biblelesson

Let's look at the Power of Christ. Let's look at "to believe." Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me..." How does Christ strengthens us.? Through our crucification with Him on the cross. I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, Galatians 2:20. When Christ died on the cross, God crucified our fleshly carnal man with Christ also. That's our fleshly desires, our addictions, our wrong emotions, our shame, our guilt, our envy, and all other sin. And, for each individual Christian to benefit from what God did when He crucified the flesh with Christ on the cross, what must we do? Believe! What must we do to believe and have faith? See Hebrews 11:6, for without faith it is impossible to please God. We must truly understand and have the God given revelation of what God did. When we can see it through praying to God and asking Him to give us the revelation of our death on the cross with Christ, we can then believe it, and when we believe it, we are given Power. We don't receive the Power if we don't believe. And to not understand what God did for us is the same as not believing, because how can we believe if we don't understand the true revelation of what God did. The crucifixion of the fleshly carnal man on the cross with Christ removed sin out of the way. Although it is for all men, we can only experience the Power of it in our lives through faith. We are told to put off the Old Man, and put on the New Man, Ephesians 4:22-24. When we put on the new man, we are putting on Power; the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and our minds are being renewed. It is the Power of Christ that enables us to stop any addition, any sin. We miss the understanding of this because it is Real Power, Power that comes from On High, and power we don't have. So a lot of us struggle to stop sinning because we can't find that power; we don't understand. We have been crucified with Christ, we died with Christ, Romans 6:8. So the Power we need to stop sinning is not ours. It comes from On High. This is a process of patiently waiting on God to "GIVE US" His Power to help us! so we keep praying and petitioning God for help! When we can see with a God given revelation that we have been crucified with Christ, our minds are being renewed. God imparts us with His Power at that moment and the process of growing us up in Christ starts. We can actually feel our inner man being strengthened by His Power when we have the right focus on the cross, that only God can give us. So pray and ask God for His God given revelation of our crucifixion on the cross with Christ. Study the scriptures relating to being crucified with Christ, putting off the old man, and putting on the new man. Study Romans 6 & 7. As you study, pray for understanding. God has all Power, being an all Powerful God, able to subdue our flesh, and strengthen our inner man.

We suffer with our sins until God builds us up by His Spirit, and then removes them by His Holy Spirit. It is by His grace that our sins are removed. This way, it is God who gets the glory. "Where is boasting then," Romans 3:27. If we are able to overcome all our sins, then why did Jesus die? We have no control to stop our sin no matter how we try because we are dealing with the flesh which is very powerful. We can't do it, and will never be able to do it. But, only by the Power of the Holy Spirit can the flesh be subdued, and all of our sins be removed out of the way. Some sins are very difficult to stop, like addictions, as others have said on this post. Sometimes God don't just wipe the sin away, but will bare long with us for our benefit and growth. This allows us to cry out to God, and want to change in our inner man. This process strengthens the Christian and build them up. This is God's doing.

You can fast and give up one meal a day, meaning just breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. Do it for three day, then stop. Start over the same days the next week.

We are to pray for people who trouble us. Pray for him and ask God to bless him. Ask God to allow your heart to mean it. In your prayers, let God know what troubles you about this person, and let God know you are afraid. Ask God to "move" him from your life, but please don't let you have hate in your heart, and let God know that you want to see blessings for him. Finally ask God to allow him and his child to have a good, loving relationship. Sometimes we don't really see it, but if we have the wrong feelings towards someone, God won't move them out of our lives. We must learn the lesson. If you hold resentment, anger, hate, etc., God sometimes teaches the lesson of love. God is not particular of persons. If you hold ill feelings, God will see you the same as him. Get rid of any ill feelings you might have. Pray for God to put love in your heart for him. Ask God for His Spirit to help you do this, because only God is able! Follow God's way and His Spirit, and you will see mountains move for you

