God does not want anyone to perish (spend eternity with Satan and his angels in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 21: 8).  He wants everyone to repent (spend eternity with him in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem) (Rev. 21: 1 - 7, 2 Pet. 3: 9). 

   Our Lord Jesus Christ made it clear that more people will spend eternity in the fiery lake of burning sulfur than in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem (Matt. 7: 13 - 14).  

THE BIBLE IS GOD'S INSPIRED WORD

   1) The Bible authenticates itself.        We read:

 All Scripture is inspired by God and is helpful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in godly behavior (2 Tim. 3: 16).

  Prophecy did not come from man. The prophets wrote as they were enabled by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1: 20 - 21).

    2) Fulfilled prophecies also authenticate the Bible. 

  There are thousands of prophecies in the Bible. In his life, Jesus fulfilled more than 300 of them.

          We will focus on three. 

   1) When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them a command which they broke (Gen. 2: 16 - 17). God said to the serpent: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel" (Gen. 3: 15).

       For Jesus, this prophecy was fulfilled in his death and resurrection. For Satan, this prophecy is partially fulfilled in his binding (Rev. 20: 2) and will be completely fulfilled when he is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 20: 10).

   2) The prophet Isaiah recorded this prophecy before 586 B.C.

  "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9: 6).

 Jesus fulfilled this prophecy. We read: The Word was with God in the beginning. The Word was God. The world was made through him. But when he came into the world he was not recognized.  ... All who believed in his name and received him, he accepted them as children. Children born not in the natural way but born through the Spirit (John 1: 10, 12 - 13). We read in Matthew: The virgin will be pregnant and she will have a son. The son will be called Immanuel. Immanuel means God with us (Matt. 1: 23).

   3) Micah prophesied between 750 and 686 B.C. He recorded: " ... They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5: 1 - 2). ( "from ancient times" from days of eternity).

        Jesus fulfilled Micah's prophecy. He came from eternity. He was born in Bethlehem. He was Israel's king. He was beaten on his way to the cross. "Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. ..." (Mark 15: 19).

GOD HAS SET A DAY

  Dr. Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote: "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17: 30 - 31).

 THE CHOSEN PEOPLE

        The Israelites were God's chosen people under the first covenant but under the new covenant believers, both Jews and Gentiles are God's chosen people.  Although God through the prophet Jeremiah, announced the new covenant  to the people of Israel and the people of Judah (Jer. 31: 31), Scripture asserts that the new covenant is for the world.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16). 

     The apostle Paul stated concerning believers under the new covenant. Through faith in Christ Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles become children of God. They are one in Christ Jesus. Anyone who belongs to Christ becomes a seed of Abraham and an heir according to the promise (Gal. 3: 26-29).  A believer in Jesus could now communicate with God the Father through Jesus. Nobody can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14: 6).  The apostle Paul wrote: As believers in Christ, there is no Gentile or Jew, "but Christ is all, and is in all". So as God's chosen people who are truly loved show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col. 3: 11 - 12).

 The apostle Peter penned the following to believers who were scattered over the Roman world, the majority of whom were Jews. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You belong to God. So praise him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light ( 1 Pet. 2: 9). 

 GOD WARNED THE ISRAELITES THROUGH MOSES

  " I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account " (Deut. 18: 18 -  19).  

AT JACOB'S WELL

     The Samaritan woman said to Jesus: " i know that Messiah" (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us" (John 4: 25). Jesus replied: " I who speak to you am he" (John 4: 26).

                                                            WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?

 The prophet Isaiah penned the following : “The Redeemer will come to Zion to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD (Isa. 59: 20).  The prophet Zechariah paints a bleak  picture for the Israelites. The Lord declares: Two-thirds of Israel will be struck down and perish. The remaining third will pass through the fire and will call on my name. ... They will call on me and I will answer them. The Lord will say: “They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God”(Zech. 13: 9).

 WHO IS JESUS? 

