Part two "Way to Heaven"
Part 2 begins with Lesson 7
The Bible's account of the end times
THE END TIMES
Acts 17 v 31 New King James Version
“Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead.”
When
Jesus was asked what signs would indicate that the end of the world was
approaching, He gave examples of things to watch for, but He stated
that nobody knew the time when He would return, or when the end would
happen. Only God knows when! Jesus said that even the angels in heaven don’t know!
Although
Jesus’ signs are not in dispute with Christian authorities, some things
remain a mystery and many learned people have differing views regarding
the actual sequence of the happenings.
Students must remember that the events and signs could not happen ‘humanly’ speaking. Some may seem impossible to us: because the value system of this world is based on what is seen, while the eternal value system of Scripture is based upon what is unseen!
We have to bear in mind that this is the fulfillment of God’s master plan: and that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible to Almighty God!
We are providing readers with Biblical information in the order it appears, but this might not be in strict order of events happening and you may have to pray for further guidance if any points concern you.
To get us in the right frame of mind, it would be helpful to consider the following…
Paul wrote that by the Gospel (Good News) of Christ dying for our sins, Christians are saved – He also stated that over 500 people had actually seen Jesus after he’d been raised from the dead!
So please keep in mind that we will not be talking about what is ‘humanly possible.’ Remember…All things are possible to Almighty God!
Now for a short-term prophesy from Jesus
The following passages are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.
Words of the Bible are in italics and the words of Jesus are typed in red
Shortly before He was to be crucified, Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem and as they were walking past the remarkable temple that king Herod the Great reconstructed, the disciples remarked on the magnificent beauty of the massive building. 15 stories high, decorated with marble and gold, it was fabulously impressive and of incomparable importance to the Jews. - Jesus Christ took this opportunity to speak with divine knowledge about the future.
Matthew chapter 24, v 1 and 2:
‘As
Jesus was leaving the temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him
the various temple buildings. Jesus astounded them when he replied, “Do
you see all these buildings? I assure you, they will be so completely
demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another.”
40 years later Jesus’ prophesy was fulfilled when the Romans destroyed the great temple, ruthlessly throwing down the beautiful stones into the street below.
The Bible prophesies other signs…it says that the Jews would be persecuted and would be scattered among other nations, but eventually they would go back to Israel before the end times.
Early in the 1940s Hitler tried to eliminate the Jewish nation, gassing six million men women and children as part of his ‘final solution.’ Arabs occupied Palestine, armed and ready to repel any new settlers, and the British army was doing nothing overt to help, possibly for fear of upsetting the Arab people who were living there. They withdrew leaving the poorly armed Jews, who’d very recently lost six million people and had no state of their own, to defend themselves against the heavily armed Arabs.
It seemed incredible to think that the Jews would ever be able to get Israel back…And yet the prophesy was fulfilled in 1948 - when the United Nations agreed that they should go back to their God-given homeland, sharing Palestine with the Arab settlers and yet, against overwhelming odds, the Jewish people did go back.
The signs that Jesus said will occur prior to the end of the world
Jesus’ teachings read like a horror story, as He describes famines, natural disasters, spiritual deceptions, wars and deaths on a massive scale.
Right, let us now read what Jesus said to his disciples and to every future generation, about the signs that would precede the end of the world! And then we’ll have a platform to consider them in more depth. (The Lord Jesus explained the signs in Matthew 24, verses 1–51: Mark, chapter 13, verses 1–37: and in Luke, chapter 21 verses 5-36.)
The passages from Matthew are typed in full below and the notes we will refer to later are indicated. You may find it helpful to also read the accounts in Mark and Luke from your own Bible as you proceed with your study.
Matthew chapter 24, verses 3-51 “Later
Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to
him privately and asked, “When will all this take place? And will there
be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the
world?” Jesus told them: Note 1)
“Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. And wars will break out
near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end
won’t follow immediately.
Note 2) The
nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there
will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all
this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. Note 3) “Then
you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all
over the world because of your allegiance to me. And many will turn
away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets
will appear and will lead many astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere,
and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure to the end
will be saved. And
the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole
world, so that all nations will hear it: and then, finally, the end
will come. Note 4) “The
time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about:
the sacrilegious object* that causes desecration, standing in the Holy
Place” – reader, pay attention! (* See Daniel ch: 9 v 27, - ch: 11 v 31, - ch: 12 v 11.) “Then
those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person outside the house must
not go inside to pack. A person in the field must not return even to
get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers
nursing their babies in those days. And pray that your flight will not
be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For that will be a time of even
greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will ever see
again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, the entire
Human race will be destroyed. But it will be shortened for the sake of
God’s chosen ones. Note 5) “Then
if anyone tells you, ‘look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘there he is,’
don’t pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will
rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to
deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you. “So
if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t
bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!
