SIGNIFICANT SEVENS IN THE SCRIPTURES

The number "seven" literally appears 463 times in the King James Bible.  I would suggest that these are the most significant "sevens":

 

THE SEVEN DAYS OF CREATION

*  Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
*  Genesis 2:3 - "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:  because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made."

 

THE SEVEN MILLENNIA OF TIME

Based loosely upon the timeline of Bishop James Ussher, there were about 2000 years from Adam to Abraham (Gen. 1 - Gen. 12), a period of time during which there were only Gentiles.  Then, from Abraham to the time of Christ (Gen. 12 - Acts 1), also a period of about 2000 years, God's main focus was upon His chosen people, Israel; one was either a Gentile or an Israelite.  And finally, from the time of Christ until today (Acts 2 - Rev. 3), about 2000 years, the world has been populated by three groups of people:  Gentiles, Israelites, and Christians.  God has temporarily "paused" His focus upon Israel (Dan. 9:24-27; Rom. 11:25), and He will not resume His work with them until the Body of Christ is completed and removed from this world (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 4:16-17; Rev. 4:1).  Then, He will once again focus upon Israel, which will include the seven-year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. Ch. 6-19), and Christ's Millennial Kingdom, about 1000 years (Rev. 20:1-15)!  Finally, time will end and eternity will begin (Rev. 21:1).

 

THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS (STEWARDSHIPS) OF GOD'S REVELATION

1.  INNOCENCE - Genesis 1:26 - Ended with Adam's "Fall"
2.  CONSCIENCE - Genesis 3:7 - Ended with the Flood
3.  HUMAN GOVERNMENT - Genesis 8:15 - Ended with the division of languages
4.  PROMISE - Genesis 12:1 - Will never end (Rom. 11:25-29)
5.  THE LAW - Exodus 19:1 - Ended with the Cross (Mt. 5:18; Gal. 3:24; Eph. 2:15)
6.  THE CHURCH AGE - Acts 2:1- Will end with the Rapture (Rev. 4:1)
7.  THE MILLENNIUM KINGDOM - Revelation 20:4 - Will end with the Great White Throne Judgment

 

THE SEVEN SAYINGS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS

1.  "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Lk. 23:34).
2.  "Woman, behold thy son!  Behold thy mother!" (Jn. 19:26-27).
3.  "Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise." (Lk. 23:43).
4.  "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (Mt. 27:46).
5.  "I thirst." (Jn. 19:28).
6.  "It is finished!" (Jn. 19:30).
7.  "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit." (Lk. 23:46).

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT "SEVEN" OF ALL IS A QUESTION:

IS JESUS CHRIST LORD OF YOUR LIFE? 

   

PART TWO: FROM A JEWISH SECT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST

*  Matthew 16:19 - Jesus said to Peter, "I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven:  and whomsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:  and whomsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

*  Acts 1:8 - Jesus said to the eleven, "But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you:  and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem and in all Judaea (Jews), and in Samaria (Samaritans), and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Gentiles)."
    - Jews - Acts 2:14-41 - Peter preaching.
    - Samaritans - Acts 8:14-25 - Peter and John verify salvation of Samaritans.
    - Gentiles - Acts 10:1-48 - Peter verifies salvation of Gentiles.

Based upon the Book of Acts, the Lord's prophecy concerning Peter's validation of Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles, was fulfilled by the tenth chapter of Acts.  Not only was Peter there to verify their salvation, but he did so only after seeing the evidence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 10:44-48)!  However, we need to understand that during the events of the first seven chapters of Acts, the Church was composed of only Jews.    

With the salvation of Saul of Tarsus, as recorded in Acts Chapters 9, 22, and 26, the Lord had chosen His replacement for Judas.  Peter had held a "business meeting" instead of waiting for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:15-26).  Matthias was chosen by the disciples, but God chose Paul to be His Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15 - Note:  According to Revelation 21:14, there are only twelve Apostles).  Paul wrote of his training by the Lord in Galatians 1:11-17; ironically, it was also three years.

With the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles, came a new view of the Church:  it is the "body of Christ" (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 10:16; 12:27; Eph. 4:12).  God had removed the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles, making them one in Christ (Eph. 2:10-17).  The Church which began on Pentecost, a Jewish Feast that used two loaves of LEAVENED bread (Lev. 23:15-17), one representing the Jewish Christians, and the other representing the Gentile Christians, reveal that born again believers still sin; we will until we become like Jesus (1 Jn. 3:1-2)!

Finally, at the Church Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15), the Church leaders officially accepted that the former Gentiles in the Church were not bound by the Mosaic Law.  The Church Age would be know as the "Age of Grace!"

 

TODAY, WHOSOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE LORD JESUS, WILL BE SAVED!

PART ONE: FROM A JEWISH SECT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST

Students of the Bible are well aware that understanding God's Word requires much study and careful thought.  The Apostle Paul wrote:  "Study to show yourself pleasing to God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 SLV). Amazingly, the Gospel message is simple enough for a child to understand and be born again, but it is so complex that even the greatest theologians are humbled by it!  This complexity often causes man to give up trying to understand it, or worse yet, having his pride crushed, to declare it to be false.  God forbid that you or I suffer such horrible results!  Today, I want to share my understanding of Acts 1:1-11.