Matthew 11:29-30, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus is saying to take His yoke upon us. That He is meek and lowly in heart. That we shall find rest. For His yoke is easy. Each statement relates to the cross. What Jesus did for us on that cross, although He was alive when He made that statement. When it is difficult, we can "Look unto Jesus" by taking up His yoke. When we suffer persecution, we can "Look unto Jesus," take up His yoke, and Jesus provides us comfort as He conforms us to righteousness. When we suffer in the flesh and are working towards putting off the old man, we are to "Look unto Jesus" to find our strength! "Look unto Jesus" where His burden is light, and we will find peace. The reason Jesus's burden is light, and He gives us peace, is because there is Power in what Jesus did for us on the cross, which comes with promises of peace and comfort. "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me" is that Power and promise. We are to put the old man off. But how? The Power of the cross does it, and it offers Jesus yoke, which is light, which we find rest. Because when we truly understand, and truly realize that we have been crucified with Christ on that cross with Him, we can then see that we have nothing to offer, that we don't live. How can a dead man live? So we will start to see that we have no power aside from Christ, because God took away the fleshly man crucified it on the cross with Christ, Galatians 2:20. Knowing and realizing this and yielding to this, halts the process of us continuing to fight with the flesh. Halts (God's Power). We then realize and start to see that there is no reviving a dead fleshly man that has been crucified, and our attempts to change ourselves ceases. So, we turn ourselves, our minds, our thoughts to Jesus, thus we "Look unto Jesus." What Jesus did for us on the cross. There are two places. One is under the dominion of the flesh, the Old Man, where there is struggle to do right, be right, talk right, think right, act right, and as a result, there is the guilt, shame, anger, frustration, etc. etc.. The other is under the dominion of the Spirit of Christ, the New Man, where there is meekness, peace, and lowliness of heart (humble spirit). If the flesh has been crucified with Christ, then we are not under that dominion any longer. And having been crucified with Christ, we are now under the dominion of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, where there is Power to live righteous, where we take Jesus's yoke upon us. Jesus yoke raises us above all situation, takes away all fleshly carnal activity in the inner man, gives us the Power to walk holy, and cleans our conscious, by His blood, Hebrews 9:14. Jesus set us free. None of us are capable of this work. God did the work for us by crucifying the flesh with Christ on the cross. The revelation of what God has done, and our looking unto those things that is promised to us from Jesus death comes with Power from on High into our lives to change us, as is the purpose of the cross, and for our salvation. We are to believe everything that was done for us, and truly want to put the old man off, and truly look to Christ in every circumstance. This one - Look to Christ. That on - Look to Christ. The other one - Look to Christ. For example: If I'm struggling with a particular sinful behavior, (and all behavior generating out of the flesh is sin), where I find myself constantly trying to stop the behavior, constantly trying to turn the wrong behavior into a right behavior, I'm dealing with the law of sin that has power over me, Romans 7:21 & 23. Continuing on in this madness, I'm really saying Christ did not die for me. The reason is because if we were able to walk right before the Lord, then Christ would not have had to die for us. It was because we could not be righteous, right behavior, before the Lord that He died to save us. There is nothing that we can do that is acceptable to God, even if we do manage to change our behavior. All of the change in behavior is done by the Spirit of Christ. So, we don't try an do it on our own power, which is not acceptable to God, but we do it by the Power of Christ, by the cross, Romans 7:24-25. Every troubling behavior, every sinful behavior we are plagued with in the fleshly man, which has been crucified, we realize that it does not exist in Christ because we have been crucified. When Christ died on the cross, He said "It is finished," John 19:30. All Power is given into Jesus hands, Matthew 28:18. " So, the first step is that we Look unto Christ. Then when we truly realize that the behavior we are struggling with, fear, anger, self-pride, self-pity, etc. we are automatically placed in the domain of the Spirit, which has power over sin, Romans 6:14, Romans 8:10, which molds us, and changes us. There is a real conscience of the Spirit "given to us" when we allow the process to play out the way God has designed it, by yielding, not to the flesh, but to the Spirit, thus we are "made alive," Romans 6:13, Romans 6:16. The Spirit then works in our lives to guide us, strengthen us, grow us up in Christ. But we have to see it, meaning we are to believe. But without following the process of the cross the way God designed it to be with Power, we neglect the Spirit, and we try doing it ourself, which is not acceptable to God. Take up Jesus yoke and learn of Him, that is through the cross and what He did for us with Power to change us!