  Jesus is the Word. The Word is God. He was with God in the beginning. Everything that has been created was created through him (John 1: 1 - 3). The Word became flesh and lived for a while on this earth (John 1: 14). God the Father and God the Holy Spirit dwell in Jesus. "For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ... " (Col. 2: 9). Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us (Rom. 8: 34).

  "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God" (1 John 4: 15). See John 3: 16.

 The apostle Peter said concerning Jesus: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16: 16). Jesus responded: " ... this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven" (Matt. 16: 17).

                                                          THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

  The apostle Paul was given the privilege of revealing the mystery of Christ. "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:6). 

                                                                          THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

 On the day of judgment, our Lord Jesus Christ will gather all nations before him. He will place the righteous on his right (those who have received the gift of eternal life) and the unrighteous on his left ( those who have rejected the gift of eternal life) ( Matt 25: 33).

 He will say to those on his right: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matt. 25: 34).

 To those on his left, he will say: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” ( Matt. 25: 41). 

 A PRAYER TO BE SAVED / BORN AGAIN

Jesus loves you. He died for you. He wants you to spend eternity with him. Will you confess your sins, repent of them  and receive him into your heart?  Jesus said to Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin - the Jewish Ruling Council, You must be born again to get into heaven ( John 3: 3). Please read John 3: 3 - 18.

    Almighty God, I thank you that you sent your one and only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Lord Jesus, I thank you that you died on the cross for my sins. Almighty God, I believe that you raised him from the dead as the Bible declares. Jesus, I confess my sins to you. I repent of them. Please forgive me I pray.  Jesus, I now receive you into my heart as my Savior/Messiah and LORD. Please fulfill your plan for my life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Amen,

NOTE -   (italic - mine)   blue - scriptural quotation  purple - scriptural paraphrase   red - regular print (explanation)

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 1) To create a people for himself

"... I will say, 'They are my people', and they will say, 'The Lord is our God'" (Zech.13:9). (See also Psalm 33:12).

 2) To bring forth the Messiah 

  God said to Abram:

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:2-3)."The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ" (Gal. 3: 16).

 Abraham and his offspring did not receive the promise that he would be heir of the world through the law but through righteousness as a result of faith (Rom.4: 13). 

   When the appointed time came, God sent his son, born of a woman. He was born under the law to ransom those who were under the law so that they would receive all the rights of sons. Since they are sons, God sent the Holy Spirit into their hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’ “ (Gal. 4: 4-6).

 3)To record the Scriptures 

The entire Bible, with the exception of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, was written by Jewish authors. The Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by Dr. Luke, a medical doctor (Col. 4:14).

   All Scripture comes from God. It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in morality. With the Scripture, servants of God will be well prepared for works of service (2Tim. 3:16).

All prophecy came from God. Man had no input in prophecy. Man’s role was to record what the Holy Spirit revealed (2 Pet. 1: 20-21).

   4) To expand the Kingdom of God

  Israel failed to expand the Kingdom. As a result, the Kingdom was taken away from her. Jesus said:

"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (Matt. 21:43).

Jesus told his disciples that they will be empowered when the Holy Spirit comes on them and they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and all over the earth (Acts 1:8).

  Jesus informed his apostles that his Father gave him all authority in heaven and on earth. He commanded them to go out and make disciples in all nations. The disciples were to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The disciples were to obey everything that our Lord commanded his apostles. Our Lord promised his apostles that he will  be with them till the end of the age (Matt. 28: 18-20).

  5) To receive her Messiah 

The religious leaders of the Jews and the majority of the Jewish people rejected our Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. 

 The high priest stood up and addressed Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ 

  When Jesus said that, the high priest tore his clothes and said that Jesus had spoken  blasphemy. We do not need any more witnesses. You have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”  “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, 'Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”  (Matt. 26: 62-68).

   Because Jesus was doing various things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them: "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working" (John 5: 17). 