Luke, who had previously written his Gospel about Christ's fulfillment of the Bible prophecies concerning His Life, His Teachings, His Death for the sins of mankind, His Burial, and His Resurrection, now was presenting the history of the transition from Christ's focus upon His people Israel, to the Gospel focus being that of His Body, the Church.  Israel has temporarily taken a "back seat" to Christ's creation of His Church (Rom. 11)!  Nowhere is this more obvious than in the first fifteen chapters of Acts.  Notice the "Jewish" mindset of His disciples in chapter one:

*  His disciples will become Apostles (v. 2).
*  His message is still "pertaining to the kingdom of God" (v. 3).
*  The baptism by John would soon give way to that of the Holy Spirit (v. 5).
*  Their question to Jesus about His kingdom, was not answered here (v. 6-7).
*  Their ministry would soon be to "the uttermost part of the earth" (v. 8).
*  The Ascension of Christ to heaven, similar to His return for His kingdom (v. 9-11 - this will not actually occur until after the Church Age, and after Daniel's Seventieth Week - Dan. 9:27 -  a.k.a. The Time of Jacob's Trouble - Jer. 30:7 - and the Tribulation - Mt. 24:3-29)!

Some think the return here is that of the Rapture of the Church, but that cannot be.  First, the Church rises to meet Christ in the air, and no mention is made of Him setting foot on the earth (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 4:16-17).  No, it is referring to Christ's Second Coming, as it is described in Revelation 19, and THEN He will establish His earthly kingdom - Rev. 20:1-15).

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of His mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He ruled them with a rod of iron:  and He did tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He had on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:11-16 SLV).

 

BELIEVERS WILL COME WITH HIM; UNBELIEVERS WILL DREAD HIS COMING!

GOD'S WARNING AND GOD'S SOLUTION

WARNING:  GOD'S WRATH IS COMING FOR THOSE WHO REJECT JESUS

*  John 3:36 (SLV) - "All who believe in the Son of God, have everlasting life:  but all those who do not believe in the Son, they shall not have everlasting life; but the wrath of God awaits them."
*  1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (SLV) - "For you proclaimed the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where your faith toward God has been spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.  For their faith in Christ is evidence that our Gospel ministry to you was received and believed.  It is obvious that you have turned to God from idols, and are now serving the living and true God.  And like us, you wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, Who delivered us from His wrath which is coming upon the whole world" (see also Rev. 6:1-17).
*  2 Peter 3:8-10 (SLV) - "...the heavens and the earth, which now exist, according to My Word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of My wrath coming upon all ungodly men.  But, beloved, do not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord will not fail concerning His promise, but He is exceedingly patient toward us, because He does not want any to perish, but that all would come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord's wrath will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also with its evil works shall be burned up."
*  Revelation 6:15-17 (SLV) - "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

 

AN INVITATION:  AVOID GOD'S WRATH; TRUST IN JESUS AS YOUR LORD

*  John 3:16-17 (SLV) - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever will believe in him, will not perish, but will have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world, through faith in Him might be saved."
*  John 14:1-3 (SLV) - "Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
*  Romans 5:8-9 (SLV) - " ...God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from God's wrath through Him."
*  1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (SLV) - "For God has not appointed us to suffer His wrath, but to obtain salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are alive, or we have died, we will live together with him.  Wherefore, comfort yourselves together...."
*  Revelation 3:10 (SLV) - "Because you have kept the Word in spite of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of My wrath, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

 

You must "R.S.V.P." now while the "invitation" is still open to you!

MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

THE KEY VERSE:  TIME PAST; TIME PRESENT; TIME FUTURE

*  1:17-19 - And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last:  I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and  I have the keys of hell and of death.  Write the things which you have seen (Ch. 1), and the things which are (Ch. 2 & 3), and the things which shall be hereafter (Ch. 4-22).

 

MORE EVIDENCE THAT REVELATION IS WRITTEN CHRONOLOGICALLY

*  4:1-2 - After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:  and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
*  7:1 - And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
*  7:9 - After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.
*  11:11 - And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
*  15:5 - And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
*  19:1 - And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God.
*  20:3 - And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

MY CONCLUSIONS

*  1:1 - 1:18 - The things John had seen before verse 19.

*  1:19 - The Key Verse to rightly divide Revelation.

*  2:1 - 3:22 - The Church Age.

*  4:1 - John:  A type for the Rapture:  the Church not mentioned during the Tribulation.

*  4:2 - 5:14 - Heaven prepares for the Tribulation.

*  6:1 - 10:11 - The first half of the Tribulation (three and a half years).

*  11:1 - 11:13 - The ministry of the two witnesses during the first half of the Tribulation.

*  11:14 - 12:5 - An overview of the Church Age.

*  12:6 - 12:17 - Israel during the second half of the Tribulation.

*  13:1 - 18:24 - The "Anti-trinity" rule (the Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet).

*  19:1 - 19:21 - Christ returns and conquers the "Anti-trinity."

*  20:1 - 20:6 - Christ's Millennial Kingdom - Satan bound.