Maybe I misunderstand, but can you let me know what power do our words have over God when we say "Thy will be done" in our prayers, vs God's Power and what He chooses to do? Meaning there are certain requirements to answered prayers, not just saying, "Thy will be done" at the end of our prayers.

Selah7, We can pray, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done" till the cows come home. We can cry a river of tears, but, according to the Gospel, if we are not praying in the Spirit, our prayers will suffer. We must ask God for help. To allow us to pray right. To give us the revelation of answered prayer. Too many people think that all we need to do is say the Lords prayer, and that's it. A lot of us pray in the flesh. But, we are to put off the old man and walk in the Spirit, and pray in the Spirit. John 4:23-24, Jesus was talking about after his death, and what would be required in the gospel, under the new covenant, "But the hours cometh, and now it is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirt and in truth." Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." This does not mean praying all day. It means when we pray, to always pray in the Spirit. But because people don't know what it means to pray in the Spirit, this area of our prayer life is stunted, so we just go with what we think they know. 1 Corinthians 14:15, "...I will pray in the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also, I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Paul is saying when he's in church, he will pray with understanding and not in the Spirit, speaking in tongue, where other's cannot say Amen because they would not understand what he is saying. But alone, and to God, he will pray in the Spirit. We must live the gospel.

I don't want you to misunderstand me. Let me see if I can give you an example. If someone ask you for something, and say you have specific requirements, but you can see they are not a very honest person, but they know you are kind, and they ask kindly, and finally say, "only if you want too." So, now you look the situation, at the person, and determine that you are dealing with someone that's not very honest. So you say no. Not because they said, "only if you want to do" or for example, "thy will be done." But you decide "no" base on the person's dishonesty which would create a problem based on your requirements. Now say someone comes to you and ask you for something who is a very honest person, and they also say, "only if you want do it", or "thy will be done. Again, you don't decide based on the words they said, "only if you want to do it," but you decide based on the fact that they appeared to you to be honest. So you say "yes". Not because they said the words, "only if you want to," but, because they have come to you in honesty, and are someone who respects you, therefore, they have fulfilled your requirements. And of course it is always according to God's will, and it's God's will that we believe Him according to the gospel. A person can present themselves wrong, even while saying, "thy will be done." So it's not our words, it's God's will, his requirements.

Hi debrakay, I have been hearing for years that God said "No" to Apostle Paul. That God did not answer Apostle Paul's prayer. So people just go with that explanation. But in searching the scriptures closely, Paul never said that God did not answer his prayer. He said he sought God thrice (three times), that it might depart from him. He never said what it was. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God's answer to him was "my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." This is not a "no" answer. This is a growing and strengthening answer. How do we know that God did not deliver Paul from his thorn in the side after a time of affliction and growing in the strength of the Lord? We don't know that. Based on 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Paul talks about his persecutions, afflictions, etc. that he endured, but he says, "But God delivered me out of them all." So, it sounds like God did answer Paul's prayer after a time. Paul wrote his letters at different times. He traveled and preached the Gospel before he even went up to Jerusalem, which was 14 years after being given the gospel, Galatians 2:1. According to history he wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia about Ad 55 or 56 while at Ephesus. And he wrote 1 Timothy after leaving Ephesus, somewhere between AD 62 and 66. So from the time Paul was dealing with the thorn in the side as he wrote 2 Corinthians, to the time he told Timothy that God had delivered him out of all his troubles, to include his afflictions, was 10 years. So 10 years later Paul told Timothy God had delivered him. I don't think anyone can use Jesus as an example of having prayer not answered. It was foretold that Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would save mankind from their sins. This was prophecy! And dealing with Moses, we must look at the law that Moses was under as to why God did not answer his prayer. We are not under the law, we are under grace.