For as lightening lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son
of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a
carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. “Immediately
after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will
not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of
heaven will be shaken. “And
then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in
the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all nations of the
earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the
sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his
chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
“Now
learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its
leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is
near. Just so, when you see the events I’ve described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I assure you, this generation* (or this age, or this nation.)
will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven
and Earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever. Note 6) “However,
no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not
even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. “When
the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those
days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties
and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t
realise what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them
all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes…(Known as the Rapture) Note 7) “Two
men will be working in the field: one will be taken, the other left.
Two women will be grinding flour at the mill: one will be taken, the
other left. So be prepared, because you don’t know what day your Lord
is coming. “Know
this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay
alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be
ready for the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected.
“Who
is a faithful, sensible servant, to whom the master can give the
responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family? If the
master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there
will be a reward. I assure you, the master will put that servant in
charge of all he owns. But if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My
master won’t be back for a while,’ and begins oppressing the other
servants, partying, and getting drunk – well, the master will return
unannounced and unexpected. “He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist, The Beast, 666, Armageddon, Jesus Triumphant
Probable Event schedule
See also Mark 13 v 5: and Luke 21 v 8
There
will be an increased interest in the occult, in sects. Many of the
churches will be offering people the religion they demand, trying to
run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, instead of preaching the
Gospel. (The Lord says to the church in Laodicea, in Revelation 3 v
15-16 “I
know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish
you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water I will
spit you out of my mouth!”
God is saying that many of the churches make him sick, because they follow, rather than lead, the people.
Ask
yourself…can you see these signs happening in the churches now? Are
they watering down God’s Word to avoid upsetting people with secular
ideas? Is the process now in place for the churches to be ‘luke-warm’?
Refer to note 2) The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other and there will be famines and earthquakes See also Mark 13 v 7: also Luke 21 v 10 and 20
What’s the situation regarding Famines, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Global Warming? Are there Wars and rumours of wars?
Luke 21 v20 reads, “When
you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the
time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to
the hills.”
Are
earthquakes, famines and other natural disasters on the increase?
Global warming and climate change are now accepted threats. How about
wars? Atomic weapons that could bring about massive losses of life are
already in place.
Refer to note 3)
Jesus told us that when these things begin to happen, watch out. Jews
and Christians will be persecuted and killed. They will be hated all
over the world and many false prophets will appear and lead many
astray. Sin will be rampant, but those who endure to the end will be
saved.
See also Mark 13 v 8,9: also Luke 21 v 12-19
Please also see Timothy 3 v 1-4
Is
sin on the increase? Is lawlessness more rampant? Are people uncaring
of any moral considerations, with governments unable to prevent crime’s
growth? Is your country turning away from religion and religious based laws, that have served us so well for centuries - and looking, instead, to secular means of solving problems and to secular politicians and leaders?
Refer to note 4)
Eventually you will see the Abomination of Desolation standing in the
Holy place. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. (The beginning
of the 7 years of Tribulation.) A time of unimaginable horror that gets
even worse during the second three and a half years.
See also Mark 13 v 14-21: also Luke 21 v 20-24.
It seems that the focal point of the end times will centre around Jerusalem. The sacrilegious object (Or ‘abomination of desolation’) could refer to a large statue of the Beast. The Holy place
referred to is almost certainly the temple that was destroyed by the
Romans some 1900 years ago, only the Wailing Wall is standing. A large
mosque now occupies the site of the old temple and this could mean that
the old temple will have to be rebuilt.
Refer to note 5)
Then if anyone tells you they have seen Christ, or that Jesus has come
back to earth and is in a certain place. – Do not believe them! These
false prophets will have the ability to perform great miraculous signs,
so accomplished that they would deceive even God’s elect, if that were
possible. But you do not believe them! Because Jesus says, “For as lightening lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
When Jesus returns YOU WILL KNOW! You won’t need anyone to tell you. Everyone will know! But it will take everyone by surprise and it will be too late to repent then.
