found this and sent to her: "ANY Candidates of Apostleship needs: to; 1. have been with Jesus during the whole three years that Jesus was among them. That is, he needed to be an eyewitness of Jesus' baptism when the Heavenly Father validated Jesus' person and work. 2. He needed to have heard Jesus' life-changing teachings and 3. been present to see His healings and other miracles". Therefore, in answer to your question Alleylee, "You can not be an Apostle today, nobody can".!"
"ANY Candidates of Apostleship needs: to; 1. have been with Jesus during the whole three years that Jesus was among them. That is, he needed to be an eyewitness of Jesus' baptism when the Heavenly Father validated Jesus' person and work. 2. He needed to have heard Jesus' life-changing teachings and 3. been present to see His healings and other miracles". Therefore, in answer to your question AlleyLee, "You can not be an Apostle today, nobody can".!
Okay this is my THIRD attempt to do this without it getting wiped out. For those trusting God we still only see through a glass darkly. ( 1 Cor. 13:12). Nonetheless in our own lives and especially others we can see patterns of how trusting God brings us benefits in the Lord. The effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much ( James 5:16).
It is good to follow someone who has a proven track record long term in trusting and fearing the Lord. Obviously we need to be cautious in case they slip into sin; but as "iron sharpens iron" ( Prov. 27:17) it is good to exhort; admonish and of course encourage one another as brothers in Christ ( 2 Tim. 4:2). A TRUE man of God will be open about the fact that he is indeed a flawed vessel; and will ask for prayer.
This; of course is NOT the same as following anyone who has an auspicious name in the ministry. There are those; of course that have that name who are doctrinally sound; others who are clearly not. It is unlikely that these individuals have the time to effectively look at an individual at least long term unless you happen to be close friends to them or a family member. The scriptures; however have the answers in them; and ultimately they should be used by the skilled practitioner to reveal the Lord's will in our lives.
Interesting-from 2 Thess. 3:10 it says: "if a man does not work he shall not eat."
I just heard the other day that in our state, (WA) someone on welfare with all the "bennies" equals a salary of $120,000. That is really outrageous for people who do not work, many of whom can. I for one do not wish for people to live in squalor, but this amount is far above the medium income in our state. No wonder so many do not go to work when there are so many jobs out there. They make far more on welfare than they could if they worked a 40 hour week. But those who do work and who have worked all their adult life until retirement, this is a slap in the face. We pay for these people to have a better income than most of us.
So, while the rich could certainly enlist some reforms in their lives, those on welfare could and should do the same and make their own money to care for their needs when they can. Those of us who are middle class, whether upper, middle, or lower, we are being taken advantage of and we can not really afford all of these taxes, But we, too, need some reform in our lives.
But all of this reform needs to come from God, NOT from the government. the government always screws up whatever they endeavor to do that the private sector can do or has done better. For those who are truly down and out, unable to help pick themselves back up from poverty, or recover from drug/alcohol addiction, or have mental health of physical disabilities that prevent them from working, God's people should certainly help them and the charities that service these people.
An error that cannot be substantiated by scripture . And one that has led to so much mischief and great evil.
You cannot build an eternal church on a son of Adam . You can only build it on the Son of God .
God in his wisdom laid out all of Peters failures to show also he was not tThe Rock. All of scripture says God is the Rock.
Jesus Himself said " if any one hears my words and does them ,I will liken them to a wise man that dug deep and built his house upon a rock " Jesus being the Rock the Word of God made flesh .
One swallow does not make a summer . One verse does not make or prove a doctrine .
Peter was the Apostle to the Jews and was based in Jerusalem .
Paul was the Apostle to the gentiles and was found and died in Rome .
Rick, I am sorry for what you are going through. To have the devastation of divorce and then the hope of having your marriage renewed and then have your wife break your heart again. That must be very painful.
I will pray for you and your ex-wife.
Dear Heavenly Father, today we lift up both Rick and his ex-wife before You in the name of Jesus. Bring healing and strength to both of these people so that each can make the best decisions for their life ahead. Heal the brokenness and pain in their hearts, the aspects of their character that led to the breakdown of this marriage, and the sense of loss of the dream of the future they were to have together. We ask that You help rick get past this situation and not be easily taken in by his ex-wife's moves to reunite. Help both set boundaries on their relationships that will help them interact in healthy and godly ways. Bring forgiveness to each of them for one another. And, should it be Your will, bring them back together in marriage when the time is right by Your will. If not this, then guide them in this time of singleness to be the man and woman You created them to be as individuals. Father, i know that You will work in the lives of Rick and his ex-wife in good ways that bring them closer to You and advance their faith. Amen.