*  20:7 - 20:15 - Satan leads a rebellion,  he is defeated; the Final Judgment.

*  21:1 - 22:20 - The New Heaven, New Earth, and the New Jerusalem:  ETERNITY!

REVELATION 12:5 - THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH?

During the Christmas season, the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus take center stage.  Besides the fact that His name refers to His role as "The Savior" (Mt. 1:21), one seldom hears the reason the Son of God humbled Himself and become a man, in order to die for the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Jn. 2:2; etc.).  Another fact about Christ's birth that is totally ignored, is that He came to establish His Church:  "The Body of Christ" (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12; etc.).  Which brings me to the subject of this blog post. 

The Word says that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mt. 1:18; Lk. 2:35).  In other words, His physical body formed in His mother's womb due to work of the Holy Spirit.  This unique conception is very similar to that of the Church.  In Acts 2:1-47, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and the Church was conceived.  It is growing into the fullness of Christ Himself:  Ephesians 4:11-13 says:
 
"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  UNTIL we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, UNTO A PERFECT MAN, UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST...."

Think of the "Church Age" as being the development of Christ's Body; as each soul is saved and added to the entire Body, it is similar to a cell being developed and added to the maturing child in its mother's womb.  The Body is not compete and ready to be born until all of its parts are connected, including the Head (the Church and Christ together; perfected saints with their perfect Head).  According to Ephesians 4, and 1 John 3:2, that will not occur until the Body meets its Head.  And when does that occur?  At the Rapture of the Church, when we are completely changed into His very likeness!  THAT IS truly the "birth of the complete Body of Christ. 

As a result, I would ask you to consider the "birth" in Revelation 12:5, as being the true "birth of the Church."  When it becomes completed, is when it is raptured [caught up - the same word used for the event of the Rapture (the Greek ἁρπάζω (harpazō), meaning to be taken up by force - see yesterday's blog].  Revelation is divided into three parts:  past, present, and future (v. 1:19); Revelation 12 is set in the future (v. 4:1, long after Christ's Birth, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension). 

And, just in case you believe that Chapters 11-13 all occur at the mid-point of Daniel's Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:27), notice that Chapter 11 mentions the three and one half year ministry of the "two witnesses"; which obviously takes place during the span of time from Chapter 6-13. 

No one should be dogmatic about future prophecy, and I certainly am not.  I am just asking my brethren to consider this as a possible scenario.  God bless as you study His Word!

THE ASCENSION AND THE RAPTURE

TAKE NOTE OF THESE WORDS IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 (SLV)

 

"...I do not want  you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have died, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.  For IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, even so the souls of those who have died BELIEVING IN JESUS, will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we who are alive and remain, shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

 

There is one condition necessary for both the living and the dead to meet Jesus at the Rapture of the Church:  that is, they must have believed the Gospel message:  that is, the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ was for their sins according to the Scriptures (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 1:16; 10:8-17; 1 Cor. 15:1-4)!  PERIOD! 

 

The words "CAUGHT UP" are translated from the Greek ἁρπάζω (harpazō), which is translated:  "catch up" (4X - 2 Cor. 12:2, 4; 1 Th. 4:17; Rev. 12:5); "take by force" (3X - Mt. 11:12; Jn. 6:15; Act. 23:10); "catch away" (2X - Mt. 13:19; Act. 8:39); "pluck" (2X - Jn. 10:28, 29); "catch" (1X - Jn. 10:12); and "pull" (1X - Jude 1:23).  Notice that the word always indicates the action happens to someone or something. 

 

Some have suggested that the removal that takes place during the Rapture of the Church, is the same as that of Christ's Ascension, but Jesus was not "yanked up into the clouds"; He simply rose up, much like a balloon filled with helium.  The Greek word for Christ's Ascension is ἐπαίρω (epairō), which occurs 19 times and is always the result of the individual's own volition.

 

JESUS IS COMING FOR YOU "IF!"

 

 

 

THE BELIEVER'S HOPE IS FOR JESUS TO COME GET US



JOHN 14:1-3 (SLV)

"Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

 

1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-54 (SLV)

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:  for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 (SLV)

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

TITUS 2:11-14 (SLV)

"For the grace of God that brings salvation, has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

THE BIRTH OF THE GREAT I AM!

I AM = יהוה  = He Vau He Yod = YHVH = YEHOVAH = JEHOVAH

*  Exodus 3:13-15 - "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations."

JESUS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS "I AM!"

*  John 5:43 - "I AM come in my Father's name...."
*  John 6:35 - "And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life...."
*  John 8:12 - "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I AM the light of the world...."
*  John 8:58 - "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM."
*  John 9:5 - "As long as I AM in the world, I AM the light of the world."
*  John 10:9 - "I AM the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved...."
*  John 10:11 - "I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
*  John 10:36 - "Say ye of Him... Thou blasphemest; because I said, I AM the Son of God?"
*  John 11:25 - "Jesus said unto her, I AM the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
*  John 12:46 - "I AM come a light into the world...."
*  John 13:13 - "Ye call Me Master and Lord:  and ye say well; for so I AM."
*  John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
*  John 15:5 - "I AM the vine, ye are the branches...."
*  John 17:24 - "Father, I will that...where I AM; that they may behold My glory...."
*  John 19:21 - "...He said, I AM King of the Jews."

