Jerusalem Destroyed

Bible Questions Answered:

“Jerusalem is surrounded by armies are they going to be annihilated?”

Randolf/ Cologne, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia)

Bible Answer:

Dual Prophecy, by Jesus.

Luke 21:20 KJV

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Luke 21:20 NLT

“And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.

In the sixth century B.C. Nubuchadnezzar and his army, destroyed Jerusalem, and drove its people into exile.

In 70 A.D. the Roman Emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem, killing some 1,100,000 people, and taking some 97,000 as slaves.

(Historian Josephus.)

And this prophecy of Jesus is still yet future.

Because of the barbarism of Syria against its own people, armies have surrounded it. Some to stop any further aggression, some to protect the perpetrators. Some of these countries have vowed to throw Israel into the sea.

Tribulation Destruction of Jerusalem:

Matthew 23:37-39 KJV

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of The Lord.

Matthew 24:15-28 NLT

15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)

16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.

17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.

18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.

19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.

20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.

22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!

27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when

The Son Of Man comes.

28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.

Mark 13:14-23 NLT

14 “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.

15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.

16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.

17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.

18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter.

19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again.

20 In fact, unless The Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of His chosen ones He has shortened those days.

21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!

Luke 19:41-44 NLT (Jesus Wept over Jerusalem.)

41 But as He came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep.

42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.

43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side.

44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Luke 21:20-24 KJV

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Revelation 19:11-21 NLT (A Rider on a White Horse.)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns. A name was written on Him that no one understood except Himself.

13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and His title was The Word Of God.

14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed Him on white horses.

15 From His mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

16 On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King Of All Kings And Lord Of All lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.

18 Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and His army.

20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

Hebrews 4:7 KJV

"...To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.

• Salvation Prayer

Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: Jonah Delivered From The Great Fish.

Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: Jonah Delivered From The Great Fish.

Occasion: Repentance Brings Deliverance.

Location: Mediterranean Sea.

Bible Text:

Jonah 2:1-10 KJV

1 Then Jonah prayed unto The Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto The Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered The Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of The Lord.

10 And The Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 2:1-3 KJV

1 Then Jonah prayed unto The Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto The Lord...”

3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Job 5:17 KJV

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of

The Almighty:

Psalm 119:67 KJV

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Lamentations 3:22,23 KJV

22 It is of The Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Hebrews 12:11 KJV

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

God did not only love the people of Nineveh, the sailors on board the ship, but He deeply loved Jonah as well, and because He did, He stopped the prophet from merely going his own way, which would have lead to not only death, but hell as well!

Those who go to hell, go there by cutting the umbilical cord to eternal life, by their own hand. All who go there have committed the unpardonable sin of severing any calling, correction and help from the hand of The Living God.

Jonah, knew he had sinned against God, he repented and prayed to The Lord of all creation.

Jonah 2:2 KJV

“... and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Psalm 65:2 KJV

O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

Jonah 2:4-7 KJV

4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered The Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

The loving correction of The Lord, brought Jonah to repentance and prayer.

I John 1:5-10 KJV

5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not

The Truth:

7 But if we walk in The Light, as He is in The Light, we have fellowship one with another, and

The Blood Of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and The Truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

Jonah's confession:

Jonah 2:8,9 KJV

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of The Lord.

Jonah 2:8,9 NLT

8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows.

What Jonah had vowed, was to be a servant of God. He had failed, he confessed, that those who refuse to serve The Living God “ turn their backs on all God’s mercies,” something the prophet no longer wished to do!

God heard, and God answered his prayer.

Jonah 2:10 KJV

And The Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Now what was the result of Jonah's re-dedication?

Jonah 3:1-10 KJV

1 And The Word Of The Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to The Word Of The Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?

10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.

One hundred and twenty thousand people (Jonah 4:11) , repented and turned to The Lord, and their sins were forgiven, and their judgment withheld.

What lessons for us today!

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.

• Salvation Prayer

Angel-His Acts 12:15

Bible Questions Answered:

“Did Peter have a angel?...”

