What The Bible Says About.....

Below, you will find many thoroughly researched topics. The list of topics can be found in the submenu to the left. Click on a topic to jump to that section.

ABORTION

What can be more disgusting than the lawful destruction of unborn children. Has Satan showed his true face and motives any clearer than this? The worst part is that people are fooled into thinking that abortion is alright. These unborn (but sometimes partially born first!) children do not get a choice of their own. Who will be their voice? Pro-choice is probably the most hypocritical thing to fight for. It argues the freedom to choose, to take the freedom of the choice of a living human being.

Is it right for a mother to decide the death of her unborn child, and against the fathers will? And for what reason could she have to do so? Is there any good reason? To start, we will learn a little about abortion and the procedures. Then we will take a look at both sides of the argument, of those who stand for Pro-life, and those who stand for Pro-choice. Finally we will take a look at scripture, to show that abortion is in fact wrong in God's eyes whether or not a government body makes it legal.

Some facts about abortion:

· Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973 (Abortion in the United States - Wikipedia).

· With data taken from the CDC’s abortion surveillance, Statista.com (• Legal abortions number U.S. 1973-2019 | Statista) estimates that there have been an estimated 41.285 million LEGAL abortions performed in the United States alone since 1973. Statista is missing data for the following years: 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 2020, and 2021. If we take into account the average of abortions for the years included in the data, we get an average of 982,976 abortions per year. If we include this average into the data for the missing years, we get an estimated 48,165,832 abortions performed in the United States from 1973-2021. Also, to note, Statista’s estimated yearly abortions do not include numbers under 1000 for each year, so the numbers are slightly higher. Not only that, this data is for LEGAL abortions and only for areas in the United States that require reporting of abortions.

· According to the CDC (Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2018 | MMWR (cdc.gov)) between 2009-2018 alone there have been 6,769,528 abortions in the United States.

To put these numbers into perspective, according to data taken form the United States military casualties of war Wikipedia article, the total number of deaths (not casualties) that the United States endured from the American Revolutionary War until now, from all wars has only been 1,353,664 people (United States military casualties of war - Wikipedia). Approximately 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, and we find horror in that, but every single day, over 2,600 (982,976/356=2693) American babies are killed by abortion and most of the country doesn’t even blink an eye. One very shocking study done by the Guttmacher Institute (By Lawrence B. Finer, Lori F. Frohwirth, Lindsay A. Dauphinee, Susheela Singh and Ann M. Moore 3711005.pdf (guttmacher.org) ) says that:

“The reasons most frequently cited were that having a child would interfere with a woman’s education, work or ability to care for dependents (74%); that she could not afford a baby now (73%); and that she did not want to be a single mother or was having relationship problems (48%)”

· These numbers show that most women have abortions for the sake of convenience, and not always legally. One Philadelphia abortionist, Dr. Kermit Gosnell, in 2011, was charged with killing eight babies that were born alive, using scissors. This doctor had been in practice for 40 years, and most likely slaughtered hundreds of living, breathing, newborn children (Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Accused of Killing Babies With Scissors, Charged With 8 Murders - ABC News (go.com)). According to supremecourt.gov, Some abortion clinics, including planned parenthood, have been caught selling aborted baby parts to medical researchers and companies (Microsoft Word - 41198 Denworth cv 02.docx (supremecourt.gov)).

· In a pamphlet written in 1922 entitled “The Woman Rebel”, Planned Parenthood Founder Margaret Sanger wrote the following: “The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” (Family Planning – The New Inquiry)

Not all of planned parenthood’s services are evil, but Planned Parenthood performs more than 300,000 abortions every single year, and operates with the help of the government, though funding for abortions in most states is prohibited by the Federal government. According to the Washington Post, Planned Parenthood received approximately 616.8 million dollars in the fiscal year 2018-2019 from the federal government. Most of these funds went to birth control or preventative services though (The Health 202: Funding for Planned Parenthood went up – yes, up – during the Trump administration - The Washington Post). This does not include state funding though. According to data taken directly from the Guttmacher.org, the Guttmacher Institute claims (State Funding of Abortion Under Medicaid | Guttmacher Institute):

33 states and the District of Columbia follow the federal standard and provide abortions in cases of life endangerment, rape and incest.
- 4 of these states also provide state funds for abortions in cases of fetal impairment.
- 4 of these states also provide state funds for abortions that are necessary to prevent grave, long-lasting damage to the person's physical health.
1 state provides abortions only in cases of life endangerment, in apparent violation of the federal standard.
16 states have a policy that directs Medicaid to pay for all or most medically necessary abortions.
- 7 of these states provide such funds voluntarily.
- 9 of these states do so pursuant to a court order.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t appreciate even a penny of my tax dollars being used to fund such an ethically protested issue. Abortion is advertised as a right. That it helps women. Many arguments like “life threatening complications” come up when arguing for abortion, but according to 2012 article by USAToday a study done by the Guttmacher Institute found that less than 3% of abortions are done because of life threatening complications, either to the mother, or the baby (Doctors say abortions do sometimes save women's lives (usatoday.com)). So, why do people get abortions? Is it selfishness? Is it really even NEEDED, or do women just not want to deal with the consequences of their actions, and take abortion as an easy way out, often unknowingly falling to the tragedy of a deep regret and depression after the operation, which is never advertised.

So, how is abortion performed? They never really tell you. There are many types of abortions in the US, and they can be performed at varying stages in pregnancy depending on state laws. In the first Trimester In most cases, you will have a choice between medical or surgical abortion procedures during the first trimester. Medical abortions are only available up through the first nine weeks of gestation. The following types of abortions and procedures were all taken from wikipedia’s article on abortion (Abortion - Wikipedia):

TYPES OF ABORTION

FIRST TRIMESTER

In most cases, you will have a choice between medical or surgical abortion procedures during the first trimester. Medical abortions are only available up through the first nine weeks of gestation. The types of abortion procedures performed during the first trimester are:

•Methotrexate & Misoprostol (MTX): a medical abortion procedure used up to the first seven weeks of pregnancy. This medication combination is not as commonly used in the U.S. with the availability of mifepristone, which works more effectively for this use.

•Mifepristone and Misoprostol: a medical abortion procedure used up to the first seven to nine weeks of pregnancy. It can also be referred to as RU-486, the abortion pill, and Mifeprex.

•Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA): a procedure used as early as 3 -12 weeks since the last period. Considered less invasive with only a local anesthesia being used on the cervix.

SECOND TRIMESTER

Medication based abortion procedures are not an option during the second trimester. The types of abortion procedures performed during the second trimester are:

•Dilation & Curettage (D & C): a surgical abortion procedure used to terminate a pregnancy up to 16 weeks gestation. It is also referred to as suction curettage or vacuum aspiration.

•Dilation & Evacuation (D & E): a surgical abortion procedure used to terminate a pregnancy after 16 weeks gestation.

•Induction Abortion: a rarely performed surgical procedure where salt water, urea, or potassium chloride is injected into the amniotic sac; prostaglandins are inserted into the vagina and Pitocin is injected intravenously.

THIRD TRIMESTER

Third trimester or late term abortions are not legal in a number of states except in certain medical situations. The time frame referred to as late term is often based on when a baby is considered “viable” meaning able to survive outside the womb. However, the point of “viability” is a grey area in many medical communities. Most medical communities establish 24 week gestation, the later part of the second trimester, as the earliest time of viable. Therefore, the availability of any procedure used in the third trimester is based on the laws of that state. The procedures that can be done in the third trimester include:

•Induction Abortion: a rarely done surgical procedure where salt water, urea, or potassium chloride is injected into the amniotic sac; prostaglandins are inserted into the vagina and Pitocin is injected intravenously.

•Dilation and Extraction: a surgical abortion procedure used to terminate a pregnancy after 21 weeks of gestation. This procedure is also known as D & X, Intact D & X, Intrauterine Cranial Decompression and Partial Birth Abortion. *This procedure is now considered against the law in the U.S. per the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1995*

Even though the partial birth abortion is illegal in the USA now, does not mean that this does not still happen around the world. Just to understand what happens (and used to happen in the USA) in a partial birth abortion, I have listed the procedure below.

Below the procedures for a partial birth abortion I have also listed the procedure for an Induction abortion, and a vacuum aspiration abortion. As far as "humane" goes in the abortion world these procedures do not seem humane or ethical in any way. In fact, they are terrifying to even imagine.

A partial birth abortion:

1) Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby’s legs with forceps.

2) The baby’s leg is pulled out into the birth canal.

3) The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head.

4) The abortionist jams scissors into the baby’s skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the skull.

5) The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

An Induction Abortion:

The Induction abortion takes 3-4 days to complete. On the first day, the woman is given an ultrasound to determine the gestational age of her baby. Then, with the aid of the ultrasound to guide the abortionist, a lethal dose of the heart medication Digoxin is injected into the baby’s heart directly through the woman’s abdomen. Digoxin gives the baby a fatal heart attack. This is an off-label application of the drug, which was developed and approved as a treatment for heart disease

After the Digoxin injection, the woman’s cervix is packed with laminaria, thin tampon-like sticks made of seaweed that expand the cervix gradually over the next day.

The next day, the woman is repacked with larger laminaria sticks and given Misoprostol to prepare the woman for labor.

On the final day of the abortion, the woman is given the drug Oxytocin, which induces contractions and the onset of labor. Women then are placed in a room where they endure the labor process. When it is determined that the labor has progressed to the stage where the baby is about to be delivered, each woman is taken into a room with a toilet and told to lean on the nurse and push the baby into the toilet.

The toilet delivery method is used by several abortionists besides Tiller, including Florida abortionist James Pendergraft. Other abortionists may allow the woman to deliver on a delivery table. Still others; such as Michigan abortionist Alberto Hodari prefer to remove the dead baby through dismemberment.

Vacuum Aspiration:

The vacuum aspiration procedure is quite simple, and is basically done with a suction tube that is stuck into the uterus and sucks the fetus out. The suction basically tears the fetus apart and this is what kills it. As a final note to the types of abortions. Many people wonder if the baby can feel pain. Many people wonder if the baby can feel pain. According to an article written by the PMC US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, by Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, an unborn child can feel pain as early as 7 weeks (Controversy: Can fetuses feel pain? (nih.gov)). This finding creates a huge controversy in the ethics of abortion.

Both sides of the Argument

Now let’s look at both sides of the argument. We will look at comments made by those who are for abortion, and those who are against abortion. Names will not be given for those who made the comments, except for the ones made by Barack Obama. Most of these are comments made on blogs and forums on the internet. First I will list those who are for abortion, or the “pro-choice.”

COMMENTS FROM THOSE WHO ARE PRO-CHOICE:

•A Fetus is not a viable human tissue until the 24th week, therefore not a human being. Even then on the 24th week its chance of survival is only 50%. What I'm saying is that abortion should be available to women who are under the 24th week of pregnancy because the fetus is not viable and therefore not a human being, so you're not murdering anyone. My argument still stands and is still valid, please read some book on pregnancy.

• “Somewhere there’s a woman who just received a new lease on life because of a screening that you provided that helped catch her cancer in time. Somewhere there’s a woman who’s breathing easier today because of the support and counseling she got at her local Planned Parenthood health clinic. Somewhere there’s a young woman starting a career who, because of you, is able to decide for herself when she wants to start a family.“

-Barack Obama-

• “So every day, in every state, in every center that Planned Parenthood operates, there are stories like those — lives you’ve saved, women you’ve empowered, families that you’ve strengthened. That’s why, no matter how great the challenge, no matter how fierce the opposition, if there’s one thing the past few years have shown, it’s that Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere. It’s not going anywhere today. It’s not going anywhere tomorrow.”

-Barack Obama-

According to the transcript, Obama concluded this last speech by thanking the organization and by invoking God: “Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you. God bless America. Thank you.”

•Becoming a mother made me realize just how difficult this “job” is, and how NO ONE should be forced into it against their will. Children are not meant to be a punishment in any way, shape or form. I wish abortions didn’t have to happen, but we live in a world that, sadly, makes them a necessary evil for many reasons. Women deserve the right to make their own decisions about their reproduction, along all steps of the way.

•I just had an adoption. I was fully aware that sex could create a pregnancy, and since it was a breeze for me, why throw away a perfectly good baby? I am Pro-choice because I don’t want 14 year old girls trying to do it themselves out of desperation, not because I like abortion.

•My pregnancy was actually what made me question my pro-choice beliefs. It was hard for me to reconcile abortion with seeing the sonograms of my children growing. But then I had them and I realized how hard this job is and how much everything I do affects the growth of children. No one should be forced into this job and every child should be wanted.

•I’m always pro-choice when it comes to everything. I never believed anyone ever had the right to tell anyone else what they should do, what they can and can’t say or how they should feel.

•I have always been pro-choice since I was old enough to understand the issue, and was lucky enough in my life never to have experienced an unwanted pregnancy. Now, at the age of 35, I am pregnant for the first time and I whole-heartedly agree with the poster that no woman should be forced to be pregnant when she doesn’t want to be. I am 33 weeks along and this has been the most difficult thing I have ever done physically. It has taken a huge toll on my body and honestly has sucked big time. I hate being pregnant! I’m doing it because I am ready and want to be a mom, but if I were not ready and did not want to be a mom, being pregnant would be like constantly being tortured for nine months. Nausea, back pain, lack of sleep, heartburn, rib cage pain, shortness of breath, urinary tract infections, having to pee every 15 minutes, not to mention crazy mood swings (I don’t have to list the symptoms for all you moms out there — you know). Prior to being pregnant I was lucky to be one of the healthiest people I know. I never had any kind of sickness or symptoms and got used to living a healthy, happy life. Now it’s just one thing to deal with after another and pains in places I didn’t know existed. Ugh. And I haven’t even had anywhere near as bad a pregnancy as some women, but it has been REALLY really difficult, mentally and physically. Of course, abortion is not ideal — sex education and unwanted pregnancy prevention should be the focus, but for goodness sake, any woman who finds herself pregnant when she doesn’t want to be should be allowed to get out of it. Being pregnant is SO DIFFICULT no woman should have to do it unless she really wants to. Now that I have personal experience being pregnant I feel I have earned the right to say this, and I will always be pro-choice for myself and for my daughter.

COMMENTS FROM THOSE WHO ARE PRO-LIFE:

•Have you heard the fines and jail time you'd receive in jail if your hurt an eagle egg? Is that egg an eagle yet? Is it only an eagle once it's born? If you break open the egg before it does, will is be likely to live? So why then must we charge people and put people in jail for hurting them? Those little children cannot defend themselves. But one day, they could become the person who discovers the cure for cancer, or is the next greatest composer. Even if you don't want to keep the baby, someone else might. We talk about the women's rights to her own body, what about the one inside of her? Doesn't that child have a right to life?

*I just want to note the penalties for harming an eagle egg. I don't find this humorous at all. I want to show that the government cares more about animal eggs than it does children. Penalties under the MBTA include a maximum of two years imprisonment and $250,000 fine for a felony conviction and six months imprisonment or $5,000 fine for a misdemeanor conviction. Fines double if the violator is an organization rather than an individual. Penalties for abortion? Nothing, as long as you stay within the governments guidelines. In fact, the government supports and helps fund it. Back to the comments…..

•Not a viable human being? That makes you sound ridiculously uneducated. First of all why don't you define "life" for us all since you have such an extensive knowledge of this topic? While you process that I will go ahead and give you the scientific one: 1. Living things are highly organized. (Just so happens a fetus is even at conception) 2. All living things have an ability to acquire materials and energy. (Guess what? a fetus can do this too) 3. All living things have an ability to respond to their environment.(A fetus does this too) 4. All living things have an ability to reproduce. (The fetus has cells that are dividing and reproducing) 5. All living things have an ability to adapt. (Do I really need to say it?) * (Found in Basics of Biology and any other biology book you decide to open). Furthermore, nothing is added from the time of conception to the time that the baby is born. It has all its DNA and human chromosomes present. The fact that you can even think to say that because they can't survive on their own, the babies are automatically not viable humans makes you sound more like a monster than human. By that definition the 80 year old grandmother or even the 5 year old little boy who is on a feeding tube, oxygen, and other forms of life support aren't human. And to ask you an obvious question, what baby outside of the womb can actually survive on its own anyways?? Do you even know how far developed a baby is at 24 weeks? By that time the abortionist would have to crush their head in order to get the baby out of the birth canal and yes the baby would feel it because its brain is fully developed. This makes me absolutely sick. We are all about women's rights in this country so I am choosing to use mine by saying that this is murder and absolutely barbaric. How can you say that you are for abortion when you are already alive? You are blessed with your life and yet millions of babies don't get to choose that? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU & OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE PRO-CHOICE?