*  Revelation 1:8 - "I AM Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord...."
*  Revelation 1:11 - "Saying, I AM Alpha and Omega, the first and the last...."
*  Revelation 1:18 - "I AM He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I AM alive for evermore...."
*  Revelation 22:16 - "I Jesus... have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

THOSE WHO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTH, LONG FOR HIS RETURN!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THE BIRTH OF JESUS (SKIP'S LIGHTHOUSE VERSION)

       Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this:  When His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they were joined in marriage, the Holy Spirit miraculously caused her to be pregnant with a child.  Then Joseph, her husband to be, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, decided to quietly break off their engagement.  But while he thought about these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, from the line of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife:  for the child she carries was placed in her womb by the Holy Spirit.   And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall name Him JESUS:  for He shall save people from their sins.
       Now all this was done, just as the Lord had told the prophet Isaiah, who wrote:  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
       Then Joseph being raised from sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had told him, and he took Mary as his wife:  but they did not consummate their marriage until after she delivered her firstborn Son, and he called His name JESUS (Mt. 1:18-25).

       Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He Who is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him" (Mt. 2:1-2).

       And when they arrived at the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down, and worshipped Him:  and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt. 2:11).

       Yes, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was born a lowly man, solely for the purpose of dying on a cross to die for the sins of mankind (Phil. 2:5-8).  He was raised from the dead by His heavenly Father, having sacrificed Himself for us (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

       Today, whoever believes Jesus died for their sins, and is willing to publicly declare that Jesus is their Lord, has been saved from the penalty for their sins, and has become the adopted child of Almighty God, Himself (Rom. 6:23; 8:15; 10:9-13).

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO LOVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

TO THE REST OF YOU, IT IS THE PERFECT TIME TO PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM!

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN GOD HAS HAD ENOUGH!

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

*  Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done:  and there is no new thing under the sun.

AS IT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, IT SHALL BE IN THE END TIMES

*  Genesis 6:5-7 - And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for I am sorry that I have made them.
*  Matthew 24:35-39 - Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.  But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
*  Luke 17:24-30 - For as the lightning, that shines out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in His day.  But first must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

AS IT WAS IN THE BIBLE, IT IS ON THE EVENING NEWS

*  2 Timothy 3:1-5 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.

(All Scripture is from the SLV - Skip's Lighthouse Version)

WHEN IS ONE EQUAL TO TEN?

 THE LAW SAYS THAT YOU SHALL NOT....

 [1] And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before Me.
 
 [2] You shall not make for yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them:  for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of those who love Me, and keep My Commandments.

 [3] You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

 [4] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:  but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God:  in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger that is within your gates:  for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and He rested the seventh day:  wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

 [5] Honor your father and your mother:  that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God has given you.

 [6] You shall not kill.

 [7] You shall not commit adultery.

 [8] You shall not steal.

 [9] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

[10] You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

 

BUT THE SPIRIT SAYS, YOU SHALL....

 

But brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.  So, if you are being led by the Spirit, you will fulfill the Law!   Galatians 5:13-14, 18 (All Scripture is from the SLV)  

JESUS: HE WAS, HE IS, AND HE IS TO COME

Christmas is the time when the Church celebrates the birth of Jesus but some forget why He came!   The Gospel of John identified Jesus as "the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29, 36).  The Apostle Paul identified Jesus as "our Passover" (1 Cor. 5:7).  In other words, Jesus came to die for us (Luke 24:25-27).  Fortunately for those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord, we not only understand His First Coming was to die for us, we also rejoice that His Father raised Him from the dead.  There are three passages that tell us where He went, what He is doing now, and what will He do in the near future.  They are:

WHERE JESUS WENT

*  Acts 1:7-12 (SLV) - When His disciples gathered together with Jesus, they asked Him, Lord, will You now restore the kingdom to Israel?  And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, that remains under the authority of My Father.  But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you (see John 14:17): and you shall be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, in Samaria, and to every nation on the earth (see Acts 10:35).  And when He had spoken these things, they saw Jesus ascend; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they stared toward heaven as He went up, two men stood by them in white apparel; who said, Men of Galilee, why are you looking up to heaven?  This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven, shall return in like manner, as you have seen Him ascend.  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is but a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem.

WHAT JESUS IS DOING NOW

*  Revelation 1:4-8 (SLV) - John to the seven churches which are in Asia:  Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is The Faithful Witness, and The First Begotten of the Dead, and The Prince of the Kings of the Earth.  Unto Him Who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and The Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.  Behold, He will come with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him:  and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.  Even so, Amen.  I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending, says the Lord, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, The Almighty.

WHAT JESUS WILL DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE

*  Revelation 19:11-16 (SLV) - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He Who sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:  and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of His mouth came a sharp sword, that with it He shall strike the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron:  and He shall tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He had on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 

 

HE CAME AS A LAMB TO DIE FOR US. 

HE IS COMING AGAIN AS A LION TO RULE AND REIGN FOREVER!

