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Monday, February 29, 2016

Sexual Behavior – Forbidden - And The Word Of God:

Bible Questions Answered:
“...my bros all into sexual things...is god hot....”
Myron/ New York, New York U.S.A.

Sexual Behavior – Forbidden - And The Word Of God:

Exodus 20:14 NLT
You must not commit adultery.

Leviticus 18:22-24 NLT (Verses 1-30)
22 “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
23 “A man must not defile himself by having sex with an animal. And a woman must not offer herself to a male animal to have intercourse with it. This is a perverse act.
24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.

Leviticus 20:13 NLT
If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act..."

Proverbs 5:20-23 NLT
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
21 For The Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

Proverbs 6:20-29,32,33 NLT
20 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to Life.
24 It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
25 Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.

Jeremiah 17:9,10 NLT
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, The Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

Malachi 2:15,16 NLT
15 Didn’t The Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are His. And what does He want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.
16 “For I hate divorce!” says The Lord, The God Of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says The Lord Of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Matthew 5:27,28 NLT
27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 19:9 NLT
And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”

Romans 1:18,21,26-28 NLT
18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress The Truth by their wickedness.
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.
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.

I Corinthians 6:9-13,18,19 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.
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for The Lord, and The Lord cares about our bodies.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of The Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Ephesians 5:3 NLT
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

Colossians 3:5 NLT
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

I Thessalonians 4:1-5,7 NLT
1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of The Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.
2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of The Lord Jesus.
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—
5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways.
7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

I Timothy 1:9-11 NLT
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.

Hebrew 13:4 NLT
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

James 1:14,15 NLT
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

I Peter 2:11 NLT
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

II Peter 2:9,10,14 NLT
9 So you see, The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.
10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.
14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.

Jude 1:7 NLT
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.

Salvation, Through Repentance, And Confession:

I John 1:9 NLT
But if we confess our sins to Him, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

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.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
So I say, let The Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

II Timothy 2:22 NLT
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on The Lord with pure hearts.

Psalm 37:4,5 NLT
4 Take delight in The Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to The Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.

Psalm 91:1-3 NLT
1 Those who live in the shelter of The Most High will find rest in the shadow of
The Almighty.
2 This I declare about The Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.
3 For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old Testament: Israel The Vine.

Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old Testament: Israel The Vine.

Spoken By: David

Location: Jerusalem

Bible Text:

Psalm 80:8-16 NLT
8 You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land.
9 You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.
10 Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars.
11 We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.
12 But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
13 The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.
14 Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine
15 that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself.
16 For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.


Isaiah 5:1-7 NLT (A Song about The Lord’s Vineyard)
5 Now I will sing for the one I love a song about His vineyard: My beloved (The Lord) had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill.
2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle He built a watchtower and carved a wine press in the nearby rocks. Then He waited for a harvest of sweet grapes but the grapes that grew were bitter.
3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for My vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did My vineyard give Me bitter grapes?
5 Now let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.
7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are His pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead He found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead He heard cries of violence.

Hosea 9:10 NLT
The Lord says, “O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted Me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.

Some think that it was Isaiah, that wrote this parable, that would mean that Isaiah 5 and Psalm 80 are one of the same, either that or they are two separate parables from two different people, David and Isaiah.
Clearly seen is the fact that the one who has the Vineyard, is The Lord, and that (verse 7) the Vineyard is Israel.

Since the very beginning The Lord loved The Vine, and so graciously cared for it, planting it in a special land of His choosing.

Isaiah 5:2 KJV
He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines...”

Clearing the (stones) Godless nations:

Genesis 15:18-20 NLT
18 So The Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—
19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Exodus 15:14-16 NLT
14 The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
15 The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away;
16 terror and dread fall upon them. The power of your arm makes them lifeless as stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people you purchased pass by.

II Samuel 7:10 NLT
And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past,

Isaiah 5:3,4 NLT
3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for My vineyard that I have not already done?

But something has happened....

Psalm 80:12,13 NLT
12 But now, why have you broken down our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
13 The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.

Isaiah 5:5,6 NLT
5 Now let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.

Judgment:
The Assyrians captured and destroyed Judah's fenced cities.

Psalms 89:40,41 NLT
40 You have broken down the walls protecting him and ruined every fort defending him.
41 Everyone who comes along has robbed him, and he has become a joke to his neighbors.