•As I read this discussion, I can’t stop thinking about my youngest son. At 7 months old, he is so beautiful and full of life. Every time he smiles he lights up the room, and my life. During pregnancy, I remember looking up photos of fetal development on the web, wondering what my baby looked like. By week 10, he had well-formed arms, legs, fingers, and toes. The websites said he could move his limbs, open his mouth; he could even swim! They said his brain had been active for at least 6 weeks. By 10 weeks, he could respond to touch. The CDC says the average gestational age for abortion in the US is around 10 weeks. The most common abortion procedure at this stage is vacuum aspiration, where a tube is used to suck the fetus from the womb. The procedure kills the fetus by tearing it apart. When I think about this procedure, and then think about my son Christopher, it makes me shudder. It’s simply horrible to imagine him, or any child, going through an abortion. I hear that many women choose abortion because they think it’s the best solution to an unwanted pregnancy. If these women really understood what abortion does to their child, would they still make this choice? Which is worse- enduring an unwanted pregnancy, or living the rest of your life knowing that you aborted your own child? Multiple studies have linked abortion with clinical depression and worse. While many women don’t suffer a lot of ill-effects after an abortion, I can’t help but wonder if they simply block out the reality of what abortion did to their child. That’s not to say that every post-abortive woman is destined to suffer the rest of her life. I know some women who have found forgiveness and healing through their Christian faith. They love to hold my son and see him smile. Deep inside, they know that their child would have been just as beautiful.

•The ONLY reason this carry’s on is because the truth is censored. If these procedures were well known or well understood we would either have a society that did not tolerate this evil or and evil society that would be fine with (as in some countries) eating the aborted babies. They sell their canned brains in some places shamelessly and eat them BBQed like pork Chops. Censoring evil is what allows evil to be tolerated by good willed people who support evil ignorantly.

•For a person who already believes abortion = the killing of innocent babies, it isn't comfortable to see these pictures. I was talking with a pro-life friend at work last week about the Gosnell trial and the despicable things he has done. She complained that she didn't want to hear or think about it because it makes her grieve and feel concern over it. God grieves over it every time one of these precious little ones is butchered. What about that verse that says if we suffer with Him, we also will reign with Him? We don't want to know the gory details because the truth is, it makes us sick at heart just as it does God. But the truth is, people who don't know any better have bought into the lie that a baby is somehow a part of a woman's body and it is nothing to have it "aborted" (a less messier word for murdered) and they liken abortion to having their tonsils removed. If someone doesn't open their eyes to the ugly truth about what happens during an abortion, they will never wake up and more and more babies will be butchered because of ignorance.

•The following real dialogue between a high school student and a ‘Choice’ Chain activist captured by CBC’s The Current reveals how the dialogue tactic works:

Pro-Lifer: If I want to stand here and swing my arm, I have a right to do that, right?

Student: Sure.

Pro-Lifer: But what if I swing my arm to the point of hitting your friend in the face, would you agree with me that would be wrong?

Student: Ok, Yeah.

Pro-Lifer: It sounds like what you and I can agree on is if I do something with my body that hurts someone else’s body, you and I would agree I shouldn’t be allowed to do that. So, the question is, is this [pointing to a graphic image of an aborted baby] the woman’s body or is this the baby’s body?

During a CCRB pro-life protest in front of a high school, a woman was interviewed briefly and asked if this seemed appropriate. This is what she said:

• “Far from this being inappropriate, it’s most certainly appropriate because some of these kids are being driven to abortion clinics by their parents, by social workers, by friends. This information is very relevant because it’s reaching people at a time where they may be making the wrong choice and they need the right facts to dissuade them from making a deadly decision,” she said.

• Pro-choice quote-**The self-interest of the religious right is sickening. If you can't see your own hypocrisy, then you need to take a good long look in the mirror and then go jump off a bridge. Believe me, you just might save lives.**-end quote…….

Reply: Your post is a clear example of the evil that permeates the soul of unbelievers. To categorize people whose desire is to save the life of children from the forceps, scissors, scalpel, and toxic liquid the butchering abortionists use to snuff the life of defenseless children as "sickening" and "hypocritical", has got to be the ultimate example of a soul so mired in cruelty, darkness, and lacking in the most basic human qualities as to frighten and repel. Since your words are aimed at condemning 'the religious right', you must surely be someone whose ideas emanate from the murderous and conscience-devoid left.

SCRIPTURE AGAINST ABORTION:

Just to start, God IS pro-life. Of course He is! He made life. Many can argue the story about Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and how He gave them a choice when He put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden with them. But the truth is, He didn't give them a choice. He told them NOT to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And they failed to obey because they were tricked. It is the same with abortion. People are lied to, and tricked, into thinking that it is ok.

Enoch 69:12

And the fifth (fallen angel) was named Kasdeja: this is he who showed the children of men all the wicked smitings of spirits and demons, and the smitings of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away, and the smitings of the soul, the bites of the serpent, and the smitings which befall through the noontide heat.

Here, Enoch is talking about one of the fallen angels, wand the wicked things he taught humans.

Barnabas 14:11

You shall not destroy your conceptions before they are brought forth, or kill them after they are born.

Exodus 20:13

13Thou shall not kill.

I shouldn't even have to put any other scripture on here. This should be enough. That is what abortion is, it’s killing something that is alive. God said do not kill, and that should be enough. Jesus taught that being angry with your brother is murder in your heart. How much more then is the ignorant and selfish decision to take a life for one’s own comfort, security, and convenience?

Psalm 127:3

3"Truly children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward"

A gift from God? Then many people must not like gifts from God. Jesus was a gift from God also, and the world aborted Him. Those who are for abortion may as well have been just like the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day. They were willing to kill an innocent human being because of their own selfishness.

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God knew us before we were even born. Our very relationship with Him spans before we are even conceived. If God is conscious of us before we are conceived, then how much more do we exist during conception?

2 Kings 17:16-19:

16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

Giving into the practice of killing innocent children was a great downfall of Israel. It eventually led to their destruction and fall from God's grace. America, and the rest of the world, will also fall from God's grace if its governments and people do not turn from the evil that they commit. Israel sacrificed their children to false gods, America sacrifices its children for comfort, and selfishness.

Psalm 106:37-38

37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods. 38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.

The soil of the USA is also desecrated by the blood of its innocent children. In the end, those who did what was evil will have to give account for their actions. God won't accept an answer like, "But I wasn't ready to be a mother." or "I had my whole life and career ahead of me." or "I was too young." or "I was scared."

ANGER

Anger isn't a sin. Controlled anger can be justified. For example, if someone said, or did, something offensive towards you, you would get angry. It is how you react, or don’t react, that makes that anger a sin. If you bottle it up inside, you may harbor a bitterness towards that individual, and you may even take that anger out on someone else, such as a friend or family member. If you lash out spontaneously, or treat the other person rudely, you have sinned. You cannot fight evil with evil. Paul said," Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:17-18. And Paul also said," Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by doing good." Romans 12:21. And again Jesus said, “It has been said ‘do not murder or you will be subject to judgment’. But I tell you that if you are angry with your brother, you are subject to judgment.” Matthew 5:21-22. Hateful anger can be compared to murder because it is the path that leads to murder. Anger left unchecked hatches hate, and this can lead to murder. No one murders anyone without first being angry. Jesus said, “Do not judge or you will be judged. However you judge others, you yourself will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2. Only God has the right to judge someone and to condemn them to death, because he is the author of life. Only by following Jesus Christ, and submitting your life to God’s will, can you truly overcome anger. God will send his spirit to teach you, and humble you, and you will begin to learn how to love others even when they hate you, just as God does. You will learn to forgive just as God does. You will see through his eyes.

Genesis 49:5-7

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers- their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.”

As Jacob blesses his sons, he comes to Simeon and Levi. He cursed their anger because it brought violence, and bloodshed, that came for the wrong reasons. This passage has to do with what Simeon and Levi did to a city, and ruler, whose son raped their sister. They tricked a ruler into circumcising all the city's men. Then, while the men of that city were healing, Simeon and Levi took their swords and slaughtered all of them, including the ruler and his son. Then they plundered the whole city and took the women and children with them. Genesis 34:1-31.

Ezra 8:22

22 “ -The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”

Even God gets angry, and our sins are what bring about our own judgment and God's wrath. God is not quick to punish. He gives us a lifetime to repent. In fact, He disciplines the ones he loves (Proverbs 3:12).

Proverbs 15:1

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This is true in many situations. When someone is angry and yelling at you, try answering back with a gentle tone (that is not to be confused with a cowardly tone). When an argument breaks out, it usually becomes a yelling contest, but if one side would step down, get rid of their pride, and humble their self, the argument would subside quickly.

Proverbs 15:18

18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Are you hot-tempered? Do you become angry easily and explode with violent words or acts? Or are you the one who speaks calmly and with wisdom when under tension?

Proverbs 16:32

32 Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

To demonstrate this teaching we could use the situation regarding Simeon and Levi in Genesis 34:1-31. They caused trouble for their entire family. They had to move out of the area, and according to scripture, God brought a “terror” on the surrounding towns so that no one would pursue Jacob or his family. Simeon and Levi brought judgment on a whole city for something that one man did. They committed murder instead of being patient and allowing God to bring judgment against the man that raped their sister. Judgement should only be brought against the person who has committed the crime. Because these two brothers acted on emotions, and lost their temper, a whole town was slaughtered.

Proverbs 17:14

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

When an argument begins to get "heated", take a second to think if the argument even matters. In most cases it doesn’t. A lot of arguments are started because of the way someone “feels” about something. In other words, we let our emotions get the best of us, rather than judge the situation correctly, and do the right thing. Many people want to win an argument just for the sake of winning, even if it is obvious that they are wrong.

Proverbs 19:3

3 A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.

While ministering to others, I truly could not tell you how many times I come across a person who refuses to go to church, or even believe that God exists, because they hold some kind of grudge against God (or a specific church assembly). People blame God for addictions, violence, war, failed marriages, rape, deaths, etc. These are all man's own doings though. God doesn’t do these things to people, nor does He wish them upon us. We, as humans, commit evil acts all on our own.

Proverbs 20:3

3 It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

A wise man will avoid confrontational conflict before it begins. A foolish people start fights out of ego, pride, jealousy, hate, and anger, not thinking or caring about the outcome. If you let your emotions get the best of you, you become blind, think irrationally, and act spontaneously.

Proverbs 22:24-25

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

People usually associate with others who share similar interests. If you begin to associate with alcoholics, you will more than likely begin drinking. If you begin to associate with people who do drugs, you will more than likely begin doing drugs. Likewise, with hot tempered people, if you hang out with them, you will eventually become like them. Even if you don't adopt their ways, you may involuntarily get mixed up in the consequences that stem from their quick tempered actions.

Proverbs 29:22

22 An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

Uncontrolled anger results in many sins. The product of anger is violence. Sometimes to women, to children, or to one’s own self. People become angry, and stay angry, for many different reasons. Sometimes they act out on innocent bystanders who just happen to be in their path. Those who are angry are blind, and even though you might never imagine of hurting a loved one while you are in sane state of mind, if you are blinded by anger, you may hurt those around you. It has happened, and continues to happen around the world.

Anger is the beginning of a road that leads to death. Along that road you may find others who try to deal with anger by using drugs, or by getting drunk. But the way out of anger never lies with drugs or alcohol. They only make it worse. It begins with a prayer. Ask the Lord for help, or someone that you may know who knows the Lord. Seek treatment from a psychiatrist, a doctor, or an anger management support group. Confiding in others who have the same problem, or who have been through the same problem, helps tremendously. Don’t ever think that you must go through any kind of hurt, or pain, alone. No matter who you are, or what you have been through, there is someone who has been through the same or worse. To fight a battle against the evil that tries to control you, you must stand up and do something. The worst thing that you could do, is nothing.

Matthew 18:21-22

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Jesus did not mean, literally, only 77 times. You are to forgive continuously, just as your heavenly father will always forgive you, whether you sin 777 times, 7777 times, or more. There is no end to God’s forgiveness. Likewise, there should be no end to ours. The reason Peter asked this question was because it was a common teaching that you should forgive someone up to seven times.

Ephesians 4:26-27

26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ever have restless, sleepless nights, or some sort of insomnia from unpleasant thoughts running through your head, tormenting you because of your anger? Many times we run to some sort of sinful pleasure, such as alcohol, to ease our mind of these torments. Don’t give into the devil. Once he gets a foothold this way, he knows how to get you again, and it becomes harder for you to overcome temptation, and it becomes easier for him to break you down. If you do not hand your anger over to God and learn to forgive, the devil can torment you this way.

James 1:19-20

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore. Get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

1 John 2:9-11

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 but whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Discipline and Wrath

Disobeying the Lord can cost you your life. Be careful what you do, and do not forsake the Lord. When you ask for forgiveness, you must be sincere and repent. Having an unrepentant attitude may be rewarded with harsh discipline. Always examine your actions, and recognize when you are being disciplined by God. Don't be stubborn, or He may hand you over to the desires of your heart, allowing you to become consumed by them. Asking for forgiveness is only the first step to getting rid of sin. To turn from your own ways, and follow God's ways is true repentance. God is our heavenly father, and just as a father on Earth trains and disciplines his child, so God does with us. When we step out of line, we get disciplined, and if we refuse to repent, we may face his wrath. Remember, though, that it is written that the Lord disciplines the ones he loves (revelation 3:19). Throughout the old testament, Israel constantly steps out of line, facing God's wrath, and discipline.

Deuteronomy 28:15

15However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his of commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

Since the beginning, God has been straight forward with us. He has told us, and shown us the right ways to live. If we turn away from those ways we only hurt ourselves.

Deuteronomy 28:20

20The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.

Have you ever turned from the straight and narrow path and felt like the world was against you? Everything you did, you failed at. You felt confused, and as if you were walking around blindly, seeing but not being able to see. You may need to re-evaluate your relationship with God and get back on the right path.

Deuteronomy 28:28-29

28The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.

That seems horrible for God to do such a thing to us. But it is not God doing it to us. It is happening because he is absent from our life. He is absent only when you turn from him. God didn't turn away from you, you turned away from God. If you feel as if this passage is a reflection of your life then you need to turn wholeheartedly to God.

Deuteronomy 28:45

45All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.

The result of not repenting is death. It may not be physical either. A spiritual death will leave you feeling empty and depressed.

Deuteronomy 28:48

48He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

The weight of a spiritual death is heavy. Not only will you feel empty and depressed, you will feel a huge weight weighing you down. A weight of shame, and sin, is unbearable, and there is only one who is able to take. It is not something that you can bear. Turn back to God quickly.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14

13Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14and did not inquire of the Lord. So, the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

God made Saul the first king over Israel, even though He did not want to put a king over them. Saul turned from the Lord and the Lord punished him justly, making an example out of him. Don’t think just because God called you, or gave you a great commission, that you are invincible. Don’t forget that God chose Saul as well.

Psalm 73:27

27Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

Without faith, it is impossible to follow God. There is no salvation without faith. You can go to a church assembly, and go through the motions, all of your life, but that does not bring you close to God. Faith, and obedience, bring you a closer relationship with God.

Psalm 89:30-33

30“If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.”

Even though we are punished for doing wrong, God still loves us. As a parent, do you not punish your child when they do wrong? Yet, you still love them. It is a characteristic attribute that we have received from God.

Psalm 94:8-15

8 Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? 9 Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? 10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? 11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law; 13 you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. 15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Psalm 99:8

8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.

