IS NOT GOING TO CHURCH A SIN?

IS NOT GOING TO CHURCH A SIN?

Is it acceptable to God for a person to worship under a tree or for the able-bodied person to sit in a rocking chair in his or her own home? The simple answer can be found in Hebrews 10:25, which says:

"Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is."

The New International Version says it in a more current language: 

"not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." 

This is not a suggestion. The building is not the church. The people are the church. And there were churches established after Jesus ascended into heaven. Paul wrote letters to most of them: the church at Corinth, the church at Ephesus, the church at Thessalonica, the church at Galatia, and the church at Phillipi. The church at Antioch is also mentioned many times in Acts. 

The book of Acts is about the acts of the Apostles who started the church, the church being the assembling of peoples together. For a while they had to meet in caves and homes and such because they were persecuted but when the persecution ended they could meet in more convenient places. 

How many people who don't attend church actually do worship on their own? How do they learn the truths of the Bible without hearing the preaching of the Word? What about others who are influenced by their appearance of not having a relationship with Christ, especially if they have children? What about baptism, tithing and taking Communion? What about meeting on the first day of the week? 

"On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." (Acts 20:7) 

Regarding tithing, I Corinthians 16:2 says:

"On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."

Also regarding tithing, Malachi 3:8 says:

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ 'In tithes and offerings.' "

The method of baptism is controversial but Acts 2:36-41 is pretty plain. It says:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."

Regarding not raising your children in the church, Malachi says in chapter 2, verse 15:

"Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth."

Consider the verses I've provided and decide for yourself if not attending church is a sin. Romans 12:4-5 says:

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

If one member is cut off, it affects all the other members. Every church member is important and is expected to be in church.

--Becky Wall

Note: We all understand that there are those who are elderly, disabled, or sick who are unable to attend church. Fortunately, nowadays we can often hear the sermon via the internet.

beckyowall.blogspot.com

 

TRUE FREEDOM

 Ps. 31:4 - “Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.”

 Ps. 119:32 - “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”

 Ps. 129:4 - “But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

 Prov. 6:2-3 - “...if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!”

 Prov. 11:21 - “Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.”

 Prov. 19:5 - “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.”

 Jn 8:31-32 - “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

 Jn 8:36 - “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

 Rom. 6:17-22 - “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

 Rom. 8:1-4 - “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”

 Gal. 5:1 - “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

 Gal. 5:13 - “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

 Col. 1:22-23a - “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--23  if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.”

 Heb. 2:14-15 - “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

 Heb. 9:15 - “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

 I Pet. 2:16 - “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”

 

 

 

A STUDY OF ANGELS GOOD AND BAD

A STUDY OF ANGELS GOOD AND BAD

Note: This is a long compilation of verses about angels so the best way to approach this writing is to pick a section that interests you. There are "angels of the Lord," lower ranking angels, Lucifer/Satan, Seraphim, Cherabim, and Archangels.

Angel/Angels:
Genesis 16:5-11 - And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. 6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, 'Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.' 10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, 'I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.' 11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, 'Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.' "

Genesis 19:1 - "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;"

Genesis 19:15 - "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, 'Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.' "

Genesis 21:17 - "And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, 'What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.' "

Genesis 22:11 - And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, 'Abraham, Abraham:' and he said, 'Here am I.' "

Genesis 22:15 - "And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,"

Genesis 24:7 - "The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, 'Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.' "

Genesis 24:40 - "And he said unto me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:' "

Genesis 28:12 - "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it."

Genesis 31:11 - "And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob:' And I said, 'Here am I."

Genesis 32:1 - "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him."

Genesis 48:16 - "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." Author: Note that Angel is capitalized.

Exodus 3:2 - "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."

Exodus 14:19 - "And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:"

Exodus 23:20 - "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."

Exodus 23:23 - For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

Exodus 32:34 - "Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them."

Exodus 33:2 - "And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:"

Numbers 20:16 - "And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:"

Numbers 22:27 - "And God's anger was kindled because he (Balaam) went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him." And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: 23 and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way."24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. 26 - And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 - And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff."

