Saturday, February 6, 2016

Bible Study #747

The goal of Bible Study is not just learning, but living If you are saved, you will have a desire to be holy, a hunger for the Word, the inner witness of the Spirit, and a desire to share Jesus. These are the birthmarks of the believer. #747 29 Sept 15 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. . . Ephesians 6:14 Grateful for . . . . THE WORD OF GOD ! (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) Greetings! stand firm therefore:  For the third time the apostle calls Christians to take a firm position in the spiritual battle against Satan and his minions. Whether confronting Satan's efforts to distrust God, Forsaking obedience, producing doctrinal confusion and falsehood, hindering service to God, bringing division, serving God in the flesh, living hypocritically, being worldly, or in any other way rejecting biblical obedience, this armor is our defense. Girded . . . with truth: The soldier wore a tunic of loose-fitting cloth. Since ancient combat was largely hand-to-hand, a loose tunic was a potential hindrance and danger. A belt was necessary to cinch up the loosely hanging material. (cf. Exo 12:11; Lk 12:35; 1 Pet 1:13). Girding up was a matter of pulling in the loose ends a separation for battle. The belt that pulls all the spiritual loose ends in is “truth” or better, “truthfulness.” The idea is of sincere commitment to fight and win without hypocrisy—self-discipline in devotion to victory. Everything that hinders is tucked away . (cf. 2 Tim 2:4; Heb 12:1). The breastplate of righteousness: The breastplate was usually a tough, sleeveless piece of leather or heavy material with animal horn or hoof pieces sewn on, covering the soldier’s full torso, protecting his heart and other vital organs. Because righteousness, or holiness, is such a distinctive characteristic of God Himself, it is not hard to understand why that is the Christian’s chief protection against Satan and his schemes. As believers faithfully live in obedience to and communion with Jesus Christ, His own righteousness produces in them the practical, daily righteousness that becomes their spiritual breastplate. Lack of holiness, on the other hand, leaves them vulnerable to the great enemy of their souls ( cf. Isa. 59:17; 2 Cor 7:1; 1 Thess. 5:8). More on this subject next week. Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart! ♥ Memory verse for this week: Col. 2:8 This week's Trivia's: [answer's below . . ] 1. Isaiah says that we all have gone astray, like what kind of animal -- sheep, cats, dogs or wolves? 2. Which prophet put a curse upon a bunch of mean young men who made fun of his bald head -- Elisha, Elijah, Isaiah or Moses? * * * * * * * * * When you want peace and rest . . . read Matt 11:25-30 * * * * * * * * * BIBLE MEDITATION: Being Spirit Filled .. “...Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Acts 9:6 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: So many Christians want to be Spirit-filled, but have they ever asked why God should fill them with His Spirit? I want you to imagine a man pushing a car into a service station. It has no battery in it. The car has four flat tires, a hole in the gas tank, and half the wires are disconnected. The attendant comes out, looks at this rattle trap, and says, “May I help you?” The man says, “Yeah, fill ‘er up.” What do you think that attendant would say? “What for?” would be appropriate. I think God sometimes says, “What for?” to us. Instead, we need to just sign the contract at the bottom and say, “Lord, You fill it in.” ACTION POINT: Bow before the Lord, open your hands, and say, “Lord, It’s all You. I am nothing but a vessel for You to use. Use me as You will.” from the Ministries of Love Worth Finding . . . by Adrian Rogers * * * * * * * * * For Paul's secret to happiness . . . read Col. 3:12-17 * * * * * * * * * We have begun another journey and will learn from the book "AGENTS of the APOCALYPSE" written by David Jeremiah. A Riveting Look at the Key Players of the End Times. GBY . . . . AGENTS of the APOCALYPSE . . . . chapter two THE MARTYRS . . One by one, the prophesied disasters Matthew had pointed out to Daniel in his Bible began to materialize. Countries around the world endured a marked increase in droughts, water contamination, and infectious epidemics. A massive earthquake devastates several nations, killing millions of people. Ominous signs also appeared on the political front. All the countries in Europe united their government and military forces, which meant that France was no longer safe for Jews. Daniel was fired again, but this time he was better prepared, having stashed his savings in his apartment rather than at a bank. Daniel knew that a job search would be futile, so he joined the Jewish underground at the Grenoble Exchange. Smuggling Jews across borders was now pointless, because no country was free from persecution. Yet the Exchange continued its mission to help Jews. They concentrated their efforts on conversion and built a network of underground churches. In the ensuing months, the entire world became a cauldron of misery and death. Crops failed. Diseases ran rampant. Food became scarce and exorbitantly expensive, and violence erupted over food rations. People in every nation were dying of starvation on a daily basis. Yet these horrors produced one positive effect: they brought startling success to Daniel and the Messianic Jews of the Exchange. Some people were beginning to see the futility of depending on their own efforts and were turning their eyes upward for help and hope. Judas Christopher’s iron fist now gripped