See also Mark 13 v 22-26: also Luke 21 v 25-27
Refer to note 6)
No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will come back. People
won’t realise…they’ll be busy at work, or enjoying themselves at a
party, when, suddenly - Jesus will return.
See also Luke 21 v 34-3
Refer to note 7) “Be prepared, because you don’t know the day your Lord is coming.”
The
Bible says that NOW! Is the accepted hour (to repent and accept Jesus
Christ as your saviour and to turn to God) don’t wait a moment longer,
do it now!
SIGNS WRITTEN IN REVELATION
The
Book of Revelation is a vision given by God to John. In it God’s
programme of redemption is brought to fruition and the Holy name of God
is vindicated. Revelation is told in the form of visions and symbols of
the resurrected Jesus Christ, who alone has been given the authority to
judge the earth, to remake it and then to judge the earth in
righteousness. Jesus is likened to a Lion and to a Lamb.
In Chapter
5 v5 ‘Look the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne
has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll.
Verse 12 reads, ‘and they (thousands and millions of Angels) sang in a mighty chorus, “The Lamb is worthy…”
Rev 6 v 15,16
Refer to Note 8)
‘Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy
people, the people with great power and every slave and every free
person – all hid themselves in caves and among the rocks of the
mountains
And they cried to the rocks, “fall down on us from the face of one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”
Rev 13 v 1
Refer to Note 9) “And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea.”
Verse 2 ends… ‘And the dragon (Satan) ‘gave him his own power and throne and great authority.’
Verse 3,4 7 and 8: “I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery – but the fatal wound was healed!
All marvelled at this miracle and followed the beast in awe. They
worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they
worshiped the beast.
And the beast was allowed to wage war against
God’s Holy people and to overcome them. And he was given authority to
rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.”
It
seems that the beast must somehow get the Jews and Arabs to agree a
peace treaty that probably includes the Mosque in Jerusalem being
replaced by the Jewish Temple.
Refer to Note 10) “And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was
made.”
Note 11) “Anyone
who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the
forehead or the hand must drink the wine of God’s wrath.”
(Rev 14-v 9,10) (Obviously God doesn’t want you to accept the mark of the beast.)
Rev 13-mid v 14 and 15
Note 12) ‘He
ordered the people of the world to make a great statue of the first
beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was
permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the
statue commanded that everyone refusing to worship it must die.’
Verse 16,17,18
Note 13) ‘He required everyone – great and small, rich and poor, slave and free- to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.
And
no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either
the name of the beast or the number representing his name.
Wisdom is needed to understand this. Let the one who has understanding
Note 14) solve the number of the beast for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.’
Summary
You may think that the stage is getting set. Some of the signs have started to happen and it looks as though many of the others are about to begin, certainly world events are moving into place to facilitate all the signs happening.
Scholars disagree about minor orders of events, i.e. some think that the Rapture will be before the Tribulation; others think the Tribulation will happen first, while another school of thought says that these things are purely spiritual.
But whatever the order of events, the main thing is that YOU ‘get right with God.’ Please read John 3 v 16 and 1 Peter 1 v 3-5
The Rapture: Notes 6 & 7: Believers suddenly disappear as they go to meet Jesus in the air.
Tribulation: Notes: 4,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. The beast gets a peace agreement, but after three and a half years he turns his back on peace, installs his statue in the Holy Temple and makes everyone worship it. (The ultimate blasphemy) He also makes people have his mark on their skin (possibly a computer chip) on their forehead or hand. Without this ‘mark of the beast’ it will not be possible to buy or sell anything, you probably won’t be able to receive your salaries or pensions either. The beast could use the excuse of security and credit card fraud as reasons for introducing the mark. But it’s obvious from the Biblical text that God does not want us to accept this mark of the beast
Antichrist: Satan or the dragon.
The Beast: Works for and gets his power from Satan: Notes 4,5,9,10,11,12,13. The beast suffers a mortal wound, but is miraculously healed, he shows great signs and seems to achieve some of the miracles that Jesus performed. He is so convincing that the Bible says that “Even God’s Elect will be deceived, if that were possible.”
666: Note 14 (We haven’t yet been able to work out what the number 666 means, but we’re not worried because we believe that Jesus Christ has died for our sins!)
Armageddon: The
location of a gigantic battle. Men will be so frightened that Jesus
said they will hide away in caves. He said that when you see Jerusalem
surrounded by armies flee to the hills.