1 John 5:14 - This scripture is not saying that we are to pray saying "thy will be done." Although many of us end our prayer this way. But doing so is our choice and it has no affect on what God does. This scriptures is saying if we ask anything "THAT IS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he hears us. Meaning we must APPEAR before God, not in words, but in the "POSITION" of FAITH the way God has ORDAINED in order for our prayers to be answered. We ourselves are BRINGING into the prayer OUR HEARTFELT TRUST in God according to His will, meaning that God requires that we believe Him and trust Him. What we say means nothing if we present ourselves to God in the wrong POSITION in prayer. That's what according to His will means. 1 John 5:15, "And if we know that He hears us. Do we know He hears us? "Whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him." Do we know we have the petition that we desire of Him? This scripture says 1)whatsoever we ask., and 2) we know that we have the petition we desire." Do you hear that? If we doubt this or teach others to doubt this, then we doubt the word of God, and we are doubting faith. There is too much suffering out here. God want's us to know Him. And one aspect of knowing God, is to know He wants to answer our prayers to be a Father; a loving Father. I don't want to deny people the truth about God, who wants to give us everything we want. He is pleased with us when we truly believe Him. And I'm talking abut suffering Christians. Not people who are looking for material things. But Christians who need to know that it's Ok, to believe God, and know God answers prayers. We must be in the right POSITION to receive. Additional scripture showing what is according to His will: Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

I'm not sure how you are seeing" according to His will." But people say "according to His will" means he will sometimes not answer. My point is "According to His will" does not mean He will not answer. According to His will means He answers according to His own will. Meaning, we have in our minds how we want situations to go, but God says His way are higher than our ways, Isaiah 55:8. Also, we must be walking in ways that pleases the Lord. And what's that? humble, meek, loving, trusting, kind: the Fruit of the Spirit. We can't ask in our carnal minds, we must be in the Spirit. And the answer to our prayer is according to God's own Will, not our own will. For example, many times God answer my prayers was according to His way, His will. He answered completely different from the way I had expected in my mind. I can say He performed miracles where I could not doubt it was Him. So what comes with God's answers, are miracles as well to where He is glorified for all to see. His ways are higher than our ways, Isaiah 55:8-9. Also he will answer whatsoever we ask, 1 John 3:22. And what is according to His will when we ask? To do those things which pleases Him, and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, 1 John 3:22. So let's not doubt God, and I'm guilty also. But as James says, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (doubting), For he that wavereth (doubts), is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed," James 1:6. So, we must understand what the Word of God is saying, and not with just one verse. We must study to show thyself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15. We lack understanding of faith and God's promises due to a lack of understanding. God says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6. There is a warning here: "because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee..." We can also take this to mean, because we have reject knowledge, God will reject us and not answer our prayer.

I know that this is an old post. I hope more comments can be generated from what I have to share. I think the problem is we are not really hearing what Jesus said about prayer and about believing, Mark 11:24. It's our faith. I have to admit, I do not possess the kind of faith that Jesus talks about pertaining a situation I'm dealing with. But when I look back on those times my prayers were answered, I had no doubt, and my faith was strong. Each time! We are to work on our faith, like the disciples said to Jesus, "Increase my faith." Build our faith up to be strong, not weak. Jesus said many times to the disciples, "Oh ye of little faith." So that tells me that we must not have little faith. It's a lesson of spiritual growth, like all lessons of spiritual growth in the gospel. We should not be praying for years over, and over again, for the same thing to happen without learning the lesson. The lesson is our faith is not right, and we must learn why we lack faith, and what is the right faith in Christ. I want to share something that was revealed to me a long time ago that really opened my eyes to faith. People say all we need is a little faith like the mustard seed because a mustard seed is tiny. But that's absolutely not true. It's because the mustard seed is tiny, that it had great faith. What happens when a tiny mustard seed is planted. That little, tiny seed's faith is so great because it believes it will be a great flowing willow tree, thousands times bigger that the seed itself. The tiny seed's faith was large enough to produce a large tree. So, if you can see it, that we must have great faith, you can see why Jesus told Peter, . "Oh ye of little faith." If little faith was needed, then why would Jesus say "Oh ye of little faith." And it was the little faith that stopped Peter from walking on water. So we got it backwards. So, we have been listening to people who don't know what they are talking about. It's not little faith, it's great faith. We also listen to people who say God will answer our prayer if it's according to His will. That's not true either. Of course being a Christian we know we can't ask God for things that's a sin But, God will answer our prayer if we believe. Like Jesus said, "Ask what you will, and believe in your heart and don't doubt, and you will have what you ask for." So it's up to us to believe God will do it. Faith is a law, and we must learn the lesson of faith. It's very hard because of our old way of thinking and believing. And because of our fears we must deal with. It's a renewing of the mind like Apostle Paul tells us.