THE NATURAL RESPONSE TO MEETING JESUS

*  Matthew 2:11 - "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him:  and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

*  Matthew 8:2 - "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

*  Matthew 9:18 - "While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead:  but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

*  Matthew 14:33 - "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God."

*  Matthew 15:25 - "Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me."

*  Matthew 28:9, 17 - "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him....And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him:  but some doubted."

*  Mark 5:6 - "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him...."

*  Luke 24:52 - "And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy."

*  John 9:38 - "And he said, Lord, I believe.  And he worshipped Him."

*  Revelation 5:14 - "And the four beasts said, Amen.  And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever."

 

- - - - - - - ROMANS 14:11 - - - - - - -  

 "FOR IT IS WRITTEN, AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD,

EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,

AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD!"   

TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD

I have changed the words "sons of God" to "children of God" in the following four passages.  You might say that they are from the SLV (Skip's Lighthouse Version).  There are many places where the words "children of God" appear in the KJV (King James Version); here are just a few (Mt. 5:9; Lk. 20:36; Jn. 11:52; Rom. 8:16, 21; 9:8; Gal. 3:26; 1 Jn. 3:10; 5:2).  These four passages give much insight into what it means to be a child of God.

*  John 1:1-3, 10-14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The Same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made....He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.  He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

*  Romans 8:9-13 - "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive your mortal bodies by His Spirit Who dwells in you.  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  For if you live after the flesh, you shall die:  but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God."

*  Philippians 2:13-16 - "For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.  Therefore, do all things without murmuring and disputing:  that you may be blameless and harmless, the children of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world; holding forth the Word of Life...."

*  1 John 3:1-3 - "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God:  therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.  Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure."

 

Believing in Jesus as your Lord, results in your being adopted by God Almighty!

GOD HAS CHOSEN

Before the very creation of the Universe and all that is in it, God foreknew how human history would unfold.  He knew man would all sin; He knew man would need a Savior; He knew what man would do to His only begotten Son; and yet, because He is the very embodiment of love, He was willing to pay the ultimate price for His creation!  And, He chose to write down the names of those who would one day believe the Gospel message, and place their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!  Read and believe what God's Word says concerning these things: 

*  Matthew 13:35 - "All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them:  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

*  Matthew 25:34 - "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

*  Hebrews 4:2-3 - "For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them:  but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  For we who have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest:  although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."

*  Revelation 13:7-8 - "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

*  Revelation 17:8 - "The beast that you saw was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:  and they who dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

*  Acts 2:22-24 - [Peter preaching in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost] 
"You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know:  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:  Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death:  because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

*  1 Peter 1:1-5 - [To Jewish believers scattered due to the persecution - see Acts 8:1] 
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

GOD BECAME FLESH

December 25th is the date the Church has chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Whether or not it occurred then is not relevant to the subject of this blog post.  Today, I want to study about "The Word of God" becoming flesh and blood.  The Apostle Paul wrote:  "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 Tim. 3:16)!

The Apostle John wrote five of the twenty-seven "books" of the Bible:  The Gospel of John, his three letters to the church (First John, Second John, and Third John), and the Book of Revelation.  His writings are unique in many ways, but one way in particular, stands out from the rest:  John understood that Jesus is the physical manifestation of the very Word of God - Jesus, in fact, is God! 

Paul obviously knew Jesus as God.  Paul knew the God of the Old Testament as LORD, and when he was confronted by Jesus on his way to persecute followers of Christ, notice that he called Jesus Lord:  "And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do" (Acts 9:5-6)!  But he apparently did not know Him as "The Word." These are the only verses which identify Jesus as "The Word":

*  John 1:1, 14 - In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.  And The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
*  1 John 1:1-3 - He Who was from the beginning, Who we have heard, Who we have seen with our eyes, Who we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of The Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen Him, and bear witness, and show unto you Him in Whom is eternal life, Who was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; He Who we have seen and heard, we declare unto you, that you may also have fellowship with us:  and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
*  1 John 5:7 - For there are three Who bear witness in heaven:  The Father, The Word, and The Holy Spirit:  and These Three are One. 
*  Revelation 19:11-13 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He Who sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 

THIS CHRISTMAS, SPREAD "THE WORD!"

A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Revelation 1:19a - Write down the things which you have seen (past tense): 

*  Rev. 1:20 says, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw (past tense) in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.  The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches:  and the seven candlesticks which you saw (past sense) are the seven churches."

Revelation 1:19b - Write down the things which you see now (present tense - Christ gives John a message for each of the seven churches which existed at that time in Asia Minor (each is also seen as representing the Church at specific periods of the Church Age):

*  Rev. 2:1 - 3:22
    - Ephesus - Rev. 2:1-7 - (the Apostolic Age from A.D. 30-100)
    - Smyrna - Rev. 2:8-11- (the Persecuted Church from A.D. 100-312)
    - Thyatira - Rev. 2:12-17 - (the State Church from A.D. 312-606)
    - Thyatira - Rev. 2:18-29 - (the Roman Catholic Church from A.D. 608-the Tribulation)
    - Sardis - Rev. 3:1-6 - (the Protestant Church from A.D. 1520-the Tribulation))
    - Philadelphia - Rev. 3:7-13 - (all born again believers alive when the Rapture takes place)
    - Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-22 - (professing believers alive and remaining after the Rapture)

Revelation 1:19c - Write down the things I will show you which shall occur (future tense).

