Bible Study The Holy Spirit & Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:12. No vital act of faith can be exercised until a vital principle is first communicated to us. Thus, Christ is in the believer by His Spirit; the believer is in Christ by faith. Christ is in the believer by inhabitation; the believer is in Christ by implantation (Rom. 6:3-5). Christ is in the believer as the head is in the body; we are in Christ as the members are in the head.

"He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). The same Spirit which is in the Head is in the members of His mystical body, a vital union being effected between them. Christ is in Heaven, we upon earth, but the Spirit being omnipresent is the connecting link. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles" (1 Cor. 12:13)—what could be plainer than that? "Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit" (1 John 4:13). Thus, Christ is unto His people a Head not only of government, but also of influence. Though the ties which connect the Redeemer and the redeemed are spiritual and invisible, yet are they so real and intimate that He lives in them and they live in Him, for "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).

"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11), and this, because the Spirit is the bond of union between us and Christ. Because there is the same Spirit in the Head and in His members, He will therefore work the same effects in Him and in us. If the Head rise, the members will follow after, for they are appointed to be conformed unto Him (Rom. 8:29)—in obedience and suffering now, in happiness and glory hereafter. Christ was raised by the Spirit of holiness (Rom. 1:4), and so shall we be—the earnest of which we have already received when brought from death unto life.

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The Spirit Uniting to Christ

Two Kinds of Union
One of the principal ends or designs of the Gospel is the communication to God’s elect of those benefits or blessings which are in the Redeemer; but the communication of benefits necessarily implies communion, and all communion as necessarily presupposes union with His Person. Can I be rich with another man’s money, or advanced by another man’s honors? Yes, if that other be my surety (one who pledges himself as liable for my debt), or my husband. Peter could not be justified by the righteousness of Paul, but both could be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, seeing they are both knit to one common Head. Principal and surety are one in obligation and construction of law. Head and members are one body; branch and stock are one tree, and a slip will live by the sap of an-other stock when once engrafted into it. We must, then, be united to Christ before we can receive any benefits from Him.
Now there are two kinds of union between Christ and His people: a judicial and a vital, or a legal and a spiritual. The first is that union which was made by God between the Redeemer and the redeemed when He was appointed their federal Head. It was a union in law, in consequence of which He represented them and was responsible for them, the benefits of His transactions redounding to them. It may be illustrated by the case of suretyship among men: a relation is formed between the surety and that person for whom he engages, by which the two are thus far considered as one—the surety being liable for the debt which the other has contracted, and his payment is held as the payment of the debtor, who is thereby absolved from all obligation to the creditor. A similar connection is established between Christ and those who had been given to Him by the Father.
But something farther was necessary in order to the actual enjoyment of the benefits procured by Christ’s representation. God, on whose sovereign will the whole economy of grace is founded, had determined not only that His Son should sustain the character of their Surety, but that there should be also a vital as well as legal relation between them, as the foundation of communion with Him in all the blessings of His purchase. It was His good pleasure that as they were one in law, they should be also one spiritually, that Christ’s merit and grace might not only be imputed, but also imparted to them, as the holy oil poured on the head of Aaron descended to the skirt of his garments. It is this latter, this vital and spiritual union, which the Christian has with Christ, that we now purpose to treat of.
Internal "Drawing"
The preaching of the Gospel by the ambassadors of the Lord Jesus is the instrument appointed for the reconciling or bringing home of sinners to God in Christ. This is clear from Romans 10:14 and 1 Corinthians 1:21, and more particularly from 2 Corinthians 5:20, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God." But, as we have pointed out, the mere preaching of the Word—no matter how faithfully—will never bring a single rebel to the feet of Christ in penitence, confidence, and allegiance. No, for that there must be the special and supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit: only thus are any actually drawn to Christ to receive Him as Lord and Savior: and only as this fact is carefully kept prominently before us does the blessed Spirit have His true place in our hearts and minds.

Bible Study Today with The Joy of Jesus

The Bible teaching about wisdom
>>> Read Isaiah 55:8,9; Jeremiah 10:23. <<<

*1* How do God's thoughts and ways differ from ours? Answer: His thoughts and ways are ______ than ours.

*2* How limited is man's knowledge of his own ways? Answer: It is not in man who walks to direct his own ______.

Think: Can we know what God wants without revelation?

Ways that seem right to men may result in spiritual death (Proverbs 14:12). So we should not add to nor take from God's word (Rev. 22:18,19).

(Luke 16:15; 1 Cor. 1:21-24; 2:5; Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Pro. 30:6)

The Bible teaching about worship
We must worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). But remember, all truth is revealed in God's word (John 17:17; 16:13).

>>> Read Matthew 15:9,13. <<<

*3* What kind of worship is vain? Answer: Worship is vain when we teach as doctrines the commandments of ______.

*4* What will happen to plants (doctrines) God did not plant? Answer: Plants God did not plant will be ______.

Think: When we follow human doctrines, do we honor God or man?

The Bible teaching about love
>>> Read Matthew 22:37; John 14:15. <<< (1 John 5:3)

*5* What does love lead us to do? Answer: If we love Jesus we keep His ______.

Think: When we follow human doctrines, are we showing love for God or for men? Does a man show love for his wife if he gets her a power tool for her birthday because he wants it? When people defend their practices by saying "I think it's beautiful," or "We're satisfied with it," who are they showing love for?

The Bible teaching about faith
We cannot please God without faith (Heb. 11:6; cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).

>>> Read Romans 10:17; Proverbs 3:5,6. <<<

*6&7* How does faith come? Answer: Faith comes by ______ the word of ______.

*8* How do we show trust in the Lord? Answer: Don't lean on our own ______ but let him direct our paths.

Think: If our practices are not in the Bible, are we placing our trust in God or in man?

The Bible teaching about authority
>>> Read 2 John 9; Galatians 1:8,9. <<<

*9&10* What must we do to have God? Answer: We must abide in the ______ of ______.

*11* What is said of a man who preaches a different gospel? Answer: One who teaches a different gospel is ______.

Remember that all Jesus' teachings are found in the Scriptures. God did not intend for His word to itemize everything we should not practice. Rather, if an act is not included in what He said to do, He expects us to not practice it. We should not ask, "Where does God forbid this act?" but rather "Where does God tell us to do this act?"