You’ve stepped into the furnace of affliction, Isaiah 48:10. During this time God stays silent with us, Psalms 22:2. But not forever. If He stop your growth now, you remain a weak Christian. You will lack the Fruit of the Spirit. But if he stays silent and allow your pain and hurt and frustration, you will call on Him, the only one who can make you like iron, Micah 4:13. You are doing what He expects. He know you will be troubled. He knows you will be angry at Him. He knows you will be confused. You are in His hands. Your pain is glorifying the Lord, because He is building you up in Christ to strengthen you to do His work. He can’t use you if you remain the same. It took me a long time to come to terms with this. I didn’t even want to I say “let thy will be done” at first. Because I didn’t want it. But the more you cry out to God, the more He builds you up spiritually. Little by little - so He is speaking to you! His way at first. As you grow, and yes, through the furnace of fire, you will start to hear Him because your spirit will be softened enough to hear the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So, count it all joy because our suffering due to God’s chastisement means we are His children, Hebrews 12:8.

No, we are seeing the Dead. Discernment is called for here. The souls in Revelation under the alter were killed, yet they are communicating with God. And based on this account, there are souls in heaven. You are saying souls are those who are alive, and breathing, And that's true based on Revelation 16:3, and many other verses in the bible. But we are also called souls when we die based on the following: 1) Souls had been slain (killed) and were under the alter of God. Revelation 6:9, "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. Whose's alter were they under? How could those alive be given white robes, and be under God's alter? No, based on the simplicity of God's word, it's obvious souls who had been killed were under God's alter in Heaven. Are you saying these souls didn't die, but they were under God's alter. If not, are you saying the bible is lying? What are you saying? These souls ask God how long would it be before He avenge their blood, Revelation 6:10. So why avenge their blood? The reason why is because they were killed, and they were asking God to avenge their blood that was spilled from their death. 2) God spoke to the souls under the alter and told them to rest a little while until their fellow servants also and their brethren should be "killed as they were." Revelation 6:11. God said their brethren had to be killed like they had been killed. Therefore it is obvious these souls had been killed. They were dead. It is absolutely clear that Revelation 6:9-11, is talking about people who had been killed, and were called souls in heaven resting. Another clue is they were given white robes, Revelation 6:11, And white robes were given unto every one of them..." White robes were given to them because they were saints, and although they were in heaven, they would be resurrected when Christ descends from heaven, like everyone else who die in Christ, 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

What I do, I don’t want to do. What I don’t want to do, I do. Who can save me from this body of death? Thanks be to Christ! The Holy Spirit changed us! Our old self is crucified with Christ, and we walk in newness of life, the new man, the Spirit of Christ. We all must have and walk in the Spirit of Christ, or we are none of His, Romans 8:9. Same thing goes for the homosexual! Their life can be changed by the Spirit of Christ.

We are all filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6.

Even more, Sodom and Gomorrah gives a good account of same sex relations, where the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with God's angles thinking they were men. Lot offered his daughters, but the men of Sodom refused and told Lot to stand back! Genesis 19:4-8.