Corrie/ Auckland, New Zealand

Bible Answer:

Bible Text:

Acts 12:1-17 NLT

1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.

2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.

3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.

4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.

5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an Angel Of The Lord stood before Peter. The Angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.

8 Then The Angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow Me,” The Angel ordered.

9 So Peter left the cell, following The Angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.

10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then The Angel suddenly left him.

11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent His Angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how The Lord had led him out of prison...”

Members of the early church, had the belief that everyone had a guardian angel. And in this instance, the believers told Rhoda, that what she saw must have been Peter's angel, not actually Peter.

The Apostle Paul:

Hebrews 13:2 KJV

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2 NLT

Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

According to Paul, and early believers, angels could assume the likeness of men, thus the apostle's warning.

Again Paul states that angels are capable of assuming the image they choose.

II Corinthians 11:13-15 NLT

13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.

Angelic forces may be visible or invisible:

II Kings 6:17 KJV

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And The Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Colossians 1:16 KJV

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

Hebrews 1:7 KJV

And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.

Angels appearing as men:

Genesis 18:1,2 KJV (Theophany, Jesus Christ, and two angels.)

1 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.

2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

Are there guardian angels?

Here is what The Word says....

Genesis 48:16 KJV (Jacob prayed.)

the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm..."

Psalm 34:7 KJV

The Angel Of The Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

Daniel 3:26-28 NLT

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of The Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.

27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!

He sent His Angel to rescue His servants who trusted in Him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

Daniel 6:21-23 NLT

21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king!

22 My God sent His Angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in His sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

Matthew 18:10 KJV (Jesus)

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 18:10 NLT

“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of My Heavenly Father.

Hebrews 1:14 KJV

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

• Salvation Prayer

Spiritual Readiness

Bible Questions Answered:

“If Jesus is coming soon what do we do.”

Clay/ El Cajon, California U.S.A.

Bible Answer:

Live, spiritually ready!

Matthew 25:1-13 MSG (Oil-a type of The Holy Spirit.)

1-5 “God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the Bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The Bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected Him, and they all fell asleep.

6 “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The Bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet Him!’

7-8 “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’

9 “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’

10 “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the Bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet Him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

11 “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’

12 “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’

13 “So stay alert. You have no idea when He might arrive.

I Thessalonians 5:1-8 KJV

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of The Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (spiritually alert).

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

II Peter 3:8-10 KJV

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with The Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of The Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

I Corinthians 1:7-9 NLT

7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

9 God will do this, for He is Faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Thessalonians 1:10 KJV

"...you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Titus 2:11-14 KJV

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

As you live close to The Lord, calling upon His name, do not forget to gather together with others of Christian faith, to be encouraged by them, and so that you may help them as well.

Psalm 34:3 KJV

O magnify The Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Hebrews 10:25 NLT

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

• Salvation Prayer

Christ's Birth Foretold

Bible Questions Answered:

“What scriptures told Christ was to be born.”

Rodney/ Hattiesburg, Mississippi U.S.A.

Bible Answer:

Christ's Birth Prophesied (just a few):

Genesis 3:15 NLT

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Isaiah 7:14 KJV

Therefore The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:1-7 NLT

1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great Light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a Light will shine.

3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.

4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

5 The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war

will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.

6 For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His government and its peace will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 40:3 KJV

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of The Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Daniel 9:25 NLT

Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—The Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.

Micah 5:2 KJV

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Zechariah 6:12,13 KJV

12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh The Lord Of Hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of The Lord:

13 Even He shall build the temple of The Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Malachi 3:1 NLT

“Look! I am sending My messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me. Then The Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to His Temple. The Messenger Of The Covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says The Lord Of Heaven’s Armies.

god Of This World

Bible Questions Answered:

“The devil is the god of our world?”

Becka/ Belfast, United Kingdom

Bible Answer:

II Corinthians 4:3,4 NKJV

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

God is in control over all creation, but Satan's control, is over the world and all sinners, who refuse to come to The Light.