Hi Linda. To remain true to the Bible, we find in numerous Scriptures, the word 'saint(s)' is used. You can type that word in the Search box & you can check out the verses.
The word 'saint' finds its root in the verb, 'to sanctify'. And this means 'to make Holy, to set apart'. So when we see it written in the Bible, we understand that it refers to the holy, separated ones to God, i.e. to Christians. You are a saint as you've placed your trust & life in Jesus. But the RC definition isn't correct, where they appoint some special persons to sainthood. This is not biblical.
There is something to be said for wisdom that comes from above in guiding our decisions; if anything simply trusting the Word of God on certain things like guidance on money ( Proverbs 10:2 on "ill gotten gains"; Proverbs 20:21 warns of a quickly received inheritance that is spent rapidly and or unwisely reminding us of the story of the son who squandered his inheritance in Luke 15.)
Similar things can be said for other basic issues in life such as behaviors that enhance or disrupt marriages and other family relations; as well as the general counsel not to trust in themselves. Proverbs 3:5-6 warns us about not leaning on our own understanding.
The difficulty comes in the seemingly mundane actions that the saved and unsaved perform every day. At least we USED to assume a standard indicative of verses like 2 Thessalonians 3:10 which interestingly enough was apparently repeated by Lenin (an avid atheist) but for some odd reason is missing from the far left today. Go figure. When we look at work; assuming that we are not a total criminal for a living (not to be the case as much today in society); we can certainly see how those who are highly skilled; making a "name for themselves" in the world as well as very rich can be much more likely to be caught up in their own accomplishments and status. What would be considered a disaster for them (i.e. having to do manual labor because of mental decline or their company folding) would be to many a cause of rejoicing who are struggling to survive. Such perspective of individuals inevitably squews (however you spell it) our viewpoint. Our natural affections are self centered as well as many of our personal dislikes. The Spirit must be renewing the inner man daily and those who are saved have access to this sanctification. There is ALWAYS contention between the Spirit and the flesh; it may lie dormant but sin is always present as long as we are in these mortal bodies ( Romans 7:24).
Hi Lena, went to doctor to be tested for influenza and covid. All negative, so that is a relief. Still a respiratory infection but a better scenario than to have the any of these flus.
Thanks for your praying heart. I know that God is healing me already. But he brought this situation upon me so that I would humbly seek the prayers of others. How blessed I am for all who pray for me. May God bless those who pray for others as well as answer our prayers ever according to His perfect will.
Thanks again for highlighting these other verses from Romans. Very inspiring and reassuring to know that God has our backs. He has overcome the enemy. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Victor. He is One Who conqueror sin, the grave and hell. And He loves us so, more than we could ever know or imagine. We can rest in His love and victory.
Amazing that He did all this by becoming human while still remaining God. Not a deified man, but God condescending to us in Mary's womb, conceived of the Holy Spirit, inhabiting the body the Father prepared for us. He did not take on the body of another human person, but was THE one and only Person in this human body. He was born in a manger to people of no repute. This Babe was our Savior and Deliver from evil since before time began. What a condescension! What a humbling! What a loving!
Done for us that in redemption God would be glorified and demonstrate the greatness of His love, power and authority in Jesus, the One who is the exact image of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God.
"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Love you brother, read your posts just don't reply much anymore. Just something to consider, many are looking for The antichrist, as there is just one that is coming. In Rev. 13:2-9 we see the first beast is given 42 months/3.5 years to make war and overcome the saints, if we are still living that's us. I agree he ascends from the bottomless pit, Rev. 9,13,11,17, the king of those spoken of in 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 1:6 and Gen. 6.
There is a second beast, he is the one who creates an image of this first beast, and he is the one who makes people worship it and take the mark, the false prophet Rev. 13:11-15. We know these two beasts are here together with Satan/the dragon Rev. 12, because the false prophet, the second beast, is the one who does the miracles and does them in sight of the first beast.
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man". The same goes for the husband, if his wife dies he is free to marry another woman. GBU
The prodigal son went back home at the end, as we know from the known parable. But if he had not go back home he would had eventually died away from his father's house, he would had been left out.
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.."
Lets read the above like a greek person reads it.
"You are Petros (a masculine name from the feminine noun "Petra" which means "stone, rock") and upon this rock I will build my church". So what Jesus actually says is "You are rock and upon this rock I will build my church".
So the question is, what does the Lord mean with that?
!. The Rock is Peter himself. It makes sence since there is a continuity in the text. The most possible explanation is that on Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost the church was initiated and established.