*  Rev. 4:1-2 - Because the Church is not mentioned in Chapters 6 - 18, these verses referring to   
John's call up to heaven, have been seen as a picture of the Rapture of the Church (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:48-54; 1 Th. 4:13-18).
    - Rev. 4 - 6 - John sees Jesus glorified and sees Him preparing for the Tribulation.
    - Rev. 7 - 11 - Describe the first half of the Tribulation (1260 days; 42 months; "a time, times, and half a time"; that is three and one half years (see Dan. 9:27).
    - Rev. 12 - 13 - The time of the Abomination of Desolation (the middle of the Tribulation, which begins the Great Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; etc.).
    - Rev. 14 - 18 - The Great Tribulation.
    - Rev. 19 - The Second Coming of Christ.
    - Rev. 20 - The Millennial Reign of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.
    - Rev. 21- 22 - The New Heaven and New Earth - Eternity begins!

HER SEED CAME AS GOD IN THE FLESH

*  Genesis 3:14-15 - And the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life:  and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shalt bruise His heel.

*  Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (or Emmanuel - see Matt. 1:23 below).

*  Isaiah 9:6-7 - For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

*  Matthew 1:23-25 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way:  When as His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost.  Then Joseph her husband to be, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary as your wife:  for He Who is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS:  for He shall save His people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (see John 1:1, 14).  Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had instructed him, and took unto himself Mary as his wife:  and he knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son:  and he called His name JESUS.

*  Luke 1:30-35 - And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:  for you have found favor with God.  And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David:  and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that Holy One which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.

 

The Son of God became man so that we could become the children of God!

HIS BLOOD WAS SHED FOR YOU - WILL YOU LIVE FOR HIM?

In Luke's Gospel, he quotes Jesus as saying:  "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47).  According to the Apostle Paul, what Jesus was telling them, was to preach the Gospel.  Paul, in writing his first letter to the Church at Corinth, defined the Gospel:  "...I declare unto you the Gospel....Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:1, 3-4).  Paul explained why it was of the utmost importance that the Gospel be preached; he wrote:  "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. 1:16).

Most everyone knows that "repentance" means to "have a change of mind; to be sorrowful over one's sins, and a genuine desire to submit to the will of God."  I like to describe it as a sinner going about his business, when he "hears Jesus' still, small voice" calling out his name.  When he turns to see that it is speaking to him, he sees His nail-pierced hands reach out to him!  Realizing that He is the risen Lord, he falls to his knees and worships Him.  It is like Saul's meeting with Him as he travelled to Damascus to kill Christians! (Acts 9:1-8).

Remission, on the other hand, is not as well known.  It is defined as:  forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed).  The Greek word found in Luke 24:47 is ἄφεσις (aphesis), which is translated "remission" in Matt. 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43; Heb. 9:22; 10:18.  It is translated "forgiveness" in Mark 3:29; Acts 5:31; 13:38; 26:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14.  It is also translated "deliverance" and "liberty" in Luke 4:18.

I highly recommend that you note these references, and read them for yourself; the common idea when "remission" is mentioned, has to do with Christ shedding His blood to cleanse us from sin.  For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission." (Heb. 9:22)!

 

JESUS DIED FOR YOU TO MAKE YOU ACCEPTABLE TO HIS FATHER!

ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR TODAY - TIME IS SHORT!

HEBREWS 13:20-21

As a pastor, I had the honor of preaching the Gospel of hope, at many funerals.  The Lord impressed upon me to close each with Hebrews 13:20-21.  There is irony in using these verses, because they are not referring to the departed loved one, but they form a prayer for those still living!  When you think about it, funerals are held to comfort and give a form of closure to those grieving their loss.  This short prayer, is not only intended to provide peace to those attending, but it also challenges the living to trust in Jesus Christ.  In a sense, it is the Gospel message that has the power to save souls (Rom. 1:16), but it also teaches that those who place their faith in Christ, can rest in knowing it is God who is at work in and through us.  We simply need to yield ourselves to Him!  The verses read:

"Now the God of peace, Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

*  Now the God of peace, - See also:  Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9; 1 Th. 5:23; etc.

*  Who brought again from the dead - See also:  Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30; 17:31; etc.

*   our Lord Jesus, - See also:  Acts 4:33; 9:29; 15:11, 26; 16:31; 20:21; etc.

*  that Great Shepherd of the sheep, - See also:  Jn. 10:11, 14, 16; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; etc.

*  through the blood - See also:  1 Cor. 10:16; Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:14; 10:19; 1 Jn. 1:7; Rev. 7:14; 12:11; etc.

*of the everlasting covenant, - See also:  1 Chr. 9:16; Ps. 105:10; Isa. 55:3; Jer. 32:40; etc.

*  make you perfect in every good work to do His will, - See also:  Jn. 17:23; Gal. 3:3; Col. 1:28; Heb. 12:23; etc.

*  working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, - See also:  Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:29; etc.

*  through Jesus Christ; - See also:  Rom. 6:11, 23; Gal. 4:7; Eph. 2:7; Phil. 4:7, 13; etc.