One of the sad things we don't alway understand about the gay community is the reason many are gay. I had an opportunity to speak with someone who was so willing to tell his story. He was saddened that no one ever asked him the question of why he was gay. He told me that when he was a little boy, his father would whip him severely if he played with girls. Maybe his father wanted to prevent him from getting a young girl pregnant or something, but apparently he went overboard. But, this gay guy said he was so afraid of his father that he would never play with girls, nor talk to them. But because his father never said anything about boys, he didn't think anything was wrong when he was approached by an older male at school one day. He said he was molested, but because of how his father punished him about girls, he thought it was the correct thing to do at a very young age. So that started his life with males. Of course as he got older, he realized he was wrong. But now he's caught, and it's truly like any addiction. He can't let it go. It has all of the hallmarks of addiction: Shame, guilt, disgust, inability to stop, etc. etc. Anyone who is caught in a real addiction cannot let it go. And the shame and guilt is so strong, they need help to stop. But because he feels so ashamed about it, he dare not talk to anyone about getting help. He's in a real catch 22. So, sometimes, it's more than just a person is a horrible person for doing such a thing. No, it's more than we can understand. This person is a wonderful person, but just caught in 1) unresolved feelings over the abuse by a father, 2) unresolved guilt over abuse by an older person, 3) lifestyle forced upon him, and 4) struggle go overcome. Can you imagine a young child whose father psychologically abuse them for years. No human being can help that person, only God. Because to that young mind, the father was God.

It's the same as he who is without sin, cast the first stone! We have no right to judge because we are just a guilty of sin! People seem to think that, Romans 1:28, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind...," means God is turning you over to a reprobate mind where a person is struck with such a mind, and then cannot change. But that's not what's being said. A reprobate is simply a sinner, like all of us, who is sinning and not willing to change. It's the same as telling your child, "if you don't change your behavior, I will just leave you to the consequences of our behavior. So to turn over to a reprobated mind, Romans 1:28, is saying the same thing: "If the reprobate sinful behavior is not changed, or if there is an unwillingness to change, God then gave them over to that mindset they were already operating in, reprobate, and will I leave them to the consequences of their actions! It does not mean that God struck them with a reprobate mind like so many believe! They were already operating reprobate, and God just turned them over.