Even though we are forgiven, we must be punished because God is perfectly just. Just as we punish our children to discipline them, so God does to us. In revelation 3:19 it is written “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” You cannot escape the consequences of your actions.

Psalm 141:5

5 Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

Correct, rebuke, and encourage your brothers and sisters. It is written teach a wise man and he will be wiser still. If you see your brother or sister do something wrong and they do not understand what they did, then tell them. This can only help them, as long as you are not doing it in hypocrisy. We are here to help each other not judge each other.

Proverbs 15:10

1 Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path; he who hates correction will die.

Don’t ignore discipline. If you backslide, or fall away, quickly return. Not doing so is an act of stubbornness.

Proverbs 15:32

32 He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

The more that you turn from correction, and continue on in stubbornness, the harder it becomes to return to God, and more pain and hardships await you.

Isaiah 42:24-25

24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. 25 So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Sometimes it takes a great fall to knock someone back into their senses. With Israel, God couldn’t sit idly by and let them make a fool of their selves and His name. He gave them time to repent and warned them over and over. Eventually He let war come upon them, and this time, he wasn’t there to save them because they wouldn’t listen.

Isaiah 47:10-11

10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ 11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.

Zechariah 7:13

13 “ ‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Be careful to obey the Lord. The Lord may turn his face from you as a form of punishment. It will feel as if he is not listening, or as if he is not even there. Stand strong and repent and he will reveal his face to you again.

Luke 6:24-26

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Those who live to gain everything in this life will have nothing in the next. Jesus said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but in the end lose his own soul?”

1 Corinthian 5:1-5

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Being handed over to Satan would exclude this man from the church’s fellowship. He would be handed over to the desires of his heart, He would be exposed, and left alone, in Satan’s clutches until he repented and came to his senses. Sometimes you can only punish a child so much before you realize that they must learn from their own mistakes. Sometimes that requires that you let them go off into the world to face it on their own. It doesn’t always feel right, but you can’t stop them. It is the same with God. If we won’t listen to his discipline, and we keep pulling away, he will let us venture off into the world and the one waiting for us there seeks to destroy us.

1 Corinthians 11:32

32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

We as children of God are judged and punished in our lifetime because we will not share in the eternal punishment of the wicked. Our time of judgment is now. Every day we are being judged, and disciplined. In the end, we will be saved from judgment, and judgment will only be in store for the wicked, the unbelievers, and the hypocrites.

Ephesians 5:3-7

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immortality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

Hebrews 12:4-11

4 in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

WHO IS GOD?

The best way to learn who God is, is to build a personal relationship with him. Scripture also reveals God’s character to us. In fact God’s character is revealed to us, through us. A lot of how we act and feel is from God. He created us in his image, and his likeness. Understanding God will help us to understand ourselves. The better, and closer, our relationship is with God, the better we will understand him and his will for us. So how do you get close to God? Through Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, "There is no other way to the father than by through me." What did he mean by that? He meant to believe in him, and to follow his ways, and teachings. One of the reasons that Jesus came to Earth was to lead us to God, through faith. Believe in Jesus, follow his teachings, and the door will be open to a personal relationship with God, the father.

Psalm 68:5

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widow, is God in his holy dwelling.

It’s in our nature to protect the weak. Those whom are weak, or have less in the world, have an open heart toward God, and this is because those who have less in the world have plenty of room in their heart for God. If you lust after, and live for material wealth and worldly pleasures, you will have no room for God. Your love will be for your possessions.

Psalm 68:19-20

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. 20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

True faith means trusting in God. If you have faith in the Lord, you do not need to worry about the burdens of this world. If you follow all of his commands, and keep him first in your heart, then you are in his grace, and nothing can snatch you out of his hand.

Psalm 75:2-52

52You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. 3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. 4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. 5 Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.’”

God must judge, and punish, justly. To withhold punishment would be unjust. Just like a father punishes his children, so God deals with the world. He does it to turn us from a path of evil, to correct us, and to teach us.

Psalm 86:5-10

5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. 9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name, 10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

God is forgiving, good, loving, kind, patient, and merciful. He is a father, and he hears you, even when you think he is not listening.

Psalm 86:15

15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

We also should be slow to anger. A quick temper can cause people to act spontaneously without thinking.

Psalm 89:14

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 89:30-33

30 “If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

Do not despise the Lord, or become spiteful, if he punishes you. He does it to teach you, to turn you from your ways. Just as a father punishes his children to teach them, and set them on the right path, from an early age.. We are all small children in God’s eyes, even in our old age. 100 years is still infancy compared to the age of and eternal God.

Joel 2:13

13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

God gives us much time to repent. He gave over 400 years for the Canaanites to repent while the Israelites were in Egypt. Then, he brought judgment on them through the Israelites. According to the book of Jasher, God gave the pre-flood world 120 years to repent before he would bring the flood to destroy the world. He even sent Noah and his Methuselah (Noah's grandfather) to spread the news and warn everyone to repent. Then, right before the flood, God asked them to spread the news one more time in hopes that the world would repent. God really didn't want to destroy the world, but he had no other choice because of how evil it had become. Turn quickly when you are punished because God does not want to have to punish you.

Micah 5:15

15 “I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me.”

In the end if you fail to repent, and deliberately disobey the Lord, He will bring his wrath upon you. The Lord may be slow to anger, but when he is angered, his wrath can be explosive, just like a parent who is at the end of their rope with patience. All of his punishment will be poured out at once.

Nahum 1:2-32

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

God is mighty. Again, he is slow to anger, even against his enemies. He won’t be trampled on. He even gives his enemies time to repent.

Nahum 1:7

7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

This is a great short verse to remember, that, in times when you feel beaten down, remember that God is also a fortress. Just as a child runs to their parents when they are in trouble or scared, seek God in times of trouble.

Malachi 3:6

6 “I the Lord do not change.-

Many think that the Lord has changed his means of punishment because Jesus Christ has died for us. He is still the same today that he was in the “old testament days”. Even then he was a forgiving, merciful, faithful, and righteous God. There is plenty of scripture to prove it. The only difference now is that we are in a period of repentance and fellowship, where God is giving the world time to come to him. During this period we can have fellowship with him, and build a direct relationship with him through Jesus Christ. This period ends when Jesus comes back again, and no one knows when that time is, not even Jesus himself, only the father knows. The way to find God begins at Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the father except by through him.

HEAVEN & HELL

Angels & Demons

Heaven

According to scripture Heaven is a real place. Heaven is spoken of as the throne of God, the dwelling place of the sons of God, as well as, other heavenly beings. There is no evil or pain in Heaven and is a place of paradise. Heaven is mentioned 582 times in the KJV bible. Jesus and his disciples also spoke of Heaven, as well as did the OT prophets. The clearest glimpse of Heaven, and God’s throne, that we receive in scripture, is in the book of Revelation. Even today, many people claim to have had visions and Near Death Experiences of Heaven, or some kind of paradise. Their stories are almost always full of loving, bright, and shining beings, most likely what we would call angels. A quick Google search will bring up many websites, and books, where you can read some of these stories. We have no real knowledge about what, or where, Heaven is for sure, and we can only make connections between scripture and NDE's to help confirm our belief in its existence. Below is biblical scripture about Heaven.

Revelation 7:13-17

13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"

14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 21:4-8

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Revelation 22:3-9

3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.

9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

Mathew 22:30-33

30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

31 But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

Heaven is a place that only our eternal soul can journey to. Since God must have been outside of this universe to create it, His home is also outside of this universe. Most likely, Heaven is somewhere outside of this universe. Our souls are made up of the essence of God, and they return to Him at death, whether for reward or for judgement. We can also make an assumption that Heaven is an eternal place, where time has no effect. One could argue that it exists outside of what we understand as time, since time is most likely a construct of this physical universe, it is constrained by this universe. Today, with new advancements in physics, we have theories about parallel dimensions, wormholes, string theory, M-theory and so on. Scientifically speaking, to me, Considering such theories, Heaven doesn’t seem like a made up, magical place that only exists in a fairy tale. Rather, we are not able to reach it in our physical form.

Angels

Angels, according to many different sources, are unseen (by most people) beings created by God. They were put above men. They live in God’s presence, and their home is the Kingdom of Heaven (Except for the fallen). They Serve and Praise God. They serve God by helping men, just as we serve God by helping others. They serve as messengers and are portrayed as powerful, majestic, magnificent beings. There are many kinds of angels with different powers and authorities, physical differences, and purposes. Not all angels are majestic humanoids with wings, as Hollywood portrays them. Some are downright terrifying. It is clear that there are many different species of what we call "angels", but could they just be other species of beings that God created in this universe, another universe, or specifically in Heaven? Let’s take a look as some.

The Archangels

An archangel is a chief angel. There are usually only considered to be 7 of them scripturally, and traditionally speaking, but their could be more. Satan is sometimes considered a fallen archangel. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are always mentioned as one of the 7. Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit and in the book of Enoch, as well as, other sources. The other four archangels vary depending on the sources. In the Jewish canon Uriel, Raguel, Remiel, Saraqael are the other four archangels. No matter what the source, there seems to be a group of seven of them, and they always stand before God (Revelation 8:2). In the book of Revelation these 7 archangels are the ones that blow the seven trumpets, and pour the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the Earth. Many pictures and art show these archangels as having wings, but there is no mention of them having wings in scripture. Although, in the book of Enoch, he says that the angels appear as flaming fire, and are able to take the form of "man" whenever they want, and that they are bright, and shining white. The angels that he may be speaking of may be the archangels, or the "songs of God".

The Sons of God

Many people believe all angels have wings, but there are appearances of angels in scripture whom have no wings. They appear as men, but with brilliance and authority. In Matthew 28:2-7 the angel's appearance was "like lightning". The 2 angels who rescued Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction appeared as men in Genesis 18:1-19:29. The angel of the Lord appeared as a man many times also. These angels were called the "sons of God". They seem to have been created like us, in the image of God, but were made higher than us, maybe to serve God in His kingdom, or maybe they were those who died before us. In Revelation 19:10, John bows down to worship the angel showing him these things, but the angel rebukes him and says that he is just a fellow servant like john, his brothers, and the prophets. John mentions this again in revelation 22:8-9. The fallen watchers were probably also considered the sons of God. They were those who taught men and women medicine, astronomy, make-up, metallurgy, and how to make weapons and war, as mentioned in the book of Enoch. They were the probably the ones who early man worships as gods, eventually making idols of worship in their image.

The Four Living Creatures

In the book of Revelation, and in the book of Ezekiel, there are four living creatures mentioned. Isaiah mention creatures flying around the throne of God. Each having 6 wings like in the book of Revelation. But he does not fully describe these creatures and he calls them Seraphim.

In the book of Ezekiel they are portrayed as having 4 faces each. They each had a face like a human, lion, an ox, and an eagle. They had the likeness of a human. They each had four wings, their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. They sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. The passage can be found in Ezekiel chapter 1.

In the book of Revelation, even less is mentioned about their appearance than in Ezekiel. Their appearance is similar, but different. Instead of having four faces each, they are mentioned as each having a different face. One with the face of a human, an ox, a lion, and an eagle. Each creature had eyes all over them and each had six wings. The passage can be found in Revelation chapter 4.

Cherubim

Cherubim are mighty creatures with wings. The four living creatures may also be cherubim. They first appear in Genesis 3:24 to guard the entrance of the Garden of Eden after man is driven out. In Middle Eastern art, they are portrayed as having a lions, or bull's, body with eagle’s wings and a human face. In Egypt, the sphinx may be considered a cherubim like creature. In Greek tradition, the sphinx is sometimes portrayed with wings of an eagle. In the Greek tradition, this creature is considered malevolent, but in Egypt, it is considered benevolent. Both cultures considered this creature as a guardian, usually of a temple of some sort. This might stem back to the story of the garden of Eden. The oldest cherubim like creature statue was found in turkey and dated back 9500 BC. They have been found in Persian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, European, and Babylonian empires throughout history. The griffin was similar but had the head of an eagle, just like one of the four living creatures.

Seraphim

Seraphim translates to "burning ones". They are mighty angels portrayed by Isaiah as having six wings (Fig 64). Two wings covering their head, two covering their body, and two to fly with. They are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-7. In the Hebrew bible the word seraph is used as a synonym for serpent. In the book of Enoch the seraph are portrayed as serpents. Satan is also sometimes considered to be a Seraphim. In Christianity, they are considered to be the highest choir of the angelic hierarchy. In the Gnostic text "On the Origin of the World" they are described as "dragon-shaped angels". Satan is considered to be a bright one (burning one) and part of the highest choir of angels, as well as a serpent, and a dragon. Considering this, Satan was almost definately of the Seraphim species.

Seraphim, and Cherubim, in theology and mythology, are portrayed as different beings, but sometimes used synonymously with one another. They may be the same being just differently interpreted throughout time. Since we cannot fully understand all that is in Heaven, we may never know.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the different types of angels, let’s look at some scripture pertaining to angels.

Psalm 103:20-21

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

Angels are obeying servants of God. They give Him praise, do his bidding, and His will without question. One day we will be like the angels, Matthew 22:30.

Isaiah 6:2-4

2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

The whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

Matthew 18:10

10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Every child has a guardian angel, always watching over them, and not just children, but all people. Psalm 91:9-16 says that if you love the Lord, and make His place your dwelling, He will protect you with His angels.

Hebrews 1:3-4

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right had of the Majesty in Heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

All the angels in Heaven are under Jesus’ authority. He is above them because the Father has given him authority over all things, even the angels. What is significant about this is that a "man", in the flesh, has been made Lord over all things. So, God truly made His home in, and with, men, through Jesus, and His Holy spirit.

Hebrews 1:14

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Though angels minister to us, it is God who commands them. They are not our servants, but only serve God in serving us. It is written that the greatest among people serve others. Matthew 23:11

Hebrews 13:1-2

1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Angels are always watching. You never know when an angel may be disguised as a human being.

2 Peter 11

11 Yet even angels although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.

Even though angels are higher than men, they do not judge us or accuse us for our sins. One angel that does accuse us is no longer called an angel, but a demon, and he is known as Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, and the evil one. Angels know that the Lord is judge over all, and that it is not their place to judge, unless given the command to do so by the Lord. We also should follow such an example.

So, those are the lighter side of things. Angels, Heaven, God’s glory and throne. Let’s dive into the darker side, Hell. Hell and Satan. Jesus in fact mentions Hell much more than he mentions heaven.

Hell

Many people believe that God would not punish someone for all eternity. Some people believe that Hell is only complete separation from God. To some, hell does not even exist. These are all feelings of one’s own opinion, because they cannot imagine that God has eternal punishment in store for the wicked. Many people reject the idea of an eternal punishment. From this idea, others have created a god that follows after their own beliefs rather than the God of the Bible. People have created a god that loves and accepts everyone while disregarding repentance, discipline, and consequences. You may hear many of them say that the wrath of God was "old testament" and does not apply anymore. Old and new testament scripture disagrees with this in every way. We are in a period of grace right now, and this is not to be taken for granted. One day this period will be over, and everyone will be judged according to what they did.

God is just, perfect, and faithful. He has given his promise: that whosoever believes in his son will never perish but have eternal life. Scripture says that Hell was created for Satan and the other fallen angels (Matthew 45:41), Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Hell is a place of tormenting heat (Luke 16:19-31). There is no neutral, so if you do not follow the Lord God, then you follow Satan, or your self. Either way, you reject God. Jesus said, “He who is not with me is against me.” (Matthew 12:30). One interesting fact is that Jesus spoke about Hell more than he spoke about Heaven. To note, the word "Hell" in English, is translated from the Hebrew "Gehenna", which is a place south of Jerusalem, in the valley of Hinnom, where the filth, and dead animals of the city were burned. It was Jerusalem's garbage dump. So, every time Jesus spoke of "Hell", as we read in scripture, just remember that he was describing a place that is similar to Jerusalem's garbage dump. Many could argue that this is metaphorical, but the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) was not metaphorical, and describes a place of tormenting heat, that is separate from paradise, or what the Hebrews called Abraham's bosom. Another side note; that the word used in the book of Revelation for "forever" is the Hebrew "aion", which does not always mean what we believe as "forever" or "eternity". Many argue that those who go to Hell will do so only until their time of punishment is up, and that everyone who wasn't saved will receive a time of punishment according to what they have done, during judgement day. Now, let’s take a look at scripture pertaining to Hell both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Psalm 88:4-12

4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength. 5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. 8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; 9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O Lord, every day; I spread out my hands to you. 10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? 11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? 12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

In the Old Testament, hell is often referred to as “the pit”. Ezekiel 32:18-32 also speaks of the pit.