John 8:44 KJV

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in The Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

John 3:16-21 KJV

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of The Only Begotten Son Of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth The Light, neither cometh to The Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth Truth cometh to The Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

II Corinthians 4:4 NLT

3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Yes, Satan is the god of this world.

Adam, lost his claim to his control through his fall.

Genesis 3:23,24 NLT

23 So The Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

24 After sending them out, The Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Satan, boasted that the kingdoms of the world were his, to do with as he wished, an assumption which our Lord did not deny.

Matthew 4:8-11 KJV

8 Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth Him..."

Luke 4:5-8 KJV

5 And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

Satan called by Jesus the prince of this world.

John 12:31 KJV

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

John 14:30 KJV

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.

Ephesians 2:2 KJV

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Though Adam the first man, lost to Satan, yet there is victory and reclamation through the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3-5 KJV

3 Grace be to you and peace from God The Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

4 Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 2:14,15 NLT

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—The Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

15 Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

Our Lord, won back the title to creation through His vicarious death, and at his second coming He will reclaim it.

I John 3:8 KJV

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose The Son Of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Revelation 20:10 KJV (Future)

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV (Coming Age.)

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father Of Glory, may give unto you The Spirit Of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,

20 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.

I Corinthians 15:24,25 KJV

24 Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even The Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.

Colossians 1:12,13 KJV

12 Giving thanks unto The Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:

• Salvation Prayer

Salt

Bible Questions Answered:

“...how are we to have salt, eat it, what is it saying here ...”

Christine/ L'Arbresie, France (Rhone-Alps)

Bible Answer:

Bible Text:

Mark 9:50 KJV

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

In our Lord's day, the refrigerator was unknown. Carl von Linde, a German engineer, created the refrigeration process in 1876. The question is then, how did people preserve their food?

The answer is they preserved their food by the use of salt.

The use of salt as a preservative had been used for thousands of years.

Salt is said to cur meat and other foods, by drawing out any moisture from the food, moisture which is essential for microbial growth. Pathogenic microbes cannot grow in the presence of salt. Salt was the perfect preservative, to keep foods safe.

Salt was commanded to be placed on every offering …

Leviticus 2:13 KJ21

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou allow the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering. With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Our Lord's prayer for His people.

John 17:14-19 KJV

14 I have given them thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy Truth: thy Word is Truth.

18 As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through

The Truth.

The gospel, sanctifies, i.e. Sets God's people apart from the world, consecrates, promotes purity, freedom from sin, just as salt gives freedom from microbial pathogens.

I Thessalonians 5:23

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.

II Corinthians 6:14-18 NLT (God's Child the Temple of The Living God.)

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of

The Living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says The Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

18 And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says The Lord Almighty.”

God's child, a spiritual preservative in the world.

Matthew 5:13,14 NLT

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?"

Paraphrase:

"You are the spiritual preservative of the earth. But what good is your preservation, if you have lost your preserving potency?"

We as God's children are a spiritual preservative, if we remain full of God's Word, and His Spirit.

Colossians 4:6 KJV

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

• Salvation Prayer

Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: A Great Fish Swallows Jonah.

Bible Lesson: Miracles Of The Old Testament: A Great Fish Swallows Jonah.

Occasion: Godly Punishment.

Location: Mediterranean Sea.

Bible Text: Jonah 1:1-17 NLT

Jonah 1:1-17 NLT (Jonah runs from the Lord's call.)

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:

2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce My judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from The Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from The Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

4 But The Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.

6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe He will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.

8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship The Lord, The God Of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from The Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.

11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.

14 Then they cried out to The Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!

16 The sailors were awestruck by The Lord’s great power, and they offered Him a sacrifice and vowed to serve Him.

17 Now The Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:1,2 NLT

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:

2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce My judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

Jonah was a prophet to Israel. One day The Lord gave him a message of warning to be delivered to the people of Nineveh.

God in His great love, warns the wicked to turn from their sins, before judgment falls.

Psalm 19:7-11 KJV

7 The law of The Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of The Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The statutes of The Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of The Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of The Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of The Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Jonah had a message of warning, and a call from The Lord to warn the Ninevites.