Numbers 22:31 - "Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 32 - And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: 34 - And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. 35 - And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak."

I Chronicals 21:8-26 - "And David said unto God, 'I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.' 9 And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 'Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.' " 11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, 'Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee 12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.' "

13 "And David said unto Gad, 'I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.' 14 So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, 'It is enough, stay now thine hand.' And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite." Author: Notice that this angel is referred to as the angel of the Lord. It is believed to be God Himself appearing as an angel. 

16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the Lord. 20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his (Gad's) four sons with him hid themselves.

"Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. 23 And Ornan said unto David, 'Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.' 24 And king David said to Ornan, 'Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.' 25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight." 26 "And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. 27 And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof."

Judges 2:1 - "And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you."

Judges 2:4 - "And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept."

Judges 5:23 - " 'Curse ye Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty."

Judges 6:11 - "And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites."

Judges 6:12 - "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."

Judges 6:20 - "And the angel of God said unto him, 'Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth.' And he did so."

Judges 6:21 - "Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight."

Judges 6:22 - "And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face."

Judges 13:3 - "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son."

Judges 13:6 - "Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, 'A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:' "

Judges 13:9 - "And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her."

Judges 13:13 - "And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, 'Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.' "

Judges 13:15 - "And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, 'I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.' "

Judges 13:16 - "And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, 'Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord.' For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord."

Judges 13:17 - "And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, 'What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?' "

Judges 13:18 - "And the angel of the Lord said unto him, 'Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?' "

Judges 13:19 - "So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on."

Judges 13:20 - "For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground."

1 Samuel 29:9 - "And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle."

2 Samuel 14:17 - "Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee."

2 Samuel 14:20 - "To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."

2 Samuel 19:27 - "And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes."

2 Samuel 24:16 - "And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, "It is enough: stay now thine hand." And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite."

2 Samuel 24:17 - "And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house."

1 Kings 13:18 - "He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.' But he lied unto him."

1 Kings 19:5 - "And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat."

1 Kings 19:7 - "And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.' "

2 Kings 1:3 - "But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?' "

2 Kings 1:15 - "And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, 'Go down with him: be not afraid of him.' And he arose, and went down with him unto the king."

2 Kings 19:35 - "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."

1 Chronicles 21:12 - "Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me."

1 Chronicles 21:15 - "And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

1 Chronicles 21:16 - "And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces."

1 Chronicles 21:18 - "Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite."

1 Chronicles 21:20 - And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

1 Chronicles 21:27 - "And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof."

1 Chronicles 21:30 - "But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord."

2 Chronicles 32:21 - "And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword."

Job 4:18 - "Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:"

Job 38:4-7 - “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"

Psalm 8:5 - "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."

Psalm 34:7 - "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Psalm 35:5 - "Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them."

Ezekiel 1:24 - "And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings."

Daniel 12:1 - The End Times: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered."

II Peter 2:9-11 "if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord."

Rev. 14:6-12 - "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.' 8 A second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.' 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: 'If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.' 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus."

Lucifer/Satan:
Genesis 3:3-19 - "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?'” The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.' 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this,

Cursed are you above all livestock

and all wild animals!

You will crawl on your belly

and you will eat dust

all the days of your life.

15 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.'”

Satan isn't named in these verses so you have to read between the lines to figure out it is him taking the form of a serpent. All serpents or snakes are not Satan or even demon-possessed. It's possible that the serpent fell in the category with dinosaurs. But that's just my own thought. His presence in the Garden of Eden made him the first angel mentioned in the Bible. Next are the Cherabim mentioned in the section below this one.

16 To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;

with painful labor you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you.”

17 To Adam he said, 

“Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat food from it

all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your food

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust you are

and to dust you will return.”

Job 1:6 - One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “ 'Where have you come from?' ”

Job 2:1 - On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, “ 'Where have you come from?' "

Isaiah 14:12-17 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.' 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?' "

Matt.4:10-11 - Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Matt. 25:41 - “ '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.' "

18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:18-20

Cherabim:

Gen. 3:20-24 - "Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. 

