Tag Archives: Authorized King James Version

How to Witness for Him – #1 – The Importance of Witnessing

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is of vital importance NOT to lift the above verse out of context. Many, many false shepherds stop with verse thirteen – leading to many, many false conversions. Progressing to the next verse – the Lord gives us three essential questions, that must be considered along with verse thirteen.

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

1. The first question, “How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed?”

The answer? The lost CANNOT call on the Lord to be saved until they believe –

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
That Christ was buried.
That Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

2. The second question – “How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?”

The answer? The lost CANNOT believe in Him until they hear the good news of salvation.

The eunuch had to hear to believe. (Acts 8:26-39)
Paul had to hear to believe. (Acts 9:1-18)
Cornelius had to hear to believe. (Acts 10: 1-46)
The Philipppian jailor had to hear to believe. (Acts 16:25-40)

3. The third question, “How shall they hear without a preacher (witness)?”

The answer? They CANNOT hear the good news of salvation without a witness.

Three thousand were saved at Pentecost because of the witnessing of the 120.
The eunuch was saved because Philip witnessed.
Paul was saved because Stephen witnessed. (Acts 7: 54-60), and Jesus the God-man witnessed, and Annanias witnessed. (Acts 9:1-18)
Cornelius and his house were saved because Peter witnessed.
The Philippian jailer and his house were saved because Paul and Silas witnessed.
You were saved because someone witnessed to you.

According to the inspired Word of God, the lost CANNOT be saved without a witness. They must have a witness to hear, they must hear to believe, they must believe to call on Him, and they must call on Him in order to be saved. But – they CANNOT call until they believe, and they CANNOT believe until they hear, and the CANNOT hear without a witness!

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

we are not born with saving faith. it only comes when we hear the gospel. it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god.

Evangelize with the Gospel!!!!

How to Witness for Him – Introduction

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One day, as Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw two fishermen, Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew. He said unto them . . .

Matt. 4:19

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

SOUL WINNERS ARE MADE – NOT BORN! FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS – YOU MUST BE TRAINED, EQUIPPED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Our Lord spent three years teaching and training His disciples in the art of soul winning. After His resurrection, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the “promise of the Father.” [Acts 4:1-8] When the disciples asked if He would restore the kingdom right then, He told them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” It is not the job of the church to predict or focus on the Tribulation, or be continuously searching for hidden meanings in natural events. Our job is to witness! “and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

ANY BELIEVER WHO ACQUIRES THE KNOW- HOW, CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER!

You can know – that you and the Holy Spirit are a witnessing team.

Acts 5:32

And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.

Therefore, when you are witnessing, remember that you are not alone!

1 Corinthians 6:19

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

WHEN YOU WITNESS, YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THREE THINGS –

Illuminate the mind of the unbeliever. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. All lost souls are in spiritual darkness. 2 Cor. 4:3 – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Stir the heart of the unbeliever. As Peter preached Christ to the listeners . . . Acts 2:37 – Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Move the will of the unbeliever. When the prodigal son “came to himself,” and returned home he said. . . Luke 15:18 – I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. . . The prodigal had a change of will.

Many graduates of Bible schools have learned all of the up-to-date techniques for “modern” soul winning. They may even be able to quote the necessary Scriptures without flaw, and stir an emotional response from their audience. But, if witnessing is not done in the power of the Holy Spirit, all their witnessing efforts will be ineffective. As we progress though this series on effective witnessing, please keep your heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit, and be willing to become Fishers of Men.

God’s Creation – The Black Heron (Umbrella Bird)

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1 Thessalonians 5:5

“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”

The best fishermen not only know where the fish are biting, but exactly what type of bait or lure is needed to catch the big ones. That’s why I say that the best fisherman of all is not a man but a bird.

Black heron comes out of its feathered canopy after catching a fish The black heron knows exactly where and when the fish are biting. He goes fishing for his food by wading into shallow lakes and ponds. But there’s a problem. Fish avoid the water’s surface to avoid the bright rays of the sun. Even if a fish does come close to the surface, the black heron is unable to see it because he is blinded by the sun’s reflection.

But like I said, this bird is a master fisherman. What he does is shape his wings into a large black umbrella. He then crouches down until his wings are almost touching the water, effectively turning daylight into darkness, and attracting fish to the shade. Under cover of his umbrella, the black heron pokes his head into the water and comes out with a squirming fish in his beak.

This kind of fishing is known as canopy feeding. How did the black heron learn to fish like this? Creationists know, but evolutionists have no reasonable answer. They only have a term. Yes, evolutionists are good at coming up with terms like “canopy feeding”, but when it comes to explaining how such a thing originated in the first place, they are still very much in the dark.

This article intrigued me so much, that I decided to investigate further. My father was an avid fisherman, and always took the boat to shady areas of the lake for the best fishing. Even my mother would have admitted that my dad’s brain was larger than the umbrella bird’s brain is. This is another fascinating example of God’s provision and care. My father learned through experience to fish in shady areas. The Black Heron does this without being taught.

From wiki: The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) also known as the black egret, is an African heron. It is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm in height), black-plumaged heron with black legs and yellow feet. It is found south of the Sahara Desert, including Madagascar, and prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. It may also be found in marshes, river edges, rice fields, and seasonally flooded grasslands. In coastal areas, it may be found feeding along tidal rivers and creeks, in alkaline lakes, and tidal flats. Its breeding range is between Senegal and Sudan and to the south. It is found mainly on the eastern half of the continent. It has also been observed in Greece.^[2]

This map displays the Black Heron’s (umbrella birds) distribution:

Notice the narrator in the next video repeatedly mentions how amazing it is that this bird “adapted” itself to fish in this ingenious manner. Very clever bird-brain!

As you can see, black heron are colony nest builders. Many heron families live together in the same large tree. It is quite noisy at feeding time!

IN THE BIBLE, ALL HERON SPECIES ARE IN THE LIST OF UNCLEAN FLYING CREATURES.

Leviticus 11:18-20

¹⁸And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

¹⁹And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

²⁰All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

Deuteronomy 14:17-19

¹⁷And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

¹⁸And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

¹⁹And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

It is to be noted that birds of prey, and carnivorous animals were named as being abominations for food. While we are not under such dietary laws now – it is interesting to think about God’s care for His people. Animals and birds that eat other creatures are prone to more parasites and diseases than herbivores are. Scientifically – they are not safe to eat! http://www.eufic.org/article/en/food-safety-quality/animal-health/expid/review-animal-diseases/

Egyptian and other cultures surrounding Israel, had diets that included many of these “unclean” animals.

Exodus 15:26

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

God’s Creation – Bats and Pitcher Plants

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Pitcher Plants Designed to Attract Bats

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Evidence for Creation › Evidence from Science › Evidence from the Life Sciences › Life Was Created Fully Functional

Even children learn that plants and animals depend on one another. Plants release oxygen for animals to breathe, and plants make food—mostly sugar—for animals to eat. In turn, animals produce carbon dioxide so plants can grow using sunlight. This ecological interdependence shows enough divine design to inspire any honest thinker to consider a Creator, but a recently discovered interaction between pitcher plants and bats shows even more.¹

Pitcher plants in tropical Borneo, the largest island in Asia, attract a particular species of bat to roost right inside their pitchers. The plants absorb nitrogen from the bat waste that drops to the bottom of the pitchers, and the bats enjoy comfy digs. Researchers already knew that pitcher plants in South American jungles grow flowers that attract bats for pollination, but the Asian version is unique. They give bats a safe place to roost during daylight hours. How do bats discern these preferred pitcher plants from the surrounding dense jungle foliage, and does the answer to that question help explain how this all might have evolved?

