, so that they may have countless tries at heaven, salvation, the life here after, but that is simply “not,” the case.
These two men had died.
Death is the “agent,” that forever seals, and sets, life's mold of spiritual choice, forever.
These two men had been judged.
These two men had a final resting place by their choices in life!
They had an eternal soul, their life did not end upon the death of their body!
And now what of the quality and satisfaction of the soul?
The beggar, Lazarus.
Where as in life (physical), he had only pain and disease, poverty, and disrespect.
In eternity, he was whole, and elevated as a “child of God,” carried to paradise.
Psalm 16:11 KJV
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
The beggar, was without disease, whole.
The beggar, was in the luxury of paradise.
The beggar, in his thankfulness and rejoicing (assumed, but certainly true), had no regrets.
Then there was the “rich man.”
Whereas he once (in the flesh), lived in total “selfishness,” luxury, and wealth, he found now that they had left him.
He was, now the beggar, and beg he did, and still is!
A wealthy man is “used to,” having every wish of his desires granted, and so commanding orders was nothing new for the rich man.
But though commands were given, nothing was given to him.
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.
A test, for could a drop of water be brought to the rich man, then too the flames of hell could be assuaged, but water cannot exist in a flame!
The rich man, was now...destitute, penniless, without luxury and without servants.
But he was rich in ….torment, tears, requests, and a multitude of regrets, and fears!
He was not in paradise but hell.
He was tormented in the flames of hell, yet “not,” destroyed.
He cried.
He petitioned, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me...”
He saw and remembered Lazarus, and requested that the now well-bodied child of God, come help him, to no avail.
He remembered, with regret, his five brothers who would no doubt follow their older brother's example, and one day one by one follow him into hell.
(Was he in agony over their coming to such a place to suffer, cursed idea/ an implantation by the seducer!
This “selfish man was in agony over their coming to hell, to deride him (torment) for time without end, because of his sinful life, which they would follow!)
Men in hell, do not, “get religion,” they exist as they existed on earth.
The rich man was a “selfish man,” and we see true to form, his sin, of selfishness, was now all the more “full-blown, in nature,” the seed sown in life had now come to fruition!
And the rich man could do something earthly men could not do, he could see into paradise, it was there that he saw Lazarus.
What remorse, what regret, that he too could have been there in paradise, but for his sinful gluttony, and lack of serving the Creator more than the creature.
Dear friend, do not, be confused, all the regret possible, in hell, is regret eternally misplaced, and forever worthless!
It is worthless, because it is not regret, that one did not live a “Godly,” life!
It is regret that one cannot be in paradise, and sin just like they did once on earth.....and this will and can never, ever be!
Will we know or remember our earthly life once passed on to our reward?
Jesus, definitely says yes!
Hebrews 12:1,2 KJV
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
Who are these heavenly witness of the affairs of earthly men?
No doubt they are the angels and saints of all ages, cheering the children of God on, on to victory, in the name of Jesus!
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