Bible Study #750

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. #750 20 Oct 15 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Tim 6:3-5 Grateful for . . . . THE WORD OF GOD ! (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) Greetings! Paul identifies 3 characteristics of false teachers: 1) they "advocate a different doctrine"--a different teaching that contradicts God's revelation in Scripture 2) they do "not agree with sound words"--they do not accept sound, healthy teaching, specifically the teaching contained in Scripture (2 Pet 3:16); and 3) they reject "doctrine conforming to godliness"--teaching not based on Scripture will always result in an unholy life, instead of godliness, false teachers will be marked by sin (cf Jude 4, 8-16). questions and disputes about words: "Questions refers to idle speculation; "disputes about words" literally means "word battles." Because proud, ignorant false teachers do not understand divine truth (2 Cor 2:14), they obsess over terminology and attack the reliability and authority of Scripture. Every kind of strife is mentioned to indicate that false teachers produce nothing of benefit out of their fleshly, corrupt, and empty minds. deprived of the truth: False teachers are in a state of apostasy; that is, although they once knew and seemed to embrace the truth, they turned to openly reject it. The Greek word for "deprived" means "to steal" or "to rob," and its form here indicates that someone or something was pulled away from contact with the truth (it does not mean they were ever saved). a means of gain: Almost always behind all the efforts of the hypocritical, lying (4:2) false teachers is the driving motivation of monetary gain (cf. Acts 8:18-23; 2 Pet 2:15). Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart! ♥ Memory verse for this week: Heb. 11:3 This week's Trivia's: [answer's below . . ] 1. Which apostle of Jesus was healed of blindness by Ananias? 2. Who destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? * * * * * * * * * When we make a vow unto the Lord, He will not forget it * * * * * * * * * BIBLE MEDITATION: The Valley, the Shadow, and a Promise “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” Ps 145:18 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Psalm 23 speaks of the “valley of the shadow of death.” For every shadow, there must be light. Jesus Christ said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). A shadow may frighten you, but a shadow cannot really hurt you. I dare say that a shadow at one time or another has spooked many of us. But thank God, death is but a shadow if you know the Lord Jesus Christ. If you keep your face toward the light, the shadow will fall behind you. You won’t even see the shadow. God doesn’t bring us to a valley to leave us there. He always brings us through. ACTION POINT: God is never closer than when you are in a dark valley. That’s when He is especially near. In the original language, we’re told Hebrews 13:5 actually has five negatives! The Amplified Bible translates it this way: “I will never, no, not ever, never leave you nor forsake you.” Memorize this verse today. from the Ministries of Love Worth Finding . . . by Adrian Rogers * * * * * * * * * 'Things' will pass away . . God's Word will never pass away * * * * * * * * * 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 . . . . The Cause of Their Martyrdom . . I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. Rev. 6:9 The martyrs of Revelation 6 were slain for the same reason John was exiled: “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9, emphasis added). These saints, too, have been sacrificed on the altar of devotion to their God for their witness and for their adherence to the Word of God. We must remember that when the church is raptured, the restraint of the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth. The rulers of that day will target followers of Christ as they vent their anger and rebellion against God. The “testimony which they held” is likely a reference to the judgment these believers will preach. As the events of the Tribulation intensify, they will warn of even more severe judgment to come. They will preach repentance and reckoning, and they will be killed for their message. These Tribulation preachers will join a long line of courageous prophets who spoke out against wickedness in their generation: * Samuel prophesied to Eli that because of his evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas, the judgment of God would be upon his house (1 Sam. 3). * Elijah denounced Israel’s prophets of Baal, and as a result, his life was threatened (1 Ki. 18). * Isaiah prophesied that because of their unfaithfulness, the people of Judah would be carried into captivity and the Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed (Isa. 64). * Jeremiah’s prophecy was so offensive to his listeners that he was put in stocks and chains (Jer. 40). * Jonah passed on God’s message to the people of Nineveh that if they did not repent, the city would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3). * Jesus Himself prophesied judgment in His message in the Olivet discourse (Matt 24). Dr. W.A. Criswell offers this reminder that it is part of a prophet’s very nature to proclaim judgment: anything to be saved from, we do not need a savior. The Consequence of Their Martyrdom . . At this point in John’s account, the scene shifts from earth back to heaven. Here John sees a vision of those who will be martyred for their faith in Christ. They are “under the altar,” which is also where the blood of the sacrifices during the Old Testament was poured out (Exo. 29:12). The word used to describe the death of these Tribulation martyrs is unique to the apostle John. It is translated as “slain” but could also be translated as “slaughtered.” Slaughtered is a sacrificial word that speaks to the special nature of these Jewish witnesses. “To the world they were destroyed, but to God they were offered as a sacrifice unto Him. They gave their lives for the Lord and the Lord looked upon them as His. They are His martyrs.” The Cry of Their Martyrdom . . They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Rev. 6:10 The martyrs’ cry for vengeance is another evidence that they are not church age sufferers. The cry of the church age martyr is the cry of Stephen, the first martyr of the church: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60). But those who are persecuted during the Tribulation will be able to call for God’s judgment in perfect propriety because the age of grace has ended. This is the day of the judgment of God. Louis T. Talbot observes, “A man prays according to the attitude God is taking toward the world in the dispensation in which he lives. This present age is the age of grace. God is showing. . . mercy to the worst of men, and we are told to pray for them that despitefully use us. But in the Tribulation period God will be meting out judgment upon the earth.” next week: . . The Comfort of Their Martyrdom . . * * * * * * * * * The Christ who comes will be entirely different from the Christ the world teaches * * * * * * * * * OLD TESTAMENT GREATS TESTIFY OF JESUS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Matt. 17:3 Out of the