  Because of that, the Jews tried harder to kill him. They claimed that he was not only breaking the Sabbath but he was making himself equal with God by calling God his own Father (John 5: 18).

   Let us recall what God the Father said about Jesus. "But about the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. …' “ (Heb 1:8).

  Jesus said to the Jewish leaders that he was telling them the truth when he said that he existed before Abraham was born. At the mention of that, they picked up stones to stone him but he hid and escaped from the temple grounds (John 8:58-59). 

   "As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!" (John 19:6).

  THE POWER OF GOD

 The apostle Paul when writing to the Roman church declared: " I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Rom. 1: 16).

                                                           THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

  Jesus informed the Samaritan woman that salvation is from the Jews and he is the Messiah. Samaritans worship what they don't know and Jews worship what they know, for salvation  is from the Jews (John 4: 22). When the Samaritan woman said to Jesus that when Messiah comes he will explain everything to us. Jesus declared:  " I who speak to you am he" (John 4: 26).

 A PRAYER TO BE SAVED / BORN AGAIN

Jesus loves you. He died for you. He wants you to spend eternity with him. Will you confess your sins, repent of them  and receive him into your heart?  Jesus said to Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin - the Jewish Ruling Council, You must be born again to get into heaven ( John 3: 3). Please read John 3: 3 - 18.

    Almighty God, I thank you that you sent your one and only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Lord Jesus, I thank you that you died on the cross for my sins. Almighty God, I believe that you raised him from the dead as the Bible declares. Jesus, I confess my sins to you. I repent of them. Please forgive me I pray.  Jesus, I now receive you into my heart as my Savior/Messiah and LORD. Please fulfill your plan for my life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Amen,

BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS

Jesus loves you. He died for you. He wants you to spend eternity with him. Will you confess your sins, repent of them  and receive him into your heart?  Jesus said to Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin - the Jewish Ruling Council, You must be born again to get into heaven ( John 3: 3). Please read John 3: 3 - 18.

The apostle Paul cautioned the Colossian church. Do not allow people judge you by what you eat or drink or regarding a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These were forerunners of the reality. The reality is found in Christ (Col. 2: 16 - 17).

 Born again believers are children of God. When Jesus came those who received him, those who believed in his name became children of God because they were born of God (John 1: 12 - 13).

 When a person is born again, Jew or Gentile, there is no ethnic distinction, no status distinction, and no gender distinction. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile) , slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus . If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3: 26 - 29). Please read Ephesians 2: 13 - 22.

 Born again believers are temples of God. The apostle Paul communicated this truth to believers in Corinth. Your body is a temple of God. The Holy Spirit lives in you. You have received the Spirit from God (1 Cor. 6: 19).

 Since born again believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1: 13 - 14), they can cultivate and manifest the fruit of the Spirit.        The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal. 5: 22 - 23).

     The Holy Spirit gives gifts to born again believers. All believers are given the manifestation of the Spirit. The gifts which individuals receive are for the common good. Some of the gifts are the message of wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, the interpretation of tongues (tongues = unknown languages) (1 Cor. 12: 7 - 10). "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines" (1 Cor. 12: 11).

 Born again believers do not celebrate holy days. They celebrate the Holy One - our Lord and Savior/Messiah, Jesus Christ. He loved us so much that he gave his life for us. He is interceding for us at the right hand of God the Father. "Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Rom. 8: 34).

 Born again believers do not celebrate holy days, we celebrate our heavenly high priest. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he was tempted just as we are and did not sin (Heb. 4: 14 - 15).

NOTE -   (italic - mine)   blue - scriptural quotation  purple - scriptural paraphrase  red - regular print (emphasis)

"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."   

 CopyrightⒸ 2024 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A Hons. (York University), M.Ed. (University of Toronto), Divinity M. A, (magna cum laude), (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA).

