Bible Study #743

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. #743 1 Sept 15 Before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed Galations 3:23 Grateful for . . . . THE WORD OF GOD ! (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) (\0/) Greetings! before faith came: From the viewpoints of both the history of redemption and through all times in the area of individual salvation, only saving faith unlocks the door of the prison where the law keeps men bound. kept in custody under the law: Paul personifies the law as a jailer of guilty, condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God's judgment (Rom 6:23) the faith . . . later to be revealed: Again Paul was looking at the coming of Christ, historically and at each believer's salvation, individually. Faith in Christ alone releases people from bondage to law, whether the Mosaic law, or the law written on the hearts of Gentiles (Rom 2:14-16) Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart! ♥ Memory verse for this week: Rev. 2:10 Six rules for Studying the Bible Correctly: #1-We must be humble and teachable--Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 1:21, 26-31.— #2-We must let the Bible interpret itself by comparing scripture with scripture. Isaiah 28:9, 10; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Luke 24:27, 44— #3-We must ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.--1 Corinthians 2:7, 10-14; John 16:13.— #4-We must really want to know truth.-2 Thessalonians 2;9-12; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:28— #5-We must really search for truth.--Jeremiah 29:13; 33:3-Matthew 13:45, 46; Isaiah 44:3; Matthew 5:6- #6-We must follow what we already know to be truth.-Matthew 13:10-12;7:24-28; John 8;31; John 7:17; John 17:17-26; Revelation 2:25, 26. This week's Trivia's: [answer's below . . ] 1. Fill in the following blank of the fourth Commandment with two words": "Remember the ____________ _________ to keep it holy." 2. Complete the following verse: "Seek and ye shall find . . ." * * * * * * * * * If your pocketbook is empty .. read Psalm 37 * * * * * * * * * BIBLE MEDITATION: “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created.” Ps 148:5 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: In Genesis 1:11-12 we read, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good”. ACTION POINT: If evolution is true, then one specie would have to involve into another specie, and if that is true, then you would expect to find transitional forms of life. You hear talk about the “missing link.” May I tell you, the whole chain is missing! from the Ministries of Love Worth Finding . . . by Adrian Rogers * * * * * * * * * When you feel down and . . . read Romans 8:31 * * * * * * * * * 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 SCRIPTURE BEHIND THE STORY . . cont. A Profitable Book . . . Revelation is the only book in the Bible that motivates its readers by promising a blessing for those who will read and obey it. The promise is made at the beginning and the end: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written init; for the time is near. Rev. 1:3 Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Rev. 22:7 The word blessed means “happy; blissful; joyous.” It may seem strange to associate joy with the sometimes chilling drama of the book of Revelation, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps us understand why this is a logical reaction for those who read the book: “Revelation was written in order that God’s people who were passing through terrible persecutions and terrible adversity might still be able to go on rejoicing. It is a book that showed them the ultimate victory of the Lord over Satan and all the other forces of evil. . . . It was written for men and women who had been in trouble, and it was meant to help them, not only people who would live 2,000 years later. . . . If your understanding of the book of Revelation does not help you rejoice, you are misunderstanding it.” Profitable For Personal Application . . . . John was not interested in merely stimulating the imaginations of his readers. His goal was to influence their lives and change the way they lived. Scripture is a guide for conduct as well as the source of doctrine. Seven times in the book of Revelation we read this phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). What we read in this book should govern our conduct. Our conduct today is affected by what we know of tomorrow. The book of Revelation tells us of God’s plan for the future and assures us that we are on the winning side. It often appears that t he enemy is winning, but Revelation puts everything into perspective. Satan may win some present battles, but the outcome of the war has already been determined—and Satan knows it. When we know that truth as well, it gives us courage to persevere through the downturns. Like castaways who keep on rowing because the map shows an island ahead, we’ll have the courage to press on. Perhaps this is the reason the devil tries to discourage people from reading this amazing book. “The devil has turned thousands of people away from this portion of God’s Word. He does not want anyone to read a book that tells of his being cast out of heaven, bound in a bottomle3ss pit for a thousand years and eventually cast into the lake of fire to be ‘tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ Nor is he anxious for us to read of the ultimate triumph of his number one enemy, Jesus Christ. The more you study the Book of Revelation, the more you understand why Satan fights so hard to keep God’s people away from it.” Profitable for Public Assembly . . . The dramatization at the beginning of this chapter portrays an assembly of the first-century church, inspired by the writings of the early church leader Justin Martyr (AD 100-165). He describes the nature of their worship in his First Apology: “On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of those who live in cities or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. When the reader has finished, the president in a discourse urges and invites [us] to the imitation of these noble things.” The Beatitudes of Revelation: 1. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it. (Rev. 1:3) 2. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. (Rev. 14:13) 3. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. (Rev. 16:15) 4. Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Rev. 19:9) 5. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev. 20:6) 6. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. (Rev. 22:7) 7. Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Rev. 22:14) Public reading and exhortation were an integral part of gatherings in the early church. Paul told young Timothy, for example, to “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). Revelation 1:3 indicates that the public reading of the Revelation will meet with a special blessing from God. Profitable For Prophetic Anticipation . . . The third verse of Revelation 1 ends with the phrase the time is near, and Revelation 22:10 declares that “the time is at hand.” Many people have interpreted these phrases to mean that fulfillment of the prophecy must be just around the corner. This has resulted in rash predictions about when the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, and the second coming of Christ will occur. However, the expression “the time is near” does not necessarily mean the event will occur immediately. It indicates nearness from the standpoint of prophetic revelation, which operates according to its own timetable. To say that an event is near means it is the next major occurrence on the prophetic calendar. These events were near in that sense when John recorded them; they were the next major even on the calendar. And they are even closer today. Prophecy is God’s way of giving us fair warning so we can prepare our hearts and minds to be ready for what is ahead. A Practical Book . . . . More than a century ago, William E. Blackstone wrote a little book called Jesus Is Coming: God’s Hope for a Restless World. It had a significant impact on the Christian world and spurred much of today’s interest in the study of prophecy. In his book, Blackstone devotes an entire chapter to the practical benefits of studying prophecy, which he calls the true incentive to a holy life. He writes, “No other doctrine in the Word of God presents a deeper motive for crucifying the flesh, for separation to God, to work for souls, and as our hope and joy and crown of rejoicing than this does.” Blackstone goes on to give forty benefits listed in the Bible for those who study prophecy. I don’t’ have space to mention forty, but I would like to share three practical paybacks that come to us from studying prophecy—and especially the book of Revelation. Studying Prophecy Motivates us to Live Productive Lives . . . . Some people think a keen awareness of the second coming of Christ will turn us into lazy souls who stand around gazing upward in some kind of useless trance. But in reality, the opposite is true. In the greatest sermon ever preached on the Second Coming (the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24-25), Jesus listed the “signs of the times” and described the events surrounding His return. Then He told a series of stories illustrating the importance of being productive and prepared. “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing,” He said (Matt. 24:46). Denis Lyle, a Baptist pastor in Belfast, Northern Ireland, tells of a tourist who visited a beautiful mansion on a lovely lakeshore in Switzerland. The house was surrounded by well-kept gardens connected by tidy pathways. There wasn’t a weed in sight. “How long have you been caretaker here?” the tourist asked the gardener. “I’ve been here twenty years.” “And during that time how often has the owner of the property been in residence?” the gardener smiled. “He has been here only four times.” “And to think,” the visitor exclaimed, “all these years you’ve kept this house and garden in such superb condition. You tend them as if you expected him to come tomorrow.” “Oh no,” replied the gardener, “I look after them as if I expected him to come today.” Jesus is coming back—coming any minute, coming soon, maybe coming today. These are some of His last words recorded in the Bible: “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20). The more aware we are of His impending return, the more motivated we’ll be in our work for Him in these last days. next week: . . THE SCRIPTURE BEHIND THE STORY cont. . . * * * * * * * * * If self pride/greatness takes hold .. read Psalm 19 * * * * * * * * * WARNING ABOUT HIS RETURN, Part 1 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [He] will then repay every man according to his deeds. Matt. 16:27b At His glorious coming Jesus also “will then repay every man according to his deeds.” The believer looks forward to the second coming in the hope of sharing His Lord’s glory, but the unbeliever can look forward to it only in fear of being condemned under the Lord’s judgment. In speaking here of repaying “every man according to his deeds,” Jesus was pointing out that it will be a time of glory and reward for those who belong to Him and a time of judgment and punishment for those who do not. On that day every man will be judged on the basis of his deeds. It is not that deeds are the means of salvation, which is by grace through faith alone. But as person’s outward deeds are the surest evidence of his inward spiritual condition. People are best known by their fruits, Jesus said (Matt. 7:16). James declared that “faith, if it has no works, is dead” (Jas. 2:17). The Lord’s return is bittersweet for believers who are sensitive and loving. Like John as he tasted the little book he took from the angel’s hand (Rev. 10:10), they think of the second coming as “sweet as honey” regarding their own destiny but “bitter” regarding the destiny of the many lost souls who reject Christ. His coming ultimately will resolve the destiny of every person (cf. Jn 5:25-29). ASK YOURSELF How motivated are you by the reward of being honored at judgment for the ways you’ve let God’s righteousness, love, and mercy flow through you—the