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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Bible Lesson: Answered Prayer: Eliezer Prays For Success.

Bible Lesson: Answered Prayer: Eliezer Prays For Success.

Subject Of Prayer: A Wife For Isaac.

Bible Text:
Genesis 21:1-27 NLT
1 Abraham was now a very old man, and The Lord had blessed him in every way.
2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.
3 Swear by The Lord, The God Of Heaven And Earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.
4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there.
7 For The Lord, The God Of Heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send His Angel ahead of you, and He will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.
8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
9 So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions.
10 Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled.
11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.

12 “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.
13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water.
14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”

15 Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.
16 Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.
17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”
18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.
19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.”
20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.

21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not The Lord had given him success in his mission.
22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.
23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”
24 “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.
25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.”
26 The man bowed low and worshiped The Lord.
27 “Praise The Lord, The God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for He has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”

Abraham had reached the grand old age of 140 years, and he knew it was his obligation to provide for his son Issac. Abraham commissioned his servant Eliezer to go into his own country (Mesopotamia), and find a wife for Isaac.

No doubt Eliezer traveled with a caravan of goods and people, certainly with a measure of wealth to bestow upon a girl and her parents, if chosen.

Verses 12-14 give us Eliezer's prayer:
12 “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.
13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water.
14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”

Barely had the words of Eliezer's prayer fallen from his lips, when out came Rebekah.
Rebekah met all the qualifications that Eliezer had prayed for, she was the bride to be for Isaac.

Eliezer was so over joyed at his immediate answer from The Lord, that he prayed....
26 The man bowed low and worshiped The Lord.
27 “Praise The Lord, The God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for He has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”

God Hears And Answers Prayer:

I Chronicles 16:11 KJV
Seek The Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.

Psalm 6:9 KJV
The Lord hath heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.

Psalm 55:17 KJV
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.

Psalm 65:2 KJV
O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

Psalm 66:19 KJV
But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psalm 91:15 KJV
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.

Psalm 102:17 KJV
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

Psalm 122:6 KJV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

Proverbs 15:8,29 KJV
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to The Lord: but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Isaiah 56:7 KJV
"... for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Isaiah 58:9 KJV
Then shalt thou call, and The Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am...:"

Isaiah 65;24 KJV
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Zechariah 13:9 KJV
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Matthew 5:44 KJV
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 7:7,8 KJV
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 18:19,20 KJV
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 21:22 KJV
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Matthew 26:41 KJV
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 11:24 KJV
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Luke 11:9,10 KJV
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Luke 18:1 KJV
And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Luke 21:36 KJV
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before The Son Of Man.

John 15:7 KJV
If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 16:24 KJV
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Ephesians 6:18 KJV
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in The Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Philippians 4:6 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Colossians 4:2 NLT
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

I Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
Pray without ceasing.

I Timothy 2:8 KJV
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

James 5:13 KJV
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray..."

I Peter 4:7 KJV
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

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

Revelation 8:3-5 NLT (Prayers heard and kept)
3 Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.
5 Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar..."

Psalm 141:2 KJV
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Revenge

Bible Questions Answered:
“...and so she did this to put me down publicly. As a Christian, just what can I do about it...?”
Julie/Memphis, Tennessee  U.S.A.

Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:

Matthew 5:38-42 NLT (The Lord Jesus.)
38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. (No recourse.)

40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
(No recourse.)

41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
(No recourse.)

42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

Recourse:
An opportunity or choice to use or do something in order to deal with a problem or situation.
(Merriam-Webster)

Our Lord spoke about the subject of revenge. A Christian is to seek no recourse, against abusers, or accusers.

Revenge:

Leviticus 19:18 KJV
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am The Lord.

Proverbs 10:12 KJV
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Matthew 5:7 KJV
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 6:14,15 KJV
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 6:31 KJV
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 17:3,4 KJV
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Romans 12:2,17-21 NLT
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says The Lord.
20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

I Thessalonians 5:15 KJV
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

I Peter 2:21-23 KJV
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:
23 Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

James 1:19,20 KJV
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

I Peter 3:8-12 NLT
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing.
10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of The Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But
The Lord turns His face against those who do evil.”