     King David said that he was sinful from the time he was conceived (Psalm 51: 5). The Bible clearly teaches that all have sinned (Rom. 3: 23) and all will die because of sin (Rom. 6: 23). However, there is good news! God has provided a way out for mankind because he loves us. God the Father sent his one and only Son (John 3: 16), who is himself God (Isa. 9: 6; John 1: 1 - 3, 14; Heb. 1: 8, 10), to die for the sins of the world so that those who believe in Him will have everlasting life (John 3: 16; John 3: 36). 

TO BE CONTINUED

WE SERVE A GREAT AND AWESOME GOD

     "Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1: 26 - 27).

 When God formed man from the dust of the ground, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Gen. 2: 7). By that simple act of God, many wonderful organs were formed. Let us look at the human heart.

     "The human heart is an amazing organ. This fist-sized pumping station weighs between 7 and 15 ounces. Daily it beats around 100,000 times and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our bodies" (Our Daily Bread - Sunday, September 29, 2024).

THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

  The Sabbath Law was given to the Israelites. " ... They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy (Ezek. 44: 24).

 The Seventh Day Adventist Church teaches that the Sabbath law is still in effect. But that teaching is false. When the first covenant became obsolete (Heb. 8: 13), the Sabbath law also became obsolete. All the laws and regulations under the first covenant were done away with.

When our Lord and Savior breathed his last, the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom exposing the Holy of Holies (Matt. 27: 50 - 51). No longer was there need for a human high priest and animal sacrifices. Jesus was the final sacrifice. He is our heavenly high priest "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess" (Heb. 4: 14).

  When the first covenant became obsolete, Judaism had run its course. The new covenant was now in effect. Under the new covenant, there are no laws and regulations. Born again believers operate on the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22 - 23; Rom. 12: 6 - 8; 1 Cor. 12: 7 - 11).

  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Gal. 5: 22 - 23).

 " We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully" (Rom. 12: 6 - 8).

AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES

  Pastor Doug Batchelor, President of Amazing Facts International teaches a number of unscriptural concepts.

1) Two future resurrections separated by a thousand years.

In so doing, he rejects the teaching of the prophet Daniel, our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles Paul and Peter (Dan. 12: 2; John 5: 28 - 29; Acts 24: 15; 2 Pet. 3: 3 - 13).

 " Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned (John 5: 28 - 29).

2) The righteous will go to heaven for a thousand years.

We learn from Scripture that God will create a new heaven and a new earth on the day of judgment when our Lord returns (2 Pet. 3: 3 - 13). At that time, the Holy City, the new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven. The righteous will live with God in the Holy City for all eternity.

3) Two future comings of our Lord. One at the time of the rapture and the other a thousand years later.

  This concept is not supported by Scripture. The apostle Peter informs us that there will be one future coming. It will take place on the day of judgment (the day of the Lord - the day of God ), In the last days scoffers will ask where is the coming he promised? (2 Pet. 3: 3 - 4). " But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (2 Pet. 3: 10). " But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Pet. 3: 13).

 4) The wicked will be slain at the second coming of Christ and will be raised a thousand years later to receive their judgment and reward.

Scripture teaches that all nations will be gathered unto Jesus when he returns on the day of judgment. (Matt. 25: 31 - 32). The righteous will go into eternal life and the unrighteous into eternal punishment. " Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matt. 25: 46).

  5) The wicked will be destroyed forever at the end of the thousand years.

Scripture teaches that the wicked will go into the fiery lake of burning sulfur on the day of judgment. " Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25: 41).

 6) Satan and his evil angels will be confined to the desolated earth for a thousand years.

We are informed in Scripture that Jesus must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. Since the last enemy to be destroyed is death and death will be destroyed when the resurrection occurs (1 Cor. 15: 22 - 26); therefore, Satan, who is an enemy (1 Pet. 5: 8), must be destroyed before death is destroyed.

Satan will likely be destroyed by the splendor of our Lord's coming just as the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2: 8).

 "Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."