The message was, God had seen only too well the sins of Nineveh, and that unless they repented, judgment would soon be coming.

Psalm 19:9 KJV

The fear of The Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of The Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Psalm 37:28 KJV

For The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 97:2 KJV

Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.

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.

But all this made the prophet mad!

Why?

All this made Jonah mad, because he knew that if he went to Nineveh, and preached judgment, judgment, judgment, he would end up looking like a fool.

Why?

Because he knew in his heart that they would turn from their sins, and that there would be no judgment, and he would end up looking like some false prophet.

Poor Jonah, but God did not feel sorry for him at all!

(Skipping ahead in our story....)

Jonah 4:1-11 NLT (Oh the wonder of God's love and mercy!)

1 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

2 So he complained to The Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.

3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.

6 And The Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.

8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then The Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly.

11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Jonah 1:3 NLT

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from The Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from The Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

Disgruntled Jonah, had a better idea, rather than being made a laughing stock, he would merely run away and do his own thing.

But the God who sees and knows all, had even a better idea.

Psalm 139:1-12 KJV

1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my down sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

God would not only save Nineveh, he would save His prophet as well!

Psalm 37:23,24 KJV

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord: and He delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for The Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

Oh, how many religious brethern today, would be so glad to have been shipmates on board the vessel to throw poor old Jonah into its deathly waters! And how great they would shine as having done such a work of righteousness.

But, alas, they could not be any further from knowing The True And Living God!

Psalm 3:2-4 KJV
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a Shield for me; my Glory, and the Lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto The Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. Selah.

Romans 12:9,10 NLT

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

I Timothy 5:21 KJV

I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

How thankful, (without end), we should be for The Wonderful And Wise Living God, we have!

John 13:1 KJV

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto The Father, having loved His own which were in the world, 

He loved them unto the end.

Jonah 1:4,5 NLT

4 But The Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship...”

Does God, control the weather?

Yes! This is not to say that man cannot control it as well, with his 21^st Century knowledge.

See the blog posting ….. Weather

Oh, the mercy of The Living God, not only does He wish Nineveh saved from judgment, and His prophet restored, but that Mediterranean sailors would be set free from worshiping false, lifeless gods that do not hear or help!

The Sailors aboard the ship, did what any men would do when their very lives are in jeopardy. They shouted out prayers to the god that they were accustomed to worshiping, but there were no answers.

Jonah 1:5-10 NLT

“... But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.

6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe He will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.

8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship The Lord, The God Of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from The Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned.

Christian out side the will of God, hear well the words of these sailors!

“Oh, why did you do it?”

May backslidden Godly people, bring the judgment of God on a sea, a country and its people?

Ask Jonah!

Oh, if we but cry out to Him, He will hear us, He will restore us!

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.

Psalm 23:3 KJV

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Jeremiah 30:17 KJV (Not only true for Israel, but all people of God, everywhere.)

For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith The Lord..."

Joel 2:25-27 KJV

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of The Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be ashamed.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst..."

Jonah 1:11-13 NLT

11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it.

False gods, always reveal themselves for just who they are, no gods at all!

I Chronicles 16:26 KJV

For all the gods of the people are idols: but The Lord made the heavens.

Jeremiah 2:11-13 NLT

11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!

12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says

The Lord.

13 “For My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me— The Fountain Of Living Water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!

Jeremiah 11:12 KJV

Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

Jeremiah 16:19-21 NLT

19 Lord, you are my Strength and Fortress, my Refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols.

20 Can people make their own gods? These are not real gods at all!”

21 The Lord says, “Now I will show them My power; now I will show them My might. At last they will know and understand that I am The Lord.

(Continued)

14 Then they cried out to The Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once!

16 The sailors were awestruck by The Lord’s great power, and they offered Him a sacrifice and vowed to serve Him.

God always uses evil for good!

Genesis 50:19,20 KJV (Joseph in Egypt, before his brothers.)

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Romans 8:28 KJV

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

(Jonah continued)

17 Now The Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Luke 11:29-32 NLT (Sign of Jonah)

29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, He said, “This evil generation keeps asking Me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.

