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.
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.
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:
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