Seraphim:
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. Isaiah 6:2

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: Isaiah 6:6

Archangels:

Daniel 9:20-22 - "While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding." Gabriel is one of two good archangels mentioned in the Bible. Michael is the other one. Michael will be with Jesus when He returns and will contend with the devil. A third evil archangel is named Abaddon. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). Revelation 9:11 Author's note: Lucifer was once the highest ranking archangel.

Daniel 10:13 - But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Luke 1:8-13 - "Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John."

Daniel 8:15-19 - "While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, 'Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.' As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. 'Son of man,' he said to me, 'understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.' While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. He said: 'I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.' "

Daniel 9:21 - "...while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice."

Luke 1:19 - "The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news."

Luke 1:26-28 - "In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' ”

That's the last time Gabriel is mentioned. He is mentioned in the gospels because they are four men's accounts of the life of Christ. After that comes Acts or the Acts of the Apostles who started the church. Acts is followed by a series of letters, most of which were written by Paul, the 13th chosen Apostle, chosen in special circumstances after the death of Jesus. Angels visited them from time to time but none was Gabriel. Michael is mentioned in Jude and Revelation. He is also mentioned in Daniel, a book of prophecy about the end times.
Daniel 12:1 - "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered."

Jude 1:9 - "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!' "

Revelation 12:6 - "Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." This is the war that people call Armageddon. However, the word Armageddon is not mentioned in the Bible.

Jude 1:6-10 - 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
Angels of a Lower Rank than the Archangels or "Angels of the Lord"

Rev. 19:9-10 - Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Rev. 19:17-18 - And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

Heb. 1:1-13 - In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty and his servants flames of fire.” But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, win heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father” Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, 'Let all God’s angels worship him.' ” In speaking of the angels he says, “ 'He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.' ” He also says, “ 'In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.' ” To which of the angels did God ever say, ' “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?' Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?' "

Psalm 8:5 - "for Thou has made Him a little lower than the angels." (just on earth)

Psalm 91:11 - For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

Matthew 3:41 - The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

Matthew 3:49 - This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

Matthew 2:30 - At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Matt.4:10-11 - Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Matthew 4:31 - And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 4:36 - “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 6:53 - " 'Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?' "

Luke 2:13-14 - Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”(NIV) or "peace, good will toward men." (KJV)

Luke 12:8-9 - “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God."

Luke 15:10 - In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 16:22 - “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.

Luke 20:34-36 - Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

Matt. 22:30 - "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven."

Luke 22:40-44 - Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Acts 7:53 - you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

1 Corinthians 6:3 - Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. Colossians 2:18

I Tim. 5:21 - I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Hebrews 1:7 - In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” 

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

Heb. 12:22-23 - But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

I Pet. 3:21b,22 - and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

2 Peter 2:4 - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2 Peter 2:11 - yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.

Jude 1:9 - But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Rev. 5:11-12 - Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!'”

Revelation 7:1 - After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

Revelation 7:2 - Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:

Revelation 9:15 - And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

Revelation 12:7 - Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

Revelation 12:9 - The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 20:2 - He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

Researched and compiled by Becky Wall 12/2022

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PROFANITY

PROFANITY

Ex. 20:7 - ""You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."

Ps. 10:4-7 - "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

Ps. 59:12 - "For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,"

Prov. 2:12 - "Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse..."

Prov. 4:24 - "Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you."

Proverbs 8:8 - All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.

Prov. 8:13 - "To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."

Proverbs 8:13 - To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 10:31 - From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.

Proverbs 15:4 - The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 17:20 - One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

Prov. 17:27 - "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered."

Prov. 18:7 - "A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Proverbs 19:1 - Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

 

Mt 5:33-37 - "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Mt 12:34-37 - "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Matthew 15:11 - What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Rom. 3:13-14 - "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."

Eph. 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Eph. 5:4 - "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

Col. 3:8 - "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."