2. The Rock is the declaration Peter did in verse 16, "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.". On that declaration the church was supported and founded.
3. The Rock is Jesus Chist Himself, since He is the cornerstone of the spiritual building which is the church, as you said.
All 3 are possible. But I don't think anything changes really if one chooses any one of those.
According to many scholars; this was actually the time of the conception of Christ; as many ascribe His birth to the fall feasts; others I believe have said that the shepherds would have been out in the spring. In any case; our LIVING Head ( Colossians 1:18) evermore intercedes for us in heavenly places ( Heb. 7:25; etal). We need to attach the death and resurrection of Christ to the birth of course for the complete picture. In any event; we of course have a new year upcoming. Time relentlessly marches forward; like it or not.
There was already said to be the most need since World War Two a few years back as to the number of refugees; and hungry children worldwide. No doubt the problem is still at those levels today. May we wisely give as we feel led so as to be the "hands and feet" of Christ; and/or volunteer to help any way we can. May we also wisely plan seeing that there are so many catastrophes that seem to be coming to pass simultaneously in the short term; so as to have us be the "head and not the tail" when calamity strikes. ( Deut. 28:13).
No doubt there are many who are quite lonely this year as in recent years in particular. May we look for those who we can invite; or at least bless with a phone call or contact not just now but throughout the winter months in particular. I haven't been led to pray for revival; but I do ask that those who do come to church especially if backslidden will commit to regular fellowship as we are commanded to do so and more so as we see the Day of the Lord approaching ( Heb. 10:25).
There are some who have said that they sense the Lord is coming back around this time of year (of course that is hardly the only time mentioned for that event). Let us always keep the message of the Gospel forefront; whether we are out shopping for others (talking about Christ being the "reason for the season") or with family members and friends let us continue to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.
Amen, I completely agree in fact I was telling a neighbor, I met yesterday, how I would love to be part of a revival & how churches need to stop talking about the old testament, past & speak more about what's coming, how to prepare, what to do & so on. Or heck, put me in charge of a call center, getting a hold of all the churches (like they do fire & tornado drills at schools) ahead of time to practice so If someone walked in w/weapons (as has happened she said) in every church so they'd be prepared because as of now very few would stand up for Jesus. I can say all day that I'm confident I would yet, Paul thought he was a strong believer too. Only God knows the outcome. IN fact He already knows who is going to be next president if the world even last that long. We need more missionaries right here in the U.S that aren't scared to spread the word as well. Nobody likes to go door to door anymore, or did the government put a stop to that too. Finding good bible movies these days is even hard. All we can do is pray & till electric goes out, be on here. Everything on all electronics is monitored. they know our every move. sad ha? Keep Jesus in your heart & your gun loaded. lol
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
And to address Jessie's point about the devil believing that is different from the faith we have in believing that Jesus died, was buried and rose again for the remission of our sins. Their belief is not a salvation belief.
James 2:19
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
There are MANY clear verses that salvation is by faith aloneJesus paid it ALL even after we are saved we will still sin until we die from this flesh. And that is why we are to be as little children.it is easy to be saved even a small child can be saved.
In the commentary for James you refer to the apostle Paul as St. Paul. Do you believe the aostles can be saints, were do you find that in the bible? Is this a beief system for the church of Christ. For me it seems to be a view the catholic support.
Heavenly Father I thank you for your son Jesus more then anything in life. Without His courage, strength & death we would not know what to do. Lord I ask that you be with GiGi, as you know, she is fighting a respiratory virus w/a cough, being tired & wheezing. Give her the strength to fight this Lord as she ask for a quick recovery w/out asthmatic problems or painful breathing. Oh, and thank you for keeping covid away from her. In Jesus precious name I pray, Amen....Love, Hugs & Prayers your way
Matthew 16:16-18
16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17)And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
18)Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I believe Jesus is saying Peter what you declared in verse 16 is the rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
and Peter preached that on Pentecost.
I like the way you put that Giannis!
All three applies.
God bless.
Okay this is my THIRD attempt to do this without it getting wiped out. For those trusting God we still only see through a glass darkly. ( 1 Cor. 13:12). Nonetheless in our own lives and especially others we can see patterns of how trusting God brings us benefits in the Lord. The effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much ( James 5:16).
It is good to follow someone who has a proven track record long term in trusting and fearing the Lord. Obviously we need to be cautious in case they slip into sin; but as "iron sharpens iron" ( Prov. 27:17) it is good to exhort; admonish and of course encourage one another as brothers in Christ ( 2 Tim. 4:2). A TRUE man of God will be open about the fact that he is indeed a flawed vessel; and will ask for prayer.