Psalm 92:6-76

The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand, 7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

Sometimes it seems as if all the wicked people are rich, famous, and powerful. As if God has blessed them in every way. Not all may have become wicked until they reached their height of glory, but you can be sure that God will destroy all of the proud and wicked. It’s not wrong to be rich or famous. Rich and fame become wrong when you refuse to give glory to God for what He has given you.

Matthew 7:19

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

The fruits of the spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23, are: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. If you do not bear these good fruits then you are a tree without fruit. Both John the Baptist and Jesus taught "bear good fruit while keeping with repentance".

Matthew 13:30 (The parable of the weeds)

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.

In the parable of the weeds, an enemy plants weeds with the wheat. The landowner has the weeds thrown into the fire. The weeds represent those who are evil. The wheat are the children of God, and the Landowner is God.

Matthew 13:40-42(The explanation of the parable of weeds)

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:47-50(The parable of the fishing net)

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 when it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The parables of Jesus paint a very clear picture. If anyone chooses to reject God he/she will receive the punishment of the wicked. Read Ezekiel 33:1-20.

Matthew 18:7-9

7 “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed and cripple than to have two hands two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

This does not necessarily mean that maiming yourself should be a first choice in your battle against sin. You must cut yourself off from whatever leads you to sin, whether it is your friends, work, the bar, TV, the internet, or any other activity or place that causes you to sin.

Matthew 22:11-14(The parable of the wedding feast)

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes, 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘ how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The Lord said that there can be no wickedness in the kingdom of heaven. This man without wedding clothes was not prepared. If you are not sure that you are saved and on the wrong path then you are unprepared. Everyone is invited to find salvation, and many find it, but many never keep pursuing God. Many give up having faith and they pursue their own desires, while they still try to convince themselves and others that they are saved.

Matthew 23:33

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”

Here Jesus is talking to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who he portrays as hypocrites. Hell is a place for hypocrites.

Matthew 24:51

51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus tells of an unfaithful servant who is found getting drunk and eating with other sinners when the Son of man comes back. This servant said in his heart, "My master is taking a long time in coming back." Then he fell into a life of sin, thinking that he would get away with it. But his master came back at a time when he did not know, and he punished him. Do you get this attitude with God sometimes? The best way to not get caught in the act, is to not do it in the first place.

Matthew 25:29-30(The parable of the talents)

29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus tells a parable about a servant who is given money but does nothing with it. We are offered salvation, and ask Jesus into our life, we are given the Holy Spirit as a down payment for our soul. If you do not further your quest with God to bear good fruit in the spirit, then you will become like the servant that did nothing with the money given to him by his master.

Matthew 45:41-46(The judgment seat of Christ)

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45”He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

How many times have you passed up helping someone in need? Did judgment pass your thoughts? Were they poor and dirty looking? Maybe you thought that they were just going to buy beer or drugs with the money you gave them. Maybe you said to yourself, "I will pray for you" even though you were able to help them. Did you ever think that maybe THEY prayed, and YOU were their answered prayer?

Luke 3:9

9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

John the Baptist said this while teaching his disciples. We are the trees, and the fruits that we bear are out good deeds.

Luke 3:17

17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Chaff is the useless outer husk of the grain. They would throw the wheat into the air and the wind would separate the chaff from the grain.

Luke 16:19-31(the rich man and Lazarus)

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27”He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” 30 “’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Even today many do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus brought Lazarus, his friend, back to life and the Jewish leaders were in disbelief. They even plotted to kill Lazarus after hearing that he came back to life. Even with evidence right in front of them, they didn't just choose to disbelieve, they plotted to kill Lazarus to hide God's miracle. That is an even greater evil. Even today, people will do the same. Atheists, even after being given evidence of Intelligent Design, will try to cover it up so that others won't believe. Scientist, who are atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, will even proclaim that yes, everything appears designed, but that it just isn't. People like him have gone even so far as to sign what is called the Humanist Manifesto, which directly proclaims to combat ID and God.

Hebrews 6:7-8

7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

We are to produce good fruit, like the land that drinks in the rain often. But if we do what is evil, we produce only thorns and thistles. Thorns and thistles hurt others, cause bloodshed, and are a nuisance. No one wants to walk through a field with thorns and thistles.

Hebrews 10:26-31

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people, 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Those who keep on sinning, deliberately, often use the excuse, “God will forgive me” over and over again. They say it casually, as if the excuse justifies their actions. Those who do this are not true to the Lord and they trample over his blood. If they do not truly repent they will be caught up on that day and suffer the judgement that awaits them.

1 Peter 3:18-20

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water.

Before the law was given, there was no transgression. The law made us conscious of our sins. After Jesus died, he was in Sheol (Hell) for 3 days. There he preached to those who had died long ago. Even the prisoners in Sheol (Hell) from before the flood were offered salvation.

Revelation 14:9-11

9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on their forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.

In Israel, It is believed that Sodom and Gomorrah were located around the Sea of Galilee, as well as other wicked cities that were destroyed by burning brimstone (sulfur). Around the area where these cities are believed to have been located are allegedly burnt balls of sulfur, as well as mounds of sulfur.

Revelation 19:20

20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 20:10

10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:15

15If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Those who have asked Christ into their lives and remained faithful are the ones whose names are written in the book of life. It is possible to have your name erased from the book of life. Scripture gives evidence of this in Revelation 3:5

Revelation 21:7-8

7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Through scripture we are painted a horrifying picture of suffering if we deny Gods existence and live in evil. In the end, those who go to an eternal suffering do it by their own free will. They chose their way instead of God’s way. God created us because He wanted Godly children. Those who are headed for an eternal suffering are illegitimate children of God, and true sons of Satan.

Satan

There is not a lot said about The Devil (Satan) in the bible. There are, however, many instances where the Devil is mentioned. From these few scriptures we can begin to understand the Devil's character, and some of his motives. In this world we are not only tested by God, but Satan also accuses and tests us. He tempts us, trying to get us to fall away from the Lord. In your walk with the Lord, it is important that you understand how the Devil works so that you can discover the traps that he lays for you. If you are caught off guard, and are not prepared, you may stumble and fall away from God into a life full of sin. The Devil is not like us, he is very clever beyond our understanding, and his traps are carefully thought out. Just as the Lord can use your emotions to sway you in the right direction, the Devil can use your emotions or desires to sway you in the wrong direction. But the Lord is much wiser, if you remain in him, and listen to him, you will discover the traps set for you, and you will not stumble or fall.

Satan In Demonology

The Devil is given many names. Devil is derived from the Greek word "diablos" meaning slanderer or accuser. The most common names associated with the devil are Satan and Lucifer. The Devil is also associated with other Demonic names such as Beelzebub, the prince of demons, the name by which Jewish leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons. In Demonology, even in ancient times, each demon is given its own characteristic. Beelzebub means "Lord of the flies". It is derived from Baal-zebul, the chief Canaanite or Phoenician god. Beelzebub is portrayed as a large fly, or a monster with huge nostrils, horns, bat wings, duck feet, a lion’s tail, and covered with thick black hair. In Demonology Satan is the name used for the personification of all evil. He is the head of all demons. Demons are also referred to as "satans". Satan is not always used as the correct term for the devil. Sometimes it is used meaning "demon". The word "Satan" in Hebrew means adversary. Satanael is another name given to Satan (the Devil) by a 15th century Gnostic sect called Bogomillism. According to Bogomillism Satanael was the older of God's two sons. The Christ, or Michael the archangel, was the younger of the two. As the story goes, after Satanael rebelled he was given the new name Satan, losing the -ael at the end of his name. Satanail is another pre-name for Satan that comes from 2 Enoch. Satanail was the leader of the watchers, a group of angels that was cast out of heaven for taking human women for their own, and for leading humans astray by teaching them magic, war, alchemy, etc. In 2 Enoch it is written:

But one under the order of the archangels deviated,

together with the division that was under his authority.

He thought up the impossible idea that he might place his

throne higher in the clouds which are above the earth,

and that he might become equal to my power.

And I hurled him from out of the height,

together with his angels. And he was flying around in the air,

ceaselessly, above the bottomless.

Lucifer is Latin, meaning "light bringer" or "morning star". Lucifer is associated with Venus, also called the morning star. Lucifer was not commonly used as the name for the Devil, or Satan. Jesus was given the title light bearer, or morning star, and he was associated with the name Lucifer by the early church. It was not until the 2nd and 3rd century that the early church father Origen associated the name Lucifer with Satan, and the Devil. The Latin vulgate, Jerome's translation, made Lucifer the chief fallen angel, probably because of the translation of morning star to Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12-15. By the middle ages, Lucifer and Satan were used as names for the Devil. Isaiah 14:12-15 parallels the passage in 2 Enoch (above) which speaks about a fallen archangel called Satanail, a name that Satan may have derived from. In magical lore Satan and Lucifer are two different beings. Lucifer is portrayed as emperor of Hell and ranks above Satan. He appears as a child.

Mastemah is another character found in the book of Jubilees, a book not generally found in most bibles. There may be similarities between Satan and Mastemah, as they may actually be the same being. Mastemah is a Hebrew word that means hatred, hostility, enmity, or persecutor. According to the book of Jubilees, Mastemah was responsible for:

-Talking God into testing Abraham's faith, by sacrificing Isaac.

-Asking God is he can keep some of the evil spirits killed in Noahs flood to "do his will" by "corrupting and leading astray" the sons of men.

-Helping the Egyptian sorcerers perform magic in opposition against Moses.

-Killing all the first born in the last plague.

Even though Mastemah, or Satan, is an enemy of men, he does not seem to be an enemy of God. He is the accuser, and he has hatred and hostility against us, but he always does what God tells him to do. It seems that God uses him for many things.

Isaiah 14:12-15

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star (also translated "Lucifer" in Latin), son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

Satan tried to become like God, or actually take God's place by waging war against him. But instead he was cast down into "the pit". This is originally a prophecy concerning Babylon, but is also interpreted as the fall of Satan. This is also where the name Lucifer became another name for the Devil.

Matthew 12:24-28

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons that this fellow drives out demons." 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

Beelzebub is derived from Baal-zebul, a Canaanite Idol. Beelzebub means "lord of the flies". Beelzebub was a feared and formidable demon since the earliest accounts of him. He takes part as a demon in a story in a pseudepigraphical text of Solomon, and also in the apocryphal gospel of Nicodemous.

John 8:44

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Satan is called a murderer and a liar. You can be sure that the Devil is behind all evil that is done in the world. He takes part in provoking the heart of man, to try to turn him away from God, and to do evil.

John 12:31-32

31 Now is the time for judgment on this world, now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.

Jesus calls Satan the "prince of this world". Although Satan has been cast out of God's presence, he still has some kind of authority over the world. Because Christ died for sin, Satan has no authority over God's children that are in Christ (those who follow Jesus’ teachings and are baptized by the Holy Spirit).

John 13:2 & 27

2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, Son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him.

Judas became a pawn of Satan. He gave into his desires, and his lust for money. Satan used Judas, and he is one partially responsible for shedding the Lord's blood. Satan may have believed that if he could get rid of Jesus that the Lord's kingdom would not come on earth. But Jesus' death was God's plan all along. So Satan’s plan backfired big time.

John 14:30

30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,-

Satan is undoubtedly the “prince of this world”. He has power and dominion here. His hold is strong and he will not let go until judgment day when he and his angels are cast into the bottomless pit.

Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned form the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord God to the test.'" 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

The devil tempted Jesus, because he knew who he was. Of course it did not work, and because the Christ suffered temptation he is there to help us in our temptations. God is perfect and cannot be tempted. Because he was a human, he had human emotions, and he could also feel and suffer the pressure of temptation that each and every one of us feels.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

The Lord can also hand a man over to his desires, using Satan as a form of punishment. This can spiritually destroy a man and bring him to rock bottom, if he does not turn to God beforehand. Eventually any man with common sense will return to the Lord and seek forgiveness after Satan has had his way with him/her.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan works to blind those who don't believe in God. If someone fallows the wrong path in life Satan feeds that person and continues leading them down a path that seems to lead to truth, but in the end no true answers are found.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 and no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Satan also tries to work inside the church by using false prophets, apostles, and believers. Hypocrisy and Heresy are part of Satan’s plan. Not only does it destroy the believer, but it also turns unbelievers, and new believers away from Christ, and from the Church. Satan first battled the church with great persecution soon after it was formed. After the church's great triumph over Satan's persecution, Satan began attacking the church from the inside, causing divisions. Even today there are great division’s throughout the church, as many can see that there are many denominations that stem away from the true branch. Many but not all are formed out of dispute or false doctrine.

Ephesians 2:1-2

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

The "ruler of the kingdom of the air" is Satan. He is a spirit. All angels are spiritual beings. Satan is also a spirit, and he attacks us through persuasion of the mind. Our mind is influenced easily by our emotions. We can be steered in certain directions through our emotions.

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were in slavery by their fear of death.

Satan uses fear to control people. But when you trust in God, in Christ, fear is turned into peace, and death has no hold over you.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Lions use intimidation to scare off enemies. They roar loudly to cause fear, and once fear overcomes an enemy, they quickly fall.

Revelation 2:10

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Devil tests us, and God allows it. If we are true in Christ, then it will only make us stronger, and bring us closer to the Lord. We are refined in the fire.

Revelation 12:7-9

7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to earth, and his angels with him.

Satan's fall is also interpreted in Isaiah 14:12-15. An account is given in 2 Enoch that parallels Isaiah. According to both Bogomillism, and Jehovah's Witnesses' teachings, the archangel Michael is believed to be Jesus the Christ before he came to Earth. There may be other denominations and sects that believe in this type of doctrine, but no direct canonical scripture points to such belief.

HYPOCRISY

Most people misuse the world hypocrite. The world waits for Christians to stumble, so that they can point their finger, and call out the word "HYPOCRITE". Stumbling and hypocrisy are very different, but they are viewed the same because of ignorance and a lack of understanding of what true hypocrisy is. To simplify, a hypocrite is someone who doesn't practice what they preach. A hypocrite could also be described as a pretender, someone who pretends to act a certain way, but they knowingly deceive others with selfish motives. Their goal could be money, or they might just want to be seen highly in society. Jesus gave many clear examples of hypocrisy.

Matthew 6:5

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."

Here Jesus tells of men who pray, not from their hearts to God, but instead pray for their own gain. They pray to be seen so that they are held in high esteem by others. Their motives were fake, and selfish. They only wanted to be seen by their peers, and not by God.

Matthew 7:1-5

1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to help your brother."

When you yourself are in sin, do not point out the same sin in others. You can't help someone before helping yourself. For example: If you are addicted to drugs, you cannot judge anyone else for using drugs, and you most certainly cannot help someone else to stop using drugs. On the other hand, if you are a recovered drug addict then you know how to quit, so you should be able to help other drug addicts, or those struggling with the same issues (although you have to be careful that you don't fall back into the same sin again). One is a hypocrite, the other is not.

Matthew 7:21-23

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"'

Many people that are hypocrites don't even know it. Some have been led astray by false teachings.. Many people are taught a "once saved only saved" . Many people are taught this, but this teaching can lead others to believe that they are allowed to sin as much as they want without consequences, This kind of teaching can cause believers to live a life that does not keep with repentance. Their path ultimately leads to destruction. They bare no good fruit, and they never turn from their old ways. Jesus makes it very clear that only those who stay faithful through their entire life are saved. If you ask the Lord into your heart one day, and then 20 years later, give up and stop following the Lord, and begin living a sinful life, you are destined for Hell. If you die while living in sin, the consequences of your actions are no different than that of an unbeliever. In fact, it may be even worse.