virtually all of the civilized world. Not long after he became the leader of the united European nations, he demanded that every person on earth acknowledge him as their god. To enforce compliance, he decreed that no one would be allowed to buy or sell any commodity, including food, clothing, and shelter, without a government-issued number. And no number would be issued to anyone who refused to worship him. On the night following the decree, the Jews who ran the Grenoble Exchange met to address this new crisis. “This Antichrist, Judas Christopher, has just pronounced a death sentence on all worshipers of the one true God,” one member said. “The questions, what can we do about it?” someone else asked. “Whatever we do,” Daniel responded, “we cannot bow before this monstrous beast. That would be our eternal death sentence.” “You’re right, but I don’t see a solution. Death seems inevitable for us all.” “Not necessarily,” another member replied. “We can hide in the wilderness or in buildings that were abandoned after the Rapture. We can feed ourselves by hunting and foraging.” “There’s also a growing number of Gentiles who detest Christopher’s tyranny,” Daniel added. “No doubt many of them would be willing to offer us shelter.” “Is it really necessary that we refuse the assigned number?” someone asked. “Under ordinary circumstances, of course, we should not compromise. But what we are facing now is far from ordinary. It’s literally a matter of life and death. Would it really be wrong to accept the number just to survive, while in our hearts we retain our allegiance to the true God?” “You make a good point,” another member said, “Even the apostle Paul told the Corinthians that they could freely eat food that had been offered to idols. ‘Don’t ask question,’ he said. ‘Just do it. Those idols are not real gods, and you know that all food comes from the true God.’” “But he also said not to eat such food when others knew it had been offered to idols,” Daniel said. “The light we shine to others is critical. That’s one reason so many martyrs were willing to die—they would not deny their Lord just to save their own necks.” “Amen!” The chorus of voices echoed through the room. “We must model for others the courage these ancient martyrs modeled for us.” The meeting ended with the adoption of a strongly worded resolution to reject the government-issued numbers and to encourage all Messianic Jews to do the same. The group formed several task forces. Some located dwelling places where Jews could hide. Others sought out Gentiles known to be sympathetic to the persecuted Jews. Still others devised methods for distributing donated food and clothing. It was not an exaggeration o say that this new decree amounted to a death sentence for those who would not declare their allegiance to Judas Christopher. Although some families managed to survive, eking out a living from forest game, edible plants, and occasional bundles of goods smuggled to their hiding places, the threat was imminent. Jewish Christians were hunted down, tortured, and killed. They were impaled, stretched on racks, flogged to death, fed to wild animals, burned at the stake, beheaded, hurled from cliffs, dismembered, or flayed alive. But in the midst of the bloodbath, the Exchange continued its ministry, the members pouring their energy into converting, feeding, housing, and hiding the beleaguered Jews whenever possible. Late one night Daniel sat at a large table with twenty other Exchange leaders. They were meeting to arrange shelter for a recently uprooted Jewish man who now sat among them. He had just lost his home and his wife to the persecution. His seven-year-old daughter sat on his lap, her eyes wide with terror. Suddenly the door burst open, and the man who had been standing guard rushed in, slamming and bolting the door behind him. “They’re here! They have found us!” Immediately everyone headed for the escape tunnel. Within moments, the door splintered and Christopher’s troops rushed in. The Jews emerged from the escape door and scattered as they dashed toward the nearby woods. Five members of their group were caught immediately, but Daniel and the others made it into the forest. Gunshots crackled behind them, followed by the scream of the little girl. Daniel stopped short and then turned back, leaving the protective covering of the trees. The girl’s father lay motionless on the ground. The girl fell to her knees beside him, shrieking in terror. A soldier reached down and grabbed her long hair. Daniel didn’t take time to think—he plowed headlong into the soldier, bowling him to the ground, and then scooped up the girl and ran back into the woods. Three soldiers came barreling behind him. With the girl in his arms, Daniel knew he couldn’t outdistance his pursuers. He stopped and set her down. “Run for it!” he whispered urgently. “Go as far into the woods as you can. There’s a family that will take you in, hiding in a hut.” The girl stood frozen until Daniel turned her around and shoved her forward. “Run!” he barked. The girl obeyed, and Daniel turned to keep the soldier from following. The scuffle lasted only seconds before a rifle butt smashed into his head and he fell to the dirt, unconscious. next week: . . THE MARTYRS cont. . . * * * * * * * * * For the understanding of Christianity . . . read 2 Cor. 5:15-19 * * * * * * * * * PROMISE of HIS RETURN RESTATED, Part 2 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Matt. 16:28 It was not uncommon for Old Testament prophecies to combine a prediction of a far distance event with a prediction of one in the near future, with the earlier one even