This; of course is NOT the same as following anyone who has an auspicious name in the ministry. There are those; of course that have that name who are doctrinally sound; others who are clearly not. It is unlikely that these individuals have the time to effectively look at an individual at least long term unless you happen to be close friends to them or a family member. The scriptures; however have the answers in them; and ultimately they should be used by the skilled practitioner to reveal the Lord's will in our lives.
Interesting-from 2 Thess. 3:10 it says: "if a man does not work he shall not eat."
I just heard the other day that in our state, (WA) someone on welfare with all the "bennies" equals a salary of $120,000. That is really outrageous for people who do not work, many of whom can. I for one do not wish for people to live in squalor, but this amount is far above the medium income in our state. No wonder so many do not go to work when there are so many jobs out there. They make far more on welfare than they could if they worked a 40 hour week. But those who do work and who have worked all their adult life until retirement, this is a slap in the face. We pay for these people to have a better income than most of us.
So, while the rich could certainly enlist some reforms in their lives, those on welfare could and should do the same and make their own money to care for their needs when they can. Those of us who are middle class, whether upper, middle, or lower, we are being taken advantage of and we can not really afford all of these taxes, But we, too, need some reform in our lives.
But all of this reform needs to come from God, NOT from the government. the government always screws up whatever they endeavor to do that the private sector can do or has done better. For those who are truly down and out, unable to help pick themselves back up from poverty, or recover from drug/alcohol addiction, or have mental health of physical disabilities that prevent them from working, God's people should certainly help them and the charities that service these people.
You cannot build an eternal church on a son of Adam . You can only build it on the Son of God .
God in his wisdom laid out all of Peters failures to show also he was not tThe Rock. All of scripture says God is the Rock.
Jesus Himself said " if any one hears my words and does them ,I will liken them to a wise man that dug deep and built his house upon a rock " Jesus being the Rock the Word of God made flesh .
One swallow does not make a summer . One verse does not make or prove a doctrine .
Peter was the Apostle to the Jews and was based in Jerusalem .
Paul was the Apostle to the gentiles and was found and died in Rome .
Tradition does not overrule scripture .
I will pray for you and your ex-wife.
Dear Heavenly Father, today we lift up both Rick and his ex-wife before You in the name of Jesus. Bring healing and strength to both of these people so that each can make the best decisions for their life ahead. Heal the brokenness and pain in their hearts, the aspects of their character that led to the breakdown of this marriage, and the sense of loss of the dream of the future they were to have together. We ask that You help rick get past this situation and not be easily taken in by his ex-wife's moves to reunite. Help both set boundaries on their relationships that will help them interact in healthy and godly ways. Bring forgiveness to each of them for one another. And, should it be Your will, bring them back together in marriage when the time is right by Your will. If not this, then guide them in this time of singleness to be the man and woman You created them to be as individuals. Father, i know that You will work in the lives of Rick and his ex-wife in good ways that bring them closer to You and advance their faith. Amen.
The word 'saint' finds its root in the verb, 'to sanctify'. And this means 'to make Holy, to set apart'. So when we see it written in the Bible, we understand that it refers to the holy, separated ones to God, i.e. to Christians. You are a saint as you've placed your trust & life in Jesus. But the RC definition isn't correct, where they appoint some special persons to sainthood. This is not biblical.
There is something to be said for wisdom that comes from above in guiding our decisions; if anything simply trusting the Word of God on certain things like guidance on money ( Proverbs 10:2 on "ill gotten gains"; Proverbs 20:21 warns of a quickly received inheritance that is spent rapidly and or unwisely reminding us of the story of the son who squandered his inheritance in Luke 15.)
Similar things can be said for other basic issues in life such as behaviors that enhance or disrupt marriages and other family relations; as well as the general counsel not to trust in themselves. Proverbs 3:5-6 warns us about not leaning on our own understanding.
The difficulty comes in the seemingly mundane actions that the saved and unsaved perform every day. At least we USED to assume a standard indicative of verses like 2 Thessalonians 3:10 which interestingly enough was apparently repeated by Lenin (an avid atheist) but for some odd reason is missing from the far left today. Go figure. When we look at work; assuming that we are not a total criminal for a living (not to be the case as much today in society); we can certainly see how those who are highly skilled; making a "name for themselves" in the world as well as very rich can be much more likely to be caught up in their own accomplishments and status. What would be considered a disaster for them (i.e. having to do manual labor because of mental decline or their company folding) would be to many a cause of rejoicing who are struggling to survive. Such perspective of individuals inevitably squews (however you spell it) our viewpoint. Our natural affections are self centered as well as many of our personal dislikes. The Spirit must be renewing the inner man daily and those who are saved have access to this sanctification. There is ALWAYS contention between the Spirit and the flesh; it may lie dormant but sin is always present as long as we are in these mortal bodies ( Romans 7:24).