Matthew 12:33-35

33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."

There are many people that swear that they are Christians and that they are saved. Not only do they swear, but they also become offended of the question if they have been saved, and they even curse while doing so. When spending time with people like this you will recognize that they are full of curses, and that they really bear no good fruit from the Spirit. Do not be led astray by people like this, they are false Christians.

Matthew 23:1-7

1 Then Jesus said to the crowd and to his disciples:2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to life a finger to move them. 5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'"

Do not think too highly of yourself. Do not let men's praises go to your head, so that you do not exalt yourself. Remain humble and be fruitful in all situations. Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 23:13-33

13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! Which is greater; the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, 'If anyone swears by the alter, it means nothing; buy if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the alter that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices, mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of your forefathers, we would not have taken part withy them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

The Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and teachers of the law, were regarded as holy by the people. In the beginning their motives may not have been selfish, but here Jesus points out their hypocrisy and exposes them of their selfish ambitions.

1 John 1:5-6

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

Anyone who continues walking in their evil ways without repenting, and claims to be a Christian, is living a life of hypocrisy. They begin hiding their sins from the church and from others. They even begin to lie to their self. Their fear of public shame can keep them from repentance. Sometimes, confessing your sins to someone else helps bring you to true repentance. Just make sure that it is a respected person (preferably a leader of the church) and not just an average joe. You need someone who will understand what you are going through, and to help you grow spiritually. The devil uses shame and fear to trap people into living a sinful and hypocritical lifestyle. Repentance through Jesus Christ is salvation.

2 Peter 2:1-3

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping.

There are many false teachers, even today. Many churches, and cults, twist scripture. Not all scripture needs interpreted. Most scripture says what it says, but false teachers will tell you otherwise. They will twist scripture for some kind of selfish motive. Only prophecy and parables need to be interpreted. Just as Jesus said, you will recognize a false teacher by their fruit. Look at the lifestyle of the teacher, and examine their motives. If they are not humble and only exalt God, then don't follow them.

Mark 12:38-40

38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the market places, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Here Jesus says that the Hypocrites will be punished "most severely". A hypocrite will be punished most severely because they have heard the Gospel and have twisted it for their benefit, and not for God's glory. Their reward will be Hell.

Romans 16:17-18

17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.

Many hypocrites deceive others for money. They pretend to be serving God, but really they build their riches on earth with the money they receive. There is prosperity and then there is hypocrisy. A minister, or preacher, doesn't need a mansion, or 5 cars, and everything else to fulfill their appetite. Jesus said, "Do not build up your riches on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but build up your riches in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy and where thieves cannot break in and steal. For where ever your treasure is, your heart will be also.

HOMOSEXUALITY

To start, let me just say that homosexuality, as stated in scripture, is a sin, and is not the act of loving someone of the same sex. The definition of what is considered an immoral detestable perversion to God, as stated in scripture, is often twisted to mean something different in the world today. Homosexuality, in scripture, is the act of intercourse between two people of the same sex. Just because the government of a country allows freedom of homosexuality, or same sex marriage, does not mean it is right. The government is not God. God has put all powers in place, and can destroy those powers if they continue to govern wrongly. People are free to continue to do things wrong, or turn away from God's ways, if they want to. God allows this because He gives everyone a choice, and free will. In the end, those who do not follow the Lord fully, and instead live a life controlled by their own fleshly desires, will have to own up to the consequences of their choices, whatever they may be. Let me also mention that God hates divorce, and adultery was punishable by death along with homosexuality, but today divorce does not seem to be frowned upon, within the church assemblies, as they do with homosexuality. Homosexuality is not some higher sin above any other, even though it is looked upon in such a way by many Christians. Let me put this into context a little better. In Leviticus 18:22 Moses states that homosexuality is detestable; likewise, in proverbs 16:5, it is written "God detests all the proud of heart. You can be sure of this, they will not go unpunished". So both homosexuality and pride are detestable to God. How many of us are full of pride. Likewise, it is written that stubbornness is as idolatry. I am not trying to make light of homosexual conduct, only that people, especially so-called Christians, are quick to hate, shun, and point fingers without looking at and understanding the big picture. Christ called everyone to come as they are, to repent, and bear good fruit. Everyone is a sinner, and falls short in some way. So don't be so quick to hate, and judge, because you too may have sin in your life that God detests.

Leviticus 18:22

22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

At the beginning of chapter 18 God says 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God.3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God.5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord." God did not want the Israelites to fall into these practices and stray away from Him or they might not have done God's will. Sexual sins, not just homosexuality, cause many Christians to stray away from God. Once you start to stray, it can become a slow downward spiral into a life of sin.

1 Corinthian 6:9

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Many people practicing, and supporting, same sex relations, argue about the translations of the word used for "homosexuals" in this verse, and in 1 Timothy 1-8-11 (below). While it is true that the word homosexual didn't show up in the bible until the 1900's, if we look at the original Greek, we can see that homosexual would be the correct word for today. The word Paul used was "arsenokoites", which is a conjunction of the two words "arsen" which is masculine, and means male, and "koitai" meaning "bedding", or to lay in bed with, which is sexual in nature. Koitai is where we get the English word coitus, meaning sexual intercourse. It's interesting to note that the word "arsenokoites" does not show up anywhere in any other Greek sources, so we don't know if it was ever a real Greek word. Most likely Paul had to make up a word in Greek to portray the meaning of Leviticus 18:22. The word for "male prostitutes" is also disputed among theirselves as well. The word Malakos is used, and means "effeminate". The definition for effeminate is: (of a man) having or showing characteristics regarded as typical of a woman; unmanly. The shrine prostitutes of that day were most likely effeminate men, or what we would call transvestites today. Homosexuals can argue these words all they want, but in the end, they can't argue against God. The real subject here is sexual immorality as a whole. The word translated for "sexual immorality" is the Greek word "porneia" which his where we get the English words porn and porno. It's quit clear what Paul was saying in his message. People like to twist scripture, and meaning, in hopes that they can keep their sin and claim to follow God without conviction. In reality, they were never truly following God to begin with, and they teach a false doctrine that leads many others to Hell.

1 Timothy 1:8-11

8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

In Paul's letter to Timothy, he teaches that the law is for the immoral, so to turn them from their immoral ways. Paul also taught that the law was given to make us conscious of our sins, and this is so that we may turn from our evil ways to God's ways. If you have children you may have told them not to do something. Now they may not have even thought about doing what you had told them to not do, but since you had put it in their head not to do it, they thought about it, and because they are vulnerable children they were easily tempted to do that which you told them not to do. Paul describes this in Romans 7:7-12, when he says:

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

1 Corinthians 5:11

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

Homosexual practices are sexually immoral. Paul teaches to not associate with others that indulge in a life of sin, so that you do not fall into the same practices. Everyone as a Christian is vulnerable to sin. Satan wants you to sin, because not only can it ruin your life, or your families lives, but it gives the Christ, and the Church, a bad name. People are patiently waiting and are quick today to point a finger at Christians and scream hypocrite.

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

Paul not only teaches against sexual immorality but he teaches to flee from it. Many people try to control their urges when being tempted heavily, because the pride in them won't allow them to run because they think they are giving up. But run isn't giving up, it is a strategy in spiritual warfare. Sometimes you need to know when to run.

Your body is the temple of the holy spirit, and anything you do against it you do to harm the temple of God's spirit that lives in you. Not only is the act of homosexuality a sin against your body, that was created in the image of God, but the lust involved is damaging to your heart, mind, spirit, and soul. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:27-30 that lusting after a woman is adultery in your heart and is a sin. So, likewise, lusting after a person of the same sex has the same damaging sinful effects. He also teaches to separate yourself from the things that cause you to sin.

1 Corinthians 6:9

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

This verse speaks for itself. Those who are sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God, and that include those who indulge in homosexual practices.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Notice that adultery is mentioned separate from sexual immorality. Laws about the sexually immoral practices are listed in Leviticus 18. Several different forms of incest, homosexuality, and sex with animals are listed. Marriage in God's eyes is between a man and a women. That is how HE DESIGNED it to be. To think that two people of the same sex can get married is like refusing God's design, and God himself. He created us to pro-create, and to fill the Earth. You need a man and a woman for that.

Revelation 21:8

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

This is the punishment that has been written about for millennia. You can choose to accept it or not. You make your choice by the way that you live your life. Whether you choose to believe it or not, do you want to take that chance? The Lord is always waiting with open arms for those in sin to repent and turn towards Him. He is always an ever present help in times of trouble. All sin separates us from God and He wants you to repent, and to acknowledge Him. Homosexual conduct is just one sexually immoral behavior that is unacceptable to God. To continue down ANY sexually immoral path will separate you from God.

Conclusion

So, to end, I would like to bring up the argument about the gay gene. People argue that they are born gay, or homosexual. A person can make their own choice about anything even if their body or mind urges them otherwise. God has certainly given us the right to choose for ourselves. If a straight man, or woman, can resist temptation and lust after the opposite sex, a "gay" person can do the same. Second, we receive traits from genes passed down from our parents, grandparents and so on. If your father was an alcoholic, then he may pass that genetic trait down to you. That does not mean that you are born an alcoholic, it means that you are more susceptible to becoming an alcoholic if you drink. So if you stay away from alcohol, you won't become an alcoholic, likewise with homosexuality. Also, in God's eyes, homosexuality is not a way of life as it is seen today in the modern world. As stated earlier, homosexuality as viewed by God is the act of physically having sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex. In the end it is what is right in God's eyes that matters, not your own. Although there is no specific "gay gene", there are cases where hormonal imbalances can play a part in someone's sexual attraction, and in some of these cases it could be because of a genetic defect. These cases are not proof of a gay gene, and are the cause of something anomalous, and a defect in God's design. We don't know what causes these defects, but hormonal therapy has corrected such instances, even causing people who have claimed to be "gay" to revert back to a heterosexual lifestyle. There is also the possibility that sexual abuse at a young age may cause homosexual behaviors later in adulthood, but there has not been much study about the subject. In the scientific world, there is no single known cause for homosexual behavior, and it is speculated that there may be many driving factors, such as hormonal, lifestyle, or genetic issues that cause such behavior. In the end, according to them, they just don't know. It is more likely that they just don't want to study it further, because that they will have to admit that it is a mental issue, and a sexual perversion, in most cases. Do so could destroy years of political gains from civil rights rights activists. It could also cause many people to be unfairly discriminated against. The issue with these movements, though, is that they have opened up a can of worms, and paved the way for other, more absurd and perverted movements. Transsexuals, and pedophiles are now fighting for "rights", and the world is bending their knee to them. Finally, it is your God given right to choose for yourself, and for all those who want to be free from sin, and guilt, in this life and when they stand before God, let them be delivered by the grace of God through Christ's redeeming sacrifice. All those that choose Christ are given a new hope. Everyone, before they came to know Christ, were broken or deep in some kind of sin. All who say that they weren't are liars or blind to their own sin. Paul writes referring to the redemption and cleansing from such past sins in 1 Corinthians 6:11.

1Corinthians 6:11

-And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

3It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

IDOLATRY

Idolatry is mostly associated with pagan religions. People who make and worship fake gods out of wood, stone, silver, and gold, or other material things. This isn’t widely practiced in the world today, or so you might think. How many people have possessions, or material things, that they put first in their heart before God? Whatever is first in your heart is your god. For some people it's Television, food, games, money, drugs, cars, or sports. Not all of these thing are entirely bad on their own, but when you become obsessed, you begin to live your life for them. They become your master and have control over you. God wants you to put him first in your heart, even before yourself. Jesus Christ said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Psalm 135:15-18

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 17 they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

This fits in with Isaiah 6:9-10, when God says “Go and tell this people: be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.” Many people are like this; so caught up in the world, and themselves, that they can‘t believe in God because it is as if they are deaf and blind to what God shows them and tells them. They tune him out as if it is their own conscience, and when they see a miracle they believe it to be a mere coincidence.

Isaiah 46:5-9

5 “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? 6 Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god and they bow down and worship it. 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. 8 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and their is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”

There is only one God and only He will answer you. Many people cry out in prayer seeking his hand, trying to get what they want. If they don’t get what they want, they dismiss God in their life, and say that He doesn’t exist because He didn’t answer their prayer. Instead you are to seek his face first. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus gives the sermon on the mount, Jesus says, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Would you appreciate it if your so-called friends only sought you out when they want you for something? They wouldn't really be your friends then, would they? Neither does God want to be looked at in such a way. He wants you to search for Him. In Jeremiah 29:13 God says, "If you search for me with all of your heart, you will find me."

Acts 17:29-30

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone image made by man’s design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

Imagine having a child that hates you for not giving them everything they want. A child that rebukes you and runs off and lives an evil life, never appreciating what you did for them. Don't treat God in such a way. He wants you to come to Him, and the way to Him is through Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:21-25

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.

God can’t force you to love him or to obey him, so when you harden your hear, and turn away from him, sometimes, He hands you over to your desires. This means learning a lesson the hard way, and sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, but he is always there to pick you up and heal you if you humbly return to him and repent of your ways.

1 Corinthians 10:14

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

It is when we think we are strongest when we let our guard down. When things are going good we tend to loosen our belts and lack a little in faith and self control. This is when Satan comes at us and gets a foothold on us. Be careful even when things are going well in your life, be on guard, be faithful in prayer, and focus on God’s will, and keep him first in your heart. In the past, Idolatry was a big temptation for the Jews. They worshipped a God who they could not see, but here were all these other religions that worshipped things that they could see. They constantly fell into the sin of idolatry, even Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man on Earth. Don't let temptation lead you into a lifestyle that causes you to put material things first in your heart.

JUDGING OTHERS

Everyone hates to be judged, and most are quick to point fingers at others. Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ must be careful in obeying his commands, as well as, be careful how one displays his/her self in the world. We are here to represent Christ, our Lord, and to be a light to the world, as He was. The world waits for the Lord's followers to stumble, so that they can point their finger, and they throw the word hypocrite around so lightly that they don't even see their own hypocrisy in doing so.

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you- 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

(We are quick to point fingers, and quick to fight back, when others offend us. But if we take the time to examine ourselves, and what we have done, we will see that we have often offended others too. So forgive as you yourself have been forgiven. A man's wisdom gives him patience, it is to his glory to overlook an offense.)

Matthew 7:1-6

1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 22 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

( Jesus is not saying that you can not judge others. What he is saying is to be careful when you do judge others, because if you are full of the same sin, then you are only heaping judgement on yourself, as well as being a hypocrite. If you judge someone of the same sin that you comment, you condemn yourself, and will be judged by God in the same manner that you judge others. This also does not mean that you can not judge someone for a sin that you have repented from. A drunkard can not help another drunk out of his sin, but someone that has repented from drunkenness can. Do not let someone call you a hypocrite for casting judgement on someone who is neck deep in sin, when you have repented from your sin. Jesus said," first remove the speck of sawdust from your eye and then you will see clearly to help your brother." We are called to help everyone. If we see someone heading down the wrong path that leads to death, we have a duty to let them know, and to help them, if we are able.)

Luke 6:37

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

(In the gospel of Matthew when Jesus gives the sermon on the mount he says, "If you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly father will forgive you of your sins. If you do not forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly father will not forgive you of your sins. Similarly, here, Luke wrote that Jesus taught that if you do not judge, or condemn, others, you will not be judged or condemned. Not that it is wrong to do so, but if you do judge and condemn others, you had better not be living in sin, or you only head judgment and condemnation on your self from God. Another thing is, that God has already made the judgement, for sins, for us. We know where all sin leads. To eternal torment. So stop sinning, and help others to stop as well. When you help others, you are not judging them, but if they reject your help, God judges them.)

John 7:24

24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.

(Don't judge a book by the cover. Look at what is inside of a person rather than what they look like. God is not like man who judges by appearances, but instead he looks at the heart of a man. It is written "Be imitators of God.")