(Col. 3:17; 2:8; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Cor. 10:18; 1 Tim. 1:3)

Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus

What is the Purpose of the Fruits of the Spirit?

There are two huge things that the Fruits of the Spirit accomplish here on Earth.

* They give you the power to fulfill your destiny in Christ.

Without the Holy Spirit bearing spiritual fruit inside of you, you would be powerless.

You wouldn't have the endurance and faithfulness to complete the calling that God has given you. You wouldn't even have the self-discipline to study your Bible or pray.

Without the Fruits of the Spirit, the gifts that God has hidden inside of you, would stay locked away forever.


* They are what God uses to draw people to Himself through you.

Do you know anyone who, no matter the situation, always radiates a godly peace - They are unshakable. People in this world are drawn to that kind of peace.

With all of the chaos surrounding them every day, they search their entire lives for whatever peace and joy they can get their hands on.

They end up trying to fill the void with fleeting counterfeits like alcohol and illicit sex. Things that merely numb their pain for a short while, but leave them longing once again, after the party is over.

When they look at you in a time of crisis, and see God's unshakable peace and joy staring back at them through your eyes, they want to know what you know.

Then, you can introduce them to Who you know.

Remember, the Fruits of the Spirit are not something that you can scrounge up on your own, but gifts that God gives to you. He uses them to set you free from human frailties like anger, fear and depression.

He wants to give you His peace for your stress and anxiety, His love for your unforgiveness, His joy for your depression, and on and on. I explain more about how this Great Exchange takes place, as well as your vital role in the process, in The Hem's Online Bible Class, The Spirit Controlled Life.
Fruit of the Spirit Bible Study:
Reflection Questions:

1. Do you believe in your heart that you have been Marked by the Spirit of God? Why or why not?

2. Do you agree with the idea that people in the world can be drawn to God by His fruit in your life? Why or why not?

3. What Fruits of the Spirit do you already see manifesting in your life?

4. Which of the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit do you still need God to manifest inside of you? Stop now and pray for the Holy Spirit to begin this work today

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Bible Study Today with The Joy of Jesus

Doing God’s Will
The Bible must be our only authority in religion if we want to please God and go to Heaven. People must give up all the various false doctrines that propagate the many different kinds of denominations and go back to only the Bible. There were no denominations in the New Testament times and there would be none today if only the Bible was taught and practiced. There would only be the Lord's one true church, the church of Christ.

How then do we make sure that we are among the few who are saved and not among the many who are lost? Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness". If you believe and call Jesus, "Lord, Lord", you are still lost if you have not done what God says. If we are not obeying God, we are practicing lawlessness. If we ever hope to go to heaven, we must do the will of the Father. This is the only way. Not the will of men, but God’s will. Not our own will, but God’s will. Just because we call Jesus our Lord, this will not save us.

We cannot go to Heaven by just calling Jesus, "Lord, Lord". Jesus says in the above scripture, on the Day of Judgment, many will be pleading with him, calling him Lord, Lord, and reminding him of the many wonderful works they had done in His name, but He will say unto them, "I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness". Why? Why? Because they had not done the will of the Father in heaven. Oh, they thought they had, but they hadn’t. They had done their own will or the will of men in their many differing denominations. This will be the worst thing that will ever be said to an individual, when the Lord on Judgment Day says to the majority of people, "I never knew you; depart from Me". The majority of people will be told this and be punished forever in Hell. There will be no appeal to this decision. There will be no second chance. We have to get it right the first time.

These people in the above scripture seemed to be honest, but they were honestly mistaken as the majority of people are today. The people seemed to be sincere. There will be many surprised but lost people on the Day of Judgment who thought that it doesn't really matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. To believe this is to believe a lie of Satan. If it doesn't matter what you believe, then it doesn't matter if you believe at all. Apparently many were good people, because they had "done many wonderful works". But they had not done the will of the Father who is in heaven. Man generally wants to do things his way and he doesn't really care what God thinks. We cannot obey God without doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, how God says to do it, and for the reason God says to do it. Nothing is more important than pleasing God by doing His will so that we can go to Heaven.

We learn from the above scripture, that we don't go to Heaven by doing the will of men, or by doing what we think is right. The only way we can go to Heaven is by doing the will of the Father, and that will is found right in our Bibles. Do we really know what the will of the Father is so that we can be sure of going to Heaven? This is too important a matter to assume we do know or to take someone else’s word for it. One must know what the will of God is before he can obey it. Do you really know what the Bible says that God wants us to do in order to be saved?

What must I do to be saved? This is a very important question. Many people would answer this question in many different ways. The many different denominations give many different and conflicting answers. Only God's way is correct. The Bible is the only reliable source we can go to for our answer, since it is our soul that will be lost if we follow man's advice. Our obedience to Christ is a very serious decision and must not be taken lightly. It must be on the Lord's terms as laid out in the scriptures and not on our terms.

We have already seen in Matthew 7:13-14, 21, only few will be saved, and many will be lost, and only those who do the will of the Father can go to Heaven. We read in 1 John 2:4, "He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." "A liar" is pretty strong language. A person is lying to himself and everyone else who says he knows and loves God, but does not keep God's commandments. We know that a liar cannot go to Heaven (Revelation 21:8).

We must do all of God's will, so that we can go to Heaven. There is no other way. We must do all of what God has commanded us. Our Lord says in Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” We must do all things God has commanded us. We cannot pick and choose and take a verse out of context but we must take all of what the Bible says. We cannot be pleasing to God by dreaming up our own plan of salvation as to how God is going to save us. We must follow His plan and only His plan if we expect Him to save us. Our salvation in Heaven is too great to lose, because if we don’t go to Heaven we will spend forever and ever in a burning Hell. Many people don’t really believe this, but they all will one day.

No single condition, that God imposes, can be ignored. God has no non-essential commands. When we don't obey a command of God, we have just broken it. Many people think that God will save them, no matter if they follow God's specific instructions on what they must do to be saved or not. We must obey God by doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, how God says to do it, and for the reason God says to do it. What then is God's will, so that we can go to Heaven and not have to endure eternal punishment forever and ever? We will find the answer in the Bible in the following lessons.