Then the ultimate battle: God v Satan,
as the Antichrist attacks Jerusalem: - Objective - to eliminate the
Jews. At about this time the river Euphrates will dry up and the
biggest army that the world has ever seen will march across it to join
in battle. The Bible says this army will come from the East – and it is
generally thought to be from China.
Initially the Jews will
take enormous casualties, as they are defeated. Those who escaped to
the hills will survive and the Antichrist will send his massive army
after them to complete the annihilation.
And then, finally, under the sure expectation of certain death: The
terrified Jews will cry out to Almighty God for help and will at last
recognise the Lord Jesus as the their Messiah and the Saviour of the
world. And….
Jesus will speak the word! And that will be sufficient to defeat the armies of the Antichrist. How? We don’t know!
But
the same God who created the heavens and the earth with His Word – God
who opened the waters of the mighty Red Sea, will speak again - and
that Word alone will be enough to defeat Satan and his followers!
Facing the future without fear
At last some good news!
Can there be any good news in all this?
YES! YES! YES!
YES! Jesus said in Luke 21 v 28
“So when all these things begin, stand straight and look up! For your salvation draws near!
YES! Christian, you have no need to worry! It’s far more important that you accept Christ as you saviour now, than to know God’s exact timetable for the end times!
‘Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns Let us be glad and rejoice and honour him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest white linen” (Fine white linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)’
Rev 19-v 6,7,8
YES! Jesus said, “See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”
YES! Jesus will be triumphant.
The Bible says He will reign in full control for 1000 years, until Satan is freed for a brief time before being cast forever into the lake of fire.
Those who believe in Jesus will be in Heaven where there will no more death.
YES! Christ’s empty tomb Guarantees salvation for Christian believers!
1 Peter v 3-5: also John 3 v16
Lesson 8
Born Again.
It's a fascinating subject, and many people ask…
"What is being Born Again?"
"How is it possible?"
"Is this something that happy-clappy Christians have
added?"
"Why did Jesus say that we must be Born Again?"
"How can I know if I've been Born Again?"
There's an interesting account of the subject in John, chapter
3: verses 1 –12.
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus.
"Teacher," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to
teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you."
Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you
can never see the kingdom of God."
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"
Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.
So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from, or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the spirit."
"What do you mean?" Nicodemus asked.
Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet
you don't understand these things? I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe.
But if you don't even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?"
Let us have a closer look at the above passage.
Nicodemus was a highly respected student of God's word.- With experience he had become a well-known leader in Jewish religion.
The Bible tells us that one evening he approached Jesus after
dark.
There is no indication why Nicodemus came after dark.
Perhaps
he was a busy man, who'd been working hard all day and this was his
first opportunity, or perhaps he was frightened of being seen with
Jesus and it being reported to Caiaphas, the High Priest, or there
might have been some other reason…
Whatever…Nicodemus, unlike the majority of religious leaders,
obviously believed that God had sent Jesus and stated the same to open the conversation.
"Teacher,"
he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. your
miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you."
You might think that Jesus would have been flattered.
I believe
that Jesus would have wanted to help this man, and that is why he went
directly to the area where Nicodemus needed help the most.
The
Jewish leader must have been amazed...that instead of thanking him for
his kind comments, or giving even a nod of approval and Instead of
showing deference to his visitor's high position, Jesus told him, 'Unless you are Born Again, Nicodemus - you can never see the Kingdom of God.'
A shocked Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean? How can you go back into your mother's womb and then be reborn?"
Jesus told the learned man that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
He explained:
Although humans can only give birth to other humans (water). It is the Holy Spirit that gives new life from heaven.
He continued, "So don't be surprised at my statement that YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN."
Nicodemus
must have looked blank or something, because Jesus went on to give the
example of the wind blowing wherever it listeth.
"What do you mean?" Said Nicodemus in astonishment. "How can these things be?"
Jesus said something like, "What! You are a respected Jewish teacher…you're a Master of Religion…a Doctor of Divinity… and yet you don't understand these things!"
He went on to say to Nicodemus
How can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?"
Now, none of us like being told that we must do anything.
We've been told it at school, we've been told it as a teenager, we've been told it at work, we've even been told it as an old age pensioner...and we're just about fed up of being told what we must do!
But when the Divine Son of God says that we MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
We MUST!
O.K. Let's have a look at the questions we considered when we started out on this subject.
The first was…
What is being born again?
It is when we are truly sorry for the sinful things we have done and earnestly desire to live a better life. A life that is more pleasing to God.