Romans 2:1-3

1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

( Everyone will be judged in the end. No one will escape. Be sure not to judge others. Ask for forgiveness and turn away from judging others.)

Romans 14:9-13

9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written:

"'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.'"

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

(You must be careful when making a judgement about others because you may cause them to stumble. They may become discouraged, or completely give up the way, and lose faith. Maybe you have been a victim of wrongful judgment. Don't give up and don't let someone else's judgment get you down, keep striving to get ahead. Judgment does not mean kicking someone when they are down, it means revealing their sin to them, letting them know the end result of that sin(eternal torment/death/separation from God), and then helping them to repentance through the way of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers? 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.

( In the end the saints will bear witness and judge the world, with Christ. Just as our courts have witnesses, and jury, and judge, so it will be in heaven in the end, on judgement day.)

JUDGMENT DAY

Just because you ask Jesus into your life does not mean you are saved. It is not those who hear the word that are saved, but those who hear the word and obey. You must fully repent, and put your faith (trust and obedience), in Jesus' teachings. Jesus said, “It is to my fathers glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? 23 Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

(Many people believe that they can go to Heaven by doing good works. In every other religion, they teach good deeds for salvation. Christianity (New covenant Judaism) is the only religion that teaches that you are saved just by believing (faith), and being born again (baptized by the Holy Spirit). What comes after that though is good fruit (good deeds). You can be sure that if someone tells you, "I believe that I am good, so I will go to Heaven," they probably are not following Christ. If you follow the Lord for part of your life, and return to a life of sin, you will not be saved from Hell. You must endure till the end of your life. Ezekiel 33 paints a pretty clear picture of this.)

Matthew 25:31-46

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven , nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Acts 17:31

31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

(Jesus will sit in the judgment seat, and with His saints, He will judge the world.)

Acts 24:15

15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

(In Daniel 12:2 it is written "multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and contempt.)

2 Corinthians 5:10

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

(Those who have done what is good will be blessed, and those who have done evil will be punished. Do not be confused about what is good. Just because You think that you are good doesn't mean that you are. Most people want to do what is good, but selfish desires usually lead them to do good for selfish reasons. Jesus said that without Him, no one can bear good fruit. He is the true vine. He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no way to the Father except by through Him.)

Revelation 6:9-11

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

(Before judgment can come,, the right number of saints to be persecuted must take place, for God's wrath to be full. God has set times and dates, and He has drawn a line that when crossed, He will begin to display his full wrath and judgment upon the Earth.)

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it , and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

(Not just men and women, but all of the fallen angels will be judged. Even those in Hell will be pulled out of torment to be judged. The book of life is the book of those who will be saved, those who were baptized by the Holy spirit and lived in Christ's way. The book of life is also mentioned in Exodus 32:32-33 and in Revelation 3:5.)

MARRIAGE

Just as we are made one with our spouse through marriage, we are made one with God through faith, and so, we should treat our relationship with our spouse the same as we treat our fellowship with God. As we honor God, and walk in obedience, love, and respect, we should do the same with our spouse. Just as we do with the Lord, we should not put any worldly desires or possessions before our spouse. Also, just as we frequently pray to the Lord, thanking Him, and telling Him of our love for Him, we should do the same with our spouse.

Genesis 2:22-24

22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman, and this is from God. Also, "the two will become one flesh" either means, to have intercourse, or to have a child, or possibly both. Having a child is physically two people becoming one flesh.

Malachi 2:15-16

15 Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. 16 “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,” says the Lord Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.

God made us in His image. One way that we are like Him is that we are able to give life, and father children, just as He gives life and fathers us. God does not give up on us. He calls to us throughout our whole life. Even if we turn away from Him He does not "Divorce" us. He continues calling and turning us away from sin. He did the same with the nation of Israel, and we should follow such an example with our spouse. If we take up our divorce with Him and die in our sin, never to have fully repented, then we deserve the second death that is prepared for the unbelievers.

Matthew 19:3-12

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” 4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘ made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 7 “Why then," they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Marriage and divorce is often looked upon lightly. Divorce has become a common practice, and for reasons that could easily be avoided. Marriage is a big commitment. It is not something to be thrown away so easily when trouble arises. Marriage may be good at the beginning, but like any other relationship it has bumpy roads that take loving teamwork to get through.

Matthew 22:30

30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

In the beginning God saw that man was alone and needed a companion, but in the resurrection, we be with God, not needing a companion. Since Christ died for our sins, we are given God's holy spirit to guide us to a day when we will live with God and will be in His presence forever.

Romans 7:2-3

2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

“As long as you both shall live, till death do you part,” comes right before the “I DO” but so many people in the world today aren’t living up to that. People are divorcing very often today. We need to remember how to forgive, and work together with our spouses. Couples seem to give up when things get tough. Each spouse must be submissive to Go, and work together in faith. The closer each spouse gets to God, the closer the two will come to each other. This is the binding power of God’s love.

1 Corinthians 7:1-16

1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say; It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Just as we are made one with Christ, and faithful living makes us Holy, so does a Christian spouse make the other holy.

1 Corinthians 7:27-28

27 Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

The apostle Paul speaks this way about marriage because he says that the unmarried are concerned about the Lord’s affairs, but the married are concerned about the affairs of this world-how he can please his wife, or how the wife can please the husband. Many of us have marriage drilled into our heads from our youth. That the right way to live is to go to school, get a good job, get married, have children, and eventually die. This way is not sinful, but the best way to live is to give yourself fully to God. The only way to do that is to not get married. Once you get married and have children, you will have to sacrifice some of your relationship with God for your wife and children. Although, by having a wife and children, you will learn to become more godly. You will learn to respect God more, and understand what God has to deal with.

Ephesians 5:22-33

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-30 For we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Hebrew 13:4

4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

This is not only talking about adultery, but also all of the impure things that couples do together in bed. The perversions and fetishes that some couples indulge in, even if you are married, are wrong and sexually immoral. Sex was given for procreation, and the pleasure that God hardwired us with, when we have sex, was insurance that we would have sex to "fill the Earth", just as he commanded. Relationships were not meant to revolve around sex as so many do today.

1 Peter 3:1-7

1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and so not give way to fear. 7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Although what first attracts us to the opposite sex is physical appearance, try to judge by another's inward appearance, their character, before judging them by their outward appearance. Just because a woman is very beautiful, wears nice clothes, and wears jewelry, does not mean she has a good heart or is godly. She may not be "marriage material" as some would say. She could be completely shallow and vain. The same rules apply for men.

REPENTANCE

Sometimes it feels as if you climb all the way up the ladder into God’s blessings, and then you sin, and everything falls apart. It feels as if you are trapped and you beg God for mercy and forgiveness. It may even feel as if God has abandoned you and is not listening. But you never really turn from your sins, because you are trapped, and the more you think you are standing, you are really falling. You start to become confused, and blind, and you panic as if there is no way out. Have faith, God is waiting for you to repent from your ways. Indeed, God does forgive your sins, but until you repent (turn from your sins and follow the Lord) you will grieve the Holy spirit and lose fellowship with God, and with Jesus Christ our Lord. This is that horrible feeling, that is beyond a natural guilt. It is the feeling of being torn away from God.

When you fall down do you not get back up again? So get back up no matter how many times you fall down, for it is not until you stay down that you have given up. This shows your perseverance. God will show you mercy, will heal you, and will help you get back up. You will gain wisdom from your experience, and you will become stronger.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3

1 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, 2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.

When you return to the Lord and obey him he will restore all things back to you. It is written, “It is not those who hear the word that are saved, but those who hear the word and obey it.”

Psalm 66:16-20

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

You can’t hide your sins from God. You may ask for forgiveness but if you still have intentions to continue sinning God will not listen, because you are lying to him and he is a just God. Be sincere, do not come to the Lord asking for forgiveness with false intentions.

Ezekiel 33:11

11 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?”

Believe it or not, God is not a god constantly dispersing his wrath as some think of Him. It is true that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but you must remember that he not only loves you, but that He IS love. He gives everyone time according to his will and He knows best. He cannot make you love Him but he gives everyone the chance to love Him in this life.

Hosea 6:1-3

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

It is written that the Lord disciplines the ones He loves. When you sin he may discipline you to make you aware and to turn from you ways before you stray away from Him and become deeply involved in sin.

Hosea 14:1-3

1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

God is seeking repentance. Just as disaster can come in a day, so can healing. As soon as you sincerely repent, He is waiting there to heal your wounds and care for you.

Malachi 3:7

7 “ Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you,” says the Lord almighty.

Matthew 3:8

8 “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23.

Mark 1:15

15 “The time has come,” he said, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Acts 20:21

21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Hebrew 4:14-16

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Because Jesus suffered he is there to help others who suffer if they put their faith in him. He is our shepherd and king, and the Father Almighty has given Him all authority over Heaven and Earth.

SIN

Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is the breaking of God’s law. Paul says that no man can be saved by obeying the law, and that law makes us conscious of our sins. It is by faith in the death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus Christ that we are saved. By grace through faith we are baptized and sanctified by the Holy spirit. It is then when we are born again. By trusting and obeying the will of God we are given assurance of our salvation.

Mathew 5:19

19 “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven.

People tend to try to pressure others to join them in their way of life. Society calls this peer pressure. People give into peer pressure usually because they want friends, or want to be part of "the crowd". Sex, drugs, and drinking alcohol are probably the most common sins that people are pressured into taking part of. Once entangled in the evil ways of the world, temptation holds onto you, and won't let go, but those that trust in the Lord are given a way out when temptation comes.

Mathew 18:7-9

7 “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, 8 cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

This does not mean that you should literally dismember yourself. It means that you should flee from sin that you are not strong enough to overcome head on. If your friends cause you to sin, cut yourself off from them. If television causes you to sin, cut yourself off from it. If your cell phone causes you to sin, cut yourself off from it. If your computer causes you to sin, cut yourself off from it. If a bar causes you to sin, cut yourself off from it. Cut yourself off from everything that causes you to sin.

Mark 3:28-29

28 “I tell you the truth, all sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29 But whoever blasphemies against the holy spirit will never be forgiven: he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

The teachers of the law called the power by which Jesus did miracles evil. They denied that the Holy spirit's power was at work, and called Him evil. This was the blasphemy that Jesus was talking about. If you deny the Holy spirit’s power and existence then you cannot be born again. And without being born again you can not be saved, and would therefore be doomed to Hell.

Mark 7:15

15 Nothing outside a man can make him “unclean” by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.

Jews believed that by eating unclean food, a man was made unclean. Of course, a man eating unclean food could become sick, but they won't make a man spiritually unclean. Much of the laws made about eating "unclean" animals was to protect the people from eating disease infected animals and getting sick. Almost 2/3 of all diseases that humans contract, come from animals, and most of the animals written in the law that the Jews followed are some of the most disease ridden animals that we know of.

Mark 7:20-23

20 He went on: “what comes out of a man is what makes him “unclean”. 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make man “unclean.”

Jesus explains that man is made unclean because of what he does, or speaks, from what he builds up in his heart. Any one of the mentioned evils stated by Jesus is what makes a person unclean. Evil people become contagious, causing others to fall into the same kinds of evil that they commit, but Love, and the other "fruits of the spirit", are also contagious, and that is why it is taught to bear good fruit.

Mark 9:42-43

42 “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

How often do adults teach their children to curse just because they think it is funny. Then they turn around and punish them later on, when they are older, when they hear them cursing. Something that seems so harmless can turn into something big and pollute a child's mind, causing a domino effect of corruption. Children are easily impressed upon, and can be corrupted with little effort. Their mind soaks up information like a sponge, and if they soak up sinful information then they could turn out to be an sinful person. Always watch what you do and say around children, and keep an eye on the things that they watch on tv and their phone.

John 5:14

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

Once the Lord heals you, do not fall back into sin, or your condition may become worse than before. Before you knew the Lord, you lived in a lower worldly state of sinfulness, but when you called on the name of the Lord, He picked you up and you were lifted above the world. If you should fall into sin again, you fall from a high place, and your fall may cripple you spiritually. So be careful to obey the Lord and to not fall back into a life of sin. If you should begin to backslide, repent quickly, and cut yourself off from whatever is causing you to backslide.

Romans 3:20

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin.

The law only makes us conscious of what is wrong, and is there to help guide us in a straight path.

Romans 6:11-14

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

So many people are stuck in a back-and-forth tug between sin and holiness, until one side wins. Remember that your body is the temple of the Holy spirit of God. Do not treat it as unholy. Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." No longer do we worship God with rituals, and animal sacrifices. We worship by giving ourselves fully to God in obedience, by repenting of our sinful nature and baring good fruit.

Romans 13:13-14

13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to glorify the desires of the sinful nature.

Most people live selfish lives, looking to fulfill their own selfish desires, to appease their fleshly appetite. As children of God, we are to hand over our own selfish desires for what God desires for us. Do not look to serve yourself, but instead serve God by serving others.

1 Peter 4:3-5

3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

When you give up your old ways of living, you may have to give up your friends and possibly even some, or all, of your family, if they live a life full of sin. It will be hard for them to understand why you won't "party" with them or participate in the activities that they do. In their eyes, they are not doing anything wrong, but after becoming a Christian, you cannot live from your own perspective anymore. You must live a life from God's perspective. You must look at life from His eyes. From His point of view.

1 John 3:4-6

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appears so that he might take away our sins. And in him no sin is found. 6 No one who lives in him keeps sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

If you are born again and you sin, you will grieve the holy spirit. You will experience guilt and shame like you have never felt before. This guilt will lead you to repentance. You must keep with repentance throughout your whole Christian life, or you will only make your condition worse. If you sin, never to repent again, then you have denied what was given to you, and you will no longer be saved. Paul wrote in Romans 2:13, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." and Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me ‘lord, lord’ will be saved but only those who do the will of my father in heaven.” and again In John 14:23 He said, “ If anyone loves me he will obey my teachings. My father will love him and we will come and make our home with him.” and lastly, in Matthew 7:19, “ Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Many people will argue against this but the fact is that if you ask Jesus into your life and leave it at that, and never repent of your ways, and never obey Jesus' teachings, you are still destined for hell.

TESTS & TRIALS

Sometimes, it seems as if everything is going wrong in life, but don't lose heart. The hardships that you endure in life may be tests or trials given by God to build you up. God tests us in different ways, to “refine us in the fire”, to make us stronger in faith, and to prove that our faith in him is genuine. The more you stand through these tests and trials, the more understanding and strength you will have in Christ. Satan also has power to test us by tempting us. His aim is not to build us up or make us stronger though. Satan's goal is to separate us from God through sin. You can see how Satan tests others in the book of Job, and Jesus Christ even tells Peter, “ Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32).

Psalm 66:8-12

8 Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

You may have to go to prison for Christ, be insulted, or face other kinds of humiliations and persecutions. Standing faithful is what makes you stronger and brings you closer to God. And don't forget that passing a test does not go unrewarded. Though your reward will be spiritual, and heavenward.

Isaiah 48:9-11

9 For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. 10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.

Here, God is talking. He is testing Israel in the "furnace of affliction" (punishing them) for turning to Idols. Even though Israel does not deserve it, God is showing His love because He wants them to come back to him for His sake, His glory, and praise. That He may fulfill his plans through His holy people.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

The more effort you put into becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, by putting your faith in him, the stronger you will be. You will be ready for even the toughest of trials from God, and you will stand strong during the worst temptations that Satan, and the world, have to offer. Gold, silver, and costly stones will build a beautiful house and would be much harder to burn down, but a house built of wood, hay, or straw, are much cheaper materials, worth less, and would burn up much easier. Do not lack faith, but enter discipleship with all you have. It takes a long time to build a house, but it can burn down within an hour. It is the same with all relationship, including your relationship with God. It may take a long time to build up a relationship, but you can burn bridges, and lose trust with others, in an instance if you are an unfaithful friend, spouse, or Christian.