Titus 2:7-8 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

James 1:26 - "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

James 3:2-10 - "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

 

ABOUT ANGELS

ABOUT ANGELS 

I was at the Right-to-Life Rally in Springfield in 1992. I sat at the table with a man who couldn't stop talking about angels and how we don't use them enough. He said we should name our Guardian Angel. I had never met anyone so obsessed with angels. We had a friendly discussion and took each other's addresses so we could further bolster our beliefs. Following is my partly edited letter to him. I never heard back.

'92 

I'm still waiting for your information on angels.­ In the meantime, I'm learning to use my new word processor.­ In doing that, I'll list the reasons I have a problem with putting too much emphasis on angels, other than a healthy understanding of their place in the spiritual realm.

1.­ Angels appear to be the latest fad.­ Oftentimes people who are drawn to the powers of angels are also drawn to the supernatural in general. I feel charismatics often do this.

2.­ Any out-of-the-ordinary attention given to angels or any other being is attention taken away from Christ.­ Since Jesus is the one who died for us, it is He who deserves our attention.­ When an opportunity presents itself to share the faith with someone, care should be taken to promote Jesus and not the angels. Time may be of the essence, and a discussion around the powers of angels takes time and focus off of the message of salvation or a message of support and encouragement to a fellow Christian, etc.

3.­ The angels react according to the Lord's will, not ours.­ For now we are lower than the angels but in eternity we will judge them.­ I Corinthians 6:3 - "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" If we are to judge angels, then we do not become angels when we die. We will be above them. As of now, we are not in a position to give orders to them.­ The angels do God's bidding.­ See Psalms l03:20.­ "...you, His angels who do His bidding, who obey His word." Better to ask the Lord to bid his angel(s) to help us, to bind Satan and his demons, etc.­ The angels' power is unleashed in part through prayer.­ Prayers cannot be answered without praying to the Lord.

4.­ Nowhere in the Bible does it say we should talk to angels or give them names or commands or ask them for help.­ God has surely named them already, such as with Gabriel and Michael.

5.­ Satan is always trying to divert our attention away from Christ and the messages we need to hear, and I fear an inordinate amount of attention paid to angels is diversionary. Anytime we take our eyes off Christ and divert our attention elsewhere, Christ is left out. We may miss out on blessings, also.

6.­ I mentioned at our rally in Springfield, that since Christ was the one to die on the cross, He should be the one to receive the honor, attention, glory, respect, etc.­ His name should be on the building and His picture everywhere, His statue in yards, and His likeness on necklaces and figurines (His only) and instead of holding rosary beads saying “Hail, Mary,” it seems only right to say Hail, Christ, and to go to Him to confess our sins and ask forgiveness. Having this kind of mindset, I have the same problem giving the angels any special attention because I feel it all belongs to Christ.

7.­ We would be a less than believable or effective witness if we made angels the center of our conversation rather than Christ crucified for our sins, His love and mercy, etc.

8.­ If speaking to your angel were necessary, I'm sure God would not have allowed this requirement to go unnoticed all these years and would have made a point of it in the Bible. 

I may seem like I really think I know it all, but that is not the way I mean to come across.­ I'm just listing my fears, observations, and understanding of scriptures.­ You are welcome to do the same, and maybe between the two of us we can come to a better understanding of the subject.­ 

One other observation I made at the rally is that you have a very pleasant personality, spiritual energy, and great leadership potential.­ I would hate to see you fall short of your potential because of one of Satan's diversionary tactics that might make you appear weird or off-base or less solid than you really are.­ I'm not saying this is what is happening.­ I just think it's worth considering because Satan is always trying to weaken us in one way or another or to make us less believable and effective. I hope I haven't offended you in any way.­ I was very pleased to meet you and to make a new friend, especially a Christian one.­ I need all of those I can get. I am enclosing some literature from my files on the subject of angels.­ You may have the same information, but just in case you don't, here it is.­

Sincerely,

Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com (not included in the letter)

OUR WHOLLY HOLY GOD

 

Our Wholly Holy God

Who is God? That question has no simple answer, unless it be, “Our Creator.” That answer is true, but is much too simplistic. God is complex in nature, yet easy to get to know when the heart is receptive. Volumes upon volumes have been written about God over a period of several thousand years, but the best source of information is still the Bible, His Word.