prefiguring the latter. Such prophecies would thereby have near, soon-to-come fulfillments as well as distant ones. The fulfillment of the near prophecy served to verify the reliability of the distant one. It seems reasonable to assume that Jesus verified the reliability of His second coming prophecy by giving a glimpse of His second coming glory to some of the disciples before they would “taste death.” In light of that interpretation—and because in all three Synoptic Gospel accounts the promise of seeing His glory is given immediately preceding the account of the transfiguration (see Mark 9:1; Lk 9:27-36) and basileia can be translated “royal splendor”—it seems Jesus must have been referring specifically to His transfiguration before Peter, James, and John only six days later (see Matt. 17:1). Those three disciples were the “some” among the Twelve who would not die until, in a most miraculous preview, they would “see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” ASK YOURSELF Seeing the layers upon layers of meaning that make up His Word, what does this tell you about the knowledge and wisdom of God, as well as the vastness of His plan for us, for the world, and for time itself? Lose yourself in wonderment at your Lord’s immensity. * * * * * * * * * When God seems far away . . . read Ps 139 * * * * * * * * * LONGING FOR HEAVEN . . . a note from Max Lucado The only ultimate disaster that can befall us, I have come to realize, is to feel ourselves to be home on earth. As long as we are aliens, we cannot forget our true homeland. Unhappiness on earth cultivates a hunger for heaven. By gracing us with a deep dissatisfaction, God hold our attention. The only tragedy, then, is to be satisfied prematurely. To settle for earth. We are no happy here because we are not supposed to be happy here. We are “like foreigners and strangers in this world” (1 Peter 2:11). And you will never be completely happy on earth simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace. But they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead. 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 and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. John 14:2-3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Christ had no sin, but God made Him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God 1 Cor. 5:21 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Answers to this week's Trivia's: 1. Isaiah says that we all have gone astray, like what kind of animal -- sheep, cats, dogs or wolves? A. Sheep Isa 53:6 2. Which prophet put a curse upon a bunch of mean young men who made fun of his bald head -- Elisha, Elijah, Isaiah or Moses? A. Elisha 2 Kings 2:24 * * * * * * * * * Answers to Questions about heaven. . . David Jeremiah How many heavens are described in the Bible? A. The Bible speaks of three distinct heavens. 1. The first heaven is described in Isaiah 55:9-10 and is the atmosphere surrounding the earth--the domain of the clouds and birds (Gen 1:20). 2. The second heaven is spoken of in Genesis 1:14-17 as the domain of the heavenly bodies: the sun, moon, stars, planets and galaxies. 3. Paul described in his second letter to the Corinthians being "caught up to the third heaven," which is beyond the first and second heavens and is the dwelling place of God--where we will one day join Christ. * * * * * * * * Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God. Until next time remember, "Keep looking up!" God loves you with an everlasting love! Nancy <\\\>< Remember: A man may go to heaven….. Without health, without wealth; Without fame, without a great name; Without learning, without earnings; Without culture, without beauty; Without friends and without ten thousand other things---- But he can NEVER go to Heaven without Christ. ~ This is a FREE e-mailing ~ This Bible Study is sent to subscribers only according to our strict NO SP*M policy. If you appreciate the information contained in this letter, please forward it to your friends. If you have acquired this letter from a friend and want to subscribe: Send an e-mail with Subscribe on the subject line to: hisfootprints4us@comcast.net If you do not want to receive these Bible Studies, please send an email with 'unsubscribe' on the subject line to hisfootprints4us@comcast.net No hard feelings This week's Quiz: Revelation . . . The book of Revelation starts by saying it is a revelation of Jesus Christ given to His servant John. Revelation is full of symbols and strange things that God uses to show Himself to us. How much do you know about this book of the Bible? 1. Revelation begins with messages to how many churches? Rev. 1:4 a. 3 c. 7 b. 5 d. 9 2. The churches are likened to: 1:20 a. stars c. lampstands b. bread d. salt 3. Out of the following things, which did John see first? 6:1 a. seals c. trumpets b. bowls of God’s wrath d. censers 4. John saw four horses. The last one was pale and the name of him who rode it was: 6:8 a. Hades c. Death b. Apollyon d. Famine 5. The 144,000 were: 7:3-4 a. angels c. those with the mark of the beast b. God’s servants d. martyrs 6. How many witnesses did God send? 11:3 a. 1 c. 3 b. 2 d. 4 7. What happened to God’s witnesses? 11:3, 7, 11 a. they were killed and resurrected b. nothing c. nobody would listen to them d. they ascended into heaven 8. How many beasts stood around God’s throne? 4:6 a. 2 c. 6 b. 4 d. 24 9. How many elders were before the throne? 4:10 a. 12 c. 36 b. 24 d. 48 10. What did John see descend from the new heaven? 21:1-2 a. a new earth c. the new Jerusalem b. a new sea d. the new army of God

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