John 13:15 KJV (Jesus)
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

I am - Before Abraham Was

Bible Questions Answered:
“Why did the people want to kill Jesus because he said “before Abraham I was, I am..?...”
Shandra/ Lancaster, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
John 8:45-59 KJV (Be sure to read the whole chapter.)
45 "...because I tell you The Truth, ye believe Me not.
46 Which of you convinceth Me of sin? And if I say The Truth, why do ye not believe Me?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto Him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor My Father, and ye do dishonor Me.
50 And I seek not Mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.
52 Then said the Jews unto Him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep My saying, he shall never taste of death.
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing: it is My Father that honoreth Me; of whom ye say, that He is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known Him; but I know Him: and if I should say, I know Him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know Him, and keep His saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at Him: but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Did the people present, misunderstand what Jesus had said, or not understand it at all?
No, they understood very well what He had said!

By His saying “Before Abraham was, I am.” He was telling them that He was God's eternal Son in their midst!

And for calling Himself God, they gathered up stones to kill Him.

Jesus Christ Is God:

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*.

* Immanuel-Hebrew: Immanuwel (Im-maw-noo-ale): With us is God.

Isaiah 9:6 KJV
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince Of Peace.

Isaiah 44:6 KJV
Thus saith The Lord The King Of Israel, and His Redeemer The Lord Of Hosts; I am The First, and I am The Last; and beside Me there is no God.

Isaiah 63:16 NLT
Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be
our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.

Hosea 13:4 KJV
Yet I am The Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God but Me: for there is no
Savior beside Me.

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.

Matthew 1:23 KJV
Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 28:19 KJV
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and
of The Holy Ghost:

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 1:18 NLT
No one has ever seen God. But The Unique One, who is Himself God, is near to The Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

John 5:17,18 KJV
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 10:30,38 KJV
30 I and My Father are one.
38 "... the Father is in Me, and I in Him.

John 14:10,11 KJV
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..."

John 17:11,22 KJV
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as we are.
22 And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Romans 9:5 NLT
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ Himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And He is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

II Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest The Light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is The Image Of God, should shine unto them.

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a
human being. When He appeared in human form,
8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other
names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God The Father.

Colossians 1:19 KJV
For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell;

Colossians 2:9 KJV
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

I Timothy 2:5 KJV
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, The Man Christ Jesus;

Titus 2:13 KJV
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of The Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 1:1-3,8 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:
8 But unto The Son He (God The Father) saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of
righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

I John 5:7,20 KJV
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost: and these
three are one.
20 And we know that The Son Of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is True, and we are in Him that is True, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is The True God, and eternal life.

Jude 1:25 KJV
To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:8 KJV
I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending, saith The Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty.

Revelation 19:1 KJV
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and
glory, and honor, and power, unto The Lord our God:

The Jews, Scribes and Pharisees, said Jesus had a devil, and rejected His claim of being God.

Anti-Christ:

I John 2:18,22 KJV
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is The Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth
The Father and The Son.
1 John 4:3 KJV
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already

II John 1:7 KJV
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Anyone who rejects Christ as God's eternal Son, image of The Father, rejects Christ as The Truth, and is Anti-Christ.

John 8:21 KJV
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
John 8:24 KJV
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.

Joshua 24:15 KJV
And if it seem evil unto you to serve The Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Bible Lesson: Answered Prayer: Lot's Plea To Escape To Zoar.

Bible Lesson: Answered Prayer: Lot's Plea To Escape To Zoar.

Subject Of Prayer: Lots Prayer For Escape.

Bible Text:

Genesis 19:1-29 NLT
1 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.
2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”
3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.
4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.
5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.
7 “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.
8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
9 “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.
10 But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door.
11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.
12 Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else.
13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached The Lord, and He has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.
15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”
16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for The Lord was merciful.

(Lot and his family, were “not” considered, part of the judgment.)

17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged.
19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.
20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village.
22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that
village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

(Dear friend: believe, in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture!)

23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.
24 Then The Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation.
26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
27 Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in The Lord’s presence.
28 He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.
29 But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plains?
Militant homosexuality, including young and old (Vs. 11), so not just homosexuality but pederasty as well.
(Pederasty: Sexual relations between two males, especially when one of them is a minor.)

Romans 1:24-32 NLT
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
25 They traded The Truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of The Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.
31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.


Genesis 19:17-22 NLT (Lot's plea.)
17 When they were safely out of the city,one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged.
19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.
20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village.
22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.”