German specialists worked with biologists from Brunei, Borneo to track down the specifics on how pitcher plants attract bats. They published their results in Current Biology.² The pitcher plants present concave reflectors that attract their bat buddies. Bats’ high-pitched sound waves bounce off the reflector, so it stands out against the drab-sounding jungle background. The pitcher’s sonic reflector has three other precise design features.

1. The plant’s reflector is situated just above the pitcher’s opening. To the bat, the reflector sounds very loud, but the opening below absorbs sound. The bats easily pick out this distinct contrast.

2. The area containing the reflector is larger than related pitcher plants that attract insects, increasing its sonic signal.

3. It reflects distinct sonic patterns on either side so that the bats can detect it from many angles.

The plant reflector’s size and side-reflecting patterns only work when a certain range of sound frequencies strike it. Of course, these exactly match the vocal range of these local bats, which happen to hold the record for highest frequencies of all bats so far measured. For more about animal sonar, watch our short video here.

How did all this interdependent fine-tuning happen? For a pitcher plant to construct the right size and shape reflector in the right place, it needs just the right building instructions in its DNA. And no number of high-pitched bat calls can somehow reach into plant-seed DNA and write new reflector construction code.

The Current Biology study authors wrote, “In the Neotropics, a few bat-pollinated plants found an efficient solution to attract bats by developing floral ultrasound reflectors, which enabled them to exploit the bats’ echolocation system.”² But when is the last time a plant, animal, or any non-person willfully changed its DNA to solve an environmental challenge? Plus, how would these plants ever “know” about the benefits of bat guano’s nitrogen until after they already had fully formed bat homes to attract it?

The plants found no solution, developed no reflectors, and exploited no echolocation. People alone can perform these kinds of creative tasks, and the best example is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible.”³

Pitcher plant reflectors reflect creation—His creation—and this interdependent pitcher plant-bat system showcases the ingenious design within that creation.

References

Also, all animals either directly or indirectly get their necessary sugar energy from plants. See Demick, D. 2000. The Unselfish Green Gene. Acts & Facts. 29 (7): i-iv.
Schoner, M. G. et al. 2015. Bats Are Acoustically Attracted to Mutualistic Carnivorous Plants. Current Biology. 25 (14): 1911-1916.
Colossians 1:16a.

*Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

http://www.icr.org/article/8959

In the Bible, bats are considered “night birds.” They are mentioned as being unclean to eat, and are also mentioned as part of the end-times judgment. Bats are fascinating creatures in God’s creation. They testify of His wonders, and may we never tire of learning about Him.

Leviticus 11: 13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; 15Every raven after his kind; 16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

Isaiah 2: 17And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 18And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 19And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. 20In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

The Scriptural use of bats relates to the spiritual darkness of man in the world. They fly only at night, which is the same domain of the spiritually lost. The light of the world is Jesus Christ, the god of this world is Satan, and there is no light in him. Lucifer is the false light. The light that the evil one emits, can be likened to the light given off by electric bug zappers. The insects fly towards the light, which deceives them into thinking it is the moon. But, the false light of the bug zapper, only leads to their destruction, just as the false light of Lucifer leads to man’s destruction.

Jesus is the Light of the World. As believers, we reflect His glorious light to a lost and dying world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

God’s Creation and Rainbows – Rainbows are a Picture of Jesus

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Genesis 9:13

I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.

A rainbow is a multi-colored arc that forms in the sky.
Rainbows are created by both reflection and refraction (bending) of light in water (Jesus is the Water of Life) droplets in the atmosphere, which results in a spectrum of light appearing.
A rainbow is in fact a full circle of light. (Jesus is the Light of the World) However, due to most people viewing a rainbow on the ground we only see a semi-circle or arc of the rainbow.
A rainbow is not situated at a specified distance, instead it will always be visible to a person at the precise angle freshwater droplets reflect the light which is 42 (6×7) degrees in the opposite direction of the sun.
A rainbow is not an object, it cannot be approached or physically touched.
No two people see the same rainbow, in fact even our individual eyes see slightly different rainbows. If someone appears to be standing under a rainbow you can see, they will see a different rainbow at the same angle but further away.
Rainbows can be seen not just in rain but also mist, spray, fog, and dew, whenever there are water drops in the air and light shining from behind at the right angle.
Sir Isaac Newton identified the 7 colors of the visible spectrum that together make up white light. All of which are present in a rainbow in the order red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (the acronym or name ROY G BIV is a good way to remember these colors and their order).

Most rainbows we see will be a “primary rainbow” whereby the color red can be seen on the outer edge through to violet on the inner edge.
The sky within a primary rainbow is brighter than the sky outside of the arc. This is due to the fact that the millions of droplets needed to make a rainbow are spherical and overlap to create white light. At the edge however, these colored discs don’t overlap so display their individual colors producing the rainbow arc.
A “double rainbow” is where a second, much fainter arc can be seen outside of the primary arc. This is caused by the light reflecting twice inside the water droplets. As a result of this double reflection the colors of the second arc are inverted with violet on the outer edge and red on the inner edge.
The dark, unlit sky between the primary arc and secondary arc is called Alexander’s band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it in 200 AD.
Very rarely, light can be reflected 3 or 4 times within a water droplet which produces even fainter tertiary (third) and quaternary (fourth) rainbows in the direction of the sun.
A “moonbow” is a rare lunar rainbow or night time rainbow produced by light from the moon. Our eyes see it as white even though all colors are faintly present.
A “fogbow” is formed by cloud and fog droplets, they are almost white with very faint colors visible. Fogbows are quite large and much broader than a rainbow.
Create your very own rainbow by trying this fun rainbow experiment!
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/weather/rainbows.html

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The light of the sun is made up of seven distinct colors as shown in the rainbow. In music, there are seven distinct notes. Seven is often referred to as God’s seal. It is the perfect number. The number of completion. The number seven speaks of Perfection, Completion, and Eternal.

There are “literally” thousands of “patterns of sevens” in the 66 Books of the Bible.

The Quest for Truth, Michael Dedivonai, p. 80, 83

http://bookfornook.com/books/T/The-Quest-For-Truth.pdf

When we see or think of rainbows, let us be awestruck at His Holiness and Majesty. How insignificant we are in face of all creation. Truly, His ways are so far above ours, that it should bring us to a point of rapture just thinking about it all. How He reveals Himself to us through His creation, is thrilling beyond anything.

Psalm 8:2-4

²Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

⁴What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

Psalm 139:5-7

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

God’s Creation – Vanilla Beans and Melipona Bees

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Recent discoveries of symbiotic relationships in nature, have been blanketed with the ubiquitous label “co-evolution.” Never mind that it is mathematically and statistically impossible, the creation deniers soothe themselves with this bizarre idea. One single organism evolving is far fetched enough. But two organisms evolving to be interdependent? No algorithm can be developed to cover any such mechanisms.

‘All of the problems with evolutionary theory, as outlined in Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, have now been rigorously proven using numerical simulation. We did this using “Mendel’s Accountant”, a state-of-the-art computer analytical tool for genetic systems. Five scientists—John Baumgardner, Wes Brewer, Paul Gibson, Walter ReMine, and I—developed this tool. We reported these new findings in two secular publications, and they will soon be discussed in a second book, Genetic Entropy and Mendel’s Accountant.’

http://creation.com/geneticist-evolution-impossible

People often take for granted the natural world around them. When baking, do you stop to wonder in amazement at your bottle of vanilla extract? I hope so. It is truly a miracle, just as everything in God’s Creation is.

Vanilla Stumps Evolutionists

Genesis 1:11

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

The next time you enjoy a vanilla ice cream cone, keep in mind that vanilla wouldn’t even exist if evolution were true. Evolutionists don’t have a blooming idea about the origin of a special symbiotic relationship between a particular flower and a very special bee.

Cross section of the vanilla orchid You see, vanilla comes from the vanilla planifolia plant which develops into the Mexican vanilla orchid. Unlike most orchids, this one blooms only one morning each year. The orchid also has a hood-like membrane that covers the part that produces pollen. These two facts make pollination almost impossible.

But the God who created this plant also created the Mexican Melipona Bee – the only insect that knows how to pollinate the orchid. After landing on the flower, the bee lifts up the hood, collects the pollen and then flies off to another flower. Once pollinated, the orchid produces a vanilla bean. If not pollinated within eight to twelve hours, the flower wilts and drops from the mother vine.

Without the Mexican Melipona Bee, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of the delicious foods made with vanilla extract. So we would ask evolutionists – which came first: the orchid or the bee? And how did the bee learn to pollinate the vanilla orchid?

At best, evolutionists can only offer guesses. But creationists know that the bee and the flower are a match made in heaven. They enjoy a symbiotic relationship so that each can survive … and so we can enjoy the fruit of their labor!

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ef70e621be0fb33b32fc8d969&id=3c57a732da&e=c0bce84adc

This video demonstrates human beings hand pollinating vanilla orchids in Uganda. It is not easy to do! The stingless Melipona bee does not need to be taught how to pollinate the Vanilla orchid. It is what they do.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

We serve a Holy and Wonderful God. As “earth day” (April 22) is celebrated by pagans around the world, let us pause to worship the creator of this earth, and the fascinating variety of life and beauty that comes from His handiwork.

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #6 – You Can Be Saved And Know It

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1 John 5:10-13

¹⁰He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

¹³These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

UPON THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD – YOU CAN BE SAVED AND KNOW IT! HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD IS YOUR ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION. LOOK CAREFULLY AT VERSE 13 AGAIN:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:36

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

“HATH” IS PRESENT TENSE – IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN – YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOREVER! THERE IS NOTHING VAGUE OR UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD.

If you have followed God’s Plan of Salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then God wants you to know:

1. That you are now a child of God.

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

2. That you have been made the righteousness of God, in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

3. That you are now a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

4. That you are now a son and heir of God.

Galatians 4:7

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

PRAISE HIM! IS THERE ANY GREATER ASSURANCE THAN WHAT WE FIND IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD?

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Beloveds – there are no guarantees in this earthly life. Marriages fail, children break parents’ hearts, jobs are lost, businesses close, promises and contracts are broken. Once you are His, you are always His. Guaranteed by His Holy Word.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN KNOW THAT I AM SAVED ETERNALLY

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #5 – You Can Be Saved By Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ

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Acts 16:25-33

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Acts 16:31

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The Philippian jailer directly asked Paul and Silas – “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer was quick, concise, and positive in content – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.” Just what was that answer that Paul and Silas gave to the jailer? The Gospel! Upon hearing the Gospel preached, the jailer and his family believed and were saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES WHEN BELIEVED?

“That Christ died for our sins.”
“That He was buried.”
“That He rose again the third day.” 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Jesus Christ the God-man, died for you, was buried for you, and rose from the dead for you. And He is now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you.

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation only when you believe. Your faith in Christ releases the power of God that saves your soul.

The man born blind received physical sight by a miracle, but spiritual sight came when Jesus asked –

John 9:35-38

³⁵Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

³⁶He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on

him?

³⁷And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.

³⁸And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him.

Salvation came to Thomas , when he believed and confessed –

John 20: 24-29

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

²⁶And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

²⁷Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.

²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

When you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead – you will be saved.

Romans 10:9-10

⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Please, accept Him now by faith. Speak to Him in prayer, while you are alone at your computer, or anywhere you like. It doesn’t matter where. You don’t need to follow any special words, but your prayer might go something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know that You love me, because You died on the cross bearing my sins. Thank You, Lord, for revealing to me my lost, sinful condition. I confess that I am a sinner, dead in sin, and cannot save myself. I do now by faith, gladly accept You as my personal Savior, and I praise and thank You, Lord, for all Your mercies, and the gift of eternal salvation. Amen.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN BE SAVED THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #4 – Christ Died for You

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Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Christ died for the ungodly – all those who are not like God. That includes you.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Indeed – Christ died for each and every man, woman and child – sinners all.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He (God the Father) hath made Him (God the Son) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 1:18-19

¹⁸Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

¹⁹But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 15:3

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

Aren’t those Scriptures wonderful? Won’t you join the family of God and thank Him for His great love in sending His Son to bear your sins in His own body on the cross?

Admit this fact to yourself

CHRIST DIED ON CALVARY FOR ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #3 – You Are Dead in Sin

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If you have confessed and admitted that you are a sinner, then God now wants you to know that “the wages of sin is death.” Just as you are paid wages for the job you perform in the world, so you are paid wages in the spiritual world for the things you have done.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are dead in sin, until you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He must be your –personal- Savior, because you have personally sinned against God. YOU! It has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else, or any outside mediator such as a religious affiliation. The relationship is personal, between you and God alone. To be saved, is to be made spiritually alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1

And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Only the Holy Spirit can convict you of your sins. Should you choose to ignore Him, you will remain dead in your sins. What is death?

Death is spiritual separation. Your sins have separated you from God, therefore you are dead in your sins.
Death is physical separation. It separates the spirit and soul from the body.
Death is eternal separation. If you choose to remain lost in your sins, you will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment. It is there that your sins will separate you from the mercy of God forever. This is hell.

Revelation 20:11-15

¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU – YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SINNER . . .

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM DEAD IN SINS

God’s Plan Of Salvation – Fact #2 – You Are a Sinner

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Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

If you are a human being – you qualify as “all.” Sin is sin, and you are a sinner.

1 John 3:4

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 5:10

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

Sin is unbelief – it calls God a liar.

Isaiah 1:2

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

Sin is active and passive rebellion against God.

GOD CAN NOT LIE. HE SAID THAT “ALL HAVE SINNED.” “ALL” INCLUDES YOU. YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND ACTIONS. YOU HAVE COMMITTED SINS OF COMMISSION AND SINS OF OMISSION – BY DOING WHAT IS WRONG AND FAILING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. IN THE PERFECT, SINLESS, SIGHT OF GOD – YOU ARE A SINNER.

Admit this fact to yourself

I AM A LOST SINNER, BECAUSE I HAVE SINNED

God’s Plan of Salvation – Fact #1 – God Loves You

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IT IS AN ETERNAL FACT THAT GOD LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE THAT CANNOT BE FATHOMED. IT IS A LOVE SO BOUNDLESS, THAT IT CAN ONLY BE KNOWN THROUGH FAITH.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Just think about the simple word “so,” in the above verse. So simple, yet so expressive. That deep and simple word gives us some concept of the magnitude of God’s love. God so loved you, that He gave His only begotten Son, to be made sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

**JESUS CHRIST WAS MADE THAT WHICH GOD HATES – SIN**

**SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE MADE THAT WHICH GOD LOVES – RIGHTEOUSNESS.**

It is because God so loves you, that you can exchange your sins for His righteousness. Is there any greater evidence of love?

CALVARY IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES YOU – AND IT IS HIS GREATEST LONGING TO SAVE YOU.

Admit this fact to yourself

GOD LOVES ME

God’s Plan of Salvation – Introduction

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As we enter into this all-important focus of Bible Doctrine, please take note of these three important imperatives:

There are seven irrefutable facts revealed in God’s plan of salvation.
It is God’s plan – not man’s.
There is no other plan that can save your lost soul and make you a child of God.

Acts 4:12

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Revisionist history states that the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, but that is not entirely true. It still exists, and is regrouping for the final phase of the story of the world. At one point, during its zenith – all roads led to Rome. And in a very real sense – all organized religions also lead to Rome – not to God and His salvation. There is only one way – God’s way. And, God’s Way is a Person; and the Person is His Son – Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

GOD’S THREEFOLD PLAN OF SALVATION

I. Christ appeared here, on this earth, to save each and every one of us, from the penalty of sin. He accomplished this, by putting away our sins, through sacrificing Himself on the cross. Heb. 9:26 – For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

II. He then appeared in heaven, in the presence of God, after His resurrection, to save us from the power of sin. Heb. 9:24 – For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

III. Christ will appear again on this earth, for the second time, as “Lord of Lords and King of Kings,” to save us from the very presence of sin. Heb. 9:28 – So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Please come back, for an in depth, seven part study of – God’s Plan of Salvation.

Bible Study – Esau’s Disappointment and Enmity

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Genesis 27:30-40

³⁰And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

³¹And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

³²And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

³³And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

³⁴And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

³⁵And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

³⁶And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Esau’s pleading and tears could not undo what had happened. When he so casually sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage, he demonstrated to the Lord just how much he did not care for Spiritual things. His heart and head were filled with fleshly desires. Because of this, a seed of bitterness took root in his soul –

Hebrews 12:15-17

¹⁵Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

¹⁶Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

¹⁷For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Esau’s repentance was not genuine. He was grieving over what he had lost – not expressing Godly sorrow for what he had done. Children often think they are only wrong when they are caught. Esau was the same as a naughty child, only longing for the blessing, not desiring to be right with the Lord. We can be reminded of the many Replacement Theologists – who attempt to take for themselves all of the blessings promised to Israel – without desiring the conditional basis for the blessings. Many, many people only express sorrow for sin – when they are caught.

³⁷And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

³⁸And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

³⁹And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

⁴⁰And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Isaac predicts that Esau will continue in his warlike mindset – “by the sword thou shalt live.” Certainly, an ominous and accurate statement of where the descendants of Esau are to this very day. Esau ultimately allows his bitterness to turn to anger. Anger, when allowed to proceed unchecked, gives birth to hatred and fighting, and can even lead to murder. Today – the descendants of Esau – are still harboring enmity towards Jacob. Today – they call themselves Palestinians.

TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT! FOUR WRONGS ARE EVEN WORSE!!

Isaac was fully aware that God had told Rebekah even before the twins were born that “the elder shall serve the younger.” Isaac also knew that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob. Despite that, Isaac chose to ignore these rather remarkable facts.
Rebekah attempted to anticipate God, whereby she instigated a terrible deception rather than waiting on the Lord to do His perfect work.
Esau could not have forgotten that he had sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. It would have been proper for him to remind his father of the event, and refuse the blessing outright.
Jacob deceived his father by lying, and acting out the lie that he was his brother Esau.

For a family with so much promise and blessing, they ended in a terrible mess. Esau’s future is described in Obadiah, some refer to this as “The Obadiah War.”

Obadiah 17-21

¹⁷But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

¹⁸And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.

¹⁹And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

²⁰And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

²¹And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord‘s.

Bible Study – Jacob Obtains Isaac’s Blessing

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ISAAC FORGETS TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:

Genesis 27:1-10

27 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

²And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

³Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

⁴And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

⁵And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

⁶And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

⁷Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

⁹Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

¹⁰And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

Jacob intends to bless his favorite son, the manly Esau, and requests venison meat. Please notice what is highlighted in red. “Savoury meat.” Death seems imminent to Isaac, even though he would live for many more years. “Savoury meat such as I love,” indicates that Isaac allowed the desires of his flesh to dull his “spiritual sense.” His fleshly lusts caused him to forget two important things:

God told his wife that, “the elder would serve the younger.”
Esau had already sold his birthright to Jacob.

We observe, that fleshly Isaac was ready to set aside God’s divine purpose, and the carnal Esau enthusiastically went along to accept the birthright he had sold to Jacob.

JACOB DECEIVES HIS FATHER

Genesis 27:11-17

¹¹And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

¹²My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

¹³And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

¹⁴And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

¹⁵And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

¹⁶And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

¹⁷And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

What cunning! The duplicity of mankind through the ages is evident in this episode. It was not difficult to fool the old man. Goat meat tastes similar to deer meat. Wearing goat skins and his brother’s clothing in order to smell and feel like the outdoor sportsman that Esau was, Jacob was able to fool his elderly, blind father with ease. But that’s not all! In the following passage, highlighted in red, we see that Jacob even contrived to make his deception appear “spiritual.” This added a deeper level of wickedness to Jacob’s sin. In fact, the depth of spiritual wickedness lays Jacob’s old nature wide open for all of us to see. Using the name of God to accomplish evil is the trademark of the Evil One. Satan likes to put the Christian label on some very evil things. The old nature has rule in Jacob’s life at this time, and we can all learn from it.

Genesis 27:18-29

¹⁸And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

¹⁹And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

²⁰And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

²¹And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

²²And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

²³And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

²⁴And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

²⁵And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

²⁶And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

²⁷And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

²⁸Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

²⁹Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

We’d all like to think that we would never do something like Jacob did. But it is a fact, that our old natures are capable of just about anything, including murder. Our fleshly nature must me subdued, and we must follow Jesus Christ at all costs.

Romans 7:15-25 (KJV)

¹⁵For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

¹⁶If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

¹⁷Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

¹⁹For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Bible Study – Esau’s Wives

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Following the history of the Jews, is the story of God’s plan of Salvation. Every saved person can see themselves in this history. In last week’s study, the remarkable focus on wells, and Isaac, who was the son of promise, digging for wells to provide for his tribe. It was also observed, that Isaac’s name is associated with wells seven times! Oh, the deep things of God get deeper and deeper.

We next progress onto the further refining of the line of promise, and the enmity of the flesh towards the things of God.

Esau’s wives . . .

Only two verses are devoted to this subject here, yet they are verses that portend a great deal.

Genesis 26:34-35

³⁴And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

³⁵Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Hittites were idolaters, immoral, and worshipers of demons.
Esau demonstrated why the Lord did not choose him, as this occurred before Isaac even blessed Jacob. The Lord knows us before we are even conceived in the womb.
Esau did not consider his parents in that he actually caused them grief through these marriages. The spirit of rebellion.

It is of interest to those who adhere to the infallibility of God’s Word, how the secularists had long denied the existence of any such people group as the Hittites. As time often reveals all truth – archeologists have proven since 1876, that the Hittites (mentioned over 50 times in Scripture) were indeed a powerful people group during the 15th and 16th centuries BC. They were descended from Heth, son of Canaan (the cursed, youngest son of Ham) and the great-grandson of Noah. Their pagansim resulted in truly despicable practices, which is why they were to be destroyed – not married! When God delivered the Canaanites to be destroyed by Israel His servant – it was to prevent the chosen people from being contaminated by such evil.

Which now brings up the subject, of intermarriage for believers. Why do the saved of the Lord still do it?

For Christians – even dating an unbeliever is unwise.

For Christians – marrying an unbeliever is forbidden.
There can be no harmony between the believer and the unsaved.

2 Corinthians 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

¹⁵And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

¹⁶And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Marriage is the most intimate relationship on earth. It is prophetically significant in that it portrays the relationship between Christ, and His Bride – the Church. We are to evangelize the lost with the Gospel – not marry them!

Bible Study – Digging for Water

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In the last study, it was told that the Philistines had “stopped up” all the wells that had been dug by Abraham’s servants. It is still happening today. After the “road map to peace” (2002 Counsel on Foreign Relations/Bush Whitehouse) had forcibly moved Jews out of Gaza, rather than dwelling in the homes that were there, the so-called Palestinians razed them to the ground. In the same manner – pagan Gentiles also attempt to “stop up” Living Water wherever it is found. The entire 26th chapter of Genesis deals with Isaac’s wells.

seven times Isaac’s name is associated with wells!!!!!

Genesis 24:62
Genesis 26:18
Genesis 26:19
Genesis 26: 21
Genesis 26: 22
Genesis 26: 25
Genesis 26: 32

Psalm 12:6

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Genesis 26:17-33

¹⁷And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

¹⁸And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

¹⁹And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

²⁰And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

²¹And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

²²And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

²³And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

²⁴And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said,

I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham’s sake.

²⁵And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

Just as leaven in the Bible represents sin, so does water and wells represent the Holy Spirit and spiritual wells. Wells signify where sheeple can hear God’s Word and drink spiritual water. All Bible believing churches, schools and ministries that give forth the Gospel are spiritual wells. As in Genesis – God wants spiritual wells everywhere – but His enemies ALWAYS try to “stop up the wells.” Just like Isaac’s servants, we should dig new, and reopen wells that are stopped. Isaac reopened the wells that had been stopped, and dug new ones as well, until there was enough for his his tribe. We are of the tribe of Christ. Christians. As the servants of the Lord, we must dig for living water, and make sure the water is kept “clean” (unstopped) at established wells.

When liberalism and occultism enter a ministry, the well becomes stopped. The former “lively water,” becomes thick and stagnant. No refreshment. The ministry loses its lifeline, and sheeple turn away because they receive no water. As sheeple become entangled in false teachings, they cease looking for Living Water. . .

²⁶Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

²⁷And Isaac said unto them,

Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

²⁸And they said,

We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

²⁹That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

³⁰And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.

³¹And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³²And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.

³³And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

What are some “well-stoppers” today? atheism, liberalism, cults, New Age philosophies, occult, paganism, abortion, normalization of perversion, and moral relativism. God’s people must continue to be like Isaac in digging new wells, and unstopping old wells, so that Living Water will be available to everyone.

Isaiah 12:3

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Bible Study – Isaac’s Dispute With Abimelech

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What is the old saying – familiarity breeds contempt? We shall see from this study, that it not only breeds contempt, but envy as well.

Genesis 26:6-16

⁶And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

⁷And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

⁸And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

⁹And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

¹⁰And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

¹¹And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Abimelech has seen the hand of God on Isaac, as he prospers when no one else does. His command not to touch Rebekah and Isaac is not enough to quell the intense envy that the gentiles have for Israel. He only succeeded in inflaming the conflict – by stressing even more that Isaac had more (and better) than they did.

¹²Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

This is hugely significant for believers. This is something that weary evangelists can take to heart. Isaac sowed in the Promised Land during a time of great famine, and received in the SAME YEAR a hundredfold reaping. It also greatly stresses the relationship between Israel and the Land. The land of Israel only responds to the People of Israel. They are the only earthly, chosen, people.

Isaiah 35:1-2

35 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

²It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.

¹³And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

¹⁴For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Of course – as Jews tend to prosper at everything they set their hands to – the natural sinful response is – envy. Everyone must be aware of the so-called Jewish conspiracy. It is no conspiracy. It is God. Period.

¹⁵For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

¹⁶And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

isaac has not only re-dug wells, but the ground work has now been laid for conflict, fueled by envy, to fulfill god’s plan for his covenant people. Abimelech fears isaac and sends him away. it is not for abimelech to send issac anywhere – and we will see in the next study – that he does not go far – and –

Isaac’s Focus on Water!

Bible Study – God Confirms Covenant With Isaac

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Only by adhering strictly to Scripture, are we allowed to see the Lord’s complete relationship with mankind. Anytime we veer even slightly into the world, our “world-view” will become corrupted. There are countless books, blogs, websites, Youtubes, and even television programming, devoted to “expanding our understanding of the Bible.” Unfortunately – the “world-view” of whoever is producing these products, will heavily impress itself upon the finished product. It is essential to truly delve into the Word of God in the King James Bible, to understand Him. And, through His Word, we can understand why the Jews were – and still are – God’s chosen people.

Genesis 26:1-5

26 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

[Abimelech = My father is king. It is not a name as much as it is a title, in the same fashion as Pharaoh is. There were several “Abimelechs” recorded.]

²And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

⁴And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

⁵Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

As we progress through the Book of Genesis, we see our Lord further refining the people known as Hebrews. In the above passage, the Lord reconfirms the eternal Abrahamic Covenant. It is not a new covenant. In verse 5, He lists the reasons why He has done so. In verse 4b – He states just how ALL the nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham’s penultimate seed – Jesus Christ.

There are many ministries, religions, cults, and so-forth, dedicated to destroying the Biblical truth of the nature of God’s relationship with Israel. Many even go so far as to trash the Epistles of Paul! It is imperative, for the serious Bible student, to understand the difference between the Nation of Israel, and the Church. It is implicitly laid out in both the Old and New Testaments. God used Israel throughout His-story, and He is still using them. It is my firm belief, that even the Song of Solomon is about our Savior and His Gentile Bride – the Church. This story is told over and over again, in varying scenes, throughout the Old Testament. Jews do not even know why they perform the rituals and rites of the proscribed Feasts – yet all the same – they are portraying the same story.

All O.T. Biblical Covenants are between Jehovah and Israel – the Church is a third party beneficiary! The Church is not a part of the nations of the world – but rather a pilgrim on earth. Israel engages in earthly physical battles, while the Church’s battles are spiritual. Israel has a priesthood, the Church is a priesthood. Israel has Biblical borders and a capitol, while the Church consists of peoples from all nations and tongues. Israel is referred to as the frequently faithless wife of Jehovah, while the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ. God’s relationship with Israel was one of Subject/King, while the Church’s relationship is one of Bride/Bridegroom.

four fifths of the bible pertains to the jews, while one fifth deals with the church!!!!

Just because the Jewish nation at large does not realize their role, does not mean they are not still players in the scene. They have been blinded in part, and it is not for us to conjecture the full why and how. He tells us in the following passage, that the Jews were blinded so that we may take part in His Salvation. It is one of the mysteries of God’s manifold love for His creatures.

Romans 11:24-26

²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Bible Study – Death and Burial of Abraham

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Genesis 25:7-11

⁷And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

⁸Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Please note that Abraham, God’s faithful friend, was not taken to heaven! He “was gathered to his people.” The faithful were not able to access heaven until Jesus Christ, Abraham’s penultimate descendant, was sacrificed and rose from the dead. All believers were assigned to a division of hell, known as “Abraham’s bosom,” where it can be determined, they received comfort from Abraham himself. . . but. . .were not in torment!

Luke 16:21-23

²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Many, many believers labor under the unscriptural belief, that the saints of the Old Testament went to heaven based on the Law and faith. This simply is not found anywhere in the Bible. There is only one way, and it has always been the only way, from before the dawn of time. Please see this study on the two Gospel quandary.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

⁹And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

¹⁰The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Pro-Palestinians and Islamist’s should note – that this land was purchased by Abraham to bury Sarah – not Hagar!

When Abraham gave his son to God, Abraham gained back his son. God does not require anything nearly so dramatic from believers today. But, it is true without doubt, that when we give of ourselves to God, we gain far, far more than we ever gave. If we do not grow in faith and continue in infantile Christianity, we will eventually lose a great deal, because as baby Christians, the tendency is towards selfishness and far too much introspection – AKA – naval gazing!

We see in the following verse, God’s continuing plan for the Salvation of mankind. Though Ishmael was the first born, and natural heir, The Lord knew these men before they were even conceived. He chose the second born – Isaac – for His purposes, just as we choose Him, over our own natural man – who is our first born man.

¹¹And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

I.e., “the well of Him that liveth and seeth me,” or, as some render it, “the well of the vision of life”, the well where the Lord met with Hagar (Genesis 16:7-14). Isaac dwelt beside this well (24:62; 25:11). It has been identified with `Ain Muweileh, or Moilahhi, south-west of Beersheba, and about 12 miles W. from Kadesh-barnea.

Bible Study – Abraham’s Sons by Keturah

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Abraham’s beloved wife Sarah has died, Issac has taken Rebekah as his wife, and now – Abraham the widower – takes a second wife. The significance of this union, is not important until we take into consideration Israel’s past and present enemies. The offspring of Keturah and Abraham feature heavily in wars and prophecies as Israel conquers the Promised Land.

Genesis 25:1-4

25 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

²And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. ³And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. ⁴And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. As illustrated on the map – the sons of Keturah and Abraham essentially surround the Promised Land. In a previous study, we observed the sons of Abraham and Hagar through Ishmael surrounding the Promised Land on the eastern and southern border. The pivotal verse of chapter 25 of Genesis follows:

Genesis 25:5

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

This is it – the entire borders of the land promised to Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob, by God. This was ALL that Abraham had, given to him through blood contract. The other progeny of Abraham have no rights, or claim to any portion of this land – whatsoever. The insensible hatred the world has for the Jewish nation is demonic, it is nothing new, and has been ongoing from the beginning. When faced with these same tribes during the rebuilding of the Temple, the prophet Nehemiah stated flatly. . .

Nehemiah 2:19-20

¹⁹But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? ²⁰Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Genesis 25:6

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

^{https://web.archive.org/web/20151017155919if_/http://www.youtube.com/embed/0B5hKbDdkU4?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent}Former “Palestinian terrorist” Walid Shoebat, has stated that his family were Greek in origin! So, as we see, it is not only Arabs and Egyptians claiming the Promised Land – but the tribe of Japheth as well. This can be clearly seen through the “British Israel” and the Mormon’s “American Israel” false/cultic religions. The Vatican is continuously conniving to control portions of the Promised Land. And now Hamas, is clamoring for Gaza to be rebuilt – or else!

Bible Study – Isaac Gets a Bride – Part 3

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We left off with the unnamed servant giving praise and thanks to God for leading him directly to the chosen wife for the chosen son. Whereupon she immediately drew 530 gallons of water for the thirsty camels, giving the servant comfort as he was guided by the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 24:28-49

²⁸And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

²⁹And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

³⁰And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

³¹And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

³²And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.

³³And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

³⁴And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.

³⁵And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

³⁶And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

³⁷And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

³⁸But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

³⁹And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

⁴⁰And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:

⁴¹Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

⁴²And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

⁴³Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

⁴⁴And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son.

⁴⁵And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

⁴⁶And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

⁴⁷And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

⁴⁸And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.

⁴⁹And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

I am Abraham’s servant.

At no point, does the servant draw attention to himself. Before even taking his own rest after such a long journey, he goes about telling the mission that his master set for him. This is loyalty. His loyalty was to “my master.” Loyalty is important – and it is a quality that is sorely lacking today. It is a character trait that gives a refreshing, wholesome substance to an individual. Sheeple need to be loyal to God and His Truth, and also loyal to their families, employers, and their country.

Our “Master” wants His servant’s loyalty – in direct contrast to the desires of the evil one. Satan despises loyalty and influences his own followers to mock and ridicule those who are loyal to God and His truth.

THE UNNAMED SERVANT TEACHES US LOYALTY

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Bible Study – Isaac Gets a Bride – Part 2

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The unnamed servant has asked the Lord to reveal who the Bride will be – by volunteering to give water to the ten camels.

Genesis 24:15-27

¹⁵And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

¹⁶And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

¹⁸And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

²⁰And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

²¹And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

Camels have a series of physiological adaptations that allow them to withstand long periods of time without any external source of water.^[17] Unlike other mammals, their red blood cells are oval rather than circular in shape. This facilitates the flow of red blood cells during dehydration^[21] and makes them better at withstanding high osmotic variation without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water: a 600 kg (1,300 lb) camel can drink 200 L (53 US gal) of water in three minutes.^[22]^{[23] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel}

That’s right ! 53 gallons of water for 1 camel!

53 gallons x 10 camels = 530 gallons of water!!!

Rebekah was not a sluggard! as the bride of the son of promise – she portrays the bride of jesus Christ – the church.

²²And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

The unnamed servant gives precious gifts to Rebekah, gold bracelets and earrings, tokens of his master’s wealth. The Servant (Holy Spirit) gives tokens of the Father’s riches – endless joy, and boundless peace.

²³And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?

²⁴And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

²⁵She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

²⁶And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

²⁷And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and His truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

What an example the unnamed servant is to us! He was a faithful steward in every way. He looked after his master’s affairs as if they were his own. Unfaithful stewards will cheat and steal from their masters. In our own service to Christ, as faithful stewards, we must handle our talents, abilities, money, time, and opportunities as faithful stewards of God. In so doing, we will be rewarded for our faithful stewardship at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

The unnamed servant also trusted God implicitly to help him meet his responsibility.

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Bible Study – Isaac Gets a Bride – Part 1

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Abraham has buried his beloved wife, Sarah, in the cave of Macpelah – which later became the family burial place for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not Ishmael and Esau!!!

Genesis 24 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

²And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

³And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

Here the very aged Abraham, is adjuring his most trusted servant, to journey to the land of his birth, to find a bride for the son of promise. His instruction to place the hand under his thigh, is deep in covenant meaning. The thigh area is generalized in the Old Testament to mean the area of sexual reproduction, also playing significantly into the symbol of circumcision. It refers to the importance of the son of promise and his progeny – from which the Messiah would come.

Abraham also, in choosing the Gentile bride for Isaac portrays our heavenly Father choosing a Gentile Bride – the church – for His Son – the Christ. If Abraham had chosen a Canaanite bride for Isaac, imagine how differently things would have happened!

⁴But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

⁵And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

⁶And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

This is a strong caution to the unnamed servant!

⁷The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

⁸And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

The son of promise, Isaac, is not to be brought to that land under any circumstances!

⁹And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Remember – the hand under the thigh refers to the blessed progeny of Abraham, through his covenant with God!

THE UNNAMED SERVANT IS THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTER OF GENESIS 24 –

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Why is the servant nameless? Because God chose for him to be nameless. A faithful servant never cares about promoting himself, his interest is solely in serving his master. The Holy Spirit never promotes Himself, but always exalts the Son of God.

¹⁰And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

¹¹And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

¹²And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

This is very significant. The unnamed servant does not rely on his own perspicacity to find a bride for his master’s son. He relies on the God of heaven to do it all!

¹³Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

¹⁴And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

The unnamed servant states right here that if God is providing the bride, that God is showing kindness to Abraham – not the servant himself!

THE SERVANT (THE HOLY SPIRIT) SEEKS THOSE WILLING TO BELIEVE HIS MESSAGE (THE GOSPEL) EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THE BRIDEGROOM (CHRIST).

Bible Study – The Birth of Isaac

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The year was approximately 1892 B.C., when the Lord fulfilled His promise to Abraham. Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed when God said that 90-year-old Sarah would have a son. But it was a different story when the promised son did arrive – and joyous laughter would be heard in Abraham’s tent.

GENESIS 21:1-8

21 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

²For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

³And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

⁴And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

⁶And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

⁷And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

⁸And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

But for Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, Issac’s presence caused jealousy and resentment. He had been the apple of his father’s eye until Isaac came – and we can naturally expect jealousy to be demonstrated towards his half brother. At the feast Sarah sees Ishmael mocking, or teasing the little Isaac, who is perhaps 2-3 years old at the weaning. Sarah, knew that Ishmael was old enough, at around age 16-17, to know better.

GENESIS 21:9-13

⁹And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

¹⁰Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

¹¹And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

¹²And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

¹³And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

Sarah was very upset at Ishmael’s behavior, and Abraham was upset at losing his son. But the Lord told him that Sarah was right – and that he must cast out the bondwoman and her son. Though it was painful – Abraham obeyed in faith – believing that if he did God’s will, that everything will turn out right.

God cared for Ishmael as he promised Abraham He would. Through this extremity, Ishmael met the Lord; and God promised to make of him a great nation. These are the tender mercies of God, because Abraham believed in faith.

GENESIS 21:14-21

¹⁴And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

¹⁶And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

¹⁷And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

¹⁸Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

¹⁹And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

²⁰And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

²¹And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

AN ALLEGORY OF LAW AND GRACE

GALATIANS 4:22-24

²²For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

²³But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

²⁴Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

GALATIANS 4:28-31

²⁸Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

²⁹But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

³⁰Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Ishmael and Isaac represent a spiritual allegory of law and grace (unmerited favor.) Hagar and Ishmael represent the law at Sinai, while Sarah and Issac represent God’s grace at Calvary. The two principles – law and grace – are always in conflict! They can not coexist. The “law” represents all of man’s best efforts to earn favor with God, while “grace” represents favor from God that is not earned.

The law principle must be “cast out” of our lives in order for us to receive grace. We need grace both for our salvation, and for our daily walk with God. Salvation and victory in the Christian life are always done through faith, not through the law – not through trying to earn God’s favor by good works.

GALATIANS 3:6-7

⁶Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

⁷Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

GALATIANS 3:11

¹¹But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Even so – to receive God’s grace by faith does not mean we can live any way we choose! Rather – it is His grace that teaches us how we should live!

TITUS 2:11-12

¹¹For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

¹²Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. . .

Bible Study – Two Angels Visit Lot

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In our last devotional, Abraham has interceded for his nephew Lot, after the Lord has revealed to him the impending judgement of Sodom. We learned two things – that the Lord desires the faithful to know His plans, and that He is receptive to the prayers of His saints. As we enter this lesson – the Lord has left communing with Abraham, and the two angels that had accompanied Him continue on towards Sodom.

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Lot “sat in the gate.” meaning he had a position as a civic leader. Lot arises and bows with his face towards the ground in the Oriental custom. [far different from when Abraham prostrated himself to the ground at the appearance of the Lord]

2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

Lot, the carnal believer, lives among these people and knows it is not safe for them to remain in the streets all night.

3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

They relent and enter Lot’s home and eat a meal with him. Yet another example of angels having the ability to take on the appearance and function of human flesh. These are not disembodied spirits!

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Many so-called “gay Christians” try to claim that the issue here is hospitality, not homosexuality. This defies all logic. For what possible reason could a hundred or so men have to bang on the door of someone’s home at night? Here is Sodom and Gomorrah, just a few miles from Hebron, Abraham’s home, and Jerusalem, Melchizedek’s home – and the stench of evil is so great that it has reached unto God in heaven! (Gen. 18: 20-21) Only 400 years since the profligate wickedness of the entire world was destroyed by Noah’s flood!

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

Lot attempts to reason with these savages. Here is proof that the men of Sodom are wanting to violate Lot’s visitors, because Lot offers his two young daughters instead. I assure you that what is going on here has nothing whatsoever to do with the Oriental sense of hospitality.

9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

The Sodomites tell Lot to get away from the door, and then deride him as being in no position to judge them, he being a newcomer. They proceed to threaten Lot with even worse things than they had planned for the two angels. With even more aggression, they almost break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Through supernatural power, the Sodomites are blinded by the angels – yet Lot is able to leave and seek out his married daughters and their husbands in an attempt to deliver them from the impending doom.

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. Genesis 19: 1-14

Recall that after Abram had rescued Lot, and the King of Sodom along with him, Abram declined to keep any of the booty he was entitled to as victor of the war. Abram refused to give the “devil an inch,” if you will. Please don’t underestimate the importance of this. From the beginning – God has been separating the wheat from the tares. In the story of Lot, living among the Sodomites, we see ourselves. We are living in a sinful, fallen world, that daily grows in degeneracy. As the evil grows, those that belong to Christ shall grow more and more uncomfortable living in “Sodom.” The Bible tells us that the immorality of the men of Sodom was a great affront to Lot’s sense of righteousness, as he was a believer in the One True God. The Word also says that for the same reason – our souls will be vexed – but that we will be delivered.

As we try to witness to family, friends, and people we just happen to meet, or we have a King like the King of Sodom, or our churches embrace abomination, and we read things like this – “A Christian Finds Acceptance of Homosexuality in the Bible,” and the whole world treats us with scorn as Lot’s sons – in – law did, we can take strength from the following passage, and know in our hearts that the Lord is yet separating the wheat from the tares until the cup of iniquity is full:

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2 Peter 2: 6-9

Bible Study – Three Angels Visit Abraham

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The Covenant has been sealed by both YHWH and Abraham. The year is approximately 1898 B.C. With the sealing of the Covenant, officially begins the Abrahamic Covenant – and the nation of Israel.

1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Abraham lived in Mamre, a life that could be described as Spiritually rich.

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from Thy servant:

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Here is evidence that angels can take on the function and form of flesh – because they all ate. Abraham’s visitors are not spirits. But – they are not human beings either. The identity of One of these visitors will be covered in the next devotional.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.10 And He said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And He said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

Genesis 18: 1-15

There is a distinct difference between Abraham’s laughter of indescribable joy [Genesis 17:17] and Sarah’s laugh of disbelief. Also note in vs. 12, that Sarah laughed within herself – it was not audible laughter. See how the Lord knows our very thoughts? But this extremely significant exchange between the Lord and Sarah is often overlooked.

Sarah is far, far past the age for having children – she is as “good as dead”
She frankly asked if she were to “have pleasure” – meaning would the son be conceived naturally with her “lord” – very old husband
She denied that she laughed
The Lord asked her a question – which went unanswered – “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”

The Lord had waited until there could be absolutely, positively, no chance of Sarah conceiving a child naturally. In His Sovereign Majesty He states that He will do what man can never do. The unanswered question – “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” was answered miraculously almost 2,000 years later in reference to the most impossible Conception and Birth. Issac was an impossible conception and birth from dead flesh – Foreshadowing the impossible conception and birth of Jesus Christ – born to give all mankind, spiritually dead in sin – New Birth, not of the flesh, but of the Spirit.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Luke 1: 37

Bible Study – The Ark Rests

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And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; 3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

“It is significant that the Ark is said to have “rested,” as though it had been laboring for five months in accomplishing its work of saving its occupants from sin and corruption. This is the second mention of “rest” in Scripture, the first being when God rested after His work of creation. (Genesis 2:2,3; actually these are two different, though synonymous, Hebrew words) If the Ark is a true type of Christ, as previously intimated, this is most appropriate. As God “finished” His work of creation and as the Ark “finished” its mission, so Christ “finished” (John 19:30) His work of salvation.” -Henry Morris, The Genesis Record

[Timeline creation.net]

Before anyone gets excited, the above timeline only demonstrates the time relating to Noah and the flood – not from the beginning of Creation!! And these are days – not years!!

6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: 7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. 10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

The first bird Noah released, the raven, did not return. Ravens are carrion eaters, and would have found plentiful food. The first dove would not even lite on a dead body of any kind. Which is why she returned.

13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

15 And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. 17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. 18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8: 1-22

Before Noah even built a shelter, he built an altar, and offered sacrifice. The ark represents the safety of dwelling in Christ, while the burnt offering represents Christ’s sacrificial death for our sins. Noah teaches us that God comes before everything.

Verse 22 – God promises that “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

The demonic concepts of “global warming” and “climate change” are yet again man’s efforts to become gods. If the Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent Lord God Almighty says that the earth will continue – it will continue.

After more than a year in the ark, Noah’s family finally stepped out on dry land! Talk about faith!

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Hebrews 11: 6-7

Bible Study – The Flood

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And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. Genesis 7: 17-18

The flood came 1,656 years after Creation.
The flood waters came from two sources; the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened {Genesis 7: 11}
God shut Noah in. {Genesis 7: 16}

And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Genesis 7: 19-20

The deluge from the sky – and the fountains of the deep continued until the highest hills were covered.
No rain had ever fallen before – Genesis 2: 5
Then after the highest hills were covered, the water continued 23 more feet until the mountains were covered.

The above chart from Answers in Genesis demonstrates the flood, against the objections of those who claim the flood could not have covered Mt. Everest, if the waters only rose 23 feet after covering the highest hills.

Marine fossils are also found high in the Himalayas, the world’s tallest mountain range, reaching up to 29,029 feet (8,848 m) above sea level.³ For example, fossil ammonites (coiled marine cephalopods) are found in limestone beds in the Himalayas of Nepal. All geologists agree that ocean waters must have buried these marine fossils in these limestone beds. So how did these marine limestone beds get high up in the Himalayas?

We must remember that the rock layers in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges around the globe were deposited during the Flood, well before these mountains were formed. In fact, many of these mountain ranges were pushed up by earth movements to their present high elevations at the end of the Flood. This is recorded in Psalm 104:8, where the Flood waters are described as eroding and retreating down valleys as the mountains rose at the end of the Flood.

[Dr. Andrew Snelling, Answer in Genesis]

21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 7: 21-24

Even though the deluge from the heavens was for forty days and nights – the flood waters continued to rise for an additional 110 days until the water reached its crest.

We first read about Noah in Genesis 5, found at the end of a genealogical list beginning with Adam, following the lineage of his son Seth. Noah is our English translation of the Hebrew No’akh. In the Chinese, He is called Nuòyà. The phonetic similarity between the Hebrew and Chinese is not the result of translation, as is the case with English. Noah’s name was in use among the ancient Chinese people. They knew of this man before the Hebrew Scriptures were written.

[Noah’s Ark TV – Chinese evidence]

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2 Peter 2:5

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

we are not born with saving faith. it only comes when we hear the gospel. it is of utmost importance that every single born again child of god is obedient to the word of god.

Evangelize with the Gospel!!!!

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Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

SOUL WINNERS ARE MADE – NOT BORN! FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS – YOU MUST BE TRAINED, EQUIPPED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ANY BELIEVER WHO ACQUIRES THE KNOW- HOW, CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNER!

Acts 5:32

And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

WHEN YOU WITNESS, YOU CAN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THREE THINGS –

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IN THE BIBLE, ALL HERON SPECIES ARE IN THE LIST OF UNCLEAN FLYING CREATURES.

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Pitcher Plants Designed to Attract Bats

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

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Genesis 9:13

I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Psalm 8:2-4

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

Psalm 139:5-7

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

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People often take for granted the natural world around them. When baking, do you stop to wonder in amazement at your bottle of vanilla extract? I hope so. It is truly a miracle, just as everything in God’s Creation is.

Vanilla Stumps Evolutionists

Ecclesiastes 11:5

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

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1 John 5:10-13

UPON THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD – YOU CAN BE SAVED AND KNOW IT! HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD IS YOUR ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION. LOOK CAREFULLY AT VERSE 13 AGAIN:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:36

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

“HATH” IS PRESENT TENSE – IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN – YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOREVER! THERE IS NOTHING VAGUE OR UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD.

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Galatians 4:7

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

PRAISE HIM! IS THERE ANY GREATER ASSURANCE THAN WHAT WE FIND IN GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD?

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN KNOW THAT I AM SAVED ETERNALLY

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Acts 16:25-33

Acts 16:31

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES WHEN BELIEVED?

Jesus Christ the God-man, died for you, was buried for you, and rose from the dead for you. And He is now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you.

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 10:9-10

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Admit this fact to yourself

I CAN BE SAVED THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

²Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

⁴What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹⁸Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

¹⁹But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

**JESUS CHRIST WAS MADE THAT WHICH GOD HATES – SIN**

**SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE MADE THAT WHICH GOD LOVES – RIGHTEOUSNESS.**