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Psalms 106:32-48 They angered
Him also at the waters of
strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them; Because they
rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips. They did
not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, But they
mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons And their
daughters to demons, And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and
daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was
polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the
harlot by their own deeds. Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against
His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance. And He gave them into the
hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies
also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were
brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When
He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented
according to the multitude of His mercies. He also made them to be pitied By
all those who carried them away captive. Save us, O LORD our God, And gather us
from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your
praise. Blessed be the LORD God
of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say,
"Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Father God I pray these words are understandable to all,
and they feed the spirit of all that read them. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 11:1-13 NKJV
Last
week the lesson was about Jesus standing on the sea and land and crying out.
His cry was one of this world must come to an end, meaning sinfulness. Can you
say you are going to Heaven with confidence when you die, if not, then you may
not be saved. The Bible tells us through scripture that we will have assurance
of going to Heaven. I’ve included some scripture about Heavenly assurance at
the end of this lesson and a couple testimonies that coincide with the
scriptures.
If you
aren’t sure of where you will spend eternity, then you need to seek Jesus,
repent, and ask Jesus into your life. Read the Bible daily; read the four
Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John over and over and over and let the words
of Jesus minister to you spirit. As you read each day ask the Holy Spirit to
reveal to you the hidden messages. Don’t read it as something that took place
2,000 years ago, but read the red letter text by Jesus that He is talking to
you on a personal level. When Jesus walked on this earth in human form he talked
to Jews, Gentiles, and His Apostles so take them out of the picture and place
yourself in their sandals, toe to toe; face to face to Jesus and listen to what
He is saying because it all applies to us today in the way we presently live.
Put your beliefs and opinions aside, open your heart, and believe what Jesus is
saying to you.
1 Then I
was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise
and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
Then
I was given a reed like a measuring rod; This verse and verse two represent a measurement of
faithfulness to God. It isn’t referring to an actual building or altar. It is
referring to the measurement of God’s people, the Israel nation. Does there
heart serve God or the World?
Rise
and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there; We know what the measurement of the
temple of God is and the altar based on scripture. This measurement is one
pertaining to people and where their hearts are when it comes to worshiping
God. This is directed toward the Jewish people. When one accepts Jesus as their
Saviour/Messiah, they become a temple for the Holy Spirit of God to take up
residence within ones heart. This is what the measurement is all about, how
many Jewish people and how much of their heart belongs to God.
2 But leave
out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has
been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
But
leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it
has been given to the Gentiles; As
stated in the previous verse this is about the Israelites, Gods chosen people,
those that have a veil over their heart pertaining to the truth. God allowed
the Gentile nations the opportunity to be saved in hope of creating jealously
in the hearts of the Jewish people to bring them to the realization of who
Jesus is, their Messiah. The Gentiles were restricted to the outer court yards
and not allowed in the temple area.
And
they will tread the holy city underfoot for
forty-two months; This
refers to the period that will end the “Times of the Gentiles”, meaning from 70
AD to the Battle of Armageddon. After the Battle of Armageddon there will be no
more Gentile oppression and persecution of Israel because Jesus will rule. This
Gentile time frame began in 70 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.
Since then there was no Jewish nation until 1948 when Israel became a nation. Luke 21:24 And they will fall by
the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem
will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. This verse is talking about 70 AD.
The forty two months is
referring to the last half of the Tribulation. At the midpoint of the Tribulation,
the Antichrist will turn on Israel, actually attacking her and she will be
temporarily defeated. He will then occupy the Temple, making it his religious
headquarters. The first half of the Tribulation the Antichrist promotes peace
with the signing of a seven year peace treaty and Israel is left alone. Most
likely, the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation, during this peace time, the
Jewish Nation will erect the Temple once more and begin to offering sacrifices
as was done in the Old Testament. 2
Thessalonians 2:4 who opposes
and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that
he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. This is referring to the Antichrist.