*  to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. - See also:  Rom. 11:36; Gal. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:18; etc.

 

IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD, PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIS RISEN SON.

THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY, AND ALLOW HIM TO WORK IN AND THROUGH YOU!

SOME VERSES WHEN YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY

*  Genesis 5:29 - And Lamech called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.
*  Genesis 50:20-21 - But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.  Now therefore fear not: I will nourish you, and your little ones.  And Joseph comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.
*  Ruth 2:13 - Then Ruth said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and for that you have spoken friendly unto your handmaid, though I be not like unto one of your handmaidens.
*  Job 2:11 - Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite:  for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
*  Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You art with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
*  Psalm 119:76 - Let, I pray You, that Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your Word unto me, Your servant.
*  Isaiah 40:1 - Be comforted, be comforted My people, says your God.
*  Isaiah 66:13 - As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
*  Matthew 5:4 - Blessed are they that mourn:  for they shall be comforted.
*  John 14:16 - And I will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.
*  Romans 15:4 - For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
*  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
*  2 Corinthians 13:11 - Finally, brethren, farewell.  Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
*  1 Thessalonians 4:18 - Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
*  1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you have been doing..
*  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, Who has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

God comforts His children - pass it on!

WILL YOU CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR LORD?

SOME ARE SILENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID

*  John 9:21-23 - But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not:  he is of age; ask him:  he shall speak for himself.  These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews:  for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.

 

SOME ARE SILENT BECAUSE THEY PREFER THE PRAISE OF MAN

*  John 12:42-43 - Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

 

WHOSOEVER TRUTHFULLY CONFESSES CHRIST AS LORD, SHALL BE SAVED 

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

*  Luke 12:8-9 - Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  but he that denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

*  Romans 10:9-13 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

*  Romans 15:8-9 - Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:  and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto Thy name.

*  Philippians 2:10-11 - That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

*  1 John 4:1-3, 15 - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:  every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:  and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world....Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

 

THOSE WHO ARE TRULY BORN AGAIN, CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THEIR LORD!

THE SALVATION OF A THIEF AND A CENTURION

YOU AND I ARE THE REASON HE OFFERED HIMSELF

*  Philippians 2:5-11 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

HEARING JESUS ON THE CROSS, PRODUCED FAITH IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT MEN

*  Luke 23:33-34 - And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.

 

*  John 19:25-27 - Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

 

*  Matthew 27:44-46 - The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

 

*  Luke 23:39-43 - And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

 

*  John 19:28-30 - After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth.  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished:  and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.

 

*  Luke 23:44 - And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.

 

*  Matthew 27:54 - Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

 

A MOCKER AND A MURDER CAME TO FAITH IN HIM - HAVE YOU?

JESUS CHRIST - CREATOR OF THE WORLD

REFERENCES TO JESUS AS THE WORD OF GOD, OUR CREATOR

*  Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."  (Note:  "And God said" appears ten times in the first chapter of Genesis:  Verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29)

*  John 1:1-3, 14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The Same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made....And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

*  Colossians 1:16-17 - "For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:  and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."

*  Hebrews 1:1-3 - "God, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

*  1 John 1:1 - "(He) which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life."

*  1 John 5:7 - "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:  and these three are one."

*  Revelation 19:13 - "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:  and His name is called The Word of God."

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HIS WILLINGNESS TO CREATE A WORLD THAT WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO BECOME FLESH SO THAT HE COULD DIE FOR YOUR SINS, IT SHOULD HUMBLE YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO TRUST IN  JESUS AS YOUR LORD!

IS YOUR FAITH BASED UPON TRADITION OR THE WORD?

For as long as I can remember, forty-five years as a born again believer, I have heard numerous preachers say, "Jesus preached far more about hell, than He did about heaven."  So, I finally decided to check that claim to see if it is true.  IT IS NOT! 

The word "hell" appears in twenty-three verses in all of the King James Version of the New Testament.  It is mentioned in only fifteen verses in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and is not mentioned even once in the Gospel of John.  And, it appears in only eight verses in the rest of the New Testament (Acts 2:27, 31; James 3:6; 2 Peter 2:4; and Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14).

The word "heaven," on the other hand, appears in two hundred seventy-seven verses in the New Testament; seventy-five times in Matthew; seventeen times in Mark; thirty-two times in Luke; seventeen times in John; twenty-five times in Acts; twenty-nine times in the Pauline Epistles; fifteen times in Hebrews; twice in James; nine times in the Epistles of Peter; once in John's Epistles; and fifty-five times in Revelation.

How can this be?  The answer is simple:  most preachers listen to others preach, and they assume the information is correct, without taking the time to check it out.  The Apostle Paul would "turn over in his grave" if he knew about the sloppy way in which the Word of God is being handled today!  He praised those who listened to him preach in Berea, because they were willing to listen, but then would verify his message by comparing it to God's Word (Acts 17:11)!  Here are a few other "facts" that need to be confirmed by believers:

1.  How many Magi (wise men or kings) traveled to see Jesus?
2.  About how old was Jesus when they finally arrived in Bethlehem?
3.  Where were Jesus, Joseph, and Mary living when they arrived?
4.  In what year was Jesus born?
5.  On what day of the week was Jesus crucified?
6.  How many nails did the Roman soldiers use to crucify Jesus?
7.  Was Mathias the replacement for Judas, or was it Paul?
8.  Who was the leader of the Church in the Book of Acts?
9.  Did Jesus establish His Church before He ascended to heaven?
10.  Who was the Creator?