Messiah has already come being foretold in Isaiah, 7:14, "Messiah would be born of a virgin. Micah 5:2, Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah 7:14, Messiah would be called Immanuel. Isaiah 40:3, A messenger will prepare the way (John the Baptist). Psalm 69:8, Isaiah 53:3, Messiah would be rejected by his own people. Isaiah 53:5, Messiah will be wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities.." Psalm 78:2, Messiah would speak in parables. Jeremiah 31:15, Children will be massacred at Messiah's birth. There are many more prophecies foretelling the coming of Messiah, who has already come. The Judgment seat is of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10. We are to call our savior Jesus because the angel Gabriel (who stand in the presence of God, Luke 1:19) was sent from God, and gave a message to Mary, Luke 1:31, "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in they womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS! There are those today who say Messiah has not come yet, denying the fact that He came and was born of a virgin. These people are waiting for His first coming. However, we are waiting for Jesus second coming who came as the Messiah the first time. Being foretold in the old testament, Messiah has come, and was born of a virgin, and his name is called, JESUS, who is the Christ - Jesus Christ! I think it's important to note that the old covenant ended at Jesus's death, where the vail was ripped, bringing the new covenant, Hebrews 9:16-17. Some may not understand but Apostle Paul points out the problem with the reading of the old testament, 2 Corinthians 3:12-14: 12, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech; 13, "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14, "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament which vail is don away in Christ." We have to be able to discern which part of the old testament leads us into the New Testament, and which part does not. At this time of Christ, there is no mixing of the new and the old testament. So we must pray for discernment in reading of the old testament. If we are not sure, we look for what's been moved from the old to the new under the gospel writings. That's safer because in Christ we are saved by the gospel only: Romans 16:25, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ.." Romans 2:16, "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." 2 Timothy 2:6, "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel." 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved..." 2 Thessalonians 2:14, "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." Because the gospel is the power of salvation unto everyone that believeth, Romans 1:16. So when we are told we must believe on Jesus, we are being told to believe on Jesus Christ's and His Gospel. The gospel of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:1, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand..." Lazarus and the rich man: Jesus was speaking to His disciples in parables, so when He spoke about Lazarus and the rich man, this was a parable that was among others that Jesus had been speaking about. So we have to look at what the bible says. We are not at liberty to make things up as we go along. Although we die, and are buried, our souls go to heaven. Revelation explains this. There are souls in heaven during the tribulation, before the White Throne Judgment: Revelation 6:9,"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held;" These souls could even talk to God, Revelation 6:10, "And the cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O Lord, holy land true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood..." So these verses alone tells us that our souls go to heaven, although we are buried when we die. The issue of the rich man and the beggar: What's important to consider is the bible says the beggar was "carried by the angles into Abraham's bosom," Luke 16:22. So how could this not be true if an angel of God carried the beggar into Abraham's bosom. The parable is explaining that somewhere after death, angles get involved with the righteous to carry them to a place of safety. But apparently the wicked is not carried to a place of safety, and they seem to be tormented. So maybe we don't fully understand the purpose of the White throne Judgment. Because none of those who are saved, and are with Christ will be judged at the White Throne Judgment. They will take part in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:6, "Blessed is holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." So, if the beggar was in Abraham's bosom, and the rich man could see Father Abraham, and ask Abraham for help, then it stands to reason that it's true that the beggar was in Abraham's bosom. So if the beggar was in Abraham's bosom, where was/is the rich man? The bible says the rich man was in torment of fire and looked over and saw Abraham and saw Lazarus in his bosom.

No, it's not that I did not understand the question or the thread. Faith is throughout the bible from Genesis to Revelation. There is no way to dictate to a person how to think or process information based on a simple question, especially when no one said, "Oh, you must answer in this way." Nonetheless, my statement to you was, I did not understand what you were saying. I was letting you know that your comments were not said in a way to where it could be understood based on true bible knowledge. You were rambling on without any reference to scripture which is a dangerous thing to do. My opinion and your opinion does not matter. We are not God! We can think what we want, but we can't say anyone should hear us simply because we said it, especially if God did not say it in His word.

Thank you for your extensive review and comments. One point I have is I'm unable to see how "certain meaning of words" in the bible can be interpreted based on the Greek language, considering the bible has been interpreted already 400 or so years ago. To do this is considered changing the word of God to be interpreted the way a person want it to be, to their liking, and not the way it has already been interpreted by those God entrusted to do so so many hundred years ago. We are not Greek scholars. We don't speak the Greek language. It's my opinion that people doing this is making a grave mistake. Second, I'm not up to my own opinion on the Word of God. I can't say what God won't do because it doesn't sound right to me. I can only list what the Word of God says, and show the scriptures. If the scriptures don't show us what God is doing, then that's fine. But I can't say it's not true simply because it doesn't make sense to me. I'm not God, and I didn't write the Bible. I'm unable to see your view based on the references you have provided. It does not flow well for me, based on other scripture context I'm familiar with, to where I can understand your conclusions.

Abel's offering was a sin offering, the shedding of the blood of the animal. Cain's offering was not a sin offering such as to be able to atone for sin. Jesus died for our sins by shedding His blood, being a sin offering for us unto God. The day of atonement which required a sacrifice of an animal was a day the Children of Israel kept unto the veil of the temple was ripped at Christ's crucifixion. Other sin offerings were required under Moses's laws for the sins of Israel until Christ's came. God would be pleased with Able's offering, and not Cains.