3 And I
will give power to my two
witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days,
clothed in sackcloth."
And
I will give power to my two
witnesses; Who are
these two witnesses? One we know for sure, and that is Elijah. The book of
Malachi tells us that. Malachi
4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
The other, some say
is Moses based on the burning bush scene and the plagues set forth by him. Matthew 17:1-3 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and
John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was
transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became
as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
talking with Him. The
only other opinion is that it is Enoch since he was taken up into Heaven
without death just like Elijah Genesis 5:21–24.
The thought being that it is Enoch because he walked with God, and since he did
not die a natural death, both he and Elijah will come back and witness for
Jesus to those here on earth and then both will die a human death and be
resurrected. It is unknown who the second witness it.
And
they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days; This is 3 ½ years, the last half of
the Tribulation meaning the Great Tribulation.
Clothed
in sackcloth;
Sackcloth is often associated with repentance, sadness, mourning, etc. This
case it is associated with repentance. The witnesses are preaching repentance
for salvation. Jonah
3:8 But let man and beast be
covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from
his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Matthew
11:21; Luke 10:13
4 These are
the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the
earth.
The two olive trees and
lampstands are the two witnesses that are described in the vision given by the
Lord to the Prophet Zechariah. Zechariah Chapter
4 These two witnesses will have great power and the significance of
the olive trees is the oil they produce which represents the working of the
Holy Spirit within these two witnesses. They will have power like Jesus when He
walked in human form on this earth. The two lampstands also represent the two
witnesses by means of repentance they will be preaching. They will be preaching
the message of the Cross and bringing people to salvation through repentance,
which is everlasting light.
5 And if
anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their
enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
These two witnesses will
be walking the streets of Jerusalem which will be the seat of the Antichrist.
They will be protected by God until their work is done. There will be many
attempts by the Antichrist to do away with them, but he will not succeed. The
fire that proceeds from their mouth is actually judgment spoken by them through
the power of the Holy Spirit. They will speak out in truth just as Jesus did
which will anger and cause the Antichrist to boil with rage just like the
Pharisees and Scribes boiled with rage. Some say they will have the power to
call down fire to consume those that oppose them. 2 Kings 1:12 So Elijah
answered and said to them, "If I am
a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty
men." And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his
fifty.
6 These
have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy;
and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth
with all plagues, as often as they desire.
As stated previously these
two witnesses will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and having this power they
will be capable of performing miracles like Jesus. They will have the power to
with hold rain, turn water to blood, and cause all types of plagues (refers to
sicknesses and diseases of every nature, along with plagues of insects, such as
flies, frogs, etc.) as they deem necessary.
7 When they
finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will
make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
These two witnesses are on
earth 3 ½ years witnessing for the Kingdom of God. What is ironic is that Jesus
ministry was 3 ½ years also and war was wage against Him, He died and rose from
the dead in three days, just as they will. This is why they have the power that
they do, they are emblematic of Jesus. These witnesses are protected by God
just like Jesus or anyone else that is empowered and doing the will of God.
When these two witnesses are finished with God’s will, they will be delivered.
When
a man is in the Will of God and when he is doing God’s work, when he is
delivering God’s Message, God stands by him to strengthen him and to uphold
him. God’s man does not need to worry about tragic accidents; he does not need
to think about death. He does not need to worry or be anxious about himself.
God takes care of His servants while His Spirit burns in their hearts as true
and faithful witnesses. (Criswell)
The beast is referring to
Satan which will be in the middle of all things during this time and assist the
Antichrist greatly. It will be Satan that will have the witnesses killed.
8 And their
dead bodies will lie in the
street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where
also our Lord was crucified.