In absolute terror for their lives, Lot made a request, and his request, was granted.

II Peter 2:6,7 KJV
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot..."

Did Lot make his request to The Lord? Yes!

Genesis 18:2 KJV
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

These three men who visited Abraham, were two mighty angels of God, and The (preincarnate) Lord Jesus. Jesus was with the angels, who had come to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

Judgment:
Luke 17:28-30 KJV
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when The Son Of Man is revealed.

In the midst of sheer terror, The Lord heard and answered Lot, and He still answers prayer!

Hebrew 34:28 KJV
"...He heareth the cry of the afflicted.

Psalm 4:3 KJV
But know that The Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for Himself: The Lord will hear when I call unto Him.

Psalm 18:6 KJV
In my distress I called upon The Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.

Psalm 34:16-19 KJV
16 The face of The Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and The Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but The Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Proverbs 15:29 KJV
The Lord is far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Micah 7:7 KJV
Therefore I will look unto The Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

God will help us, if we are His children. Will God forgive our sins, if we in repentance and faith ask Him to? Yes!

John 3:16-18 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.

Hebrews 5:8,9 KJV
8 Though He (The Lord Jesus) were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
9 And being made perfect, He became The Author Of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey Him;

John 6:37 KJV
All that The Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

Dear friend, call on the name of The Lord!


ADDENDUM-Homosexuality, God's View:

Genesis 19:1-11 NLT
1 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and
when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the
ground.
2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”
3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with
fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.
4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the
city and surrounded the house.
5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.
7 “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.
8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you
wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
9 “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our
judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the
door.
10 But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door.
11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up
trying to get inside.

Leviticus 18:22 NLT
Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.

Leviticus 20:13 KJV
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an
abomination..."

Judges 19:16-24 NLT
16 That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of
Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah, where the people were from the tribe of Benjamin.
17 When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going.
18 “We have been in Bethlehem in Judah,” the man replied. “We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I’m returning home. But no one has taken us in for the night,
19 even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves.”
20 “You are welcome to stay with me,” the old man said. “I will give you anything you might need. But
whatever you do, don’t spend the night in the square.”
21 So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank
together.
22 While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.”
23 The old man stepped outside to talk to them. “No, my brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. For this
man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful.
24 Here, take my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can
abuse them and do whatever you like. But don’t do such a shameful thing to this man.”

I Kings 14:22-24 NLT
22 During Rehoboam’s reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in The Lord’s sight, provoking His
anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors.
23 For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on
every high hill and under every green tree.
24 There were even male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the
detestable practices of the pagan nations The Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

I Kings 15:11,12 NLT
11 Asa did what was pleasing in The Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done.
12 He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his
ancestors had made.

II Kings 23:6,7 NLT
6 The king (Josiah) removed the Asherah pole from The Lord’s Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to
the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust
over the graves of the people.
7 He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the
Temple of the Lord, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole.

Romans 1:18-32 NLT
18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress The Truth by
their wickedness.
19 They know The Truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God
made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
23 And instead of worshiping The Glorious, Ever-Living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did
vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
25 They traded The Truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created
instead of The Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other.
Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves
the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and
let them do things that should never be done.
29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling,
deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of
sinning, and they disobey their parents.
31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them
anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

I Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will
inherit the Kingdom of God.
11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of The Lord Jesus Christ and by The Spirit of our God.

I Timothy 1:8-11 NLT
8 We know that the law is good when used correctly.
9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and
rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill
their father or mother or commit other murders.
10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Jude 1:5-7 NLT
5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of
Israel from Egypt, but later He destroyed those who did not remain faithful.
6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left
the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for
the great day of judgment.
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Ignorant Of The Gospel And Lost?

 
Bible Questions Answered:
“Pastor I have not seen on -view a list of subjects- this question, and we have tossed this question around now for some time. Here it is, if people in a land somewhere do not know the gospel, will they then be forever lost?...”
Bill/ Moscow, Russia

Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:

These kind of peoples are referred to as “lost tribes.” People of in remote jungles, in countries such as Asia, Oceania, or South America, etc.

First of all let it be stated that our Bible refers to three kinds of spiritual witness!

1.) Nature:
Is nature and all that is around us a testament of God and His great power? Yes!