We
can approach God in a prayer, admitting our failures and asking God to
forgive us: Through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
God's Holy Spirit will quicken our spiritual nature, which has been lying dormant in us, a miracle takes place and we can begin to understand spiritual things.
We now have different desires, because our sinful lives have been replaced by a God-given spiritual life.
How is this possible?
All things are possible to Almighty God!
He
has graciously laid down the way that we sinners can become acceptable
to a Holy God; He did it by giving Jesus to die for our sins, instead
of us having to bear the punishment. (John 3: 16 -17)
Thus Jesus has already accepted the punishment that we should receive and the requirements of the law are met by His sacrifice.
Isn’t this something that the happy-clappy brigade have added?
No, not at all: Being born again is scriptural. It is God's plan to save us.
Why did Jesus say that we must be born again?
Jesus said it because WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!
How do I know if I've been born again?
Although God loves us and nothing can separate us from his love:
God is Holy and therefore our sinful nature separates us from
him. As Billy Graham used to say, "We need to 'get right' with God."
So
if you are born again you will probably have gone through something
very like the answer to question (1) above…It is when we are truly
sorry for the sinful things we have done and earnestly desire to live a
better life that is more pleasing to God.
We can approach God in
prayer, admitting our failures and asking Him to forgive us: Through
the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
God's Holy Spirit
will then quicken our spiritual nature, which has been lying dormant in
us. A miracle takes place and we can begin to understand spiritual
things. We will now begin to have different values and different
desires, because our sinful lives have been replaced, by God's
spiritual life.
If you are thinking, “What on earth is this all about?” Then there is a chance that you have not yet been born again.
But don't despair! God wants you to be! And if you genuinely want to be, then you only have to ask Him.
However...please don't think that you're not born again because you still continue to sin from time to time.
None of us is perfect…yet!
Even
Paul, one of the greatest apostles in the New Testament, said that,
although he tried his very best, he was not perfect: He admitted that
the things he didn’t want to do, he found himself doing – and the
things he wanted to do, he didn’t do them.
You could pray to God right now!
The Bible reading is about Love.
Paul is writing in 1: Corinthians, chapter 13.
"If
I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth, but didn't love
others, I would be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a
clanging symbol.
If I had the gift of prophesy, and if I knew
all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything,
but didn't love others, what good would I be?
And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a
mountain and make it move, - without love I would be no good to anybody.
If
I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I
could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would be of no
value whatsoever.
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up I put away childish things
Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little!
But when the end comes these special gifts will all disappear.
It is like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does
All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.
Hope you enjoyed today's Bible reading about God's view of LOVE: It certainly makes us think every time we read it.
Spiritual Health Check
We have come to the last of this weekly series and the time seems to have flown by.
Many of us put off visiting the doctor for a health check, but we hope you will not mind taking a spiritual health check, because it is, of course, completely confidential: no one will ever see it, unless you decide to show it to them.
Part one questions
And therefore what we look at is conditioned by our true feelings.
Question 1
Are you keeping your eyes on wholesome things...and on the Bible's teaching?
2) HEART:
Are you protecting your heart - your wants, your real desires...From evil?
Question 2
Do should not desire anything that is bad for others, or causes you to break any
of God's 10 commandments? So do you set your objectives/desires upon
things that are good and wholesome?
3) TONGUE:
Do you misrepresent or speak badly about others, (because we all have to remember that God loves them as much as he loves us -
Didn't He give His only Son to be their saviour too?)
Question 3
Poke out your tongue – Are you keeping it clean and pure?
4) FEET:
Mark out a straight path and stay safe.
Question 4
Are you walking in the direction that God would want you to go?
This
is the end of part one of the quiz: The answers will indicate the
genuineness of a Christian's faith: (Link to answers at the end of the test.)
Part two questions.
Are you experiencing Spiritual Growth?
The Bible
The Lord has provided us with the Holy Bible.
Just
think...The maker of heaven and earth has given us a blueprint, which
contains knowledge and wisdom that far exceeds anything else that has
ever been written since the world was first created!
Questions 5 and 6
5)
Do you make daily time to read God's Word in the Bible, even though
your life is so very busy? (As little as 10 minutes a day would be a
great start.)
6) Are you eager to read what God is saying to YOU?
7) Prayer
You
don't need an appointment to talk to God! He's always available to hear
you. You can even choose the time, the place and the subject.
Question 7
Do
you talk to God in prayer daily, giving Him thanks for all He’s done
for you and asking forgiveness for your trespasses? Do you ask Him to
fill you with His Holy Spirit and give direction in your daily life?