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Questions Lesson 9

Doing God's Will
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Matthew 7:21) How do we go to heaven?
By doing our will.

By doing man's will.

By doing God's will.


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2) All who call Jesus their Lord will be saved.


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3) (Matthew 7:21) Those who call Jesus, Lord, Lord

Will all go to heaven.

Many of which will not go to heaven.

Will all be pleasing to the Lord.


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4) On Judgment Day many will be vainly pleading with Jesus to be saved.


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5) (Matthew 7:23) What is the worse thing one can hear on Judgment Day?

Welcome to heaven.

That heaven has no more room.

Depart, I never knew you.


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6) If we haven't done the will of God, we will not go to heaven even if we have done many good works.


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7) (1 John 2:4) If I say I know and love God, but I do not keep His commandments,

I am telling the truth.

I am a liar.

God will overlook it.


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8) One is telling the truth if he says he loves and knows God but does not keep His commandments.

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Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus is Love

Matthew 5:1-12
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek , for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This section of teaching, recorded in Matthew , chapters 5 to 7, is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the gospels. It comes towards the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus has been baptized by John and has been tempted by Satan in the wilderness. After the temptations are over he began to preach and gather disciples. Matthew summarizes Jesus’ early ministry in the passage immediately preceding the one we are going to look at: “And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis from Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.”(Mt. 4:23-25)

Jesus has begun His ministry. He is gathering disciples and has begun to travel throughout the surroundings regions preaching, healing, and casting out demons. His ministry causes a tremendous stir and so “great crowds followed him” from all around the area. Who is this person? What gives him the power and authority to heal? These must be the questions that were on the minds of people that encountered Jesus in His travels. Now we hear what Jesus has to say for Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. What will He have to say? What will He want to communicate?

Matthew tells his readers the setting for "the sermon on the mount". “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them...” It is seeing the crowds that initiates Jesus going up the mountain and sitting down, a signal that he is going to teach. His disciples, those who have begun to follow him already, come over to him to hear what he has to say. The phrase “And he opened his mouth and taught them” is just a way of indicating that Jesus is being deliberate and that what He going to say is important.

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount begins by talking about the kingdom of heaven. Well, what is a kingdom anyway? A kingdom has a king, subjects, a place, and the ways of the king and his kingdom. It is where this particular king is reigning. So when Jesus teaches, He is not just advocating rules or giving advice. He is talking about a place or, more accurately, a realm where the ruler is God. And what is God’s kingdom like? What is God like as a king? Who are His subjects? And what are the ways of God? You can see that Jesus speaks about all these things in the beatitudes. We learn about who the subjects of this kingdom are: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, etc. We are learn about the king. He is One who gives the kingdom, who comforts, gives the earth to His children, and so on. Jesus is telling them about the wonder and goodness of living under the reign of God.

Jesus begins His Sermon on the Mount teaching with a list. It is almost like a poem. Each of the first nine lines begins with the word “blessed.” Each of the first 8 lines has a second half that begins “for theirs is” or “for they shall,” thus giving a reason for why these people are blessed. If you study the first 8 lines, you notice that the first and the eighth end exactly the same: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is present tense, meaning that right now, these people have the kingdom of heaven. In all the lines in between these two, the second half begins “for they shall...” These are all future tense, meaning that they will be fully realized only in the future. What is the significance of this structure? Well, I think it means a couple of things. First of all Jesus is speaking about the kingdom as a present and future reality. We can truly possess the kingdom of heaven here and now on the earth. We can enjoy the truth of this, at least, to some extent. But the greatest fulfillment of having this kingdom will, for us, come in the future. It is a real hope that affects our lives profoundly now, but one we look forward to seeing completely fulfilled. Secondly, I don’t think Jesus is describing separate groups of people here. The structure is like a sandwich. It begins and ends in the same place. Jesus is describing one group of people, those who have the kingdom.

The people of the kingdom are blessed. It might help if we begin by considering what the word “blessed” means. The word “blessed” always implies that the one doing the blessing is God. To be blessed is to be favored or honored by God. “Blessed” is a passive term. The one who is blessed is receiving from God His notice and favor.

So who are those who are blessed in the kingdom of heaven? And why are they blessed? Well, in looking over the list, we are immediately struck that Jesus is saying the unexpected, to say the least! The qualities of the blessed on Jesus’ list are not at all what we think of when we consider those we believe to be blessed. I think Jesus’ listeners thought they had a pretty good idea of what makes someone blessed, as do we. To be blessed is to be wealthy, have good health, be secure and protected, have great success in one’s endeavors, to be particularly good-looking, athletic, or charismatic. These are the qualities we tend to associate with being blessed. Aren’t these some of the things we have in mind when we pray for ourselves or others to be blessed? When we moved out here to Illinois three years ago, my deepest prayer to God was that He would bless my children. We had lived in New Jersey for almost nine years and were well established and had a terrific group of friends. It was wrenching to move. So I asked God to bless us in this endeavor, but especially to bless my children. What I had in my mind was that he would keep them from any suffering, provide them with great friends right away, make them successful and well liked by all.

Jesus’ list here strikes me as absolutely mind-blowing. The qualities He includes are actually what I would consider indications of someone not being blessed! Do you notice in looking at this list that these are descriptions of a lacking or a longing? I tend to think of one who is blessed as being full, complete, overflowing. Jesus says that those who are blessed are empty, incomplete, and lacking. Of course there is a hint of completeness and fullness here. This is found in the second half of each of the beatitudes. The person who is blessed is favored to have the kingdom of heaven now and a future fullness in comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, etc. The blessing then that these people receive is not to be poor in spirit, mourning, or meek. Rather, the presence of these qualities is a sign that the person is not cursed, but actually blessed. One can be called blessed when one is poor in spirit because being poor in spirit is a sign that she/he is looking for the very thing God the King is giving: His kingdom. You can see that there is a connection in each beatitude between the person who is blessed and why they are blessed. And it seems that the connection is that when someone is lacking in or longing for these things, he/she is blessed because these are the very things God, the ruler of this kingdom, is looking to give. This King is “into” giving comfort, the whole earth, His own kingdom, mercy, and having righteousness fulfilled. So, it makes some sense that the person who is blessed is the one who is longing for these things.