1 Peter 1:6-7

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Give your whole heart to the Lord. If you are lacking, and weak, in one area, ask Him to strengthen you in that area. You can be sure that He will test you in your weak areas to make you stronger. For instance, don't expect to just magically wake up with a heroic amount of patience just because you ask God for more patience in life the night before. Instead, be ready for tests and trials that God will use to build up and teach you patience. That is how God works. He is a father, and teaches His children like a father.

1 Peter 4:12-14

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you, 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Many times it feels too hard to stand the trials in life, but remember that if you are suffering for Christ's sake, then you will share in the kingdom of God with Christ. Think of the joy that comes after suffering instead of asking, "Why is this happening to me?"

1 Peter 5:8-11

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Remember that no matter what you are going through right now, someone is going through, has gone through, or is going through something worse, somewhere in the world. Think of the less fortunate, count your blessings, and give thanks to God for what you do have. So many people around the world have much less than what you have right now. We sometimes begin to look at the glass half empty instead of half full.

Anger

Abortion

Discipline & Wrath

Heaven

Angels

Hell

Who is God?

Satan

Hypocrisy

Homosexuality

Idolatry

Judging Others

Judgment Day

Marriage

Repentance

Sin

Tests & Trials

The HolyTrinity

THE HOLY TRINITY

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Who is who? If there is only one God, then how are there three of them? Are they all one? All of these questions can easily be answered by studying scripture. We will take a look at these questions asked, then look how the alleged three godheads work together, and finally break each one down and give a more detailed explanation about “who is who”.

If there is only one God, how are there three of them?

The holy trinity is not one being of three, but rather 3 beings that ultimately work together as one. If it is hard for you to understand the concept of “three” being “one”, let me give you a few analogies to help. You can think of it in terms of body, spirit, and soul. We have a body, a spirit and a soul, but we are one person. Typically, the word spirit means "mind". So we have a Body and a soul that works with the same mind, just as God the father, and Jesus Christ are of one mind. Another commonly used, it the water analogy? Water can be a solid, a liquid, and a gas, but it is still water. Water can even hold a two state phase as a solid and a gas at the same time. What about an Atom? It is made up of three parts that act together as one. And last, look at a clover. It has three leaves, but is all part of the same stem. There are many more analogies that can help you understand the Holy Trinity. Maybe you can think of some yourself.

Understanding God is like understanding an iceberg. You only see the tip, but to understand how big it really is, you have to go deep. It’s hard to see God when we are so caught up in our own reality. We are not capable of understanding God’s will and reason when we only see a little bit of who He is.

Is one greater than the other?

Yes, and according to scripture there is only one god, God the Father. He has supreme authority. He is sovereign. He gives as he decides. Jesus says that only the father knows the appointed time for the end (Matthew 24:36). Jesus even shows that the Father is greater than him (John 10:29). It is the Father that has given Jesus the Christ authority and power (Daniel 7:13-14). The Father is even spoken of as being the God of Jesus.

Here are several passages of scripture pertaining to The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Read them and decide for yourself what to believe.

Mark 9:7

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

According to scripture, God calls Jesus His son. God commands us to obey Jesus. To disobey Jesus' teachings is to disobey God. According to New Testament scripture, the only way to KNOW the Father is through the son. So we can discover God through Christ. That was the whole reason that Jesus was sent. To be the way to God.

Acts 5:30-32

30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead-whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

According to New Testament scripture, if we obey God, He sends us the Holy Spirit as a witness and to counsel us in life. So how do we obey God? It is pretty clear, according to scripture, that we must first believe that Jesus is the Christ spoken of in Old Testament scripture. If you believe in Jesus you must also obey what he teaches.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

God has put the Holy Spirit as a deposit on us. If we obey, and submit to, God, we receive His Holy spirit. When given a deposit, God expects a return in the end. If you do nothing with the gift given to you, and turn away from God again, you end up worse off than you were before. Jesus tells a parable demonstrating this deposit and what happens if you do nothing with it. It is call the parable of the talents and is found in Matthew 25:14-30

Revelation 1:4-5

4 John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Him who is, who was, and is to come is the Father. The seven spirits is the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is spoken of in the person. All three persons are spoken of in the book of Revelation as three separate persons.

Revelation 7:10

10And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Another reference to two of the Holy Trinity. The Father is mentioned as sitting on a throne, showing that He is above all in authority. Jesus is also mentioned as the lamb because he was the atonement sacrifice for humanity. Even though Jesus is the one who suffered, look how it is mentioned that salvation not only belongs to him but also to God. This is because God gave Jesus as a sacrifice. God the Father is the one and only true God over all, even over Jesus the Christ.

Ezekiel 37:11

11 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley: it was full of bones.

The Holy Spirit was not a new or strange teaching that suddenly appeared when Jesus did. Many times OT scripture speaks of a person being full of the Spirit, or having the Spirit of God rest/dwell on/in them, meaning the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel was given a vision, and God's Holy Spirit was involved. God's Spirit was not given in fullness to the world until there was a proper sacrifice for sin, and that sacrifice was the Christ. Now God gives His spirit out freely because of this sacrifice.

Daniel 7:13-14

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of man according to the Gospels. This is to refer others back to this passage showing that He is the Messiah, and the one given authority, glory, and sovereign power, and even the right to be worshipped/served.

Zechariah 10:12

12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will walk, declares the Lord.-

Here, the father is speaking. It is similar to psalm 110:1 when David writes, "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand-" but in this passage the Father declares that His people will walk in the Lord's name, meaning Jesus the Messiah.

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Jesus is called the word of God. Not only was he the word of God, but He was God, and through Him the Father created the universe. In as much the same way that a man marries a woman and, through her, life is given. Jesus was Here since the beginning. He wasn't just the first resurrected, he was the first created, and through him, God created everything. Jesus was the word of God. When you speak, isn't it your voice, that is part of you, being heard? Your voice is not separate from your mind. It is the extension of your thoughts and mind.

Acts 10:36-43

36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen-by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Matthew 10:19-20

19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Through prayer, obedience, and humble submission to God, you will learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit. He speaks to your heart, and will teach you, and lead you in God's ways through life.

John 10:14-18

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

The other sheep that are not of this pen are the others around the world, the gentiles, who will receive Jesus as the Messiah. God used to be closed up in a Jewish temple, figuratively speaking, in Jerusalem, where people had to travel to worship him by bringing animal sacrifices. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, there is no need for that, and the temple was ultimately destroyed. We are now temples for the Holy Spirit to reside in, and we can freely worship God anywhere. Our sacrifice is our self in submission to what God wills for our life.

John 10:25-30

25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus not only shows that God is above all, but he also shows that God has given him all authority to begin his kingdom through his “sheep” on earth. This parallels with Daniel chapter 7.

John 15:26

26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

Anyone who has received God's Holy Spirit knows Jesus is Lord. It is as if you become one with the Lord, with Jesus, and with the Father, just as Jesus and the Father are one.

John 16:13-15

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

There is wisdom and knowledge that comes from God. Wisdom that we cannot grasp without understanding from the Holy Spirit. Many people say that Christians are closed minded, but honestly, Christians are open minded and full of understanding from God. Christians are seen as closed minded because they won’t divert from the straight and narrow path that God wants us to follow. But isn't it the same for those on the other side of the argument? They refuse to divert from their ways to God's

John 17:1:5

1 “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in the presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

At the end of this passage Jesus speaks of the glory that he had before the world began. Proverbs 8:12-36 speaks of such glory.

1 Peter 1:2

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Again, all three of the trinity are spoken of here. Peter was one of the closest to Jesus. Who better that to believe than him.

1 Peter 3:21-22

21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand-with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Many believe that you cannot be saved unless you are baptized with water. You need only to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. As stated in this passage, baptism is an outward pledge of a good conscience toward God. Baptism usually takes place before other believers.

Revelation 1:4-5

GOD THE FATHER

Let’s take a closer look at who God the Father is. The Father is the beginning of all. He is the authority above all, and His will is above all. He is spoken of as the Most High, The Ancient of Days, Jehovah, and God. He is the one true God, and is even mentioned as the God of Jesus. Jesus himself states that the father is greater than all, according to John 10:27-29, and is even greater than himself, in Matthew 24:36. Jesus states that the Father and he are one. He is not saying that he is God (the father), but the son of God, and he clears this up in verse 36 if you keep reading. They are one in will, in mind, and in spirit, but a father is always over his son in Authority. Scripture describes the essence of God as three things: God is Love (1 John 4:16), God is Spirit (John 4:24), and God is Light (1 John 1:5). Scripture describes God as having supernatural attributes which are: Omniscient (all-knowing, 1 John 3:20), Omnipresent ( all-present, psalm 139:7-12), Omnipotent (all-powerful, Numbers 11:23, Matthew 19:26). Both his Essence and attributes are in sync, in that, God is all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful in love, spirit, and light. God also has natural attributes, that stem from his love, which we can not only relate to, but also possess ourselves, since we were created in His image. God is: merciful (Jeremiah 3:12), faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), kind (psalm 25:8), joy (1 chronicles 16:27), patient/slow to anger (psalm 86:15), peace (Philippians 4:7), forgiving (Psalm 86:5), and perfect (Matthew 5:48) in all of these ways.

John 10:27-29

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Jesus’ authority and power came from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. Only the Father knows the time of the end of all things, not even Jesus knows. Jesus states this himself in Matthew 24:36.

Matthew 24:36

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Scripture reveals God’s character to us. In fact, God’s character is revealed to us, in us. A lot of how we act, and feel, is a reflection of God's own character. He created us in His image, and His likeness. Understanding God will help us to understand how we were made to be. So, to find ones true self, you must find God. Let’s begin to study some scripture that pertains to God’s character. You may find that you thought about God wrong all along.

Psalm 68:5

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widow, is God in his holy dwelling.

God is a defender for the weak. God is Love and reveals Himself to those who love Him. Just like a father shows love to his child, so God wants to reveal His love to you.

Psalm 68:19-20

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. 20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

True faith has trust. If you have faith in the Lord, you do not need to worry about the burdens of this world. If you follow all his commands, and keep him first in your heart, then you are in his grace, and nothing can snatch you out of his hand.

Psalm 75:2-52

You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. 3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. 4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. 5 do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched necks.’”

God must judge and punish justly. To withhold punishment would be unjust. Just like a father punishes his children, so God deals with the world.

Psalm 86:5-10

5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. 9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name, 10 for you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

God is forgiving, good, abounding in love, and merciful. He hears you, even when you think He is not listening. Imagine how much God must have on His plate all day every day.

Psalm 86:15

15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 89:14

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 89:30-33

30 “If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

Do not despise the Lord if He punishes you. He does it to teach you, to turn you from your ways. Don’t forget that He still loves you. So many times it feels like everything is against us in life. Like we are being punished. Look for a lesson when you are suffering, and focus on what God may be trying to teach you, or where He may be trying to lead you.

Joel 2:13

13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

God is patient with us. He gave over 400 years for the Canaanites to repent, while the Israelites were in Egypt. Then he brought judgment upon them. Turn quickly when you feel convicted in your heart because God does not want to have to punish you.

Micah 5:15

15 “I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me.”

In the end if you fail to repent, and deliberately disobey the Lord, He will bring his wrath upon you. The Lord may be slow to anger, but when he is angered, it will be just as a parent who has had all they could stand of a rebellious child. All of his punishment will be poured out at once.

Nahum 1:2-32

Nahum 1:7

7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

Malachi 3:6

6 “I the Lord do not change.-

Many think that God has changed His means of punishment because Jesus died for us, but He is still the same today that He was in the "Old Testament days". Even then he was a forgiving, merciful, faithful, and righteous God. Jesus died so that we might have fellowship with God. This brings us to the next section where we will learn more about Jesus the Christ, and son of God, the father.

God the Father

Jesus The Messiah

JESUS THE MESSIAH

Jesus is known as the Christ/Messiah, the anointed one of God. The Christ, or Messiah if you prefer, was spoken of many times in Old Testament scripture, and there is prophecy after prophecy of his coming. The Jewish people long awaited his coming, but what they got was not what they were expecting. Those who knew Jesus best were his disciples, and his apostles. One of the best known apostles was John, the author of the gospel of John. At the beginning of his gospel, John sheds light on who Jesus was before he became man.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus is called the son of God, but he frequently refers to himself throughout scripture as the son of man. This is a reference to Daniel 7:13-14 which is an Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming Messiah and His kingdom.

Daniel 7:13-14

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man (This is Jesus), coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (The Ancient of Days is the Heavenly Father whom Jesus refers to when speaking about God. Also, see Isaiah 43:13 where the Father refers to Himself as the one from ancient days) and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him (the word translated to "worshipped" here is "pelach" and means: to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence to). His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Daniel’s vision was pretty straight forward. The Christ was to come, and the F gives him authority over all living things on earth. He establishes a kingdom, and it lasts forever. Seem familiar? Jesus didn’t even lift a finger in violence to subdue the Earth to begin his kingdom. He came as the least and poorest among men, and now Christianity is the largest religion in the world. It has conquered nations, kings and queens, men, women, and children.

So, we see that Jesus referred to himself as the son of man as a reference to the vision of Daniel, but does that really mean he was the Messiah? Well, let's skip ahead a couple of chapters to Daniel 9, and look at one of the most amazing prophecies that undoubtedly pins Jesus as the Messiah. In Daniel 9:20-27 we read:

20I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain.

21As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.

22He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding.

23The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

24“A period of seventy sets of sevens (Seventy seven year periods, or 490 years) has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

25Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus (49 years) sixty-two sets of seven (434 years) will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One (Messiah) comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.

26“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven (434 years), the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple (The second temple was destroyed in 70AD). The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.

27The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

So, we see that the Messiah had to come and be put to death before the second temple was destroyed (verse 26). We know Jesus came before the second temple was destroyed. These verses also tell us WHEN he was going to come and be put to death. Before we begin calculating, we have to remember that in Daniels time they used a lunar calendar which means their years were 360 days, unlike our modern calendar which consists of 365 days. So, in verse 25 we see that a decree to rebuild Jerusalem will be given, then 484 years will pass, and then the Messiah will come. It doesn't get any clearer than that. Daniel's prophecy gives us the exact date of the Messiah's coming. Concerning the 483 years, we have to remember that these are 360 day years, so when we multiply 483 years x 360 days we get 173,880 days. If we then divide that by our years, or 365 days, we get 476 years and 25 days. Now that we have the correct time period according to our calendar, we can calculate when the Messiah was to come. According to Nehemiah 2:1-8 King Artaxerxes gave a decree to Nehemiah in the twentieth year of the month of Nisan to return to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the holy city. In Ezra Chapter 7 we also see that King Artaxerxes gives a decree for the Israelites to return to Jerusalem. Both accounts given in Nehemiah and Ezra happen around the middle of the 5th century. The most accepted date for Nehemiah is 445-444BC according to our calendar. If we subtract 476 years, given in Daniel's prophecy, we arrive at a date around 30-33AD, which is around the same time that it is believed that Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah and began his ministry. It doesn't get any clearer than this. According to Daniel's prophecy, the Messiah had to come sometime in the early 1st century, and die before the second temple was destroyed. Jesus is the only one we know to have fulfilled this prophecy. Alright, this sounds to0 good to be true, someone must have added it later to help support that Jesus was the Messiah, right? Some early Christian must have changed the text to support their beliefs right? Wrong! Thanks to the discovery of the dead sea scrolls, we have a surviving fragment of Daniel 9:25 that dates to around 100BC. It comes from cave 11 of Qumran and is called the Melchizedek Document 11Q13. There is no doubt about it, Jesus was the Messiah. He fulfilled the prophecy in Daniel 9, as well as Isaiah 53 where it says that he will suffer and die.