What has happened to bring this judgment to The Vine?

Isaiah 5:2,7 NLT
2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle He built a watchtower and carved a wine press in the nearby rocks. Then He waited for a harvest of sweet grapes but the grapes that grew were bitter.
7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of The Lord Of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are His pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead He found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead He heard cries of violence.

Hosea 9:10 NLT
...they deserted Me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.

Because of their sin, in forsaking The Lord, now...

Psalm 80:13 NLT
The wild boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.

Certainly reference to the Assyrian army.

Psalm 89:40,41 KJV
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbors.

If the problem for The Vine, was turning against the Vine dresser, than the answer must be, once again turning to Him, and if true for Israel, true for all of us as well.

Psalm 80:14-16,19 NLT
14 Come back, we beg you, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take care of this grapevine
15 that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself.
16 For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.
19 Turn us again, O Lord God Of Hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

A Pattern For All To Follow Everywhere:

Isaiah 1:18 KJV
Come now, and let us reason together, saith The Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 30:15 KJV
For thus saith The Lord God, The Holy One Of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:

Isaiah 44:22 KJV
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.

Isaiah 55:7 KJV
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto The Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

I Peter 2:24,25 KJV
24 Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto
The Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

I John 1:9 KJV
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Another Parable Of The Landowner: (Jesus)

Matthew 21:33-46 NLT (Parable of the Evil Farmers)
33 “Now listen to another story. A certain Landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then He leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.
34 At the time of the grape harvest, He sent His servants to collect His share of the crop.
35 But the farmers grabbed His servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
36 So the Landowner sent a larger group of His servants to collect for Him, but the results were the same.

37 “Finally, The Owner sent His Son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect My Son.’

38 “But when the tenant farmers saw His Son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes The Heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill Him and get the estate for ourselves!’
39 So they grabbed Him, dragged Him out of the vineyard, and murdered Him.

40 “When The Owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think He will do to those farmers?”

41 The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give Him His share of the crop after each harvest.”

42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?‘The Stone that the builders rejected has now become The Cornerstone. This is The Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’

43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.
44 Anyone who stumbles over that Stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

45 When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized He was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers.
46 They wanted to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Beware

Bible Questions Answered:
“...so I try to keep out of gangs at school...”
Johny/ Hilliard, Ohio U.S.A.

Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:

The Word Of The Lord, uses the warning, “Beware.”
There are many areas the Christian must be aware of, here are a few mentioned in The Word.

Deuteronomy 6:12 KJV
Then beware* lest thou forget The Lord...”

*Beware-Hebrew: Shamar (Shaw-mar): To hedge, (as with thorns), to protect, take heed, watch.

Deuteronomy 8:11 KJV (Failing to remember The Lord.)
Beware that thou forget not The Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day:

Deuteronomy 15:9 KJV (Evil thoughts.)
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart..."

Judges 13:4 KJV (Strong drink.)
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

Matthew 7:15 KJV (False teachers.)
Beware* of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

*Beware-Greek: Prosecho (Pros-ekh-o): To hold the mind, pay attention, to be cautious, beware, take heed, have regard.

Matthew 10:17 KJV (Evil hearted men.)
But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Matthew 16:6,11,12 KJV (False doctrine, doctrine of devils I Timothy 4:1.)
6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12 Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mark 12:38 KJV (Luke 20:46) (Workers of iniquity Matthew 7:23.)
And He said unto them in His doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

Luke 12:15 KJV (Covetousness)
And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Acts 13:38-41 KJV (Mockers doomed.)
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man (Jesus Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Philippians 3:2,3 GNT (Evil workers.)
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (mutilators).
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in The spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Colossians 2:8 KJV (Vain human philosophies.)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

II Peter 3:17,18 KJV (Don't be carried away by the errors of wicked people.)
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

II Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath Light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of The Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith The Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith The Lord Almighty.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Creation

Bible Questions Answered:
“.... believes in evolution I want to tell him god made the world...”
Tony/Shreveport, Louisiana

Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:

Creation:

Numbers 23:19 KJV
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither The son Of Man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

Genesis 1:1,26,27 (Genesis 1:1-31) KJV
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

Exodus 20:11 KJV
For in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore The Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

I Samuel 2:8 KJV
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are The Lord's, and He hath set the world upon them.