Notice that these beatitudes are statements, not commands. Jesus is telling his listeners something about the way things are in heaven’s kingdom. He is not commanding those around Him to “be poor in spirit.” He is not making “if...then” statements either. He is not telling them that “if they will be poor in spirit, then they will have the kingdom of heaven.” The only command in these first 12 verses of the Sermon on the Mount comes in verse 12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven...” So don’t take these verses as commands that Jesus is laying down for us to do. They are not. I believe that as Jesus looked out at the crowds that were gathering around Him, he wanted to draw His followers together and help them to understand more of His kingdom and what real blessing is. He is telling them that the ways of the kingdom are very different from what they are used to in the world. They can no longer decide who is blessed and who is not by whether they are rich and successful. To understand the kingdom, they need to know who God is and what His blessings are about.

These beatitudes are meant to be encouraging to those sitting around Jesus. They have begun to follow Him but they may be wondering whether they are blessed or not. My guess is that they are feeling some awareness of their poverty of spirit, or a deeper longing for righteousness, or a desire to see God in all that they do. Jesus is telling them, “Good news! Being poor in spirit or meek are not indications that God is distant or that He is not favoring you! In fact, these longings are exactly what God is growing in you, so that you are able and willing more and more to receive the wonderful blessings He is offering you!” These attributes are not ones that we wish to be in or remain in. They are uncomfortable because they are about lacks we are currently experiencing in our lives. If we are mourning we don’t like it and wish to be somewhere else. We are tempted to feel that our mourning is not a good thing. But Jesus is encouraging us to see that He is making our longings like His own. He is even growing our longings for the things with which He is filling and will fill us.

God, our King, desires indeed to bless us. We will explore each of these beatitudes in depth in the next few studies, but take a moment to consider the riches of His blessings. To be truly comforted, to see all things set right, to inherit the whole earth, and to be His true children. These are the ways of His kingdom. So it makes more sense to see that to be blessed here and now is to find we are being made ready to receive all these things. Isn’t it wonderful to know that those deepest longings you have, to belong, to be whole, are going to be filled by the very God who put those longings in you in the first place? They are a sign of His work in your life. Is He working? Am I blessed? Where can I see this? Well it appears from this Scripture that we don’t see it from our circumstances, but from what God is doing within us.

As I have pondered over these beatitudes this summer and fall, I can see how God is indeed answering my heart prayers for my children. He did not make them successful and give them a trouble-free life here. In fact, it has been a long, difficult, and at times very painful three years. A few weeks ago, my son Greg and I were together in the car and he was telling me of his longing for heaven. He was talking about how many things he noticed that were not right in the world and they made him long for heaven. I have seen in all of my children at times a greater sense of their poverty of spirit and of their capacity to mourn over their own sins and the twistedness of the world around them. And, I see now that God is indeed making my children blessed. They are growing more ready and willing to receive the comfort , love, and presence of God. He is more precious to them now.

Jesus is telling us about His kingdom. We see that God greatly desires to bless His people in a full and complete way. God is not going to give sparingly--just some comfort, or a small inheritance. And what God is doing in His people now, when He is blessing them, is He is making them able more and more to hope in, receive, long for, the very riches He is giving.

Who are the blessed? Well, we who are His followers are the blessed. And the next time you find yourself mourning over the loss of a loved one or a friendship, or mourning over the distortion and destruction that sin causes, remember this is a sign that you are blessed--God is at work in you and He will give His presence, peace, and comfort someday perfectly.

Healing and Thanks-giving is The Joy of Jesus

Mark 1:40-45

Q. Visualize condition of the Leper.
■Rejected by family, friends, community
■Outcast from the community and city
■No one would have touched him for days. If anyone touches him, he will also become unclean.
■Leprosy is not something, you can romanticized. It is one of the most hated and rejected diseases. (Check out Jesus healing the Disabled Man at Bethesda)
■He would need physical, social, spiritual healing.
■His self-esteem would have been lost.
■According to Moses’ Law, the leper has to pass through at least 14 days of ‘cleansing’ process before he can enter the city and see Jesus.

Q. What does his request say about his state of mind?
■The leper was desperate and downcast. In Jesus, he saw his last rescue!
■His lack of confidence in himself – “If you are willing, you can make me clean!”
■This man would have tried everything, he could, to cure himself. But nothing could cure his decaying body. In Jesus, he saw hope, a healer, savior who can help him out of this condition. And so he came to him kneeling and beseeching.
■It is out of such state of mind of helplessness and self-pity, he cried out. “If you are willing, you can heal me.”
■I believe that in the Kingdom of God, this is your qualification, when you realize that you are nothing in yourself, but a helpless person, who desperately need a healer and Savior.
Q. What was Jesus’ response to the leper?
■He was moved by pity, filled with compassion.
■He stretched out his hands and touch him! people around him would have been shocked to see that!
■“How can he touch him? He would also be ‘unclean’.” Some might have whispered!
■There is a reverse phenomenon here, Jesus’ touch can cleanse the ‘unclean’.
■I believe that even Jesus’ touch would have healed his soul. For what seems like a simple gesture by Jesus, was a great expression of comfort and acknowledgment, as if Jesus is saying, “I love you and care for you despite of your wounds and disrupted body and soul.”
■Jesus healed his body and soul.
■I am not going to focus today on this man’s failure to follow Jesus’ warning. I guess his joy was too great to be contained to himself. That did caused hindrances for Jesus’ public ministry.
Bible Lessons & Prayer:
This passage is the reminder that your greatest qualification in the Kingdom of God, is when you realize your own unworthiness. How often we come to Jesus without putting aside ourselves, expecting him to do great things for us. (or expecting us to do great things for him!).

More I dig deeper into this story. I find my own story of encounter with Jesus – ‘A Leper’s Story‘!

Jesus, Even you touch is so relieving

Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus

Eternity
There is only one of two places in eternity that we can go: Heaven or Hell. Each one of us will be placed in one of these two places on Judgment Day to be there forever and ever. Our Lord in speaking of eternity in Matthew 25:46 says, "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life". Notice that the duration of the lost in Hell is exactly the same as the duration of the saved in Heaven, "forever and ever". It is hard for us as mortals to grasp how long eternity will be, but after we have been there a billion years, eternity will have just begun.