And
their dead bodies will lie in
the street; Why would
the bodies of these two witnesses be allowed to lie in the streets and not be
buried? We don’t know for sure but there could be several reasons. Maybe the
Antichrist wants the world to see his power and TV will broadcast this around
the world? No doubt there will be confrontations and plagues between the two
witnesses and the Antichrist, and the Antichrist will want to gloat over his
power. Maybe the two witnesses will make claims of being raised up after three
days and those in control want to monitor this? Maybe it is to serve as an
example to anyone opposing the Antichrist?
Of
the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt; With the Antichrist taking office in
this city in just 3 ½ years it will turn to a depraved, vile, idolatrous,
homosexually driven city like Sodom. With Egypt being stated here it is
referring to oppression for God’s chosen people the Jews, just like they were
oppressed when held captive by the Pharaoh. This time the Antichrist has them.
Where
also our Lord was crucified;
This tells us this city is Jerusalem. This will be a great time of oppression
for the Jewish people especially since a temple will be constructed and they
started their ritual of sacrifices again after so many years, just to have it
all come to a halt again.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes,
tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not
allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
Then
those from the peoples, tribes,
tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days; Many tribes, tongues, and nations
will see these two witnesses lying in the street by means of TV and internet.
They will be seen around the world.
Not
allow their dead bodies to be put into graves; Here is the answer as to why they
aren’t buried. The key word being, “allow”, in this phrase tells us why. In
ancient times when people were put to death through persecution they were left
unburied to serve as a deterrent to others. The Antichrist wants these two
witnesses to remain visible to Christians as examples that they will receive
the same treatment if they stand up against him. Just in case you haven’t
figured this out yet, Christians will be the enemy of the Antichrist and they
will be hunted down and executed during the last half of the Tribulation. It
won’t be pretty, it will be a time of fright.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice
over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two
prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
These people who will be
making merry over the death of these two witnesses will be followers of the
Antichrist. They will be the ones that will take the mark of the beast and
belong to him (Satan). The torment the witnesses will cause to those who dwell
on the earth will be judgment. The witnesses will be crying out repentance just
like John the Baptist did and as a result of that he was beheaded.
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath
of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear
fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying
to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and
their enemies saw them.
This event will no doubt
cause great fear in those that will observe this. To see someone come to life
after 3 ½ days is one thing, but then to see them ascend to Heaven in a cloud
is another. The fear that will plague these individuals will be the realization
that the Bible is a true and living document; there is a Heaven and Hell; they
haven’t been living for Jesus; the reality of the fires of eternal Hell. It
will be a time of distress around the world because all this will be seen
around the world by means of TV and internet. It will be the subject of every
tongue.
13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake,
and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were
killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
In
the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; This earthquake is the one mentioned
with the seventh bowl/vial. It will be the worst earthquake earth will ever
see. Revelation 16:18 And there were noises and thunderings and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great
earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
In
the earthquake seven thousand people were killed; The KJV states seven thousand “men”,
not people, if this is correct then the number killed will be much greater due
to women and children.
And
the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven; This phrase in the Greek text
indicates that some of these people gave their hearts to Jesus. It is sad to
think that it takes something of this magnitude to turn hearts to Jesus. There
is nothing to fear, but everlasting life to gain when one accepts Jesus as
their Saviour.
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Two
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Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
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Colossians
1:16 For
by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers.
All things were
created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23
for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and
said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one
is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you
believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord
Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my
sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all
of my sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.” I believe this and have faith you will make a
new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead
me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
Every Christian desires to have an assurance
of salvation, i.e., the certainty that when Christ returns or when death comes,
he or she will go to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. The first letter of
John, affirms that Born Again Christians may have that assurance. There are
nine ways pointed out in the first letter of John as proof for us to know that
we are in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of the things mentioned
below will be noticed right away, while other things will become apparent as
you grow in Christ. Born Again Christians can relate to these 9 points. Pull
this out and read it again a year after you give your heart to Jesus and you
will see what I mean.
1. We
have assurance of eternal life if we believe and put our total faith and trust
in Jesus Christ and profess that he is God’s only begotten Son and saviour.