God reveals Himself to us through nature (natural revelation), but it is through reading His Word (special revelation) that we come to know Him. Reading the Bible brings us into a relationship with Him, for this is the means through which He communicates with us. Through His Word He comforts, He warns, He teaches, He professes His love. His promises bring us hope or fear, depending on which path of life we choose. Those choices are defined in His Word. When we read His Word with our hearts, and not just our eyes, He reveals Himself to us as our loving Father, the Father of all creation, the Father of time, as we know it. God Himself is timeless.

God is the name above all names. He attaches great significance to names in the Bible, including His own. The name “God” appears 3,979 times throughout the English Bible. It appears as “LORD,” in all capital letters, or “Lord,” with only the “L” capitalized, 7,484 times (NIV). But there are more variants to the name than those translated into English. “El” and “Yahweh” are the two most frequently used names for God in the ancient versions of the Old Testament. There are several variations of the Hebrew name “El,” such as “El Shaddai,” meaning God Almighty, “El Hai,” meaning the living God, and “Elohim,” said to be the plural of majesty, eminence, fulness, or greatness. “Yahweh” is believed to be a form of the Hebrew verb “to be.” It further means “He is,” He exists,” “He is present.” He describes Himself as the “I AM” in his conversation with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 4). Some English translations use the name “Jehovah” in place of Yahweh.

Because of man’s fascination with God, who He is, and what He is all about, many studies have been done. The word theology comes from the Greek word “theos,” meaning God, and “logos,” meaning “word” or “discourse.” (Enns, p. 183) The meaning later expanded to include Christ and the Holy Spirit in the study, since they, too, are part of the Godhead.

One of the more complex issues about God is the Godhead. The Godhead is three Persons--God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit--in one. Each Person in the Godhead assumes a role in the lives of mankind, yet they are One. They were all there at the creation of the universe (John 1:1-3), but God the Father maintained his role as the invisible sustainer of the universe while His Son, Jesus Christ, assumed the role of flesh and blood. With this human identity came the limitations of and demands of the flesh, such as eating, drinking, being tempted, suffering, and dying. We will never be able to stand before Him on Judgment Day and say, “You don’t know how hard it was.”

Christ’s purpose in coming was multi-faceted, such as to set an example for us, to teach the Apostles and others in person, and ultimately to take our sins upon Himself so that we might be redeemed. In this state Christ was still God, but was somewhat limited by his fleshly nature. He is The Word, the gospel, the good news. All things that are, ever were, or ever will be, point to Him.

After Christ ascended into heaven, He left behind His Holy Spirit, which came in a mighty manifestation upon the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after Christ’s ascension. The Apostles were given special gifts from the Holy Spirit, such as healing, speaking in other languages, casting out demons, and an immunity to snakebites. The Apostles could pass the gift onto certain people but those people could not pass it on (I Cor. 13:8-10). The purpose of the special gifts was to prove Jesus was, and is, who He said He was and still is. However, all people are given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at baptism (Acts 2:38). This phenomenal gift from God helps us to learn the truths of God, pricks our hearts, and motivates us to take action. Our lives are transformed; we become new creatures. When we repent and are baptized, we too become wholly holy.

--Becky Wall

CHRISTIAN A. CROOK CHARGED WITH ROBBERY

 

When I was a Bible College student, I was required in one class to write three creative writings based on the Bible. This is one of them. It is taken from Malachi 3. I picked up the archaic language when I worked for attorneys prior to going to college.

 From the Highest Court in the Universe,

The State of Misery

County of Mocksaints

On this day and every day

The Person of God
Vs.
Christian A. Crook


In re: The Offense of Robbery

CHRISTIAN A. CROOK, of 666 Notsogrand Street, County of Mocksaints, the State of Misery, on this 13th day of August, the year of my Son, 2013, is hereby charged in the Court of God with the offense of robbery.

For this indictment he will stand in final judgment before the Court of Christ on the Day of Reckoning. He will not under any circumstance, save repentance and willing retribution, be found blameless for this offense.