According to the U. S. News & World Report, January 31, 2000, 36% of people do not believe in Hell. But Hell is a real place. To say there is no Hell is to make God a liar. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). Satan does not want you to believe in Hell. Satan is accomplishing his purpose since there is very seldom any teaching on Hell today. It is not a “politically correct” subject. A person who does not believe Hell is real will most likely go there. Ignoring or scoffing at Hell will not do away with it.

We do not like to think about eternal punishment. But it evidently must be very important or God would not have told us about it. Let's first consider what the Lord says about eternal punishment of Hell and then we will turn our attention to a more pleasant thought, Heaven. Jesus spoke as much about the eternal punishment of Hell as He did any other subject. He took our punishment and gave His life to keep us out of Hell. In His attempt to persuade us not to go there, He has given us numerous warnings in His word.

Our Lord in describing how horrible that Hell will be for the many who will end up going there, says in Matthew 13:42, "And will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth". This definitely will be a horrible and terrible place beyond description. Jesus says in Mark 9:43-48 concerning those who are lost, that they will be "cast into Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched: where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched".

Jesus tells us if there is anything in our life that is going to cause us to be lost, to correct it or to get rid of it now. Notice Jesus says a person is cast or thrown into Hell. The worm is a flesh-eating maggot that does not die, but will continuously feed forever and ever on the lost in Hell. In Hell, one is burning over every square inch of his body and even all on the inside but is never consumed. The continuous fire and the worms will never accomplish the annihilation of any of the lost. The lost in Hell will prefer to cease their existence, but they cannot. Their perpetual nightmare of torment will continue forever and ever. It will never cease. The lost “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone…and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Revelation 14:10-11). The occupants of Hell will never know relief or rest from their torment. Hell is such a horrible place. Hell is not a fictitious place, it is real.

There will be no reprieve or appeal to a higher court, because we will have been judged by the highest. The Lord is trying to get our attention and to give us fair warning. He is pleading with us not to go there because He has already paid our price and taken our punishment. But we make the choice. The choice is ours. We will bear the responsibility and the consequences.

One of the many warnings Jesus gives us is the true account of the rich man and Lazarus. “There was a certain rich man” and “there was a certain beggar named Lazarus”. [The rich man was lost],“And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, son remember…and besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:19-20, 23-26). Notice it says there was a certain rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. This is not a fictitious fairy tale. In Hell people will be in continual unceasing torment and pain in which all will be constantly pleading for mercy. With their unquenchable thirst they will beg for even one drop of water, but they will not receive it. How much relief and how long would one drop of water last on the tongue of those who are being eternally tormented in the burning fires of Hell? It would not last even one second. We must wake up and heed our Lord’s warning. Their desperate and hopeless state is permanent where they will remain eternally. They are condemned there forever. In Hell people are conscious and will see, feel, wail, and remember as they endure the continual intense pain and suffering.

The many who end up in eternal punishment will not be there alone. They will have company. Revelation 20:10 says, "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever". Not very good company to be in. Notice that the torment goes on "day and night forever and ever".

There are many people who scoff at the idea of eternal punishment, but they are scoffing at what God says. The fire will burn forever and those who are lost will be there in the fire for eternity whether they want to believe it or not. In eternity their scoffing will quickly change to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. We must take what our Lord says in the Bible seriously. Hell is real! There is no way for the horrors of Hell to be adequately described in human language. Many people do not realize the danger of eternally losing their souls. This is very serious!

Those lost in Hell will be those “whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (2 Peter 2:17). Those in Hell will attempt to find God, “Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer; they will seek Me diligently, but they will not find Me” (Proverbs 1:28). They will not be able to forget their rejection of God. There will be no atheists in Hell, because all those in Hell will believe that there really is a God, but it will be too late then.

“The Lord knows how to…reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). Hell must be avoided at all costs. No one can begin to exaggerate how horrible Hell is going to be. Its misery and anguish is beyond description. It will never, never, never, ever end.

We are being warned, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31) and “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). We must make sure we don’t end up in Hell, and we must warn other people who will listen. We “must be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). Jesus has promised, “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Anyone who ends up in Hell will only have himself to blame.

In Hell there will be billions of people crying out in indescribable pain and agony for which there will be no relief or hope that things will ever get better. There will be haunting memories of all the opportunities of salvation that they passed up. Eternity is forever and has no end. There will be no opportunity for second chances. Hell is eternal, final, and irrevocable.

We read in Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night." But reading further we see in Revelation 20:15, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire". It is imperative that our name be found in the Book of Life. Is your name in that book? Do you know for sure, or are you making a wishful assumption? It will be too late on the Day of Judgment to find out that your name is not there.

Heaven

Now let us turn our attention to something more pleasant, Heaven. Our Lord says in John 14:2-3, "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". Heaven will be a very wonderful place. For the few who go there it will be beyond their wildest dreams and they will be totally surprised and amazed. As we read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." There is no way that the glories of Heaven can be adequately described to us mortal beings. The only way will be to see it.

Heaven will be the very opposite of eternal punishment. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away". There will be no weeping, and no wailing, and no gnashing of teeth as will be happening in eternal torment. But there will forever and ever be nothing but joy, and peace, and happiness, beyond description. What a wonderful place Heaven will be. But again, the choice is ours. We cannot escape the consequences if we make the wrong choice. We will not accidentally end up in Heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Our Lord says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." Going to Heaven has got to be our number one goal in this life. We must want to go to Heaven more than anything else.


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Questions Lesson 3

Eternity
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Matthew 25:46) Those who are lost will go into

Purgatory.

Annihilation.

Everlasting punishment.


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2) All people will be placed into one of two places in eternity.


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3) (Matthew 13:42) Eternal punishment is described as

A furnace of fire.

Not very hot.

There will be no eternal punishment.


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4) Eternal punishment will be horrible and beyond description.


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5) (Mark 9:45-46) The fire of hell
Will never be lit.

Will soon go out.

Will never be quenched.


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6) If we end up in eternal punishment we will be able to appeal our sentence.


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7) (Revelation 20:10) Eternal punishment will last

1000 years.

A short period of time.

Forever and ever.


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8) Satan will also be punished in the lake of fire and brimstone.