Nehemiah 9:6 KJV
Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Job 12:7-9 KJV
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of The Lord hath wrought this?

Job 26:7 KJV
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Psalm 8:3 KJV
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psalm 24:1,2 KJV
1 The earth is The Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Psalm 33:6 KJV
By The Word Of The Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Psalm 90:1,2 KJV
1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalm 102:25 KJV
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Psalm 146:5,6 KJV
5 Happy is he that hath The God Of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in The Lord his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth Truth for ever:

Isaiah 37:16 KJV
O Lord Of Hosts, God Of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 40:12,26 KJV
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.

Jeremiah 10:12 KJV
He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion.

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV
Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jeremiah 51:15 KJV
He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding.

Matthew 19:4-6 KJV
4 And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

John 1:1-3 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.
3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

Acts 14:15 KJV
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto The Living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

Romans 1:20 KJV
For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Romans 8:19-22 NLT
19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are.
20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Ephesians 3:9 KJV
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

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:

I Timothy 4:4 KJV
For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

Hebrews 1:1,2 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;

Hebrews 11:3 KJV
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by The Word Of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

II Peter 3:5 KJV
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by The Word Of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

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.

Revelation 14:6,7 KJV
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old Testament: King Jehoash's Parable Of The Thistle And The Cedar.

Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old Testament: King Jehoash's Parable Of The Thistle And The Cedar.

Spoken By: King of Israel, Jehoash.

Location: Jerusalem

Bible Text:

II Kings 14:9 KJV
II Chronicles 25:17-28 NLT
17 After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”

18 But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

19 “You are saying, ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and you are very proud of it (II Chronicles 25:1-16). But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”

20 But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for turning to the gods of Edom.
21 So King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
22 Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home.
23 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
24 He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom. He also seized the treasures of the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

25 King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel.
26 The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27 After Amaziah turned away from The Lord, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there.
28 They brought his body back on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

What was the parable of Israel's King Jehoash?

But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

A thistle: A lowly briar, thorn bush.
A cedar: A stately and beautiful tree.

The King of Israel, was not to be goaded into war, by a pumped up King Amaziah. King Amaziah had just slain the Edomites (Verses 1-16).

In this parable, King Jehoash, considered Amaziah to be beneath him in every respect. No wild animal could crush down a stately cedar, but a briar on the ground, certainly would be flattened.

King of Israel: King Jehoash (Like a mighty cedar tree.)
King of Judah: King Amaziah (Like a briar on the ground, waiting to be trampled on.)

Pride and arrogance has been the ruin of many, and so it was with Amaziah.
The two went into battle, with the following result. King Jehoash, was defeated (19-28), and eventually killed by his own country men.

Pride:

Lucifer's Pride:

Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Ezekiel 28:12-19 KJV
12 "...Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."...

Psalm 59:12 KJV
For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

Psalm 138:6 NLT
Though The Lord is great, He cares for the humble, but He keeps His distance from the proud.

Proverbs 8:13 KJV
The fear of The Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 11:2 KJV
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18,19 KJV
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 22:4 KJV
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.

Proverbs 29:23 KJV
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Isaiah 2:11,12 KJV
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and
The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
12 For the day of The Lord Of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and

Isaiah 57:15 KJV
For thus saith The High And Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Micah 6:8 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth The Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Zechariah 9:9 NLT
Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Malachi 4:1 KJV
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith The Lord Of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Matthew 11:29,30 KJV
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

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.

Matthew 18:4 KJV
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 1:51,52 NLT
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.

Luke 14:10 KJV
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

Luke 18:9-14 KJV
9 And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luke 22:24-27 NLT
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’
26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.
27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

John 13:5,15 KJV
5 After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Romans 12:3,16 KJV
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Philippians 2:8 KJV
And being found in fashion as A Man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

James 4:6,10 KJV
6 But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of The Lord, and He shall lift you up.

I Peter 2:21 KJV
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:

I Peter 5:5 KJV
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

I John 2:16 KJV
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Spiritual Weakness

Bible Questions Answered:
“...I don't see much happening, some seem to be doing great things...”
Betty/ Huntington, New York U.S.A.