many godly Old Testament believers God could have chosen to appear with Jesus, why did He choose Moses and Elijah? As no others, Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament, the law and the prophets. And they could give testimony to Christ's divine majesty and glory. By their presence together, they affirmed, in effect, "This is the One of whom we testified, the One in whose power we ministered, and the One in whom everything we said and did has meaning. Everything we spoke, accomplished, and hoped for is fulfilled Him." Luke says that these two great saints were talking with Jesus "of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Lk 9:31). They were not simply there to reflect on the Lord's glory, but they were talking with Him as friend to Friend about His departure, His imminent sacrifice, which was the supreme objective and work of His earthly ministry. It was significant that the discussion was about Christ's saving work through His death, because it was this truth the disciples found most difficult to accept. Moses and Elijah gave confirmation not only of Jesus' divine glory, but also of His divine plan. Their supernatural testimony no doubt later gave the apostles added conviction and courage as they proclaimed that Jesus was "delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). ASK YOURSELF If even the revered leaders and prophets of ancient Israel are in awe of Christ, recognizing Him as their Lord, how much more readily should we bow before His presence, honoring Him for His majesty, thanking Him for His loving sacrifice on our behalf? * * * * * * * * * The One who wants to be your Savior will one day be your judge * * * * * * * * * Q & A with Dr. McGee Q: Does God Condemn Those Who Haven't Heard the Gospel? A: This question assumes that the difficulty is that these people have not heard. You and I are not living in a race that is waiting on its tiptoes to hear the gospel; we are living in a race that's already condemned. God would still be a just God if He should absolutely obliterate this earth and bring it to nothing, because we are in rebellion against Him. It's only by His grace and His love that any are saved, friends. That is the way to approach the problem. Sometimes in our zeal missions programs are presented that unless you and I give and give in a hurry millions are going into a lost eternity. I do not personally believe that the salvation of anyone is dependent upon the generosity or selfishness of any Christian. I believe that those who will hear the gospel and believe are going to get it, and God permits those of us who are His children to have part in that enterprise. There's an argument that if we all gave everything and got down to business, the whole world still wouldn't hear the gospel. Yes it would! We read in Colossians that at that time the whole world had heard (Col 1:6). What does Paul mean? The word "world" there is cosmos, meaning the civilized world. So in a period of about thirty-five years after the death and resurrection of Christ, the gospel had penetrated throughout the Roman world. And we have every reason to believe it went beyond the confines of the Roman Empire in the first century. If we meant business today, certainly we could see the world evangelized. But don't believe that men are going into a lost eternity because the church is selfish and has lost its vision. That's not the reason. We're already lost - all of us are. But what a privilege it would be to take this gospel to lost men and have part in seeing some turn to Christ. Many are being reached with the gospel. Right now a great penetration is being made of the tribes of the earth. Missionaries are doing a most excellent job of reaching in and touching tribes that have never been reached before. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The LORD has set His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over everything Ps 103:19 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Answers to this week's Trivia's: 1. Which apostle of Jesus was healed of blindness by Ananias? A. Paul Acts 9 2. Who destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? ? A. God Gen 19:24 * * * * * * * * * Answers to Questions about Heaven .. by David Jeremiah How many angels are there in existence? No precise count is given in Scripture, but there’s plenty of evidence that they make up a mighty multitude. In Revelation 5:11, John says he saw “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels around the throne.” To give you a perspective on how many angels this is, the average football stadium in America holds about 50,000 people. It would take some 2,000 stadiums of that size to hold 100,000,000 people. The total number of angels John saw may have far exceeded 100,000,000—“ten thousand” was the highest numerical figure used in the Greek language. “Ten thousand times ten thousand” may have been John’s way of describing an inexpressibly large company of angels. In fact, Hebrews 12:22 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” indicating that the population of angels is so large that they cannot be numbered. * * * * * * * * Father, I believe You .. Jesus, I receive You .. Holy Spirit, I now free you, create in me new life * * * * * * * * Remember this sweet song: I love Your Lord .. And I lift my voice, to worship You, O my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King ,, in what you hear, Let me be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear * * * * * * * * 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: Husbands and Wives . . . There are many familiar couples in the Bible. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.” Some of the biblical couples we’re familiar with show the truth of this verse. But some of them seem to defy this verse’s logic. What do you know about the following husbands and wives? 1. When David took Bathsheba, she was the wife of: Matt 1:6 a. Nathan c. Uriah b. Zadok d. Uzziah 2. What wife helped trick her husband into giving his blessing to the wrong son? Gen 27:1-19 a. Rebekah c. Leah b. Rachel d. Jezebel 3. Which of the following wives was not found by a well? Gen 24:10-16; 29:9-10; Exo 2:16-21 a. Rebekah c. Bathsheba b. Rachel d. Zipporah 4. Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because: Gen 19:17-26 a. she refused to leave the city b. she was disrespectful to her husband c. she had committed adultery d. she looked back while the city was being destroyed 5. What man’s wife told him to curse God and die? Job 2:9 a. Esau c. David b. Job d. Ishmael 6. Priscilla and Aquila, who let Paul live with them, were: Acts 18: 1-3 a. clothing makers c. cheese makers b. tent makers d. wine makers 7. After David slew two hundred Philistines, King Saul gave his daughter ______ to David for a wife. 1 Sam 18:27 a. Bathsheba c. Michal b. Abigail d. Tamar 8. When Nabal churlishly refused to help David and his men, Nabal’s wife, ______, interceded. 1 Sam 25:14, 18-20, 23-31 a. Abishag c. Tamar b. Abigail d. Achish 9. Who blamed his wife and God for a sin he committed? Gen 3:12 a. David c. Adam b. Moses d. Solomon 10. What happened to Samson’s first wife? Judges 14:20 a. she died c. she was given to another man b. he divorced her d. she refused to leave her father’s house