What Jesus did for us at the Cross will have a whole new meaning. When you are
singing or worshiping or praying you may break down at times and cry. When you
hear someone use Gods name inappropriately you will cringe as if you had a nail
driven through your hand or foot. Things like this never affected you before
like they will after you give your heart to Jesus. 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal
life, and that you may continue to
believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 4:15 Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ
is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is
begotten of Him. 1 John 5:5 Who is he who
overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
2. We
have assurance of eternal life if we submit our lives and ask Jesus to take
over and rule within us. After being Born Again you will find yourself
including Jesus more in decisions and praying for answers instead of trying to
solve the problems on your own. Jesus will be the last person on your mind when
you go to sleep at night and the first person on your mind when you wake up in
the morning. In fact you may wake in the middle of the night and find yourself
praising God. 1
John 2:3-5 Now by this
we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who
says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God
is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides
in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit
whom He has given us. John 8:31-32 Then Jesus
said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide
in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 14:21-24 He who has My
commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be
loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not
Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to
us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father
will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word
which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. John 15:9-14 "As the
Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just
as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may
remain in you, and that your
joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's
life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you
do whatever I command you. Hebrews 5:9
And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who
obey Him,
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we love Jesus and God the Father and not
worldly things. Before a person is Born of the Spirit our main goal in
life might be keeping up to the Jones; it’s all about me, me, me; having a
new cell phone as soon as a new one comes out; new car/SUV every 2 years;
working all the overtime you can to get as many luxury things you can,
etc. After a person is Born of the Spirit your focus changes like, having
a desire to know Jesus more; your family takes precedence over yourself;
you put yourself last not first; you put Jesus first by including him in
everything; all the materialistic things of the past is just plain stuff.
Some things happen right away and other things happen as you grow in
Jesus, God only gives us what we can handle, he has the big screen TV to
monitor our progress. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not
love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And
the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of
God abides forever. 1 John 2:4-6 He who says, "I know Him," and
does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
him. 5
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By
this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 5:3-5
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the
world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is
he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we habitually and persistently practice
righteousness rather than sin. After Spiritual Birth you will get an
intensified conviction of wrong
doing compared to pre-birth when you do something like, cheat on a test;
download a picture or music from the internet that has a copyright;
standing around at work shooting the breeze when you’re supposed to be
working, etc. Your conscience will even speak to you when you contemplate
doing something wrong. 1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you
know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 John 3:5-8 And you know that He was manifested
to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor
known Him. 7
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is
righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for
the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we love our brothers and sisters. After
a new birth you will have a desire to learn and share the gospel with
fellow brethren and sister because you love them so much and you want to
see everyone go to heaven. Isn’t that what the apostles did? 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love
the brethren. He who does not love his
brother abides in death. 1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in
deed and in truth. 1 John 2:9-11 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in
darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light,
and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But
he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does
not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name
of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows
God. 8 He who does not love does not know God,
for God is love. 1 John 4:11-12 Beloved,
if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No
one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John
4:20-21 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his
brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has
seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And
this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God love his brother
also. John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another."
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we are conscious of the Holy Spirit
dwelling within us. Your conscious will be working overtime to keep you
doing the right thing and placing great conviction on you when you do
wrong. 1 John 3:24 Now he who
keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know
that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 4:13 By this we
know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His
Spirit. John 15:4-6 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine,
you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing. 6 If anyone does not
abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather
them and throw them into
the fire, and they are burned. Romans
8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we humbly follow Jesus’ example and live
as He lived. Your thoughts will change; your behavior will change; your
speech will change to reflex the way Jesus lived. You will be a beacon in
the night that other people will notice, but they won’t be able to figure
out what the change is. 1 John 2:5 But whoever
keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know
that we are in Him. John 8:12 Then Jesus
spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light
of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the
light of life." John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I
have done to you. Psalms 85:13
Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway. Matthew 11:29 Take My
yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls.