Bible Answer:

Bible Texts:

Ineffectiveness, or weakness speak of several things in the life of a Christian.

1.) A Weak Prayer Life:

Psalm 2:8 KJV
Ask of Me (PRAYER), and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

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

Isaiah 40:29-31 KJV
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Luke 11:9,10 KJV
9 And I say unto you, Ask (PRAYER), and it shall be given you; seek (IN PRAYER), and ye shall find; knock (IN PRAYER), 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 22:45,46 KJV
45 And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow,
46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray..."

I Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
Pray without ceasing.


2.) Worldly Priorities:

If there is anything that can keep you from a successful Christian life, its being too mindful of earthly things.

Romans 12:1,2 KJV
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Galatians 6:14 NLT
As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

II Timothy 2:4 KJV
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I John 2:15 KJV
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of The Father is not in him.


3.) Lack Of Spiritual Nourishment:

Matthew 4:4 KJV
But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

John 6:63 KJV
It is The Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life.

Philippians 2:16 KJV
Hold firmly to the word of life..."

James 1:5,18 NLT
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us His True Word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.

I Peter 2:2 KJV
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:


4.) A Weak Confession, Or Lack Of It:

Matthew 10:32,33 KJV
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.

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

Mark 8:38 KJV
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall The Son Of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Romans 10:9,10 NLT
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Christian, “KEEP GOING ON!”
Wherever life finds you, keep going on for The Lord, we must, like the marathon racer, go on to the finish line.

Philippians 3:13,14 KJV
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:13 KJV
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of The Son Of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Friday, February 19, 2016

LIfe After Death

Bible Questions Answered:
“Our church teaches that the soul rests until the coming of Christ, is this what you teach...”
Herbert/ Hattiesburg, Mississippi U.S.A.

Bible Answer:

Bible Texts:

The word of God never has taught such a thing as “soul sleep,” that is the soul is at position of unconscious rest, until the coming of Jesus Christ.

Question: Does the phrase “sleep,” appear in the Old Testament or New Testament, and what does it mean?
Answer: Yes, it does.

Old Testament:

I Kings 2:10 KJV
So David slept* with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

I Kings 11:43 KJV
And Solomon slept* with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

I Kings 22:50 KJV
And Jehoshaphat slept* with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

*Slept-Hebrew: Shakab (Shaw-kab): Decease, lie down, rest.

Psalm 13:3 KJV
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep* of death;

*Sleep-Hebrew: Yashen (Yaw-shane): To die, to sleep.


New Testament:

Mark 5:39 KJV (Jairus daughter)
And when He was come in, He saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth*.

John 11:11-13 KJV
11 These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth*; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

*Sleepeth-Greek: Katheudo (Kath-yoo-do): To lie down to rest, to fall asleep.

I Corinthians 11:30 KJV
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep*.

I Corinthians 15:51 KJV
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep*, but we shall all be changed,

I Thessalonians 4:14 KJV
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep* in Jesus will God bring with Him.

*Sleep-Greek:- Koimao (Koy-mah-o): To slumber, to decease, sleep, be dead.

Acts 7:59,60 KJV
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep*.

*Asleep-Greek: Koimao (Koy-mah-o): To slumber, to decease, sleep, be dead.

The picture in the Bible for death, for the body, is that of rest, or sleep, that is, the body (though dead), is just resting until the trumpet sounds for it to be resurrected into the newness of life, a glorified body, like unto our Lords.

I Corinthians 15:51-58 NLT
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die (KJV sleep), but we will all be transformed!
52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for
The Lord, for you know that nothing you do for The Lord is ever useless.

So the body is metaphorically said to be at rest (though dead), but what of the soul, is it at rest too?
No!

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

Matthew 17:1-3 KJV
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.

(Moses and Elijah had been dead for centuries!)

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

Luke 23:43 KJV (The Penitent Thief)
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

John 12:26 KJV
If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.

John 14:3 KJV
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 17:24 KJV
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.

Philippians 1:23,24 NLT
23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

II Corinthians 5:6-9 NLT
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with The Lord.
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with The Lord.
9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him.

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

For the Christian, death means being instantly in the presence of The Lord.

II Corinthians 5:8 KJV
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with
The Lord.

For the lost, it means....

Matthew 10:28 NLT
Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

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

Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: