EASY READING BIBLE STUDIES An Easy Reading series of Bible Studies using Easier English versions of the Bible. You may see a discussion of these eight versions at the end of the 30 studies. Purpose: The purpose of this series of studies is to present a large group of Bible doctrines in simple English. The original book published 100 years ago, 'Bible Readings", was the inspiration for this work. This original book uses a Question, Bible Text and Comment format - so does this simple series. The special feature of this series is that nearly all of the texts are not from the grade 12 reading level, King James Version, but from a group of Easier Reading & Easier English versions. Why so many versions? The easier the version, the more interpretation may be needed to make the verse easy to understand. This also means that the views of the translators may also effect the interpretation in the translating. We liked texts from different versions at different times. That is why we used up to eight different translations. Use Note: We will not object if you use these studies for your own personal use, or with your church or study group. We ask that you not 'sell' them without permission. * If you choose to print them all out, it should be a little under 100 pages, depending on your printer and type size. TOPICS COVERED: 1. SALVATION: How Are We Saved From Sin? 2. BIBLE: God's Word For My Life 3. ORIGIN SIN: Where Did Sin Come From? 4. CREATION: Did Man Evolve or Was Man Created By the hand of a Loving God? 5. JESUS: Was Jesus Really God, or Just a Superman? 6. DEATH: What Happens to Us When We Die? 7. HELL: Is There Really a Hell? 8. SECOND COMING: Will Jesus Come Again? 9. HEAVEN: What Will Heaven Be Like? 10. WHEN COMING: How Soon Will Jesus Return? 11. LAW/OBEDIENCE: How Can We Learn to Love and Obey God? 12. SABBATH: A Wonderful Day for Worship & Rest from Stress 13. CHANGE SABBATH: Why Did Satan Try to Change God's 7th Day Sabbath? 14. HEALTH: How to Have 'Wonderful Health'! 15. JUDGMENT: Will Everyone Be Judged Some Day? 16. SANCTUARY/1844: When Will Your Name Come Up In the Judgment? 17. SEAL: God's Seal & Satan's Mark 18. CHURCH: Is it important to belong to a church? 19. BAPTISM: Is it necessary to be baptized to be saved? 20. PROPHETS: What about modern day prophets? 21. STANDARDS: How does God expect Christians to Live? 22. MILLENNIUM: What Happens During the 1000 Years After Jesus Second Coming? 23. STEWARDSHIP/TITHE: Caring For What God Has Loaned To Us 24. HOLY SPIRIT: Who Is the Holy Spirit? 25. LAW/GRACE: Does God's Grace Do Away With God's Law? 26. TRINITY: What Can We Know About God? 27. REMNANT/MISSION: What is the purpose of God's Final Remnant People on Earth? 28. SPIRITUAL GIFTS: What Is God Wanting To Do For You Through His Holy Spirit? 29. MARRIAGE/FAMILY: Why Did God Invent Families? 30. PRAYER: How Important is Prayer? 1. HOW ARE WE SAVED FROM SIN? What is the most important question a person can ask? Matt. 19:16 TEV- " Once a man came to Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?" Note: The most important subject in the world is how to be saved from sin so we that can live forever. How important is it to know what will happen to you in eternity? Matthew 16:26 NIrV- "What good is it for you to gain the whole world but lose your soul?" Note: It would be terrible to live here for only 60-100 years, when we can live for all eternity - if we prepare. We are born sinful in a sinful world. We are born going away from Heaven. We can only be saved if we change directions, and allow Jesus to control our lives. How can we live for all eternity? John 3:5 NirV- "What I am telling you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again." Note: Being 'born again' is changing directions. Instead of heading toward Hell, we turn toward Heaven. We have selfish natures, and cannot save ourselves. Only God can save us by His power. How can we be 'born again'? John 3:16, 17 TEV- "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior." Ephesians 2:8 NCV "I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believe. You did not save yourselves. It was a gift from God." Note: We see our sinful condition. We want change. We ask God to come and live in us.. We ask God to change us from the inside out to be like Him. We ask God to forgive our sins, and cover us with Jesus perfect character. We then appear before the Father as if we had never sinned. If we die in the next moment, we are saved for eternity. How could Jesus die in our place instead of us? 2 Cor. 5:21 NIrV "Christ didn't have any sin. But God made Him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us." Note: God said if man disobeyed, man would die. The penalty for sin is eternal death. But, the Creator Himself may pay the death penalty for us. So Jesus took our sins on Himself, and died in our place, as our substitute (alternate). Why do we need to be "born again"? Romans 3:23 NIrV- "Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God's glory." Romans 5:12 CEV- "Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die." Romans 6:23 NirV- "When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done." What has God done to bring us back to Himself? John 3:16 TEV- "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life." What will God do with our sins? 1 John 1:9 CEV- "But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away." Micah 7:19 NirV- "Once again you will show loving concern for us. You will completely wipe out the evil things we've done. You will throw all our sins into the bottom of the sea." Note: The good things we have done and our bad deeds are all recorded in Heaven. We will be judged according to what is written. But, as soon as we ask for forgiveness, pardon is written by our name and the record of our sins. Later, in the final judgment, the record will be erased if we have been truly sorry for our sins. How does becoming a Christian change your life? 2 Cor. 5:17 NLV - "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" How does God change you from the inside out? Psalm 51:10 NirV - "God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you." or CEV- "Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again." Note: When we are born again, we switch bosses. Before Satan was in charge. After, it is Jesus. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to take away our sinful wishes. As we walk daily with Christ, what we want will be what He wants. Our thoughts become like His thoughts. By constantly looking to Jesus, we are changed. As a computer can change programs, so our minds are given a new program by the Holy Spirit. Sinful things we liked before, we come to hate. Spiritual things we hated, we learn to like. What is one way we can know if we are 'born again'? 1 John 3:14 NirV- "We know that we have left our old dead condition and entered into new life. We know it because we love our brothers and sisters. Those who do not are still living in their old condition." Note: The heart of Christianity and God's law, is true, deep, caring love. We know true Christians by the love they show for both their friends, and their enemies. Will 'born again' people keep on planning to sin? 1 John 3:9 ICB- "When God makes someone his child, that person does not go on sinning. The new life God gave that person stays in him. So he is not able to go on sinning, because he has become a child of God'. Note: A true Christian may be caught in a moment of weakness, and fall. But, a true Christian will not be planning to continue doing the same sin. True love will not allow us to keep on planning the same unloving acts. When we give ourselves fully to God, will we love Him enough to obey? 1 John 2:3-6 CEV- "When we obey God, we are sure that we know him. But if we claim to know him and don't obey him, we are lying and the truth isn't in our hearts. We truly love God only when we obey him as we should, and then we know that we belong to him. If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ. Note- Jesus makes it clear that if we truly love Him, we decide to obey Him fully. Will God accept anyone no matter what they have done? John 6:37 NIrV - "Everyone the Father gives me will come to me. I will never send away anyone who comes to me." Note- There is no sin that is too bad for God to forgive. But, if we keep pushing God away, it is possible to finally seal our minds away from the working of the Holy Spirit. God will not force Himself on us. But, as long as there is hope, God will not give up! Is it safe to put off a decision for God? 2 Corinthians 6:2 CEV- "In the Scriptures God says, "When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you." That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved." Note: Life is so uncertain with instant death through accidents or heart attacks. It is not safe to ever put off a decision for Christ. Really, being a Christian life brings a deeper joy and satisfaction than anything the world can give. Why wait? 2. GOD'S WORD'S FOR MY LIFE Has God ever spoken directly with people? Hebrews 1:1 NIrV - "In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times. He spoke in different ways." Note: Before man sinned, God spoke directly to Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. God may speak directly to us through our conscience or even a dream. But, God usually uses special people called 'Prophets'. God asks the prophets to write His messages for us. How can we know that it was God who really spoke through the prophets or Bible writers? 2 Peter 1:19 CEV- "All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. ... 2 Peter 1:20, 21 NIrV- "Above all, here is what you must understand. No prophecy in Scripture ever came from a prophet's own understanding. It never came simply because they wanted it to. Instead, the Holy Spirit guided the prophets as they spoke. So prophecy comes from God." Note: God gave His messages to the prophets. God talked to the prophets with dreams, visions, clear thought impressions, or sent an angel to explain things. Sometimes God directly spoke out loud to them. When a true prophet tells us what is going to happen, it must come true. A later prophet's messages must agree with an earlier prophets (Isaiah 8:20). We must test the messages because there are both true and false prophets. We believe all the prophets in the Bible are true. Is everything written in the Bible from God? 2 Timothy 3:16 TEV- "All Scripture is inspired by God" 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIrV- "God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. By using Scripture, God people can be completely prepared to do every good thing." Note: The Bible is the Word of God for us. God helped ( inspired) the writers with their thoughts. The Holy Spirit helped the writers choose the right words from their own vocabulary. Each prophet wrote in his own way (style). John (a former fisherman) uses easier words than Paul (a former Jewish leader). The Bible gives us clear and true messages from God. Why did God speak to us through the Bible? Romans 15:4 NIrV - "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They cheer us up and give us hope." Note: The Bible is the story of how God has worked for about 6,000 years to save people. We see how God worked with people and with nations. Most of the Bible tells us how God worked with His special people, Israel. God wanted them to be His missionaries. Why did God give so many stories about real people and their experiences? 1 Cor. 10:11 ICV - "The things that happened to those people are examples. And they were written down to be warnings for us. For we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal." Note: We need to learn lessons from the good and bad experiences of the people in the Bible. We see behind what 'seemed to just happen' that was really part of the great war between God and Satan. We see how a loving God is trying to do everything He can to save sinful man! Do we need any special help in understanding what God is trying to tell us in His Word? 1 Cor. 2:14 NIrV - "Some people don't have the Holy Spirit. They don't accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. Things like that are foolish to them. They can't understand them. In fact, such things can't be understood without the Spirit's help." Note: It was the Holy Spirit that inspired the prophets and helped them write. We need the same Holy Spirit to help us understand what the Spirit is really trying to tell us in the Bible. It is very easy to misunderstand or twist words to make things read the way we want to believe. [2 Peter 3:16] Is it important to take time to really study the Bible? John 5:39 ICV- "You carefully study the Scriptures because you think that they give you eternal life. Those are the same Scriptures that tell about me." Acts 17:11 NirV- "The Bereans were very glad to receive Paul's message. They studied the Scriptures carefully every day. They wanted to see if what Paul said was true..." Note: The Bible is the most important book in the world. We should study it carefully and with prayer. We need to try and understand: (1) Who first received the message? (2) Why it was given? (3) What did the message mean to the people who first heard it?. We need to try and understand the meaning of each verse in its context (what goes before and after). When we want to understand a topic, we should put all the texts on the same subject together from all the Bible. It is wrong to take just one verse, and build a teaching on it without the many other verses that talk of the same thing. Did Jesus encourage others to use the Bible to better understand His life and work? John 5:39 ICV - "You carefully study the Scriptures because you think that they give you eternal life. Those are the same Scriptures that tell about me!" Luke 23:27 ICV - "Then Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures. He started with Moses, and then he talked about what all the prophets had said about him." Note: Jesus made it very clear that it was important to study and know what was in the Bible. If God wrote us His messages, we need to understand what God is trying to tell us. In the judgment, we are responsible for what God has been telling us in His word. Saying, "I was too busy" won't be a good excuse. Jesus said: The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day! (John 12:48 GNB) What is the right attitude to the study of the Bible so we can have the Holy Spirit to help us understand? John 7:17 ICV - "If anyone chooses to do what God wants, then he will know that my teaching comes from God. He will know that this teaching is not my own." Note: People often choose to believe only what they want to believe. (Paul warns against this in 2 Timothy 4:3) So, if we really want to know God's truth, we must have the right attitude. We must really want to know God's will. This is why it is so important to pray before we read the Bible. God's Spirit needs to prepare our hearts to be ready to accept God's will for our lives - even if it is not what we like! What is the final goal of the Scriptures for your life? John 20:21 NirV- "But these are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to him." Note: The goal of the Bible is to help us be saved and prepare for Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. We need to concentrate on coming to know, love and follow Jesus fully! 3. WHERE DID SIN COME FROM? Who began all sin? 1 John 3:8 ICV- The devil has been sinning since the beginning. Anyone who continues to sin belongs to the devil. The Son of God came for this purpose: to destroy the devil's work." Note: Jesus says that Satan was a real person.. Sin first started in Lucifer's heart. How did sin begin in the heart of a perfect angel, Lucifer (the Devil) when He was still in Heaven? Ezekiel 28:15,17 BBE- " There has been no evil in your ways from the day when you were made, till sin was seen in you. ...Your heart was lifted up because you were beautiful, you made your wisdom evil through your sin: I have sent you down, even to the earth..." Note: Somehow Satan started thinking thoughts of pride and selfishness. Satan also became jealous of Jesus. God pleaded with Satan to repent. But Satan would not repent and accept God's authority. Satan wanted to do things his way, not God's. That is the heart of sin. What was Satan's goal? Isaiah 14:13,14 NCV- "You told yourself "I will go up to heaven. I will put my throne above God's stars. I will sit on the mountain of the gods, on the slopes of the sacred mountain. I will go up above the tops of the clouds. I will be like God Most High." Note: Satan wanted to be like God in power and authority. Satan wanted to be worshiped. Today Satan is being worshiped in many false religions in ways people do not suspect. What happened to the Devil after He sinned? John 10:18 CEV- " Jesus told them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Rev. 12:7-9 ICV - "Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough. He and his angels lost their place in heaven. He was thrown down out of heaven. (The giant dragon is that old snake called the devil or Satan. He leads the whole world the wrong way.) The dragon with his angels was thrown down to the earth." Note: After He sinned, Satan and his angels were thrown out of Heaven. Satan and his angels tried to win other worlds over to their new ways of thinking. But, our world is the only one that fell to Satan's lies. How did sin spread to our earth? Genesis 3:1-6 NCV - "Now the snake was the most clever of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day the snake said to the woman, Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden? The woman answered the snake, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. But God told us, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch it, or you will die. But the snake said to the woman, You will not die. God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you will learn about good and evil and you will be like God! The woman saw that the tree was beautiful, that its fruit was good to eat, and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband, and he ate it." Note: Adam and Ever were given a test of loyalty and obedience. They were told not to eat of one tree - the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But, when Eve wandered away from Adam, she fell to Satan's temptation. Adam knew Eve had sinned, but Adam decided to also eat the forbidden fruit. Adam decided to suffer the same penalty as Eve, whatever that might be. We sin because of Adam, but how is Jesus working things out to save us from sin? Romans 5:12 & 15 NirV - "Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people. ...God's gift is different from Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God' grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God's gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world." Note: When Adam and Eve sinned, their whole nature changed. They became naturally selfish and disobedient. We are now born with that same bent to evil. When we give ourselves completely to Jesus, we change Masters. Instead of having Satan in control, we have Jesus in control through His Spirit. Through God's power we can change and live lives as Jesus lived. What did Jesus say about the Devil? John 8:44 ICV- "Your father is the devil. You belong to him and want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was against the truth, for there is no truth in him. He is a liar, and he is like the lies he tells. He is the father of lies." Note: Satan wins by deception and lies. Satan offers temporary 'highs', but they leave us worse off. Sin can be fun for a while, but in the end it brings disappointment, suffering and death. God can only use honesty. God has to win our loyalty. God is now working to demonstrate His love to the Universe though our experiences here in this world. The universe is watching everything that is happening now. But, it takes time and everyone must have free choice. What will finally happen to Satan and his angels? Rev. 20:7-10 NCV - "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison. Then he will go out to trick the nations in all the earth--Gog and Magog gather them for battle. There are so many people they will be like sand on the seashore. And Satan's army marched across the earth and gathered around the camp of Gods people and the city God loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up. And Satan, who tricked them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur..." Note: After the final judgment and the Universe have seen that God is not a dictator, but is really loving, Satan will be destroyed. But God cannot bring it to an end until His love and mercy is proved beyond any doubt! Who will make it possible for us to be free from the power of the Devil? Heb. 2:14,15 NLV - "Because God's children are human beings made of flesh and blood. Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. [ICV] He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death. That one is the devil." Note: Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 CEV- "Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together." Jesus is waiting to come into your heart. Have you made that decision to let Him in? 4. DID MAN EVOLVE OR WAS MAN CREATED BY THE HAND OF A LOVING GOD? How does the Bible say our world was made? Genesis 1:1 KJV - "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." Note: There are three ideas: (1) Man evolved from one celled animals after some kind of a 'big bang' that began life. This is the theory of Evolution (2) God created the first life, but used evolution as His way of creating - Theistic Evolution (3) God created everything exactly as it says in Genesis 1 - Creation. While we respect those who have views # 1 and # 2, the only way to accept the Bible as fully inspired (from God) is to take it as it reads. This means that we accept "six 24 hour days" of Creation - just as it says in Genesis. If people say that God created something, but Genesis is a mixture of truth and error (myth), then they soon say that the whole Bible is also filled with truth and error. Why? Jesus and the Bible writers all believed a literal creation story. If people don't believe Genesis as fact, then they start to doubt the story of the flood and the miracles of the Bible. Finally, they claim that the story of Jesus is a mixture of truth and man's private opinions. Because the power of Bible truth is broken, they may believe that Jesus has no power to save them. Who actually did the creating of our world? Col. 1:15,16 NirV- "Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can't be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation. All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can't be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by him and for him." Note: The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all worked together in Creation. The Father helped plan, but Jesus did the speaking, and the work was carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit. What was the earth like at the beginning of Creation week? Genesis 1:2 NirV - "The earth didn't have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Note: Some believe that at the beginning of creation week that God created all the elements, minerals and stone in our world. Others believe that some time earlier that God made the world in the rough and that during Creation week God then developed our world as described in Genesis 1. Either way, God created everything as described in Genesis 1. When did God make the sun and the moon? Genesis 1:16,17 NCV - "So God made the two large lights. He made the brighter light to rule the day and made the smaller light to rule the night. He also made the stars. God put all these in the sky to shine on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things were good." Note: On the 4th Day of Creation, God probably our own solar system with our sun and our planets. Obviously, the Universe is extremely old. We are seeing light from stars that only started coming toward us billions of years ago. Did we evolve up through monkey's, or were we make to look like God? Genesis 1:26, 27 NIrV- "Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our likeness. ..." "So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them in the likeness of God." Note: God made man like Himself with power to think, plan, invent, design and worship. If man only evolved through 'survival of the fittest' as taught by Charles Darwin, then the story of Genesis and the first sin does not make sense. The Bible then becomes a myth, and one does not know what is truth and what is false. What was the last thing God created at the end of the week? Genesis 2:1-3 ICV- "So the sky, the earth and all that filled them were finished. By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing. So on the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it holy because on that day he rested. He rested from all the work he had done in creating the world." Note: It says that God set apart a special day calling it the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be a memorial of God's creative power. Man would also be able to rest from his labors, and have time to develop a personal relationship with His Creator. God showed that the day was to be very special for He Himself rested, put a special blessing into the day, and made it a holy day for man to keep forever. In the Ten Commandments, God gives Creation as the reason for the Sabbath. Some people think the days of creation were long periods of time, but how long was each day? Gen 1:31 CEV- "God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came and then morning--that was the sixth day." Note: The Bible is very clear that each day was like our day. It says that there was evening and morning. The Fourth Commandment in Exodus 20 says (NIrV): "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work ... For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. " God is saying - I worked six days and blessed the 7th. I want you to do the same as I did. If the Creation days were thousands of years, then Adam and Eve would have died before the Sabbath started. The Bible is very clear that each Creation day was just like our 24 hour day. The Fourth Commandment obviously also takes each day of Creation as being a literal 24 hour day. What was man's first home like? Genesis 2: 8 & 15 -NIrV- "The Lord God had planted a garden in the east. It was in Eden. There he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground. Their fruit was pleasing to look at and good to eat. ..." "The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden. He put him there to work its ground and to take care of it." Note: God made a garden to be man's first home. There were no weeds, no winter, no rain. God watered the earth from one place and the water flowed out. God also watered with a heavy dew or mist. Man was to train the vines, do easy work in the beautiful garden, and eat the fruits, nuts and grains that grew there. When we really believe that God made us, and that we did not evolve from animals, what will we want to do to our King and Creator? Psalms 95:6 BBE- "O come, let us give worship, falling down on our knees before the Lord our Maker. Note: When we truly realize the wonderful way God made us and our world, we will be so thankful. We will want to praise and worship Him. We will also realize that when God designed us, He knew what was best for us. That is why God has given us laws and the Bible. The Bible is our book of the Creator's instructions for the people He has made. Our world has become sinful and evil - will God ever create again? Isaiah 65:17 ICV - "Look, I will make new heavens and a new earth. And people will not remember the past. They will not think about those things." Note: Our world is now a mess because of sin. But God has promised to make everything new again. We are to do the best we can now to look after what He has given. But what a joy a new Earth will be - no winter, no pollution, no sin. Let's prepare our lives for that new world! 5. WAS JESUS REALLY GOD, OR JUST A SUPERMAN? What did Jesus say about Himself? John 14: 8- 11- ICV "Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need." Jesus answered, I have been with you a long time now. Do you still not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don't come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done." Note: Jesus is saying that He and the Father are one in purpose. But it is more than that - the Father and Son are one God. Can we fully understand how the Father and Son can be two separate 'persons', but only 'one God'? Our minds must just accept it. We have no human parallel. What does the Bible say was Jesus place in Heaven before He came to live with us on the earth? John 17:5 CEV- "Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created." Phil. 2:6-9 NirV- "In his very nature he was God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to. Instead, he made himself nothing. He took on the very nature of a servant. He was made in human form. He appeared as a human being. He came down to the lowest level. He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death. In fact, he died on a cross." Note: Before Jesus came to earth as a human baby, He was always with the Father in Heaven. There never was a time when Jesus was created back in eternity. Jesus always existed. Was Jesus born naturally or supernaturally? Isaiah 7:14 NCV- "The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and she will name him Immanuel." Luke 1:27, 30,31 NIrV- "He was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged to a man named Joseph. ... But the angel said to her ... "You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must name him Jesus." ... Vs. 34, 35- "How can this happen?" Mary asked the angel. "I am a virgin." The angel answered, "The Holy spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God." Note: Through a miracle the Holy Spirit supernaturally made Mary pregnant with Jesus. The Bible gives no details about this miracle. Jesus had a human Mother and a Divine Father. Jesus was fully God and fully Man at the same time. Did Jesus come on time? Gal. 4:4 TEV- "But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son." Note: The prophecy in Daniel 9:24 & 25 shows us exactly when Jesus would come. If you study this prophecy, you find that Jesus was to be anointed, or baptized, in 27 AD. Jesus was baptized in the Fall of 27 AD and crucified in the Spring of 31 AD. Jesus public ministry lasted exactly 3.5 years - just as the prophecy said. So, in a special way, Jesus came 'on time'! Who actually had the power to make our world? Col. 1:15,16 NirV- "Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can't be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation. All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can't be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. Everything was created by him and for him." Note: Jesus was the God at Creation who did the speaking and creating. Jesus is our Creator, and now through His death is our re-creator. Does Jesus have supernatural power to save us? Acts 4:12 NCV- "Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. And we must be saved through him!" Note: Jesus paid the death penalty for us, so we can be saved. Now through His Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to give us power to live a life of love for Him. Jesus want us to show the world what He is like!. What will Jesus have power to do in the future? Matt. 24:30 NirV - "At that time the sign of the Son of man will appear in the sky. All the nations of earth will be sad. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky. He will come with power and great glory." 1 Thess. 4:14 TEV- " We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him." Note: When Jesus was here on earth, His power was largely hidden, except for His miracles. But, when Jesus returns the second time, He will show His power as King of the Universe. Jesus will call the dead from their graves. Jesus will have so much power and brightness that the wicked will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. What a joy to be able to serve such a loving and powerful God! 6. WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE DIE? How were we created? Genesis 2:7 BBE- "And the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth, breathing into him the breath of life: and man became a living soul." Note: God breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living being (soul). Man does not have a separate 'soul', but he is a 'living soul'. What happens when we die? Psalm 146:4- BBE- "Man's breath goes out, he is turned back again to dust; in that day all his purposes come to an end. The KJV version puts it "in that very day his thoughts perish [stop]." Note: A light bulb is a good illustration of what happens to a human being at death. When you turn on the electricity in a dark light bulb, you get light. When you turn off the electricity, you have a dark light bulb. When God breathed in the 'breath of life' into the human form, the form became a living breathing human - a soul. When we die, the life and breath (like the electricity) ends, and the lifeless human form is left (the bulb). Man stops thinking and is totally unconscious. [People and animals share the same life force, called "breath" in Ecclesiastes 3:19 and "spirit" in verse 21.] What goes back to God at death? Eccl. 12:7 TEV- "Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us. BBE version: "...and the spirit goes back to God who gave it." Note: The life force, or breath goes back to God. God keeps all the life codes and the character, and later puts it all back together - just like we were before. Is that "breath:" or "spirit" that goes back to God at death able to think or work or talk with God? Psalm 115:17 NIrV- "Dead people don't praise the Lord. Those who lie quietly in the grave don't praise him." Eccl. 9:5,6 NirV- "People who are still alive know they'll die. But those who have died don't know anything. They don't receive any more rewards. And they are soon forgotten. Their love, hate and jealousy disappear. They will never share again in anything that happens on earth." Note: The Bible says that the dead are not praising the Lord and that the dead don't know anything. In the Garden of Eden Satan told a lie saying - you will not die. Satan has persuaded every false religion to teach that when we die, we simply leave the body. Satan's goal is to have his angels pretend that they are the 'spirits' of dead loved ones who come back to visit. What did Job say about the sleep of death? Job 14:12 BBE- "So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep." Note: Job calls death a sleep. So does Jesus. Many times the Bible calls death a sleep. What word did Jesus use to describe death? John 11:11, 12 ICB- "After Jesus said this, he added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to wake him." The followers said, "But Lord, if he can sleep, he will get well." Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead." Note: Jesus clearly called death a sleep. Why? Because man is unconscious, the same as when we are sleeping. When Jesus rose from the dead, there was also a little resurrection of good people who had died. What did these people do? Matt. 27:52,53 CEV- "The graves opened, and many of God's people who had died were raised from death. They came out of the graves after Jesus was raised from death. They went into the holy city, and many people saw them." Note: This text shows what it will be like in the resurrection at Jesus Second Coming. People are not coming back from purgatory, hell or heaven to get bodies. No, they were sleeping in the grave, and Jesus wakes them from the sleep of death. Jesus talked about a resurrection of the good people at the end of the world. But Jesus also talked about a second resurrection, what was it? John 5:28, 29 NCV - "Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves. Those who did good will rise and have life forever, but those who did evil will rise to be judged guilty." Note: There will be two resurrections: one for the good people, and the other for the bad people. In our study on the Millennium, we find that these two resurrections are 1000 years apart. What will happen to the good? 1 Thess. 4:16, 17- NCV- "The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Corinthians 15:23 CEV "...Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns." Note: At the call of Jesus, the good will be raised and taken up in the air to meet Jesus in the clouds. The good then go to Heaven to help in the judgment of the lost. What will happen to those who are 'judged guilty'? Rev. 20:15 ICB- "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Mal. 4:1 CEV- "The day of judgment is certain to come. And it will be like a red-hot furnace with flames that burn up proud and sinful people, as though they were straw. Not a branch or a root will be left. I, the LORD All-Powerful, have spoken!" Note: Eventually, after they are judged, the wicked are destroyed for eternity. There will be nothing left of sin or the wicked when God has done His awful work of destroying all sin and sinners. It hurts God, but He must do it. What was Paul looking forward to after he would die for his faith? 2 Tim. 4:6-8- TEV- As for me, the hour has come for me to be sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this life. I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day---and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear. Note: Paul talks about receiving his reward of eternal life 'on that Day' when Jesus 'appear(s). There is no talk here about immediately going into heavenly glory and talking to saints in heaven. Paul expected to wait for the resurrection He had talked about before (1 Cor. 15:51-52 & 1 Thess.4:16,17) Eternal life, given at the resurrection, will be the reward of every good person who has ever lived! 7. IS THERE REALLY A HELL? Is there a time when bad people will be punished? 2 Peter 2:9 CEV- "This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of judgment." Note: Many evil people receive punishment for their evil deeds here on earth. But, many other people seem to get away with their sins. We may be sure that everyone will be judged and receive the reward they deserve - good or bad. What did Jesus say about what would happen to the wicked? Matt. 10:28 NirV- "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Note: Jesus said to be afraid of the God who will destroy both soul and body completely in the fires of hell. But, if we give ourselves fully to Jesus, then there is nothing to fear, for we will be in Heaven, not Hell. Did Jesus warn us about hell? Matt. 13:40-42 ICB - "The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. It will be this way at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil. The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace." Note: Jesus does not want anyone to be lost and go into the fires of hell. Jesus is doing everything He can to keep us from having to be burned up. That is why Jesus kept warning about the fires of hell. Will both the good and bad be raised to receive their reward? John 5:28, 29 NCV - "Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves. Those who did good will rise and have life forever, but those who did evil will rise to be judged guilty." Note: Since we don't get our eternal reward here, God promises us that everyone will get their reward later - whether good or bad!. When will the wicked and Satan be destroyed? Revelation 20: 7-9 & 12-15 ICB- "When the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison. He will go out to trick the nations in all the earth Gog and Magog. Satan will gather them for battle. There will be so many people that they will be like sand on the sea shore. And Satan's army marched across the earth and gathered around the camp of God's people and the city that God loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And the book of life was opened. There were also other books opened. The dead were judged by what they had done, which was written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. Each person was judged by what he had done. And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Note: Satan, his angels and all wicked will be burned up at the end of the 1,000 years described in Revelation chapter 20. Who will end up in hell? Rev. 21:8 ICB- "But those who are cowards, who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies -- all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." How completely will the bad people be destroyed? Matt. 5:30 NCV- "But those who are cowards, who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Matt. 10:28 CEV- "...you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell." Note: The destruction of the wicked at the end of the 1,000 years will be final and complete. They will never live again. Our first death is here, but the wicked suffer the final second death. Will the fires of hell go out? Mal. 3:1 & 3 ICB - "There is a day coming that will be like a hot furnace. All the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that day they will be completely burned up. Not a root or branch will be left, says the Lord of heaven's armies. ...Then you will crush the wicked. They will be like ashes under your feet. I will do this on that day, says the Lord of heaven's armies." Psalm 37:1 & 20 BBE- " For in a short time the evil-doer will be gone: you will go searching for his place, and it will not be there. ... But the wrongdoers will come to destruction, and the haters of the Lord will be like the fat of lambs, they will be burned up; they will go up in smoke, and never again be seen." Note: Jude 1:7 says that those in Sodom and Gomorrah "suffer[ed] the punishment of eternal fire as a plain warning to all." Just as the fires are no longer burning in Sodom, so the fires of hell will go out when they have finished their work. The nature of the fire is eternal for it comes from God and no one can put it out, but God. The Bible says the wicked will become ashes. Revelation 20 tells us that Hell happens right outside the walls of the New Jerusalem. What purpose would there be in having the wicked be tortured in hell for all of eternity just outside the city? God is just and fair. The wicked will be punished with reasonable punishment, but not tortured for all of eternity for just a few years of sin here. The Bible says nothing about a hell now burning deep under the earth. Even though the fires of hell will go out, does the Bible give us any idea about differences in the amount of punishment some receive before they are completely burned up? Luke 12:47,48 NCV- "The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows! But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected." Note: Jesus clearly gives us the idea of differences of punishment. Someone who lived a moderately decent life, but did not accept Christ, should not receive the same punishment as Hitler or Stalin. Satan has invented the idea of eternal torment. Satan wants to picture God as mean and cruel. Even the evil Hitler did not torment the Jews endlessly. The Jews were sent to gas chambers and quickly killed. Would a loving heavenly Father torment people for billions and trillions of years without end, for just 60 or 100 evil years here? The Devil wants us to believe his lie so that God looks bad. How does God feel about having to destroy sin and sinners in hell? Ezekiel 33:11 CEV - "Say to them: 'The Lord GOD says: As surely as I live, I do not want any who are wicked to die. I want them to stop doing evil and live. Stop! Stop your wicked ways! You don't want to die, do you, people of Israel?' Isaiah 28:21 BBE - "For the Lord will come up as on Mount Perazim, he will be moved to wrath as in the valley of Gibeon; so that he may do his work--strange is his work; and give effect to his act--unnatural is his act." Note: Jesus sat and cried over Jerusalem. Jesus had so badly wanted them to repent. Perhaps Jesus will also cry when He has to finally destroy all sinners for eternity. This will be the first time any being has ever been destroyed never to come back. Surely, it will be a very, very sad time for all the Universe! But in love, God cannot allow sin to continue for eternity. Those who want to hold on to sin will have to be destroyed because sin only brings sorrow, death and heartache. Will sin come up in the universe again? Nahum 1:9 BBE- "What are you designing against the Lord? he will put an end to it: his haters will not come up again a second time." Note: The terrible experience with sin will be a sort of 'inoculation' for the universe. No one will ever want to sin again, for everyone has seen the results of sin. The righteous can be a constant reminder of this terrible experience with sin. They can give a living testimony (report) of what sin is like and how wonderful it is to be free from sin! What wonderful encouragement and advice does Jesus disciple Peter give us? 2 Peter 3:10-14 ICB- "But the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in the skies will be destroyed by fire. And the earth and everything in it will be burned up. In that way everything will be destroyed. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God. You should wait for the day of God and look forward to its coming. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in the skies will melt with heat. But God made a promise to us. And we are waiting for what he promised a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives. Dear friends, we are waiting for this to happen. So try as hard as you can to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at peace with God." Note: How wonderful Heaven will be when every trace of sin, selfishness, war and terror is gone. All will be peace, love, trust, tenderness and joy! Have you made your decision for heaven? 8. WILL JESUS COME AGAIN? Will the same Jesus who was here 2000 years ago come back as a real person? Acts 1:11 NIrV - "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back in the same way you saw him go." Note: As Jesus was being taken up and back to Heaven after His resurrection, the angel brought comfort to the watching disciples. The angel said that Jesus would come back again - the same way they saw Him go. How many will see Jesus come in the clouds? Matt. 24:30 ICB - "At that time, there will be something in the sky that shows the Son of Man is coming. All the peoples of the world will cry. They will see the Son of Man coming on clouds in the sky. He will come with great power and glory." Rev. 1:7 NIrV- "Look? He is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him will see him. All the nations of the earth will be sad because of him." Note: Every being alive on earth will see Jesus Second Coming. The Bible says that even those that pierced Him will see the glory of His coming. It appears that the leaders who crucified Jesus will be raised to also see His Coming! [See Matthew 26:64] Is it possible that part of Jesus return could be secret? Matt. 24:25-27 NCV- '"If people tell you, 'The Christ is in the desert,' don't go there. If they say, 'The Christ is in the inner room,' don't believe it. When the Son of Man comes, he will be seen by everyone, like lightning flashing from the east to the west." 1Corinthians 15:51,52 ICB- "But listen, I tell you this secret: We will not all die, but we will all be changed. It will only take a second. We will be changed as quickly as an eye blinks. This will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound and those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we will all be changed. Note: There is nothing secret here with a huge trumpet blast and graves opening! The Bible makes it very clear that the good people and the bad people will both be there at the Second Coming. What will people do who are not ready for Jesus coming? Rev. 6:15-17 NCV- "Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, the slaves, and the free people hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb! The great day for their anger has come, and who can stand against it?" Note: The wicked will not want to face Jesus when He comes as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When Jesus comes, what will happen to the good both those who are living those who were dead? 1 Thess. 4:16, 17 NirV- "The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God's trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever." Note: The good raised from the dead and those still living, will all go up together to meet Jesus in the air. There is no talk here of a secret group being raptured (taken) up ahead of time. The Bible is clear that they all go up together. How will the good people be changed at the resurrection? 1Cor. 15:51-53 NCV- "But look! I tell you this secret: We will not all sleep in death, but we will all be changed. It will take only a second as quickly as an eye blinks when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and those who have died will be raised to live forever, and we will all be changed. This body that can be destroyed must clothe itself with something that can never be destroyed. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that can never die." What will our bodies be like after the resurrection? Phil. 3:21 ICB- "He will change our simple bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power. With that power he is able to rule all things." Note: The righteous will get bodies that will not die or get old. We will all have the energy of youth. Our minds will be sharp. Our memories will be perfect. Our looks, character and personality will be close enough to how we are here, that our friends will still know us. But, we will no longer have an evil nature. Every desire will be to be loving and good. Where will the good people go with Jesus? John 14:1-3 ICB - "Jesus said, Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am." Note: The righteous will go up to meet Jesus in the air, and go to Heaven for 1000 years. They will also take have a part in the judgment before the wicked are destroyed. What will heaven be like for all who have disabilities, problems and sorrows now? Isaiah 35:56 NirV- "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened. The ears of those who can't hear will be unplugged. Those who can't walk will leap like a deer. And those who can't speak will shout with joy." What can we do to prepare ourselves for Jesus Second Coming? 1 John 3:2,3 TEV- "My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure." Note: God will not take anyone to Heaven who could take sin to Heaven. God and the Universe must be satisfied that everyone that goes to Heaven must be 'safe to save' and will never sin again. Those who are saved will want to serve God fully and completely. When we love God truly, we would rather die than commit one sin. Now is the time to learn to know and trust Jesus fully. Who will come with Jesus to help at the Second Coming? Matt. 25:31 NirV- "The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his throne in the glory of heaven." Note: Our guardian angels will be there to greet us. How wonderful it will be to talk with the angel who has watched over and helped us so many times. The good angels have many times had to guard us from evil angels who wanted to hurt, tempt or destroy us. What wonderful stories we will learn of what was going on that we could not see! It will be so wonderful to be able to thank our own angel for everything! 9. WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE? Before there is a new earth, what must happen to the earth as it is now? 2 Peter 3:10, 12,13 ICB- "But the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in the skies will be destroyed by fire. And the earth and everything in it will be burned up. In that way everything will be destroyed. ... When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in the skies will melt with heat. But God made a promise to us. And we are waiting for what he promised a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives." Note: 'Heaven' can be thought of as two places. First: 'Heaven' is somewhere in the center of the Universe where God lives now. At the Second Coming, we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air and go to Heaven for 1000 years [See study on the Millennium] Revelation tells us that the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven to earth with the good. Revelation also says that God lives with us. We know that the good people from earth will all be in Heaven with Jesus, and that the earth will be our final 'Heaven'. How wonderful will heaven be? 1 Cor. 2:9 NLV - "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." Note: Our whole world system could change. Our earth is made up of elements like carbon, iron, copper, etc. What if God made up thousands of new elements that do things we have never dreamed of? The Bible tells us that heaven is even more than we can imagine. Heaven will be full of wonderful surprises! What will be in the center of Heaven? Rev. 21: 1-4 ICB- "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the holy city coming down out of heaven from God. This holy city is the new Jerusalem. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne. The voice said, Now God's home is with men. He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone." Note: The New Jerusalem will apparently become the center of the Universe What will that huge New Jerusalem city be like? Rev. 21:10-18 NirV- "He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal. The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square. It was a long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long. He measured the wall of the city. It was 200 feet thick. The angel did the measuring as a human being would. The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass. Vs. 21- "The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. ... The main street of the city was made out of pure gold, as clear as glass." Note: It appears that the New Jerusalem will be over 300 miles on each side of the square. There is a text that seems to say that it will be as high as it is wide. This could mean it will be a cube, or more likely in the shape of a pyramid. [Perhaps that is why Satan has been so anxious to make pyramids for part of his worship system]. The New Jerusalem is beyond our imagination to think through. What special things are in the city to help the people? Rev. 22: 1,2 CEV -"The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated. Then it flowed down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river are trees that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations." Note: There is a wonderful supply of pure water. There are special trees giving life giving and healing fruit each month. Where did the light come from in the city? Rev. 21:22,23 NirV- "I didn't see a temple in the city. This was because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. The city does not need the sun or moon to shin on it. God's glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp." Note: The light comes from the glory of God - something we don't understand. But, it will all be wonderful! Will animals eat each other? Isaiah 11:6,7 CEV- "Leopards will lie down with young goats, and wolves will rest with lambs. Calves and lions will eat together and be cared for by little children. Cows and bears will share the same pasture; their young will rest side by side. Lions and oxen will both eat straw." Note: In Heaven animals will be quite different from today. They will not eat each other, or be afraid of each other or of man. Will we just sit on a cloud and play a harp, or will we do real things? Isaiah 65:21 NCV- "In that city those who build houses will live there. Those who plant vineyards will get to eat their grapes. No more will one person build a house and someone else live there. One person will not plant a garden and someone else eat its fruit. ... My chosen people will live there and enjoy the things they make. They will never again work for nothing." Note: It appears that we will be able to have a home prepared for us by God in the city, and also to build our own somewhere in the country outside of the city. We will be able to enjoy doing all kinds of our own projects with no worry of war, robbery or fire. How and when will be worship in Heaven? Isaiah 66:22, 23 ICB- "I will make new heavens and the new earth. And they will last forever, says the Lord. "In the same way, your names and your children will always be with me. All people will come to worship me. They will come to worship me every Sabbath and every New Moon,"says the Lord." Note: The Bible tells us that we will come together to worship God each Sabbath and also another worship time at the New Moon. What wonderful and joyous times these will be! Who will be with His people in Heaven? John 14:1-3 ICB - "Jesus said, Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am." Note: Jesus will be with His people for all eternity. We will love to be with Jesus. His saved people will be Jesus' reward. What a tremendous thought that there will always be people living forever that were rescued from this world of sin and suffering. And we can join with Christ in helping rescue people so they can live for eternity with Jesus! 10. HOW SOON WILL JESUS RETURN? Did anyone ever ask Jesus about when the end of the world would come? Matt. 24:3 CEV- "Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, "When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world? Note: When the disciples asked Jesus to tell more about the temple being destroyed, they thought this would happen at the end of the world. So, they asked Jesus when it would happen. The destruction of Jerusalem happened in 70 AD, about 40 years later. After telling about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, what did Jesus say about the end of the world? Luke 21: 25-28 NCV- "And there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On earth, nations will be afraid and confused because of the roar and fury of the sea. People will be so afraid they will faint, wondering what is happening to the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and hold your heads high, because the time when God will free you is near!" Note: Jesus listed many signs of the end of the world: signs in the heavens, strange things happening in the world, and confusion and fear among the nations. We need to watch what is happening to see what may truly be signs of Jesus coming. Are a great increase in wars and famines another sign of the Second Coming? Matt. 24:6 NCV- "You will hear about wars and stories of wars that are coming, but don't be afraid. These things must happen before the end comes. Nations will fight against other nations; kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat, and there will be earthquakes in different places. These things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born." Note: These things are only some of the signs. Many of these things have been happening for a long time. But, it is the great increase of these things that is so important to watch! What are some of the signs in the social world? 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ICB- "Remember this! There will be many troubles in the last days. In those times people will love only themselves and money. They will brag and be proud. They will say evil things against others. They will not obey their parents. People will not be thankful or be the kind of people God wants. They will not have love for others. They will refuse to forgive others and will speak bad things. They will not control themselves. They will be cruel and will hate what is good. In the last days, people will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking. They will be conceited and proud. They will love pleasure. They will not love God. They will continue to act as if they serve God, but they will not really serve God. Stay away from those people." Note: God's people will see that God's spirit is slowly being withdrawn from the world. Things will get slowly get worse and worse. Selfishness, greed and evil will reach everywhere. Two important things to note are a breakdown of the family and the lack of love. What about conditions in the economic world before Jesus comes? James 5:1-5 ICB- "You rich people, listen! Cry and be very sad because of the trouble that will come to you. Your riches will rot, and your clothes will be eaten by moths. Your gold and silver will rust, and rust will be a proof that you were wrong. It will eat your bodies like fire. You saved your treasure for the last days. Men worked in your fields, but you did not pay them. They harvested your crops and are crying out against you. Now the Lord of heaven's armies has heard their cries. Your life on earth was full of rich living. You pleased yourselves with everything you wanted. You made yourselves fat, like an animal ready to be killed. You showed no mercy to the innocent man. You murdered him. He cannot stand against you." Note: Greed will be felt everywhere in the world. The rich will be taking advantage of the poor. There will be trouble between workers and bosses. Another sign of the end will be a huge increase in knowledge - are we seeing this today? Daniel 12:4 NLV- "But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." Note: Knowledge is increasing in many ways with computers, satellite, the internet, video and DVD. Most People in North America can get all kinds of information. We can get both the very good and terrible evil! There is also a great increase in available Bible knowledge and that may be the most important sign! What is probably the most important sign of the end of the world? Matthew 24:14 BBE- "And this good news of the kingdom will be given through all the world for a witness to all nations; and then the end will come." Note: The complete gospel going to all the world is the greatest sign. Much is being done, but there are still millions, maybe billions, who have never heard or read a clear explanation of the plan of salvation. What a challenge for us to do our part to take the gospel to every part of the world! How will Satan try and deceive people just before Jesus returns? 2 Thess. 2:9 NIrV - "The coming of the man of sin will be Satan's work." Vs. 10-11- ICB "He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders. He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are lost. They are lost because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) But they refused to love the truth; so God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth. He sends them that power so they will believe something that is not true." Matthew 24:23, 24 NirV- "At that time someone may say to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' Or, 'There he is!' Do not believe it. False Christs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God's chosen people if possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tell you, 'He is far out in the desert,' do not go out there." Note: Satan will give a big demonstration of power in miracles, real-looking healings and other exciting signs. Satan's plan is to deceive people making them think that it is Christ's power. Satan will finally pretend that he is Christ. Satan will look and act much like people might be expecting Jesus to look like. How can we know when the real Christ is returning? Matthew 24:30 NirV- "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations on earth will be sad. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky. He will come with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of heaven to the other." Note: Satan will appear on the ground on earth, but Jesus will not touch the earth. Jesus will remain high in the air. The good people will all be caught up to meet Jesus high in the air. Also, we believe that Jesus coming will be seen around the world - all at the same time. The Bible says that "every eye shall see Him." What conditions did Jesus say would be the same before His coming as they were in the time of Noah? Matt. 24:37 NIrV- "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes." Note: People will be doing the things they always have. The world will be trying to enjoy itself. Jesus coming will be a great surprise to the wicked. To them Jesus coming will be like a thief coming in the night. Can anyone know for sure the time when Jesus will come? Matt. 24:36 ICB- "No one knows when that day or time will be. Even the Son and the angels in heaven don't know. Only the Father knows." Note: We cannot know the day or hour, until it is announced in the heavens to the faithful - perhaps just hours before Jesus comes. We are to carefully study the general signs of Jesus coming. These signs will be a warning to do all we can to prepare ourselves and help others to be ready for Jesus coming. However, we each should be ready every day. Our life could end any time with an accident, and the next thing we would know would be Jesus coming! What should make sure we are now getting ready for Jesus coming? Matt. 24:44 CEV- " Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come." Note: We need to make sure that Jesus is in full control of our lives. Each day we need to work on building a loving and obedient relationship with Jesus! 11. HOW CAN WE LEARN TO LOVE AND OBEY GOD? Jesus, our Saviour, told us that His greatest law is the law of love: Love to God and love to man. Matt. 22:36-40 ICB- "The Pharisee asked, Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" Jesus answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands." Some people think that the Old Testament told us about an unloving God. But, what did the Old Testament tell us about loving God? Deut. 6:5 TEV- "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Lev. 19:18 CEV- "Stop being angry and don't try to take revenge. I am the LORD, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself." Note: So, Jesus was really telling us in the New Testament what He had already told us in the Old Testament through the prophet Moses. What is sin? 1 John 3:4- NIrV- "Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, breaking the law is sin." Note: Love is unselfishly caring for the good of others. Sin is the opposite of love. Sin is an attitude of "I'll do what I want to do" without thinking of the good of others. Sin is basically selfishness. God's laws help us understand what love is and what love is not. Why are laws important for us to know? Romans 7:7 NirV- "I wouldn't have known what sin was unless the law had told me." Romans 3:20 CEV- "All the Law does is to point out our sin." Note: God's laws tell us what true love is and how love acts. Love is more than feeling. God tells us clearly how love works. Our nature is evil and it is very easy to think we are good, when we are really acting in a selfish way. God's law helps us understand what true love will do. What did Jesus say about the importance of obeying His commands? Matt. 19:17-19 IDB- " But if you want to have life forever, obey the commands." The man asked, "Which commands?" Jesus answered, "'You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor in court. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" Note: Jesus here was quoting from the Ten Commandments which He wrote with His own finger in stone. Some people think the Ten Commandments ended at the cross, but what does Jesus say about them? Matt. 5:17 NIrV- "Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written." Note: Jesus came to magnify the law and give us a demonstration of how love works in our world. Isaiah 42:21[NLV] said: "The LORD has magnified his law and made it truly glorious." . Can you save yourself through good works and by keeping God's law? Eph. 2:8- NirV- "God's grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn't come from anything you do. It is God's gift It is not based on anything you have done." Note: In Jesus day many people thought they could earn salvation through good works. We cannot earn salvation for it is a free gift. God's grace is free. Does this mean that we don't have to keep God's law of the Ten Commandments? Romans 3:31 TEV- "Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law." Note: Faith in God is our response to God's free grace. We keep God's loving commandments because we are saved from the guilt of sin, not to get saved. The requirement for salvation is perfect obedience, but we have failed. God forgives us. Jesus kept the commandments perfectly for us- Romans 8:3b,4 NIrV- "But God did what the written law could not do. He made his Son to be like those who have a sinful nature. He sent him to be an offering for sin. In that way, he judged sin in his Son's human body. Now e can do everything the law requires. Our sinful nature no longer controls the way we live. The Holy Spirit now controls the way we live." Note: When we give our hearts to God and really want to keep the commandments perfectly, Jesus counts us as if we have kept them - even when we fail. Jesus perfect life counts in place of ours. When we are sorry, we are forgiven and counted as if we had never sinned. His perfect live is counted as ours in the judgment. When we realize what Jesus has done to save us, what will we want to do about the Commandments? John 15:10 ICB- "I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love." John 14:15 TEV- "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." Note: We want to be loving like Jesus. We ask Jesus to live out His perfect obedience through us. By His wonderful power working through us, we can grow more loving every day. We will learn to obey as we grow in love for Him. 12. A WONDERFUL DAY FOR WORSHIP & REST FROM STRESS When God finished making the world, what did He do? Genesis 2:1-3 NCV- "So the sky, the earth, and all that filled them were finished. By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing, so he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day, because on that day he rested from all the work he had done in creating the world." Note: Surely God was not really tired, but He rested and set an example for us. God took a day and made it holy time. Man would now have time to remember and worship His Creator. How did God show the Israelites the importance of the Sabbath even before God wrote it on stone in the Ten Commandments? Exodus 16:4 BBE- "Then the Lord said to Moses, See, I will send down bread from heaven for you; and the people will go out every day and get enough for the day's needs; so that I may put them to the test to see if they will keep my laws or not. Note: About 2,600 years after Creation, God's special people Israel were in the wilderness on the way to the promised land. They had almost forgotten about the Sabbath. God said He would test them with 'manna' to see if they would obey. They should gather enough for one day, for 5 days a week. But on the 6th day, they should gather enough for both that day and the Sabbath. No manna would come on the 7th day Sabbath. For forty years God did this wonderful miracle every week! In the Ten Commandments given a short time later, what reason did God give for the importance of the 7th day Sabbath? Exodus 20:11 BBE- "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them, and he took his rest on the seventh day: for this reason the Lord has given his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy." Note: On the 7th day Sabbath God wants us to remember that He is the Creator and that He made all life in the world in six literal days. The Sabbath is the birthday celebration for the world. God wants to give us the special blessing that He has put into the 7th day Sabbath. What did Jesus say about his relationship to the Sabbath? Mark 2:27, 28 CEV- 'Jesus finished by saying, "People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath." Note: The Sabbath is like a winter glove, and we are like the hand. The glove, or Sabbath, was made to fit us and our need for time to worship and for our spiritual and physical rest." What is the 7th Day Sabbath is a sign or seal of? Ezekiel 20: 12, 20 BBE- "And further, I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, so that it might be clear that I, who make them holy, am the Lord. ... (V-20) And keep my Sabbaths holy; and they will be a sign between me and you so that it may be clear to you that I am the Lord your God. Note: God wanted the 7th day Sabbath to be a special sign of His power to save them. By keeping the Sabbath they showed that they were being saved by Jesus death. What did Jesus do on the 7th Day Sabbath? Luke 4:16 NIrV- "Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. And he stood up to read." How does the Bible ask us to keep the Sabbath? Exodus 20:8-10 NCV- "Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the LORD your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities." Isaiah 58:13,14 NCV- "Remember to keep the Sabbath holy. Work and get everything done during six days each week, but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the LORD your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities." Mark 3:4 CEV- " Then he asked, "On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?" But no one said a word." Note: The 7th day Sabbath is not a 'holiday' to do just what we want, but a 'holy day' to do the things that build a relationship of love with Jesus. We may worship in church as Jesus did. We can study God's other book to us, the book of Nature! It is good to do helpful things that will bless others like visiting the sick, etc. When should the Sabbath be kept? Lev. 23:32 NCV- "It will be a special day of rest for you. ... It will continue from that evening until the next evening." Note: The Bible days were from sunset to sunset. The Bible tells us that the Sabbath is from sunset on Friday night until sunset on Saturday night. [Luke 23:54-56] Did the disciples keep the Sabbath after Jesus rose from the dead? Acts 17:2 CEV- "So as usual, Paul went there to worship, and on three Sabbaths he spoke to the people." Acts 13:42 & 44 CEV- As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. ...The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord." Acts 18:4 NCV- "Every Sabbath day he talked with the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue, trying to persuade them to believe in Jesus. Note: Some people say that in the New Testament Christians started keeping Sunday. But, there is no text that says that they kept any day but the 7th day Sabbath. If there was going to be a big change from Saturday to Sunday, God would make it very plain in the Bible. Will God's people still keep the Sabbath in the New Earth? Isaiah 66:22,23 BBE- "For as the new heaven and the new earth which I will make will be for ever before me, says the Lord, so will your seed and your name be for ever. And it will be, that from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh will come to give worship before me, says the Lord. What would Jesus might say to you after studying this topic? John 14:15 KJV- "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 15:10- BBE- "If you keep my laws, you will be ever in my love, even as I have kept my Father's laws, and am ever in his love." 13. WHY DID SATAN TRY TO CHANGE GOD'S SABBATH? God loves you. Satan hates both you and God. Satan is trying to do everything he can against God. We will look at one of Satan's most clever plans to work against you and God! What evil power will exalt itself before Jesus comes? 2 Thess. 2:3,4- Do not let any person fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil appears. He belongs to hell. He is against anything called God or anything that people worship. And the Man of Evil puts himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil even goes into God's Temple and sits there. Then he says that he is God." Note: This is really a prophecy about a Christian power that would come up, but a false one that is like Satan. Satan had said: [ICB] "I will go up to heaven. I will put my throne above God's stars. ...I will go up above the tops of the clouds. I will be like God Most High ." Isaiah 14:13,14 Satan wanted to be like God! Now, Satan works through human powers to work against God. Satan hates God and wants to damage and change anything precious that God has set up. The Sabbath is a sign of Creation and of our salvation (See the lesson on the Sabbath). So, Satan designed a plan to try and change God's special 7th day Sabbath. He first set up a pagan "Sun Day" on the first day of the week. Satan made it popular in the Roman empire as a holiday. Then Satan had a clever plan. The Bible warns about that plan. How did the Prophet Daniel warn about Satan's plan to change the specific commandment about time? Daniel 7:25 BBE- "And he will say words against the Most High, attempting to put an end to the saints of the Most High; and he will have the idea of changing times and law; and the saints will be given into his hands for a time and times and half a time." Has any religious power ever claimed that it had the power to change the time part of one of the Ten Commandments? "Q.- Which is the Sabbath day? A- Saturday is the Sabbath day. Q- Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? A- We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." From- The Convert's Catechism by Rev. Peter Geierman p. 50 * From the "Catholic Record" of Sept. 1, 1923 (London, Ont., Canada)- "The church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath observance to Sunday is proof of that fact. Deny the authority of the church, and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday." And from the "Catholic Mirror" of Sept. 23, 1893- "The Catholic church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." Were these Early Church leaders really wanting to go against God's Ten Commandments? No, not really. Good men were caught in a web that Satan planned. Slowly some Christians started to keep an Easter Sunday once a year. Then they started to remember Jesus resurrection every Sunday morning - while they still kept the 7th day Sabbath. Then because the Jews rebelled against the Romans, the Jews and the Sabbath became very unpopular. Some Christians decided they would put more importance on Sunday, and less and less on the Sabbath. Finally, a church council in 323 AD made the change official. But did man's ideas change God's law? Never! What is God's plan for bringing the 7th Day Sabbath back to His people? Isaiah 58:12 KJV- "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places.: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach [broken wall or gap], The restorer of paths to dwell in ... [Then immediately the prophet talks about the 7th day Sabbath ] Vs. 13 NCV- "You must obey God's law about the Sabbath and not do what pleases yourselves on that holy day. You should call the Sabbath a joyful day and honor it as the LORD'S holy day. You should nor saying whatever you please on that day. Then you will find joy in the LORD, and I will carry you to the high places above the earth." The last book of the Bible talks about a final group of people who are faithful to God. What is special about them? Rev. 14:12- KJV "Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Note: God's final people are commandment keepers. 14. HOW TO HAVE 'WONDERFUL HEALTH'! What does the Bible say about 'Good Health'? "Dear friend, I know that your spiritual life is going well. I pray that you also may enjoy good health. And I pray that everything else may go well with you." 3 John 2 NIrV Spiritual health and physical health go hand-in-hand. How does the Bible put them together? "So eat and drink and do everything else for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31 NIrV Note: God is our master Designer and Creator. God knows what makes our bodies work best. When we decide to follow the Creator's instructions for life and health, we will put ourselves in agreement with the laws of God and of nature. We will then be showing honor to God as our maker - giving Him the glory that belongs to Him. What did God promise the children of Israel IF they would follow His instructions? "He said, 'I am the Lord your God. Listen carefully to my voice. Do what is right in my eyes. Pay attention to my commands. Obey all of my rules. If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you." Exodus 15:26 NIrV Do We Just Belong to Ourselves, or to God? "Don't you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves." 1 Cor. 6:19 NIrV Note: If we belong to God, our Creator, then our Designer has the right to tell us what is best for us, and what are the Divine and Natural Laws that we need to obey to have good health. What are some Health Rules God gives us about Health? 1. God's Ideal Diet given in the Garden of Eden: Then God said, "I am giving you every plant on the face of the whole earth that bears its own seeds. I am giving you every tree that has fruit with seeds in it. All of them will be given to you for food." Genesis 1:29 NIrV Note: God's ideal food for man in the Garden of Eden was a plant based diet. Grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables contain no cholesterol, no harmful nitrates, no animal products , no hormones, no disease germs. When there was not much food around after the flood, God gave permission for man to eat certain types of meat for food. 2. God Gave Permission to add some food after the flood that was not part of His ideal diet: " You are holy people. You belong to the Lord your God. He has chosen you from all the people on earth to be his very own. Do not eat anything the Lord hates. These are the animals you may eat: ox, sheep, goats, deer, gazelle, roe deer, wild goats, ibex, antelope and mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof and chews the cud. But you may not eat camels, rabbits or rock badgers. These animals chew the cud, but their feet are not divided. So they are unclean for you. Pigs are also unclean for you. They have split hoofs, but they do not chew the cud. Do not eat their meat or touch their dead bodies." Deuteronomy 2:2-8 ICV Note: God knows which meats are less of a problem, and which should not be eaten at any time. Man has permission to eat meat from animals that chew their food a second time, and have a split hoof. God does not allow man to eat animals like the pigs, a bear or a horse. God knows that some meats are less harmful than others. God allowed man to use the less harmful ones. 3. Sea Foods: "Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all of those that have fins and scales. But be sure to avoid all of the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all of those that move together in groups and all of those that do not. Be sure to avoid them. Do not eat their meat. Do not even touch their dead bodies. " Leviticus 11: 9-11 NIrV Note: Fish that have fins and scales, like salmon and trout, etc., are allowed. God does not allow us to use sea foods like crabs, shrimp, and fish that do not have fins and scales. GOD'S WARNING TO PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO EAT WHAT HE ASKS THEM NOT TO EAT: "These people make themselves holy and pure to go to worship their gods in their gardens. Following each other into their special gardens, they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other hateful things. But they will all be destroyed together, says the LORD." Isaiah 66: 17 NCV Note: God is concerned about people that eat foods that He has told us not to eat. What does God say about drinking alcoholic drinks? "Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking..." Prov. 23:20 BBE "Don't look at wine when it is red. Don't look at it when it bubbles in the cup. And don't look at it when it goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous serpent." Prov. 23:31,32 What was the rule for Priests in Israel? "Then the Lord said to Aaron, 'You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die! This law will continue from now on. You must keep what is holy separate from what is not holy. You must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean." Leviticus 10:9,10 ICV Note: God's ideal is not to use alcohol, but God has let man do some things that were not ideal. Why? Because man lives in an evil world, and God leads man upward one step at a time. Now that we are preparing for Jesus soon return and face terrible events coming on the world, following God's ideal will help prepare us to go through all the problems of the future. What is one important reason for not using any alcoholic drinks? "You should know that you yourselves are Gods temple. God's Spirit lives in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him, because God's temple is holy. You yourselves are God's temple." 1 Cor. 3:16, 17 Note: We are to be God's temple. The priests were asked not to drink when they went into God's temple. Is there a message for us, too? God's way of talking to us is through the front part of our brain. This is the first place that alcohol hurts - the conscience. If we want to be God's temple for the Holy Spirit, we will want to avoid hurting any of the brain cells that the Holy Spirit needs to use to help us become like Jesus. What will God's children do about anything that hurts God's body temple like: tobacco, harmful drugs, and caffeine-loaded drinks? "So if you eat, or if you drink, or if you do anything, do everything for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31 ICV If we find that we are now doing something that hurts our body, how can we change our habits and start to live a healthy life? "I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 ICV Does God ask us to go around with sad faces groaning about the things we cannot do? "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength." Proverbs 17:22 NCV What does Paul say about our bodies being a holy sacrifice to God? "Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God." Romans 12:1 CEV Note: God is so loving that He does not want to hold back anything from us that is good for us. God wants us to be happy. But, God also knows that some things we may like to do will really hurt us, so He warns us against them. Because He created us, and knows everything, He knows what will - in the end - make us truly happy, healthy and holy. Let's trust Him enough to follow everything He asks for us to do! 15. WILL EVERYONE BE JUDGED SOME DAY? Will everyone some day be judged for his or her life here on earth? Acts 17:30,31- NIrV In the past, God didn't judge people for what they didn't know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins. He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly." Note: Sometimes it seems that the bad people usually get away without punishment. But God promises that one day, everyone will receive their reward - both the good and the bad. Is there a record now being made of our actions that will be used in our judgment? Revelation 20:12 ICB "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And the book of life was opened. There were also other books opened. The dead were judged by what they had done, which was written in the books." Note: God has a record of every word, action or thought. The Bible pictures it as in a 'book', but whether that book is on literal paper, or a computer disk, or something much more wonderful that God uses, we don't know. The important thing is that there is a perfect record of both the good and the bad! Will the judgment look at everything we ever did? Ecc 12:14 CEV "God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad." Note: Nothing is secret in the judgment. Even our secret actions and hidden motivations will be judged. What will the God's judgment hall look like? Daniel 7:9,10 NCV "As I looked thrones were put in their places, and God, who has been alive forever, sat on his throne. His clothes were white like snow, and the hair on his head was white like wool. His throne was made from fire, and the wheels of his throne were blazing with fire. A river of fire was flowing from in front of him. Many thousands of angels were serving him, and millions of angels stood before him. Court was ready to begin, and the books were opened." Note: The prophet Daniel gives us a little idea of the glory and power of the judgement scene. If we have given out lives to God to control, then we have nothing to fear. But, if Satan is still our Master, then we need to fear the judgment. But, if we are living, it is not too late to choose Jesus as our Saviour and Judge! What will be the spiritual rule (or yardstick) by which we will be judged? James 2:10-12 NIrV- "Suppose you keep the whole law but trip over just one part of it. Then you are guilty of breaking all of it. God said, "Do not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18) He also said, "Do not commit murder." (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17) Suppose you don't commit adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the Law. Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom." Note: God gave us the great law, the Ten Commandments. But, Jesus summed them up as loving God and loving our fellow man with all our hearts. The motivation for our actions - our attitude of loving obedience and care for others. We will be judged not only by the act, but by the motivation behind what we do. Who will be the judge in Heaven? 2Co 5:10 BBE "For we all have to come before Christ to be judged; so that every one of us may get his reward for the things done in the body, good or bad." Note: God has given Jesus the work of doing all the judging. Jesus understands what it is like to live here in our sinful world, because He came down to live with us! When will the good people all be judged? Revelation 14:6,7 NIrV "I saw another angel. He was flying high in the air. He came to tell everyone on earth the good news that will always be true. He told it to every nation, tribe, language and people. In a loud voice he said, "Have respect for God. Give him glory. The hour has come for God to judge. Worship him who made the heavens and the earth." Revelation 22:12 NIrV Look! I am coming soon! I bring my rewards with me. I will reward each person for what he has done. Note: The judgment will actually be divided into two parts. The first part is before Jesus comes. The Universe must see who is safe to save. There is always a judgment before people receive their rewards. If Jesus brings His rewards for the good at His Second Coming, then their rewards must have been decided in a judgment before Jesus comes. In the second part of the judgment, who will also help in the judging? 1 Corinthians 6:2,3 NIrV "Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, aren't you able to judge small cases? Don't you know that we will judge angels?" Revelation 20:4-6 NIrV "I saw thrones. Those who had been given authority to judge were sitting on them. I also saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because they had given witness for Jesus and because of God's word. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended. Blessed and holy are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years." Note: God is going to do something special. During the 1000 years following Jesus Second Coming, God will have the second part of His judgment. This time, as Paul says, the good people will take part in the judgment. All the good from Earth, and all of the Universe, must have a chance to see why each wicked person cannot be saved. Everyone who is saved must be satisfied that God did all He could do, before anyone is destroyed for eternity! Will the good receive any special rewards in Heaven? Rev 22:12 GW "I'm coming soon! I will bring my reward with me to pay all people based on what they have done." Note: If you read the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-46 about the talents and then about the sheep and the goats, you see that God does have rewards. The parable of the talents may lead us to believe that there may be some difference in rewards - even in Heaven. But, God will trust each person in Heaven with the type of responsibility that their character preparation here has prepared them for in Heaven. What is one reason that God's judgment is taking so long in coming? 2 Peter 3:9 NIrV "The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. He is patient with you. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins. If we give our lives to His care, we can trust that Jesus will be fair and merciful when He judges us. Why? John 5:22- ICB Also, the Father judges no one. But the Father has given the Son power to do all the judging. Rom 8:34 TEV " Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Note: Jesus is now doing everything He can to save us. The text says that Jesus is now pleading, or interceding for us. Jesus is both our Intercessor and our Judge. If Jesus sees that we have put our lives completely into His hands for eternity, then we will be safe to save. How can we be sure our sins are forgiven so when they come up in the judgment that we have pardon written by our name? 1Timothy 5:24 BBE "The sins of some men are clearly seen, going before them to be judged; but with others, their sins go after them.' Note: If our sins go after us into the judgment, they are not forgiven and will condemn us. But, if we confess our sins now, then our sins will now each have 'pardon' written by them in heaven. So, when our name comes up in the final judgment, there will be nothing against us that is not already forgiven. How can we live a life that pleases God and gives Him the glory for all that we do? Philippians 4:13 TEV- " I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Note: It is Jesus living His life through us - by the power of the Holy Spirit - that makes us like Jesus in character. 16. WHEN WILL YOUR NAME COME UP IN THE JUDGMENT? Why did God ask Moses to build a sanctuary in the wilderness? Exodus 25:8 NIrV "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them." Hebrews 8:5 CEV " But the tent where they serve is just a copy and a shadow of the real one in heaven. Before Moses made the tent, he was told, "Be sure to make it exactly like the pattern you were shown on the mountain!" Note:. God wanted a special place where He could meet with His people. Also, the earthy sanctuary was to help people understand what Jesus was going to do in Heaven. The earthy sanctuary was a copy or symbol of the one in heaven God had given Israel the sanctuary services -- a sort of 'sand-box' in the desert to show them how the plan of salvation works. The Israelite fathers were asked to sacrifice a real lamb. They were to confess their sins over the head of the lamb. The lamb was then killed and the blood put into the sanctuary. The fat of the lamb was burned on the altar. This all pointed ahead to the Lamb of God, or Jesus, who would die on the cross for them. God wanted a simple group of people to have some idea how they were being saved from sin! What did Jesus start doing when He went to Heaven after He was resurrected from the dead? Hebrews 9:24 NIrV "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence." Note: When Jesus went back to Heaven after His resurrection, He began a special work pleading or interceding for man before the Father. Jesus is now in the Heavenly Sanctuary, or God's throne room. Jesus pleads His blood that covers our sins. Jesus died for us so we don't have to die for eternity. When we confess our sins here, Jesus is now interceding (pleading) for us in Heaven, and pardon is written by the record of our sins. But, the record is still in Heaven until the judgment. What happened once each year in the Earthly Sanctuary? Heb 9:6,7 CEV - "... But this is how everything was when the priests went each day into the first part of the tent [sanctuary] to do their duties. However, only the high priest could go into the second part of the tent, and he went in only once a year." Note: The earthly sanctuary had two parts. In the first part was a table with special bread, 7 golden candlesticks and an altar with incense burning. Each item represented a different part of God's plan to save us. The priests each day went into this first part and sprinkled blood there. This symbolically moved the record of the people's sins into the sanctuary. The sins were forgiven, but there was still a record of them. It was the same in the Heavenly Sanctuary. When we ask forgiveness, we are forgiven, but the record is still there in Heaven. But, once every year, the earthly sanctuary was 'cleaned out'. The high priest went into the second part of the sanctuary and sprinkled blood on the ark. The ark was a symbol of the Throne of God in Heaven. Then an interesting thing happened with two goats - what was it? Leviticus 16: 5-10 NIrV "From the Israelite community he [the head priest] is to take two male goats for a sin offering . Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat." Note: God chose to use two goats in this special service that represented the judgment. One represented Jesus and the other one Satan. The goat that represented Jesus was killed and its blood sprinkled on the ark in the Most Holy place. This showed that Jesus paid the price for our sin. But what about Satan? Satan started all sin and keeps pressuring us to sin, so Satan must bear the guilt and punishment for starting and helping us to sin. The second goat represented Satan. The second goat was led out into the wilderness to die. This represents Satan waiting in the broken up wilderness of the earth during the 1000 years before Satan and sinners are all destroyed. These two goats help us understand God's heavenly throne room and the time when God deals with sin in the judgment! When will the heavenly records be examined in the Judgment and the record of sin be wiped clean? Dan 8:14 BBE- "And he said to him, For two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be made clean. Note: This text in the heart of Daniel's prophecies explains when the sanctuary in Heaven would be 'cleansed'. It really tells us when the first judgment is to happen in Heaven. When we go ahead to the explanation of Daniel 8:14 in the next chapter of Daniel, we learn when the prophecy of this 2300 prophetic days, or literal years (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34) will begin. When will this 2300 year prophecy begin? Daniel 9:24-27 NCV- God has ordered four hundred ninety years for your people and your holy city for these reasons: to stop people from turning against God; to put an end to sin; to take away evil...and to appoint a most holy place. Learn and understand these things. A command will come to rebuild Jerusalem. The time from this command until the appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundred thirty-four years. [a total of 483 years] [The King James Version calls this appointed leader - "Messiah the Prince"] In verse 26 the KJV version explains: "after threescore and two weeks [or 434 more years] shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself..." Note: In 457 BC a Persian King, Artaxerxes, gave permission for the captive Jews in Babylon to go back to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding it. This is the beginning of the 2300 years prophecy and also the 490 year prophecy that was 'cut off' the long 2300 year prophecy. At the 483 year point in the prophecy, the Messiah [Jesus] was to be anointed [baptized]. Jesus was baptized right on time in 27 AD. What would happen in the middle of the last seven years of the 490 year prophecy? Daniel 9:27 KJV "...in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Note: During the middle of the last seven years of the 490 year prophecy, the Messiah would bring the sacrificial system to an end. Why? Because in 31 AD Jesus died for our sins and that ended the old earthly system of sacrifices that pointed to Jesus death. Since the old earthly system of sacrifices ended, what is Jesus doing now? Heb 8:1,2 GW "The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest has received the highest position, the throne of majesty in heaven. He serves as priest of the holy place and of the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human." Note: Jesus has gone to Heaven and now doing a similar work in Heaven to what the human priest did on earth. As the human priest once a year 'cleansed' the earthly sanctuary of sin, so Jesus would 'cleanse' the Heavenly sanctuary of sin. Daniel 8:14 tells us that it would be 2300 years until the Heavenly sanctuary would be 'cleansed'. Since the 490 year prophecy and the 2300 year prophecy both start at the same time in 457 BC, this means that the start of the 'cleansing' of the Heavenly Sanctuary would begin in 1844 AD. This Heavenly cleaning out of sin is a time of judgment in Heaven. So, a judgment began in Heaven in 1844 AD. Who is being judged in the judgment that began in 1844? 2Co 5:10 BBE "For we all have to come before Christ to be judged; so that every one of us may get his reward for the things done in the body, good or bad." Note: Before Jesus can come and give out the rewards, there must be a judgment to show the Universe who is safe to save and what reward each saved person will receive. This investigative [or searching out] judgment has been going on since 1844. The rewards will be given to the righteous at Jesus Second Coming. When will the evil people who be judged? Revelation 20:4-6 NIrV "I saw thrones. Those who had been given authority to judge were sitting on them. I also saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because they had given witness for Jesus and because of God's word. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended. Blessed and holy are those who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years." Note: Those who miss out on the Second Coming, will be judged in Heaven during the 1000 years following Jesus coming. The good from all ages, and all the Universe will all be watching to find out why each lost person cannot be saved. God did everything He could to save each person. But, at the end of the 1000 years, God will have to destroy all sinners. Those who still have sin in them will have to die for eternity. How can we be sure to be judged in the first judgment and live for eternity with Jesus? John 5:24 TEV "I am telling you the truth: those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me have eternal life. They will not be judged, but have already passed from death to life. Note: The sins of those who have accepted Jesus already have 'pardon' written by their names. They will not have judgment made against them, for they already have the promise of eternal life. Have you given your life to Jesus fully, so pardon can already be written by your name in Heaven? 17. GOD'S SEAL & SATAN'S MARK What does a seal do? A seal can do different things: 1. It is usually a sign of authority: The British Queen's seal has three things - her name (Elizabeth) -Her title (Queen) and Her territory (the British Empire) 2. One purpose of a "Seal" is to keep something from changing. If the Queen signs a law it shows her authority and it must not be changed after it is sealed. A seal on a jar of fruit keeps the air out and stops it from going bad. A seal on a legal paper gives it force in a court of law. Does God have a seal? Ezekiel 20:12 BBE And further, I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, so that it might be clear that I, who make them holy, am the Lord. And keep my Sabbaths holy; and they will be a sign between me and you so that it may be clear to you that I am the Lord your God. Exodus 31:13 NIrV- "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Note: Think of the word, "sign" as when you sign a check or put a seal on a contract. Right in the heart of the Ten Commandments, God placed a special commandment - different from all the others. This commandment tells us to worship our Creator because He made us and our world. As we keep the Sabbath, it shows that we recognize God's right to rule our lives. The Sabbath is a sign of God's authority. The texts above also tell us that the Sabbath is the signature of God on His law. In keeping it, we recognize God's power and authority in our personal lives as we surrender to His will. The Sabbath is also a sign of God's work in our lives as He makes us holy. So, the Sabbath helps seal our lives for God, allowing Him to make us holy like He is holy. This is why Satan hates this seal. Satan wants us to give him honor and worship him instead of God. The Bible warns us about the opposite of God's seal - Satan's Mark. What does God say? Revelation 14: 9,10 NIrV- "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath." Note: The words "mark" and "seal" are much the same in meaning. Since God's special sign or seal involves the 7th Day Sabbath, it makes sense that Satan's 'Mark' would involve a false or counterfeit Sabbath. Did the Bible predict (tell ahead) of any power that would try and change God's Sabbath and His law? Dan 7:25 BBE "And he will say words against the Most High, attempting to put an end to the saints of the Most High; and he will have the idea of changing times and law; and the saints will be given into his hands for a time and times and half a time. Does any religious power claim to have changed the Sabbath "time" in God's law? "Question: How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days? Answer: By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of..." [From an Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine p. 58] "Question: Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute [set up] festivals of precept [holy days]? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists [churches] agree with her, she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural [Bible] authority." A doctrinal Catechism" by Rev. Stephen Keenan, p. 174 Note: The Bible says that this counterfeit religious power would try to change the time part of God's law. You can see clearly from these Roman Catholic statements, that the church claims it had the power to change God's law. This church claims it had the power to change the Sabbath from the 7th day, to the 1st day of the week, and that there was no Biblical authority for doing this. The great church historian, Neander, says that it was "far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a divine command ...to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday." Neander's Church History, Roses' translation p. 186 We choose to worship the one that we choose to obey. Does it make any difference which day we keep, or which power we choose to obey? "The observance of Sunday by Protestants is an homage (honor or worship) they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church. Plain Talk About Protestantism of Today, by Monsignor Segur, p. 213 Note: One of the Catholic leaders is here telling Protestants that if they keep Sunday, that they are really honoring the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Why is the Sabbath Sign (or Seal) so important to us today? Exodus 31:17 BBE- "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel (we are now the spiritual Israel) for ever; because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he took his rest and had pleasure in it." Note: The theory of evolution is doing so much to weaken or destroy faith in the Creation story of the Bible. But, the Sabbath is God's special sign (or seal) in the Ten Commandment law to show that the Law cannot be changed. Keeping the Sabbath demonstrates our faith in the Bible story of a literal 7 day creation of 24 hour days. The Sabbath is also a sign that we accept Jesus as the Lord of our Life, and our law giver and King. If we choose to knowingly keep a counterfeit (false) day that Satan originally set up for his worship, then we really give honor and worship to those powers - a Roman Catholic Church with counterfeit doctrines, and the Devil as the mastermind behind all these changes. What does the Bible say about the final sealing of God's people? Rev 7:1-4a GW: " After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land, the sea, or any tree. I saw another angel coming from the east with the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been allowed to harm the land and sea, Don't harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard how many were sealed: 144,000. .." Note: Jesus Second Coming is very near. The 7 Final Plagues (See Revelation 16 & 15) come when everyone has chosen either to serve and obey God, or serve and obey the counterfeit Christ, Satan himself. AND the Plagues only come AFTER God's people are all sealed, and Satan's followers have received the "Mark of the Beast". Those who do not keep the 7th Day Sabbath, and choose to keep the counterfeit -- AFTER they know better -- will finally receive the terrible 'Mark of the Beast' that we read about in Revelation 14:9,10 (quoted above). However, it will not be too late to change until after the Sunday law is enforced. Compared to those who receive the "Mark of the Beast", what will God's final remnant people be doing? Revelation 14:12 KJV- "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 12:17 NIrV- "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." Will Satan be angry at those who refuse to keep his counterfeit day and worship the false beast (false powers with false doctrines)? Revelation 13:15-17 NIrV- " He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name." Revelation 13:15-17 ICV- "The second beast was given power to give life to the idol [or image] of the first one. Then the idol could speak and order all who did not worship it to be killed . The second animal also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. No one could buy or sell without this mark. This mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name." Note: During the final 10 last Plagues before Jesus comes, Satan tries hard to destroy all God's people. But, though they may suffer in jail, or have great problems trying to buy or sell anything, God keeps them all in the hollow of His hand. Not one is killed! What is the final reward of that final Remnant who don't receive Satan's mark? Revelation 13:2 KJV- "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." Note: God's love and God's plans will win. God's people will receive God's seal and will be victorious in Christ. Now is our time to prepare for receiving God's seal. Now is the time to be 100% on God's side in keeping His Sabbath and all His commandments - through His power. This is preparation time for receiving that Final Seal of God! 18. IS IT IMPORTANT TO BELONG TO A CHURCH? What is a church? Acts 2:47 KJV- "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 8:1 NIrV- On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria Note: The Bible here shows that a church is a group of Christians worshiping together. The church is also shown as a group that could be persecuted. People can join the church for it says the Lord added people to the church. What is the purpose of a church? 1 Timothy 3:15 GW "...if I am delayed, you will know how everyone who belongs to God's family ought to behave. After all, the church of the living God is the strong foundation of truth." Acts 11:30 CEV "So they had Barnabas and Saul take their gifts to the church leaders in Jerusalem" Acts 15: 6 CEV "The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles." Note: The church of God is set up for: 1. The Worship of God that includes praise, prayer and study 2. Fellowship: a support group of believers helping each other 3. Deciding on the teachings (doctrine): The church must have some basic agreement about what is truth, or anyone can believe and teach any idea. 4. Standards of Behaviour: The church loves and works for everyone, no matter what type of life they have lived in the past. But, the church can only keep as 'members' those who believe basically the same thing, and are really seriously trying to live up to basic Christian standards of behaviour. 5. The church is organized to powerfully take the gospel to all the world in every language. (including sign language, Braille, etc.) Is it important that church members believe the same doctrines? Acts 15:1,2, 23, 28, 31 CEV "Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught. This caused trouble, and Paul and Barnabas argued with them about this teaching. So it was decided to send Paul and Barnabas and a few others to Jerusalem to discuss this problem with the apostles and the church leaders. [After the discussion] "... They wrote a letter that said: We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia." "... The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. ..." "... When the letter was read, everyone was pleased and greatly encouraged." Note: In the days of the apostles, there was an argument in the church about what Old Testament rules should apply to the new Gentile Christians. In Acts 15 we read that they called a meeting of the church leaders. They had a long discussion. At the end, they felt the leading of the Holy Spirit in their decision The