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9) (Revelation 20:15) If we are not found in the Book of Life

We will cease to exist.

We will be cast into the lake of fire.

We will have another chance.


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10) Even after death we can have our name added to the Book of Life.


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11) (John 14:2-3) Heaven is described as

Many mansions.

The earth made over.

A bad place.


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12) Christ will be in Heaven with the few who are saved.


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13) (Revelation 21:4) In Heaven there will be

Sorrow and crying.

No sorrow or crying.

Pain and suffering.


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14) People will die after they get to Heaven.

Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus

Becoming a Child of God
Galatians 3:26-27 (KJV) says, "For you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." All of us want to be children of God, but it is our faith in Christ that leads us to become children of God. This verse also tells us how our faith leads us to be children of God. It says, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." The word for as used in this scripture is a preposition, which means for the purpose of or in order to be. Therefore, we are baptized for the purpose of or in order to be God's children.

To be a child of God and part of His family, we must be born into His family. Our Lord said in John 3:3, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." Then He tells us how being born again takes place in John 3:5, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." When one is "born again" by being baptized into Christ he becomes a child of God. The blood of Christ will only forgive the sins of those who are "born of water and the Spirit" when they are baptized for that reason.

We might ask the question, "If I had to prove that I was a child of God in order to get into Heaven, could I do it?" Only those who are God's children will inherit Heaven. In 1 Peter 1:4 we read "To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you." Are you eligible for that inheritance? Have you become a child of God by being baptized into Christ? If you haven't then you have no inheritance in Heaven. You will inherit eternal punishment. Why would anyone in their right mind not want to be a child of God?

Has your faith led you to be baptized, so that you can become a child of God? If not then you are not a child of God; you belong to Satan. To be a child of God, our faith must be a faith that will accept and do all that the Lord tells us to do. It must be an obedient faith, because God says in James 2:17,20 & 24, "Thus also faith, by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." We are not saved by the salvation-robbing doctrine of "faith only". If our faith is not one of action, it is a dead faith. A dead faith will do you no good on the Day of Judgment. This is the only place in the Bible that speaks of "faith only" and here the false doctrine of "faith only" is condemned. It also refers to one who believes in "faith only" as "O foolish man" because he will lose his soul in eternity.

Are you a child of God? Have you been baptized into Christ so you can be a child of God? As Hebrews 2:3 says, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" We know there is no escape. Please don't neglect your salvation.


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Questions Lesson 16

Becoming A Child Of God
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Galatians 3:26-27)) How does faith in Christ lead us to become Children of God?
By being baptized into Christ.

All people are already children of God.

Faith only.


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2) We are baptized in order to be a child of God.


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3) (James 2:17, 20, &24) One who believes in faith only is

A wise man.

A foolish man.

Going to be saved.


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4) We are justified by faith only.


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5) (James 2:17) Faith that has no works is

A dead faith.

A living faith.

A saving faith.


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6) To be a child of God our faith must cause us to accept and do all the Lord commands.


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7) (1Peter 1:4) Who will inherit a home in heaven?

All People.

All sincere religious people.

Only God's children.


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8) Heaven is reserved only for God's children.




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9) (Hebrews 2:3) If we neglect our great salvation

We will be given another chance in purgatory to go to Heaven.

There will be no escape.

We will still be able to escape.




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10) We will still go to Heaven if we neglect our great salvation.

Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus for Life

The Cleansing Blood of Christ
Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without shedding of blood there is no remission." I John 1:7 tells us that "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." God, in choosing the cleansing agent for our sins, chose the very best that He had, the blood of His own Son. It is by the precious blood of our Lord, that we are cleansed from all of our sins. Revelation 1:5 says, "To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Yes, it is only by the blood of our Lord, that we get our sins washed away. John 19:34 says, "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." Jesus shed His blood for us, in His death, when He died on the cruel cross of Calvary.

How do we come into contact with that cleansing blood, which our Lord shed in his death, in order to have our sins washed away? Romans 6:3 tells us how. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Since Christ shed His blood in His death, when a person is baptized into our Lord's death, it is there that he spiritually comes into contact with the blood of Christ and his sins are then washed away. Baptism is the only means of reaching His death by being "baptized into His death", where His blood was shed, so we can have forgiveness of our sins. So, when Ananias told Paul in Acts 22:16, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins," it was the blood of Christ that washed away Paul's sins when he was baptized.

There are many differing humanly devised plans of salvation with their flowery theological phrases. One of these says all you have to do is "accept Jesus as your personal saviour" and then "say the sinner's prayer" to be saved. Others say you must be sprinkled, or touch the radio, or speak in an unknown tongue in order to be saved. There is not a verse in the Bible that teaches any of this. All of these are false and become a mockery of God and what He says in the Bible. But as we are told in Galatians 1:7, "But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." These perverted humanly invented plans of salvation will result in many good people being lost. If people would only read the Bible for themselves to see what God requires to be saved so they can go to Heaven.

Salvation does not originate with men but with God. The Lord's salvation is offered on His terms, not ours. To refuse the Lord's terms of salvation and pardon is to forfeit eternal life in Heaven.

Have you been baptized to have your sins washed away by the blood of Christ? If you haven't, then you still have every sin that you have ever committed. Your sins have separated you from God. With your sins you can't go to Heaven to be with God when you die, but you will have to go to the eternal punishment of Hell where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth forever and ever. You may have been baptized into a denominational church, but not for remission of your sins so you can be saved. If you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins, so that you can be saved, then the blood of Christ will be of no benefit to you, and Christ’s death for you was in vain. But please take advantage of Christ having died for you. Only you can do this for yourself.


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Questions Lesson 15

The Cleansing Blood Of Christ
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)
1) (1 John 1:7 & Revelation 1:5) What cleanses us from all sin?
We have no sin to be cleansed.

Nothing can.

The blood of Christ.


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2) We are cleansed from our sins when we are washed in the blood of Christ.


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3) (John 19:34) Where did Christ shed His blood for us.

In His death on the cross.

When He cut His finger.

He never shed any blood.


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4) Our sins are washed away when we come into contact with the cleansing blood of Christ.


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5) (Romans 6:3) How do we get into Christ's death to spiritually come into contact with His blood?
When we die physically.