Thanks for your praying heart. I know that God is healing me already. But he brought this situation upon me so that I would humbly seek the prayers of others. How blessed I am for all who pray for me. May God bless those who pray for others as well as answer our prayers ever according to His perfect will.
Amazing that He did all this by becoming human while still remaining God. Not a deified man, but God condescending to us in Mary's womb, conceived of the Holy Spirit, inhabiting the body the Father prepared for us. He did not take on the body of another human person, but was THE one and only Person in this human body. He was born in a manger to people of no repute. This Babe was our Savior and Deliver from evil since before time began. What a condescension! What a humbling! What a loving!
Done for us that in redemption God would be glorified and demonstrate the greatness of His love, power and authority in Jesus, the One who is the exact image of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God.
!
"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent?
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Love you brother, read your posts just don't reply much anymore. Just something to consider, many are looking for The antichrist, as there is just one that is coming. In Rev. 13:2-9 we see the first beast is given 42 months/3.5 years to make war and overcome the saints, if we are still living that's us. I agree he ascends from the bottomless pit, Rev. 9,13,11,17, the king of those spoken of in 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 1:6 and Gen. 6.
There is a second beast, he is the one who creates an image of this first beast, and he is the one who makes people worship it and take the mark, the false prophet Rev. 13:11-15. We know these two beasts are here together with Satan/the dragon Rev. 12, because the false prophet, the second beast, is the one who does the miracles and does them in sight of the first beast.
Just something to consider.
God bless,
RLW
Romans 7:2-3
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man". The same goes for the husband, if his wife dies he is free to marry another woman. GBU
The prodigal son went back home at the end, as we know from the known parable. But if he had not go back home he would had eventually died away from his father's house, he would had been left out.
Matthew 16:18
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.."
Lets read the above like a greek person reads it.
"You are Petros (a masculine name from the feminine noun "Petra" which means "stone, rock") and upon this rock I will build my church". So what Jesus actually says is "You are rock and upon this rock I will build my church".
So the question is, what does the Lord mean with that?
!. The Rock is Peter himself. It makes sence since there is a continuity in the text. The most possible explanation is that on Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost the church was initiated and established.
2. The Rock is the declaration Peter did in verse 16, "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.". On that declaration the church was supported and founded.
3. The Rock is Jesus Chist Himself, since He is the cornerstone of the spiritual building which is the church, as you said.
All 3 are possible. But I don't think anything changes really if one chooses any one of those.
GBU
According to many scholars; this was actually the time of the conception of Christ; as many ascribe His birth to the fall feasts; others I believe have said that the shepherds would have been out in the spring. In any case; our LIVING Head ( Colossians 1:18) evermore intercedes for us in heavenly places ( Heb. 7:25; etal). We need to attach the death and resurrection of Christ to the birth of course for the complete picture. In any event; we of course have a new year upcoming. Time relentlessly marches forward; like it or not.
There was already said to be the most need since World War Two a few years back as to the number of refugees; and hungry children worldwide. No doubt the problem is still at those levels today. May we wisely give as we feel led so as to be the "hands and feet" of Christ; and/or volunteer to help any way we can. May we also wisely plan seeing that there are so many catastrophes that seem to be coming to pass simultaneously in the short term; so as to have us be the "head and not the tail" when calamity strikes. ( Deut. 28:13).
No doubt there are many who are quite lonely this year as in recent years in particular. May we look for those who we can invite; or at least bless with a phone call or contact not just now but throughout the winter months in particular. I haven't been led to pray for revival; but I do ask that those who do come to church especially if backslidden will commit to regular fellowship as we are commanded to do so and more so as we see the Day of the Lord approaching ( Heb. 10:25).
There are some who have said that they sense the Lord is coming back around this time of year (of course that is hardly the only time mentioned for that event). Let us always keep the message of the Gospel forefront; whether we are out shopping for others (talking about Christ being the "reason for the season") or with family members and friends let us continue to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.
Believing seals you with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
And to address Jessie's point about the devil believing that is different from the faith we have in believing that Jesus died, was buried and rose again for the remission of our sins. Their belief is not a salvation belief.
James 2:19
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
There are MANY clear verses that salvation is by faith aloneJesus paid it ALL even after we are saved we will still sin until we die from this flesh. And that is why we are to be as little children.it is easy to be saved even a small child can be saved.