This is an older thread, but I'm glad I found something on prayer. Just want to say I realize I have misunderstood prayer. Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..." I thought this meant to pray constantly, all day. But now I understand it to mean, when you pray, to pray always in the Spirit. Not pray all day in the Spirit. I think it's just how Apostle Pauls forms his sentences and words in certain passages. Praying always in the Spirit. This means I must not pray in the flesh, that is, the carnal man. I must be in the New Man (Spiritual Man), for my prayers to be effective. Now this is a problem. How to get to the point that I pray in the Spirit, if I'm not walking in the Spirit. If my prayer end up being frustrating. If I feel I'm simply praying and praying, and feeling like I'm not being heard by God. This becomes an issue if we are not praying in the Spirit, like we are told. We are disobedient. Not our fault. We are not disobedient because we chose to be. We are disobedient due to lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Do anyone realize that the Lord's prayer is not the prayer we are to be praying. Jesus was talking to those under the law. He had not died yet to bring in the New Testament, so some of Jesus's teachings were for those under the law. We are not under the law in Christ. Apostle Paul made reference to this in 2 Corinthians 3:13-15, and most people don't understand what Paul is saying. "...until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. The New Testament starts with Roman. A testament is not in affect until after the testator dies, which is Christ, Hebrews 9:17. So, another misunderstanding. We continue to pray in the flesh thinking God will hear our prayers. This might be objectionable to some people, but when we continue to pray in the flesh, we are not in right relationship with God. Although God loves us and want to blessed us, He is a Righteous God, and hate sin. When we approach God in the flesh in our prayers, we are approaching Him in sin. Simply a lack of knowledge. So, we must pray in the Spirit. But how ? Just bare with me! There is only one spiritual language that the bible talks about. If there are many spiritual languages, please let me know. But the bible says there is only One Spirit, Ephesians 4:4. What is that Spiritual language. Apostle Pauls defines it in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. When praying to God, 1 Corinthians 14:28, "...let him speak to himself and to God. Praying in the Spirit is unfruitful because we don't know what the spirit is saying. But God does and want us to based on John 4:23-24, "The hour cometh, and now is (when the testator dies for our sins bringing in the New Testament) when the true worshippers shall worship the Father i the spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirt and in truth. This is the reason why tongues were introduced first to the disciples. Tongues is also a sign for those who believe, Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." So we must be speaking in tongue, in the spirit in our prayers. It's the spirit that takes over and makes intercessions for us, and God hears those prayers, Romans 6:7, Romans 8:26-27. We don't know what the language is saying, but it builds us up, edifies us, and builds our faith, and allows us to praise God without effort. That't the Power. If we are not speaking in tongues, we must ask God about it. No one can cause a person to speak in tongue. It is a gift from God. So take the scripture in Luke `11:13, "If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? When God blessed us with speaking in tongues, speaking in the spirit, then we can start praying in the spirit, then God will be pleased, then our prayers will be head, and He will answer!

So we can look at what scripture says! Apostle Paul is identifying the timeframe and events that are take place in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The events that's taking place is 1) there will be a shout, 2) there will be the trump of God, 3) Jesus will be descending, 4) the saints will be with Him. Shout: Jesus will shout. Another account of this is when Jesus brought Lazarus back. "He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth," John 11:43. Trumpet: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is talking about Jesus's second coming. Revelation 11:14, when the seventh trumpet sounded, the verse in Revelation reads, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever. This account is in Mark 14:62, "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Acts 1:11, "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." At Jesus's second coming all of His saints will be with Him, 1 Thessalonians 3:13. Jesus is descending: 1 Thessalonians 4:16, "For the Lord Himself will descend...." All Jesus's saints will be with Him: As Jesus is descending, He first calls His saints up to meet him in the clouds, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. When Christ appear in His glory, His saints appear with Him, Colossians 3:4. So they will descend with Him at His second coming. The saints will descend with Christ to set Their feet on the Mount of Olive with Jesus to do battle, in the war of Armageddon, Revelation 16:16, " Jude 14 & 15, "...the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of the their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed..."