When we are baptized into His death.

We can't spiritually come into contact with His blood.


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6) We come into contact with the saving blood of Christ when we are baptized into His death.

Bible Study with The Joy of Jesus

Our Eternal Salvation
Are you really sure of your eternal salvation? This is a very important question, and one that will have lasting eternal consequences. If you were to die today, do you know for certain that you would go to heaven? This is a question about which we cannot afford to be wrong, because eternity is very permanent. One day each of us will know the true answer to this question, "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ", Romans 14:10. Every one of us have two appointments that have already been made for us and that we will definitely keep, whether we want to or not. They are, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment", Hebrews 9:27. These two appointments, death and the judgment, cannot be cancelled.

The tragedy of what happened in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001 shows the uncertainty and brevity of life. God tells us in James 4:14, "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

We must not make an error concerning our salvation in following what "seems right" to us, or that we "feel in our heart that we are saved". The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death". Our feelings are not a safe guide, but only the Bible is.

What prior assumptions have we already made about our salvation? Many of these assumptions, that people make, contradict what God says in his word to us. All we have to do is to look around at all of the many differing doctrines that are being taught, and then compare them to what God says in the Bible, and we can see a great difference. Our Lord says in Mark 7:7, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men". Our worship is vain if it comes from the doctrines of men and not from God. Can we say that all these many differing doctrines have come from God? I think not. I Corinthians 14:33 says that, "God is not the author of confusion." Or are they from men? Where else could they have come from, if they did not come from God? This becomes a very serious question. Our worship becomes vain and useless, if our doctrines come from men when they meet in their conventions and conferences to decide what they are to believe and do.

As the apostle Peter told the Jewish council in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men". Do not believe anything that I tell you, because we are not going to be judged by what I say. Do not believe anything any other person tells you, because we are not going to be judged by what some other person says. In fact, we are not going to be judged by what we personally believe. On the Day of Judgment we are going to be judged only by what the Lord says in the Bible. That is going to be the only standard for judgment, for our Lord says in John 12:48, "The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day". So, if I or any other person cannot point to it in the Word of God, then please do not believe it, because there is too much at stake – your soul!

Our soul is worth more than the whole world and everything in it. Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Our soul is the part of us that is going to continue to live on forever throughout all eternity. We cannot afford to lose our soul and be eternally punished.


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Questions Lesson 1

Our Eternal Salvation
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Romans 14:10) Who will appear before the judgment seat of Christ?

Only the lost.

Only the saved.

All people.


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2) If we are wrong about our salvation we will be lost.


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3) (Proverbs 14:12) The way that seems right unto man leads to

Eternal life.
Spiritual death.

Success.


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4) Our feelings are a safe guide when it comes to our eternal salvation.


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5) (Mark 7:7) If we follow the doctrines of men

It is vain.
It doesn’t matter.

God is still well pleased.


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6) It is pleasing to God if we follow the doctrines of men in our worship.


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7) (John 12:48) What will be the standard of judgment on judgment day?

What we think.
The words of Christ.

What my preacher says.


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8) Just because we feel in our heart we are saved does not mean we are saved.


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9) (Hebrews 9:27) What two appointments have already been made for us?

Doctor.
Dental.

Death and Judgment


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10) We can cancel our appointments with death and judgment.

Bible Study from The Joy of Jesus

Our Eternal Salvation
Are you really sure of your eternal salvation? This is a very important question, and one that will have lasting eternal consequences. If you were to die today, do you know for certain that you would go to heaven? This is a question about which we cannot afford to be wrong, because eternity is very permanent. One day each of us will know the true answer to this question, "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ", Romans 14:10. Every one of us have two appointments that have already been made for us and that we will definitely keep, whether we want to or not. They are, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment", Hebrews 9:27. These two appointments, death and the judgment, cannot be cancelled.

The tragedy of what happened in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001 shows the uncertainty and brevity of life. God tells us in James 4:14, "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

We must not make an error concerning our salvation in following what "seems right" to us, or that we "feel in our heart that we are saved". The Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death". Our feelings are not a safe guide, but only the Bible is.

What prior assumptions have we already made about our salvation? Many of these assumptions, that people make, contradict what God says in his word to us. All we have to do is to look around at all of the many differing doctrines that are being taught, and then compare them to what God says in the Bible, and we can see a great difference. Our Lord says in Mark 7:7, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men". Our worship is vain if it comes from the doctrines of men and not from God. Can we say that all these many differing doctrines have come from God? I think not. I Corinthians 14:33 says that, "God is not the author of confusion." Or are they from men? Where else could they have come from, if they did not come from God? This becomes a very serious question. Our worship becomes vain and useless, if our doctrines come from men when they meet in their conventions and conferences to decide what they are to believe and do.

As the apostle Peter told the Jewish council in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men". Do not believe anything that I tell you, because we are not going to be judged by what I say. Do not believe anything any other person tells you, because we are not going to be judged by what some other person says. In fact, we are not going to be judged by what we personally believe. On the Day of Judgment we are going to be judged only by what the Lord says in the Bible. That is going to be the only standard for judgment, for our Lord says in John 12:48, "The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day". So, if I or any other person cannot point to it in the Word of God, then please do not believe it, because there is too much at stake – your soul!

Our soul is worth more than the whole world and everything in it. Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Our soul is the part of us that is going to continue to live on forever throughout all eternity. We cannot afford to lose our soul and be eternally punished.


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Questions Lesson 1

Our Eternal Salvation
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)

1) (Romans 14:10) Who will appear before the judgment seat of Christ?

Only the lost.

Only the saved.

All people.


2) If we are wrong about our salvation we will be los

3) (Proverbs 14:12) The way that seems right unto man leads to

Eternal life.
Spiritual death.

Success

4) Our feelings are a safe guide when it comes to our eternal salvation.


5) (Mark 7:7) If we follow the doctrines of men

It is vain.
It doesn’t matter.

God is still well pleased.


6) It is pleasing to God if we follow the doctrines of men in our wors

7) (John 12:48) What will be the standard of judgment on judgment day?

What we think.
The words of Christ.

What my preacher say

8) Just because we feel in our heart we are saved does not mean we are s

9) (Hebrews 9:27) What two appointments have already been made for us?