CAN YOU PROVE YOUR ANSWERS FROM THE BIBLE?

JESUS CAME TO DIE; HE IS COMING AGAIN TO REIGN

*  Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.

*  Matthew 25:31 - When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.

*  Luke 9:26 - For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.

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

*  John 14:18 - I will not leave you comfortless:  I will come to you.

*  John 14:28 - You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.  If ye loved Me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father:  for My Father is greater than I.

*  Acts 1:9-11 - And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; who said, You men of Galilee, why do you stand here gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven, He shall come again in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.

*  1 Corinthians 11:26 - For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come.

*  2 Thessalonians 1:10 - When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

*  Hebrews 10:37 - For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

 

JESUS CAME TO DIE AS OUR PASSOVER LAMB (1 Cor. 5:7)

HE IS COMING AGAIN AS THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (Rev. 5:5)

IN BETWEEN, HE IS SEEKING TO SAVE ALL WHO WILL TRUST IN HIM!

THE CROSS OF CHRIST AS I UNDERSTAND IT

*  Matthew 27:40-42 - The two thieves said...You Who destroys the temple, and builds it in three days, save Yourself.  If You are the Son of God, come down from Your cross.  Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; but can He save Himself?  If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down from His cross, and we will believe Him.
*  Mark 10:21 - Then Jesus, seeing him, loved him, and He said to him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven:  and come, take up your cross, and follow Me.
*  Mark 15:30-32 - The two thieves said, Save Yourself, and come down from Your cross.  Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; but can He save Himself?  Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from His cross, so that we may see and believe.  And those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.
*  Luke 23:26 - And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid His cross, that he might bear it for Jesus.
*  John 19:19, 25, 31 - And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on His cross.  And the writing said, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS....Now Mary, His mother, stood by His cross as did His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene....The Jews, because it was the preparation day, desiring that the bodies should not remain upon the crosses on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) asked Pilate that their legs be broken, so that they might die quickly and be buried before sunset.
*  1 Corinthians 1:17-18 - For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel:  not with wisdom of words so that the cross of Christ should not be effective.  For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; but to those of us which are saved, it is the power of God.
*  Galatians 6:14 - But God forbid that I should receive any glory, for all glory belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ Who bore His cross, and by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
*  Ephesians 2:16 - And by His cross, He has reconciled to God, both the Jews and the Gentiles who, together, have become His body, thereby bringing us into fellowship with God.
*  Philippians 2:8 -  Jesus, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
*  Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

This is how I understand these verses about the importance of Christ's cross!

What does His willingness to die on the cross for you, tell you about His love for you?

HE CAME ONCE TO DIE - HE IS COMING AGAIN TO RULE

JESUS CAME AS THE SAVIOR WHO OFFERED HIMSELF

*  Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

*  Matthew 1:18-25 - "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:  When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto yourself Mary your wife:  for the child which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son, and you shalt call His name JESUS:  for He shall save His people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had instructed him, and he took unto himself his wife:  and he knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His name JESUS."

 

JESUS IS COMING BACK AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

*  Isaiah 9:6-7 - "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:  and the government shall be upon His shoulder:  and His name shall be called The Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

*  Revelation 19:11-16; 20:6 - "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of His mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations:  and He shall rule them with a rod of iron:  and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS....Blessed and holy is He that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

 

JESUS THE LAMB - JESUS THE LION - JESUS MY LORD AND MASTER

SEEK THE GIFT OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Grace:  an undeserved gift (getting something we do not deserve); God's Riches At Christ's Expense; grace can only be applied following God showing us mercy (not getting what we deserve)!

Righteousness:  no man is righteous, therefore, we need the righteousness that is God's, to be applied to us.  Righteousness is purity, holiness, being what God created us to be - like Him!

*  Matthew 6:33 - Seek, before anything else, His righteousness, which can only be from God Himself!

*  Romans 3:26 - I declare at this time that salvation is based upon His righteousness:  that He might be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. 

*  Romans 11:6 - And salvation is by grace, and not by works:  but if salvation is by works, then is it not a gift.

*  Galatians 2:16 - You should know that a man is not made righteous by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, for we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law:  for the works of the Law does not produce righteousness.

*  Ephesians 2:4-9 - God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His great love which He has for us, even when we were spiritually dead because of our sins, He has made us alive and saved us by His grace.  And He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  so that in the ages to come, He can show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For we are saved by God's grace through faith; it is not because we deserve it, but salvation is the gift of God:  not by our works, for then we could boast.

*  2 Timothy 1:9 - God has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began!

*  Titus 3:4-5 - Due to the kindness and love of God toward man, our Savior appeared, not because of our works of righteousness, but according to His mercy He saved us...!

Note:  These are not quotes, but they are written based upon my understanding at this time.

 

When you read God's Word, read it with understanding; then apply it to your life.