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we believe, accept, and remain in the
“Word of Life”. You will experience a desire to learn more about
Jesus/Bible, and Jesus, prayer, and worship will move to the forefront of
your mind. 1 John 1:1 That 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, concerning
the Word of life—; 1 John 2:24 Therefore let that abide in you which
you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides
in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 1
John 1:2-5 the life was manifested, and we have seen,
and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested to us— 3 that
which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And
these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 5 This
is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God
is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John
4:6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God
does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of
error.
- We
have assurance of eternal life if we long and hope for Christ’s return to
take us from this world of Satan’s darkness, to be with Him in Heaven,
because when you are saved you realize the world isn’t where you belong
anymore. 1 John 3:2-3 Beloved,
now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall
be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure. John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in
God, believe also in Me. 2 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. 3 And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that
where I am, there you may
be also.
God
Bless You!
Bill
Testimonies:
Paul:
I was in the sleeper of an 18 wheeler when I
humbled myself before God, and being alone I prayed to Him that He would
forgive me of my sins and save my soul from Hell. From that moment on I was
saved/born-again not on my authority or because of what I said or felt, but
because of what the Word of God says and it's authority. I knew my heart was
true and sincere, and I knew that I was destined for Hell unless I clung to
Jesus. It was probably a couple months from when I started searching for
answers until I finally decided to forsake my own beliefs, go with the Bible,
and put all my trust in Jesus and what he did for me on the Cross, clinging to
that for the redemption of my eternal soul.
Evidences
that I was born again/saved, were first and foremost that I knew in my heart
that I was true and sincere, and my faith and trust in the truth and authority
of the Bible. I simply believed the promises that God has given to us in the
Bible, and stood on those infallible truths. If I could not base my salvation
and trust on the Word of God, I had nothing to go on, except back to my own
thoughts or feelings, which I had already seen contradicted the Word of
God. External evidences included a
hunger and desire to read the Bible, go to church, and feed on as much
knowledge and info. about God as I could. I found myself listening to Christian
radio programs rather than sports, or other non-spiritual programs. I felt a
conviction to not use bad language, or conduct myself in rebellious, and
reckless ways. I was constantly thinking about God, Jesus, and the treasure's
of the Bible, no matter what else I might be doing.
Michelle:
In
1996 not long after my marriage to my husband, we went to visit my friends
family. I was told the good news about Jesus the Son of God and thought I was
Born Again, because I asked for Jesus to be my Savior and asked God to forgive
my sins. Up until 2006 I had never read the Bible and when I did I could not
understand it. Verses like “Wives submit to their husbands” I had no clue as to
what that really meant. Then one day at my desk something just clicked in my
head, praise God, I wanted Jesus not to be just my Savior, but I wanted to give
my LIFE and WILL to JESUS.
That’s
when my life changed and I became a NEW CREATION. I passed from spiritual DEATH
to spiritual LIFE. I now know Jesus personally and not just a head knowledge
like a history lesson like back in 1996. In 1996 I was just introduced to Jesus
and that is how I knew him. I had no desire for reading Gods wonderful LIVING
WORDS OF TRUTH, nor the understanding about the Holy Spirit, or any conviction
of wrong when I would sin against God Almighty.
Now I
no longer take the name of God or Jesus in vain, I cringe when I hear someone
do so. It’s as if they cut my heart with a knife (Michelle have you been
reading my notes?). I have a deep compassion for people I never had before. I’m
learning everyday by the Holy Spirit and give my will to God every day. I
loooove to read the Bible now, it has come ALIVE. Man for sure does not live by
bread alone. Jesus is my LIFE! Also in 2006 my Dad was diagnosed by his doctor
that he had lung cancer. It is now 2010 and my Dad is alive and in his 4th
year of remission. God does hear our prayers, what a miracle. I love you my
Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ. All praise and glory to you!!!!
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