Count 1 - Let it be known that Christian A. Crook is not charged with reaching into the offering plate and taking the money for his own, but instead became guilty when he did with full knowledge withhold much of the riches God gave him — in fact that part which was God’s.

Count 2 - By his offense, and the added offenses of many others, the church as a building and as a people have suffered. Missions have also suffered. Christian A. Crook’s offense, and those of his cohorts, are directly attributable to the church’s weakened condition.

Count 3 - Because of Christian A. Crook’s actions, the church endured mockery and disrespect from non-Christian witnesses. Crook’s actions caused the church to be thought of as having no God or whose God was inadequate, further creating a hostile attitude toward the church.

Therefore, partial punishment is now being rendered for this and the like offenses of others, being made known through the curses that have fallen on the nation, such as catastrophes and plagues.

But if you, Christian A. Crook, and your cohorts, will make retribution to my church, which is the storehouse of my offerings, I will once again open my floodgates and pour our blessings instead of curses. All the people will then believe that you are blessed and you will live in a delightful land.

GOD

Signed by the hand of GOD

Witnesses:
Jesus 
Holy Spirit

Reference: Malachi 3:6-13

THE DAY THE SUN STOOD STILL

 

THE DAY THE SUN STOOD STILL

(Joshua 10:5– 27)

Five kings of the Amorites united.

With their troops they took position.

The Gibeonites who were attacked,

Were outnumbered in the confrontation.

So they quickly sent word to Joshua,

"Do not abandon your servants.

Come fast if you are to save us!

The kings and their armies are fervent.

So Joshua marched up from Gilgal,

His army was fully manned.

The LORD said to him, "Do not be afraid;

I have given them into your hand"

After making an all-night march,

Joshua took his foes by surprise.

The LORD threw them into confusion,

Which would lead to their demise.

Israel pursued them along the road,

As they fled for their lives back to town.

As they headed up to Beth Horon,

God hurled large hailstones down.

More enemies died from the hailstones,

Than died by an Israelite’s sword.

On the day the Amorites fell to Israel,

Joshua said to the LORD:

"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,

O moon, over the Valley."

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

‘Til the war’s grand finale.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky,

Where it stayed a full day’s span.

.There has never before or since been a day,

When the LORD obeyed a man.

Surely the LORD was with Israel,

But not because they were brave.

They all survived and returned to the camp.

And the five kings hid in a cave.

When Joshua learned the kings had been found,

In a place that was easy to block,

He instructed some of the men,

To seal the mouth with a rock.

He later said, "Bring the kings to me."

They would pay for what they did.

At Joshua’s word, the kings were killed,

And were thrown in the cave where they hid.

You can make your requests to the Lord,

But don’t tell Him what to do.

Though Joshua got by with it,

Don’t expect it to work for you.

And don’t expect the sun to stand still,

Though there’s not enough hours in the day.

And if you were to see the moon stop,

You’d best get on your knees and pray.

Becky Wall

From Bible Babes to Bible Scholars

Joshua 23:6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

This is not a politically correct verse but it is straight out of the Bible and shows us the mind of God. Yes, this is Old Testament and we go by the New Testament now, one might say. The OT is not to be ignored, however. It is our textbook that teaches us right from wrong and acquaints us with God. God's commands were practiced out of a sense of duty in the OT but when the NT came after the death of Jesus, we were expected to have matured into a relationship with Him and to show our love to Him and others from our hearts, not out of a sense of duty. We are God's children who start out as babes when we first read God's Word. When we have matured we realize Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. (Matt. 5:17)

 ABORTION SCRIPTURES

Psalm 139:13-16 

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Proverbs 6:17

There are six things the Lord hates,
    seven that are detestable to him:
17         haughty eyes,
        a lying tongue,
        hands that shed innocent blood,

Isaiah 46:4 - I have made you and I will carry you;

Jeremiah 1:5 - Before you were formed in the womb...I knew you. 

I Corinthians 15:37-39 - When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” (Isa. 5:20)

God “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps 139:13)

“The Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood.” (Psalm 6:17)

Jesus cautioned, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:10).