Suppose you approach your boss at work to say something important, or to ask a question.
The boss may be not be immediately available for many reasons.
Perhaps
attending a meeting, speaking on the phone, having a long lunch,
working on budgets, interviewing a new member of staff or meeting an
important client...And you would have to wait until it was convenient to state your case. You might even have to make an appointment before your busy boss would see you.
Imagine you wanted to speak to the Mayor at six in the morning. Unless you were the Mayor's favourite relation, you'd have to wait until it was convenient for the Mayor.
You'd need an appointment before you could speak to an important surgeon.
Now suppose you wanted to talk to a member of the Government, (unless you waited until the M.P.s local surgery) you would certainly need an appointment.
If you wished to talk with the Queen of England! No chance...You'd never even get an appointment.
And yet...Almighty God, Who made heaven and earth, is never too busy to hear your prayers, never too busy to listen to you, never too busy to help you!
Questions 8 and 9 regarding Spiritual Gifts
8) What fruit of the Spirit is apparent in your life? Are you using your spiritual gifts?
9)Do you have a generous and giving spirit with both your money and your time?
10 & 11) Growing in knowledge of God and Jesus.
10) Do you know God better today than you did last year?
11) Are you able to talk about Jesus with people who don't know Him?
12)
What is most important?
a) Reading the Bible every day
b) Learning all the books of the Bible by sequence
c) Learning the psalms by heart
d) Telling God that you know you're a sinner and are very sorry and want to start living a better life and that you believe that His Son, Jesus, died for YOUR sins
e) becoming a church sidesman
13)
Which of the following would most please God?
a) Being an active church member
b) Registering your name on the membership roll of a church
c) Repenting your sins and believing that God will forgive you through Jesus being crucified for all sinners
d) Visiting sick and lonely people
giving 10% of your income to your church, or to charity
14)
Which of the following will guarantee you a place in Heaven?
a) Helping your Pastor/Vicar, or Priest, by becoming an Elder
b) Repenting and believing that God gave His Son to save you.
c) Giving up your home and working in Africa helping the very poor and sick
d) Singing in the choir
e) Giving lifts in your car to infirm, elderly people.
15)
I’ve
understood the lessons, and that Jesus died for
us on the cross, but what is
the actual way I can get to Heaven?
a) You must believe
that Jesus died to take the punishment that you deserve and should have because of your sins.
Tell God that you believe in Jesus and that you’re sorry you have fallen short. Ask
Him to forgive you and ask His help to live a better life.
b) O.K. But it depends upon my religion, doesn’t it? Jesus might be the way for
Christian people, but some religions prefer other methods of arriving in
Heaven.
c) Some religions do believe that Jesus Christ existed, but that he was a great
prophet, not the Son of God. Also some religions say that God never had a son. I don't know what to think.
d) I understand that Jesus died for my sins, but surely I have to do something
myself to be worthy of Heaven.
e) I’m not sure that I believe in Heaven or Hell, when I’m sure then I will
find out what I must do.
f) I’ve plenty of time and I’m enjoying my life too much to change it yet,
perhaps when I’m over 70 I’ll have a go
ANSWERS
The quiz answers are on a another page, please clickQuiz answers
You should be able to answer them by yourself!
Question: Who is on the throne? Is it really God or is it you?
It is good to check your own motives - ask yourself these questions: Do I desire to...
* make a name for myself?
* Be remembered
* Be admired
* Be seen or recognised
* Help others visibly
If so it might be that your motives could include pride, love of praise of men, or selfish ambition.
Now ask yourself these questions: Am I happy to...
* Make a difference, however insignificant
* Be a small cog in God's plan
* Hold full allegiance to God
* Be challenged and changed by His Word
* Seek His honour and not your own
We should get into the habit of looking at our motives. Consider everything you will do this weak and ponder..who is on the throne? Is it God or you? It's hard to tell, sometimes it could be both, but you must put God first.
Remember that God looks at your heart! He sees not as we humans see.
Do you remember the parable Jesus told of three servants investing the master's talents?
"Well done good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things - I will make you ruler of many cities."
Do you wish that you could read your Bible every day?
RBC Ministries are blessed to have regular contact with over 300,000 people in Europe and 10 million worldwide By sending Our Daily Bread (planned daily Bible readings, with commentaries that encourage people to read the Bible every day)
If you’d like to receive the free reading guide every 3 months, please contact:
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