Psalm 19:1-3 KJV
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handy work.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Psalm 97:6 KJV
The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.

Romans 1:18-20 NLT
18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress The Truth by their wickedness.
19 They know The Truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

2.) Conscience:

John 1:9 KJV
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Romans 2:14-16 NLT
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience* and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

*Conscience-Greek: Suneidesis (Soon-i-day-sis): Moral Consciousness: Conscience.

Conscience:
The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: (Dictioary.com)

God The Almighty Creator, has created within the breast of every person, something called a conscience.

A moral guide to what is right and what is wrong. Every one that has ever lived has had within them a conscience, there are no exceptions. And then too again, every one has had nature as a guide to a mighty Creator, one who has judgment, and wisdom!

3.) The Gospel:
John 20:31 KJV
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son Of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

Romans 1:16 KJV
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.

II Timothy 3:16 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

I John 5:13 KJV
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of The Son Of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of The Son Of God.

We dear reader have been brought up in civilization, that is we have been raised up in school, and the church may or may not have been apart of our lives, still its morality has been branded across our land, who would deny it?

So, we, the civilized know about the Bible, we know and have received or rejected the idea of God, and so we are without an excuse.

But the people of the “lost tribes,” what about them? They have never heard the gospel. Never been in a church, never seen a Bible, what about them?

Well as we have already seen, they have had two witnesses to them, all of nature, and their God given conscience.

What if a tribes man, did his best as to do what his heart told him was right, would he be lost, not having prayed the sinners prayer??

Here is an answer, and given no less than by our dear Lord and Savior.

Luke 12:35-48 NLT (Be ready for The Lord's coming!)
35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning,
36 as though you were waiting for your Master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let Him in the moment He arrives and knocks.
37 The servants who are ready and waiting for His return will be rewarded. I tell you The Truth, He Himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!
38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever He comes, He will reward the servants who are ready.
39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready all the time, for The Son Of Man will come when least expected.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 And The Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom The Master can give the responsibility of managing His other household servants and feeding them.
43 If The Master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.
44 I tell you The Truth, The Master will put that servant in charge of all He owns.
45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My Master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
46 The Master will return unannounced and unexpected, and He will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
47 “And a servant who knows what The Master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

Did you see The Master's answer?
Luke 12:48 NLT
But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly.”

Luke 12:48 KJV
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes..."

Genesis 18:20-26,32 KJV (Abraham intercedes for Lot, and his family.)
20 And The Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before
The Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And The Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
32 And he (Abraham) said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

The bold answer here:
Genesis 18:25 KJV
... Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Yes dear friend, The Judge Of All The Earth, shall do right, without any coaching from earthly man!

And so, the...
Question: Is it possible for an individual tribesman, ignorant as they are of The Gospel, yet be saved by God??

Answer: Yes.

Well if that is possible and in the mercy and love of almighty God, it seems so, why Pastor don't you tell folks so?”

Why?
Because, people would then think...
“Whats the use of sending out missionaries? God will be generous to people of little knowledge, etc. etc.”

God help us, what human reasoning, God save us from earthly mindedness!

Why send missionaries, why go to the ends of the earth with The Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ?
Because of the reason man was created, that's why!

Isaiah 43:7 NLT
Bring all who claim Me as their God, for I have made them for My glory. It was I who created them.’”

Revelation 4:11 KJV
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Man was created to bring glory and honor to The Living God!
And he cannot do that as an ignorant tribesman.
What eternal reward, may an ignorant tribesman receive?

It is our duty, no, our command of The Lord to witness and to evangelize, without exception.

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15,16 KJV
15 And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Why is every Christian commanded to do this?
Obedience to our Lord.
Sharing The Gospel, to set others free from sin, to live in and to do the will of God.
So that lost lives may come to know The Living God, no matter where they live, be at peace, know the joy of The Lord, and to one day be rewarded by Him!
To banish the enemy!

I John 3:8 KJV
"...For this purpose The Son Of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

I John 4:4 KJV
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

We who know The Word Of God:

Luke 12:47,48 KJV
47 “And a servant who knows what The Master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

Hebrews 10:28-31 KJV
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot The Son Of God, and hath counted The Blood Of The Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto The Spirit Of Grace?
30 For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith The Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God.

Hebrews 3:15 KJV
While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts..."