many evidences of fruit borne in you by His Holy Spirit? Forsake all that would cost you His greatest blessings. * * * * * * * * * For a great invention/opportunity .. read Isaiah 55 * * * * * * * * * Q & A With McGee: What is the Difference Between Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism? All of these are an interpretation relative to the Millennium. Scripture teaches that there is coming a kingdom to be established upon this earth, and that the Lord Jesus will reign over that kingdom for a thousand years. The premillennialists believe that He will come first and take His church out of the world. The world then enters the Great Tribulation Period, and then Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom here upon this earth. This was the view of the early church. Postmillennialism believes that Christ is coming at the end of the Millennium. It is the belief that the church would be the one to bring in the kingdom, not Christ coming personally to establish His kingdom. Rather, the church by the preaching of the gospel would convert the world and bring the entire world into obedience to Christ. Then He would come to the world, and it would be sort of like a victory parade. Honestly, today it seems unbelievable that there was a period when men believed that. They seemed to pay no attention to the prophecies made in Scripture saying that there was coming a time of great trouble on the earth and there would be a rebellion against God and an apostasy was coming upon the earth. I would say postmillennialism is dead today. I do not believe you will find very many reputable theologians in the world today that hold that position. That brings us to the third position: Amillennialism. An amillennialist is one who does not believe that there’s going to be a Millennium at all. They don’t believe there’s going to be any Millennium at all, and they spiritualize all of the passages of Scripture that have to do with this kingdom that is to be set up. They take the Book of Revelation and spiritualize every bit of it. Honestly, when it comes out it makes no sense whatsoever. Those strong passages of Scripture that have to do with the pouring out of the bowls of wrath are absolutely toned down and fitted in two some event that’s already taken place in history. There’s no attempt to make the Book of Revelation a logical or chronological book at all. And when you get to the twentieth chapter where the thousand years are mentioned, they’re great at saying, “Well, it’s only mentioned in one passage.” But the thousand years are mentioned six times in one chapter. How many times does God have to say a thing before it’s true? I’ve always felt that Amillennialism is the weakest of all of them. Premillennialism is the position that I hold, I defend it, I believe I can give a reason for the hope that is within me relative to the premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The wages of sin is death, [but] the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 6:23 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Answers to this week's Trivia's: 1. Fill in the following blank of the fourth Commandment with two words": "Remember the ____________ _________ to keep it holy." A. Sabbath day Exo 20:8 2. Complete the following verse: "Seek and ye shall find . . ." A. "Knock and it (the door) shall be opened." Matt 7:7 * * * * * * * * * . . . David Jeremiah . . . Q. How should I live today in light of eternity? What we think about heaven determines how we live today. We can easily be led away from God’s purposes if we do not steadfastly pursue the things of God and His will (2 Peter 3:17); and without diligence, we can be lulled into apathy and ungodliness, which bring no joy to God or to our personal lives. C.S. Lewis once said: “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” How do we become effective for Christ in our present world? We must make sure that our lives are matching the purpose for which we were created, we must be diligent to pursue God’s righteousness through the Word, prayer, purity, and seeking His will. That’s the way to live in light of eternity—in light of “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior.” For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13 * * * * * * * * * 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: God’s Faithful .. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. All of the following people could say with the apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). What do you know about these faithful of God? 1. Of whom does the Bible say, “In all this ________ sinned not, nor charged God foolishly”? Job 1:22 a. Nehemiah c. John b. Job d. Moses 2. Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to: Dan 3:12 a. pray to the king c. bow down to the king’s statue b. stop praying to their God d. all of the above 3. About whom is the Bible speaking when it says that among men whose thoughts were only evil continually, this person found grace in the eyes of the Lord? Gen. 6:5, 8 a. Noah c. David b. Abraham d. Moses 4. About whom was God speaking when He said, “He has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully”? Num. 14:24 a. Job c. David b. Caleb d. Moses 5. Which of the following is not listed by name in Hebrews 11, God’s hall of fame for His faithful? a. Abel c. Rahab b. Joseph d. Elijah 6. About which of Noah’s ancestors does the Bible say he “walked with God” and “God took him”? Gen 5:24 a. Seth c. Enoch b. Methuselah d. Lamech 7. When Abraham proved his faithfulness to God by preparing to sacrifice Isaac, what did God provide as a sacrifice instead? Gen 22:13 a. a lamb c. a ram b. a bullock d. a goat 8. About whom did Jesus say, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel”? Matt. 8:5, 10-14 a. John the Baptist c. the centurion with the sick servant b. Jarius d. the man with the demon-possessed son 9. How many years did Noah spend preparing the ark as God told him? Gen 5:32; 7:11 a. 10 c. 75 b. 50 d. 100 10 What prophet who devoutly feared God hid one hundred prophets from Jezebel? 1 Ki 18:3-4 a. Elijah c. Obadiah b. Elisha d. Isaiah