30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him.

What happens to The Son Of Man will be a sign to these people that He was sent by God.

31 “The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

Dear friend, do you know this wonderful God of love and mercy? God's Son, Jesus has come to make a way of salvation and blessing open for you.

Lamentations 3:22,23 KJV

22 It is of The Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

II Corinthians 5:21 NLT

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

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.

John 1:12 KJV

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:

Acts 2:21 KJV

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of The Lord shall be saved.

Revelation 3:20 NLT

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in..."

• Salvation Prayer

Lifelessness-Spiritual

Bible Questions Answered:

“I've tried to witnessing to my friend, and nothing. I have said John 3:16 and Revelation 3:20, and she does not respond. There is no victory in this so what then?...”

Lee Ann/ Taipei City, Taiwan

Bible Answer:

Our Savior gave three reasons, why many remain spiritually lifeless.

Matthew 13:3-9 ,18-23KJV

3 And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth The Word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of The Word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth The Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth The Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

(First-The Way Side.)

Matthew 13:4,19 KJV

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Mark 4:15 KJV

And these are they by the way side, where The Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away The Word that was sown in their hearts.

Luke 8:12 KJV

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away The Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

(Second-Stony Places.)

Matthew 13:5,6,20,21 KJV
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth The Word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of The Word, by and by he is offended.

Mark 4:16,17 KJV

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard The Word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for The Word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Luke 8:13 KJV

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive The Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

(Third-The Thorns.)

Matthew 13:7,22 KJV

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth The Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:18,19 KJV

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear The Word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke The Word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 KJV

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

OK, to recap what our Lord has said in the gospels we see...

Many Are Spiritually Lifeless Because They:

1) Lack understanding of The Word.

2) Receive The Word, with joy, but when Problems, afflictions or persecution comes because of God's Word, they fall away.

3) They hear The Word, but the cares of this world, such as the decitfulness of riches, or the pleasures of life, choke out The Word.

Often, individuals introduced to The Lord, fall away because of these 3 reasons.

1) It is our responsibility as Christians, not only to give The Word, but to carefully, lovingly “explain,” The Word, otherwise, of what use is it to them?

Luke 24:45 KJV

Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

2) It is our responsibility as Christians, to again, explain that being a Christian is like being in the army, for we are in the army of righteousness for our Lord! In the army, one learns one must be prepared to expect and endure afflictions and , persecution.

II Timothy 2:3 KJV (See also Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV)

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

3) It is our responsibility as Christians, to explain that the Christian life is one of self-sacrifice, and Cross bearing.

Matthew 16:24 KJV

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.

Now concerning “victory,” in witnessing to the lost:

First of all:

Witnessing is the charge of God's people:

The Lord warned the Prophet Ezekiel...

Ezekiel 3:16-21 NLT (Instruction For God's Watchmen.)

16 After seven days The Lord gave me a message. He said,

17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from Me, warn people immediately.

18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed Me.

20 “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”

Secondly:

Witnessing leads to life:

Ecclesiastes 11:1 KJV (Solomon)

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

This verse not only speaks of benevolence, but the timely art of planting rice, wherein the seed is literally thrown upon the water, and after many days the plant grows and rice is harvested.

True in Christian witnessing, we give forth The Word, but the miraculous spiritual act of germination and growth, are God's work.

The Apostle Paul.

I Corinthians 3:6-9 KJV

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9 For we are laborers together with God..."

One witness may plant the seed, but another may water it, and still a different one may harvest the planting.

We may give forth The Word of salvation, but not always will we see results. Yet another may come and water that seed, (speaking figuratively), and not till then will the plant take root, grow and one day be harvested for the kingdom of God.

And before we give that seed (God's Word) and after having given it, we must be a people of faith and prayer!

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Thankfully, if faithful, we will see much seed fall into the good ground, and bring honor and glory to God.

(The Good Ground)

Matthew 13;8,21 KJV

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth The Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mark 4:8, KJV

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear The Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Luke 8:8,15 KJV

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when He had said these things, He cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard The Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

• Salvation Prayer