Doctor.
Dental.

Death and Judgment



10) We can cancel our appointments with death and judgment.

Biible Study The Joy of Confessing Jesus online

Confessing Christ

Jesus wants us to confess Him before men. In Matthew 10:32-33 He says, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in Heaven." If we deny Christ we are going to be lost. We must not be ashamed to confess to other people that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus says in Mark 8:38, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." If He is ashamed of us, this means we are going to be lost.

There are several examples of people confessing their faith in Christ in the Bible. One is found in Matthew 16:16-17, "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.'" Christ was well pleased with Peter's confession and He will be with ours also.

In Acts 8:36-37 a man asked the question, "'See here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart you may'. And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'" Here we see we must believe with all our heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and not be ashamed to make that confession to others before we are baptized. Would you be willing to confess to others that you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God?


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Questions Lesson 12

Confessing Christ
(click on the button of the answer of your choice)
1) (Matthew 10:32) If we want Christ to confess us before God the Father
We must confess Him before men.

We should deny Him before men.

It is not necessary to confess Him before men.


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2) If we deny Christ before men He will confess us before the Father.


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3) (Mark 8:38) If we are ashamed of Christ

He will not be ashamed of us on Judgment Day.

We will not be lost.

He will be ashamed of us on Judgment Day.


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4) If Christ is ashamed of us, that means we are going to be lost.


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5) (Matthew 16:16-17) When Peter said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
Christ was embarrassed.

Christ was well pleased.

Christ didn't care.


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6) We must be willing to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God.


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7) (Acts 8:36-37) Before we are baptized we

Do not need to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Are to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Are to confess our sins to a priest.


8) When we are baptized we must believe in God and Jesus with all of our heart.

Bible Study: At The Feet of Jesus

At the Feet of Jesus

Luke 10:38-42 Luke 10:38-42 (New American Standard Bible)

Martha and Mary
38Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named (A)Martha welcomed Him into her home.
39She had a sister called (B)Mary, who was (C)seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

40But (D)Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."

41But the Lord answered and said to her, "(E)Martha, Martha, you are (F)worried and bothered about so many things;

42(G)but only one thing is necessary, for (H)Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."


Cross references:
A.Luke 10:38 : Luke 10:40; John 11:1, 5, 19-ff, 30, 39;

 The heart of worship is to find ourselves at the feet of Jesus in submission.
 How often do we find ourselves there?
o Do I really possess a strong desire for God and His presence in my life?
o Do I go through life largely consumed with secular pursuits and worldly entertainment, while the things of God have little place in my life?

 Every time in the Word that we encounter Mary of Bethany (the sister of Lazarus) we find her at the feet of Jesus.

1. At His Feet to Listen to His Words.
a. While Martha was busy, Mary was at the feet of Jesus listening to Him.
b. She was open to what He had to say.
c. She was hungry to know Him and hear from Him.
d. Jesus declared that Mary had chosen the good part.
e. Sometimes we get so caught up like Martha in trying to do the work and service of Christianity that we forfeit what is really important.
f. We can get so busy in the doing that we forget the being.
g. The most important thing a Christian will ever do is worship Jesus, and the best place to do that is at His feet.

2. At His Feet to Bless and Anoint Him.
a. John 12:3 – Mary anoints the feet of Jesus and wipes them with her hair.
b. So often people are looking to receive an anointing or blessing from God rather than looking for opportunities to anoint and bless Him.
c. The highest degree or form of devotion is to give to someone without the motivation of getting anything in return.
d. Mary’s act was motivated purely by love.
e. A note in the Full Life Study Bible declares, “(Mary’s) faith in and devotion to the Lord is the highest example of what God desires in believers.”

3. At His Feet When He Didn’t Do Things they Way She Wanted or Expected.
a. John 11:32 – Lazarus was in a tomb. Surely Jesus could have prevented that.
b. Even though Jesus had not acted in the way Mary had desired, she still laid at His feet in devotion, submission and worship.
c. The true character of a person’s heart will be revealed when God acts differently from their desires or expectations.
d. Whenever God is doing things that are beneficial or going your way, it is real easy to worship Him and be at His feet.
e. True worship that is genuine and from the heart comes regardless of the circumstances in which we find ours at the feet of Jesus.

Scripture for Life: Healing

Our Scripture of Life is designed to bring enlightenment to the heart, mind and soul. We encourage you to read, pray and meditate on these words of eternal life. Pray ye the Holy Spirit will lead ,guide and direct your life in the faith. God Bless you for your reading and following this new form of ministry online, thank you.

Three Prophets and Jesus’ Healings

First Isaiah

Isaiah gave us the prophecy in present tense. He said we are healed with His stripes. In other words, when Isaiah saw the events of Isaiah 53 unfolding, he saw it in present time to himself.

This is even more remarkable since these events would not occur for hundreds of years in the future. Nevertheless, Isaiah saw prophetic events that were so real to him they were recorded by him as happening then.

Isa 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (KJV)

When the Apostle Peter came on the scene, he remembered Isaiah’s prophecy. He remembered that Isaiah saw it present to himself. But Peter knew that what Isaiah saw was still in existence.

Then Peter

1 Pet 2:24
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (KJV)

Bible Study: The Excellence of God

Sunday of the Holy Trinity

O Lord, Our Lord,
How Excellent Is Thy Name
in All the Earth
Psalm 8

This psalm emphasizes the power of the name of God, when God's name spoken even by babes in arms can overpower his enemies.

When we realize the power of God's name, we reach a better understanding of the Second Commandment, where we are told to respect and protect the name of God.

How can this overwhelming, awesome God even be aware of any one of us? Yet he cares for each of us personally, even though we are a little lower than the angels who worship him without ceasing.

The translation in the Contemporary English Version of the Bible is interesting, but even though the language is difficult, for this psalm, I prefer the King James Version.

From this psalm we sing How Majestic Is Your Name by Michael W. Smith, in the Maranatha Praise Chorus Book.


1. Who ranks higher in the universe than people?



[Angels hold a higher position in the universe than people do.]



2. Does the name of God have power by itself?



[Yes, the name of God is of itself powerful.]



3. Does God love each and every one of us?



[God loves each one of us so much that he gave his only son, Jesus, to die for us.]

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