Before Jesus became man though, what was he doing? Well, one theory is that he was “the angel of the Lord”, mentioned several times in Old Testament scripture. In Old Testament scripture, we find this same figure popping up at random times. I will give a brief description of some of his appearances. I will also give the chapters and verses so that you can look up, and read the whole story of each occurrence for yourself. Here are some of "the angel of the Lord's" Old Testament appearances:

The Lord tells Abraham he will have a son-Genesis 18:1-33

The Lord stops Abraham from sacrificing his son- Genesis 22:1-19

The Lord wrestles with Jacob (Israel) - Genesis 32:22-32

Balaam and his donkey- Numbers 22:21-38

The Lord appears to Gideon- Judges 6:11-24

The Lord appears to Samson’s parents- Judges 13:1-24

Another theory is that Jesus was the literal "word of God", or God's mouthpiece, as described in the beginning of the gospel of John. Many times throughout OT scripture, the "word of the lord" came to a prophet and he would receive a prophecy. A couple of instances are in Jeremiah 1:4, and Zechariah 4:8 where they write, "And the word of the Lord came to me."

Possibly my favorite reference to who Jesus may have been before he became man, and even before creation, is found in Proverbs 8. It speaks of wisdom being created and born as the first of God’s works. The way wisdom speaks, in this passage, is as if he is a separate person that helps God as a master craftsman to help create. The words of God are wisdom, so this "wisdom" that is being spoken of in proverbs chapter 8 may very well be the word of God as mentioned in the beginning of the gospel of John where he states;

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He existed in the beginning with God, and God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him....."

Jesus and his Family

It is popular belief, that Jesus was an only child and that Mary stayed a virgin, but according to scripture, Jesus had brothers and sisters. Scripture even names four of his brothers (half brothers). At least one of those brothers, James (also known as "James the just" by the early church), became a leader of the church and bishop of Jerusalem.

In this section I will make some references outside of biblical scripture as evidence that Jesus had brothers and sisters.

Jesus’ Genealogy

A genealogy is given of Jesus' ancestry in Matthew and Luke. Some of the names when paralleled differ. Some believe that the genealogy in Matthew is Joseph’s side, and that the genealogy given in Luke is Mary's side of the family. In Eusebius' (260-340AD) the church history, he writes that one is the direct legal line meaning that some of the names may be legal step fathers, and that the other lists the names of the real biological fathers.

Matthew 12:46-50

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

This passage makes it clear that Jesus did indeed have brothers, seeing that they accompanied his own mother to come to speech with him. Some argue that these "brothers" may have been close cousins or other family members, but the word translated as brothers here is adelphos. The first definition of adelphos is:

I. a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.

It is agreed among scholars that this passage is being read in this context. That Jesus had blood brothers, and that these were not his cousins. Also, to note, John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin and he was never spoken of in this context. This argument is usually used within the Catholic church, because they revere Mary, Jesus' mother, and they worship her.

Matthew 13:53-56

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

Four of Jesus' brothers are named here. From what scripture states, these are his only known biological brothers. It is also written that he had sisters, but scripture never names them. Just think. There is a chance that you may be a distant relative of Jesus.

John 7:1-5

1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

It is unknown why Jesus' brothers did not believe in him. Maybe they also took offense that he claimed to be the Messiah. It is known that James became bishop of Jerusalem. Paul writes about him, as do other early church fathers.

Acts 1:14

14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

After Jesus was resurrected and went back to Heaven, all of his disciples that were left came together in prayer. Even his mother and some of his brothers believed in him. It is not known if all of his brothers believed in Jesus. It is well known that Jude (alleged author of the book of Jude) and James (alleged author of the book of James) believed.

Galatians 1:18-19

18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles-only James, the Lord’s brother.

Here, even Paul speaks of James, and calls him Jesus' brother.

Even the Jewish historian Josephus acknowledged that Jesus had a brother. He also has record of his persecution. In “Antiquities of the Jews", written by Josephus, he talks about James the brother of Jesus.

Antiquities of the Jews 20.200

(Convened the Sanhedrin [the highest Jewish religious court / governing body]. He had brought before them the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, who was called James, and some other men, whom he accused of having broken the law, and handed them over to be stoned.)

Messianic Prophecies

In Jesus' day many people refused to believe that Jesus was who he said he was, even with all the miracles he performed. The Jewish leaders of that time gave excuses for his miracles (that he cast out demons and healed people by Satan‘s power), and falsely accused Jesus of blasphemy. But how could they deny all of the Prophecies throughout scripture? Many people today still deny Jesus as the Christ. I understand that it isn’t easy to believe in something that you can’t see, especially in todays world, but to help, let’s take a look at the Old Testament prophesies that pertain to the Messiah. Some of these prophecies were written 1500 to 1000 years before Jesus’ birth. They portray his life, teachings, purpose, death, and resurrection. I won’t include a lot of commentary along with most of these prophecies. They are straight forward when comparing them to Jesus. There are 37, so read them all, and decide for yourself what to believe. To note, different sources give a different number of prophecies. Some sources say that there are hundreds of OT prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus. The 37 listed below, are prophecies about the Messiah that seem to make the most compelling connection to Jesus.

Genesis 49-10-12 (written by Moses, about 1450-1410 BC)

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

Numbers 24:17-19 (written by Moses, about 1450-1410 BC)

17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Deuteronomy 18:15-22 (written by Moses, about 1407/6 BC)

15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.” 21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

2 Samuel 7:12-14 (written about 930 BC)

12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.

1 Chronicles 17:10-14(written by Ezra, about 430 BC)

10 - “‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 when your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.”

Psalm 2:1-12 (Written by David about 1440 BC)

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 22: 7-18

7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 “He trusts in the Lord: let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him. 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb, you made men trust in you even at my mother’s breast 10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircled me. 13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me, 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

These verses describe what Christ was going through when he was crucified. This psalm was written by David. None of this ever happened to David. An account of Christ's crucifixion showing that these things were fulfilled can be found in Matthew 27:33-53.

Psalm 61:6-7

6 Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations. 7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Psalm 68:18

18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious-that you, O Lord God, might dwell there.

When Christ died it is believed that he went into Hell and rescued the captives. Here it says that when He ascended, they went with Him.

Psalm 69:19-21

19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. 20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

When Christ was on the cross He was given a sponge soaked in vinegar to drink. Matthew 27:34 & Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:23 & Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29

Psalm 71:20

20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

This speaks of the Messiah's resurrection.

Psalm 72:1-19

1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. 3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. 4 He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. 5 He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. 6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. 7 In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. 8 He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. 11 All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. 15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. 16 Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. 17 May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. 18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

Even today people and nations are blessed through Jesus's name and sacrifice.

Psalm 80:14-18

14 Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15 the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.

Jesus referred to himself as “the son of man” in the gospels and "the true vine" in John 15:1. In the book of Daniel 7:13-14, the Messiah is spoken of as “the son of man”

Psalm 102:18-22

18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: 19 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high from heaven he viewed the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” 21 So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem 22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord.

Psalm 110:1-4

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” 2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Psalm 118:22-24

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 130:7-8

7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 132:10-18

10 For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one. 11 The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-12 if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.” 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: 14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it-15 I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. 16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. 17 “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. 18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

Proverbs 8:12-36

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;16 by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth.17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. 18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full. 22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[before his deeds of old;23 I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be.24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; 25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26 before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30 Then I was constantly[d] at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. 32 “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.35 For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord. 36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”

Isaiah 2:2-4 (written by Isaiah, about 700-681 BC)

2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Isaiah 7:13-14

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

This verse pertains to Mary Jesus’ mother. See Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:31 for the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Isaiah 11:1-5

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit if counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 But with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Isaiah 16:5

5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it-one from the house of David-one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Isaiah 42:1-4

1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Isaiah 50:6 & 10

6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Isaiah 52:13-15

13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him-his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-15so will be sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Jesus was horribly beaten (disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness) and then greatly exalted, see also Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 3:13, Philippians 1:5-11, Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:9-10, and Revelation 19:11-16

Isaiah 53:2-12

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; and punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 The suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Ezekiel 21:25-27 (written by Ezekiel about 571 BC)

25 “O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says; Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.”

Ezekiel 34:23-24

23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the lord will be their god, and by servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.

Ezekiel 37:24-27

24 “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Daniel 7:13-14 (written by Daniel about 536 BC)

Jesus refers to himself as "the son of man". The messiah is given authority and power and is worshipped. This is being fulfilled even to this day.

Daniel 9:20-27 (written by Daniel about 536 BC)

20I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain.

21As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.

22He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding.

Micah 5:2-4 (written by Micah about 742-687 BC)

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 3:8-9 (written by Zechariah 520-480 BC)

8 “Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the lord almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.”

The stone is the Messiah, the seven eyes show that the Holy Spirit will be in Him. Jesus was crucified to remove the sins of men once and for all.

Zechariah 11:12-13

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.13 and the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”-The handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.

In exchange for giving Jesus up to the Jewish leaders, Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver. See Matthew 27:3-10

Zechariah 12:10

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

The “spirit of grace” is the Holy Spirit that we receive because of Jesus’ sacrifice. This scripture show’s that the Christ will be pierced, and that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the world, just as it has.

Zechariah 13:7-9

7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones 8 in the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.

After Jesus was crucified all of his disciples scattered and many went into hiding.

Malachi 3:1-4 (written by Malachi 430 BC)

1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

The first messenger is John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. The other messenger, the messenger of the covenant, is Jesus himself. See Matthew 11:7-10; Luke 3:1-22

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The divine power of God the Father. Also called “the wonderful counselor”, “Spirit of God”, “The seven spirits”. The Holy Spirit gives life and IS life. The Holy Spirit is how The Father and Son have fellowship and live in us. The Holy Spirit is how we are made one in Christ, and how Christ is made one with God the Father. The Holy Spirit is not spoken of as having any face, or form, but IS spoken of as a separate person from the Father. The Holy Spirit is how God lives in us. The Holy Spirit is the Omnipresence of God the Father and there are many verses concerning the Holy Spirit. Read on to discover more about the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3-8

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

When we ask the Lord into our lives (acknowledgement and faith) and begin to walk in his ways (obedience), giving up our own ways (repentance), we receive the Holy Spirit. God is gracious in giving well beyond what we deserve. God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit. We are given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

John 7:37-39

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Receiving the Holy Spirit as our guide is like a dry river bed being filled with water. We are given new life and understanding. A whole new world opens up to us that was once hidden. There is an emptiness hidden deep down in many people. We try to fill that empty spot with things that make us feel good. These things are temporary pleasures that cannot fully take the place of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-26

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- 17 the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, who do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

Jesus spoke of, and promised that, the Holy Spirit would come to guide us.

John 15:26-27

26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."

The Holy Spirit is sent to lead us in the ways that we should go. At first with groans and urges. Draw close to God and be obedient out of love with all your heart. Then you will learn to hear what the spirit says.

John 16:7-11

7 "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because they do not believe in me, 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

Jesus left, but he did not leave us alone. Through the Holy Spirit, we are convicted when we do wrong. He shows us what is right and good, and he urges us to act upon righteousness. He is our guide through this world, and Jesus is the light that gives us sight. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven.

John 16:12-16

12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. 16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

We can only understand so much. Some things cannot be explained by words. How can we even begin to describe the goodness of God.

1 John 2:27

27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Who is a better teacher, God or man? Everyone that is baptized by the Holy Spirit are taught by the Holy Spirit. Do not rebuke a man if he tries to teach you, but examine the teaching first. It is written "instruct a wise man, and he will become wiser still". Listen to the Holy Spirit, He will lead you into all truth.

Mark 3:29

29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

Those who blasphemed the Holy Spirit were the ones that called him evil. They called the power by which Jesus did miracles, evil. They said that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the prince of demons, when in truth the Holy Spirit was healing others through Jesus. It is also written "Woe to those who call evil, good, and good, evil". If you believe that miracles performed by the power of God are evil, then there is no way that you could accept the salvation of God.

Acts 1:4-5

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 5:30-32

30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead 2 whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, who God has given to those who obey him."

t is written that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. Many are taught by church assemblies that they receive the Holy Spirit as soon as they ask the Lord into their life. This is only true if you SINCERELY turn from your ways and obey God. God knows who is sincere and who is not. He know ahead of time who will continue down the right path and who will not.

Romans 8:5-17

5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit of Christ, if the spirit of God lives in you. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Being made new by the Holy Spirit, you are sanctified. You become holy, and a child of God.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Treat your body as if it is Holy. Even though you live in the flesh, do not give into the desires of this world and desecrate the temple. Do not let unholy things inside. Fill your heart with godly things, the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit. And he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Jesus taught that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we could move mountains. If we put all our faith, and whole will, into God's hands, He will be able to use us to our full potential. For him to use us to our full potential, we must willingly obey Him. Through God all things are possible. Through faith we receive grace from God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

The Holy Spirit is like a deposit for our souls. Do not be like the man that was given 1 talent (in Jesus' parable of the talent Matthew 25:14-30) and did not put it to use, but instead he dug a hole and buried it. Follow the Lord with all your heart and produce a crop. Multiply what you have been given. Give as you have been given.

Discovering God in the Bible is easy. In every book of the Bible He is mentioned. To learn, you must read. Ask yourself questions and look for answers. God chose the Israelite people to be HIS people to reveal Himself to the world. I believe Old and New Testament scripture are the best places to begin Discovering God. But, it is not the only place. God wasn’t at work in only one place in the world throughout history. God’s fingerprint is found everywhere, even in other religions around the world.

THE NEW COVENANT

The bible that Christians use is split into two parts; the Old Testament (God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, dealing with Israel, the law, and the prophets), and the New Testament (God’s new covenant, dealing with salvation through his perfect servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ). According to OT scripture, the old covenant was the keeping of the law of the ten commandments (Deuteronomy 4:13). In the NT, Jesus fulfills OT prophecies, and comes as God’s anointed one to establish his kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-14), suffers, and dies, for our sins (Isaiah 53:4-12), and is then resurrected (Psalm 6:10). Let’s look over some scripture showing what God’s “New Covenant” really is.

Jeremiah 31:27-34

27 The days are coming, “Declares the Lord,” when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and plant, “declares the Lord. 29 In those days people will no longer say, “The Fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.” 30 Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes-his own teeth will be set on edge. 31 “The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying ‘know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Because Jesus died for us, if we put our faith in him (by obeying his teachings, repenting of our sins, and believing in the gospel) we receive God’s Holy Spirit, and he teaches us all things. God’s knowledge and wisdom is implanted in our heart and mind. At this point, we are born again, and God begins to teach us though His Holy spirit. We begin again like and infant, then grow and mature in our faith, eventually reaching a mature state of godliness.

Hebrews 8:8-13

8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” 13 By calling this covenant “new” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

Because Jesus died for us, God has poured out His spirit upon the Earth so that we have no excuse for our actions. We cannot say that God is not with us, because He is, and He is able to guide everyone by His Holy Spirit. Never before has such mercy been shown. The door to salvation is approachable simply by believing. Mercy and guidance have been poured out on all.

Ezekiel 34:22-31

22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd. 24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. 25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yolk and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 31 You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

The Lord made a covenant that one day after the Messiah came, He would make a place for His people to live in safety, unity, and freedom.

Ezekiel 37: 24-28

24 ‘“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land your forefathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God and they will be my people. 28 The nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’ ”

After Jesus died, and was resurrected, God made His home in us. We become the temple of God's Holy Spirit if we believe in Jesus and hold to His teachings.

Ezekiel 39:29

29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Mathew 26:27-28

27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Today we hold what we call "communion" in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice. Communion shouldn’t be treated as a religious ritual, but rather an assembly, and fellowship, of believers to remember Jesus. According to the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples got together the first day of every week, and broke bread, sang hymns, and prayed. This is where we get our Sunday church services from.

Luke 24:44-49

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with the power from on high.”

All of the prophecies were fulfilled just as they were written in the Old Testament. The fact that all of the messianic prophecies were fulfilled is proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the anointed one. The only way to deny Jesus as the Messiah would be to prove that He never existed. But we already have much proof that He did in fact exist.

Acts 13:38-39

38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.

Hebrews 9:15

15 -Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

As you can see, from the scriptures compiled, the new covenant came with Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. We have received the Holy Spirit, and have become a living temple for God. More importantly we have been saved by being granted eternal life, and we have received the privilege to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father and creator. We have been given the right to be called the sons of God, through Jesus Christ's.

Messianic Prophecies

The Holy Spirit

The New Covenant

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