Basic Essentials of the Christian Faith Article 14 November 21, 2016

Reverence

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.

What are the Basic essentials of the Christian faith. Article 14 November 21, 2016
For many years some people have said that God is dead, or God does not exist. I heard one say that a belief in a god would hinder their moral and sexual lives. We live in a society that the leaders of the state, federal, and local leaders do not want much in the way of any religious overtones in the public square. They think, that those who do not want to be witnessed to, do not have to be threatened by the gospel of Christ, about the truth of God. They think they can pass laws that can change the rules of God, so they can say that the rules of the state outweigh the rules of God. There are many people that would separate God from His creation of the universe, people, plants and animals. They refuse to believe because if they recognized anything about God, they would have to accept all that God is, what He has done, and that it is God who has set the boundaries of the earth, man, water, and the heavens. They would want you to believe that this world began by a big bang, and /viola,/ it was here. Also, there is the amoeba theory, that a single cell started and over the course of time that cell grew into a more complex cell and kept expanding, it turned into an animal, then transformed into something larger and kept going until there were human beings and all other life. This process took billions of years. This theory is also called evolution. I want you to know that I am over simplifying their position. Some people believe that we live and die, and return in the form of something that we wanted to be in our previous life, over and over again. They cannot see nor do they want to believe that there is a God that creates or believe in a God that will judge people for what they have done and believe.
God’s ultimate creation was man and He created man to have a relationship with Him. This is the Wisdom of God. God created man with a brain. Man named all the plants and animals. God made man to think, talk, hear, and speak. To have interaction with man to make his world a better place. That is what God wanted man to do. Man was created to serve God, not for God to serve man. God did not consult with man in any part of creation. Only God knew what man needed to take care of what God had trusted man to do. God gave the sun, moon and stars to help man in all the tasks of work, sustaining life, to look at, and to explore. Also man was to build families, civilizations and societies for the betterment of its people. God has always had a standard for people to look at. God has always had a man or men a country where God was at its center. God has put leaders into power and when they think they did it all, God removes them. That is the power of God. His Spirit has always been in the world, working with men who want to work with Him. God wants man to find Him no matter their station of life. God says, I will make myself known if you seek me. You can find God where you are, no matter who you are, or where you are. Just think about your own body, your eyes, your mind, it can think about so many things and make evaluations in a fraction of a second. Computers do not have the ability to think about 2-3 things going on in your brain at the same time. Just remember, that man came up with the computer, it can only move in one direction at a time. How your body was framed and made, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, nerves, and your body moving in unison by what your brain tells your body to do, and on and on. Did you know that your DNA blueprints your body and can tell everything about you. Just think, God made and gave you an incredible body. It is complex, but very simple, your blood can replenish itself, your body can heal itself, and many times we need doctors to help that healing process to take place. In evolution your body took millions of years to perfect. God said He created everything in 6 days. He used dust of the earth to form man, then God breathed into his nostrils. He created woman from mans rib. In Just seconds God gave you a body. God made all of us for a purpose on this earth, to serve Him in someway. God said He rested on the seventh day. Man can see many wonderful parts of creation, Which do you think is more plausible, millions of years with random chance, or God that said what He made was very good. God loves His creation. Would you rather believe in chance or that God made you for a purpose on this earth. The only thing He asks of you, is that you believe He does exist, because He knows you, and loves you. As you read His word and learn about Him, you grow to know Him and His creation. I am a man that went from belief in the family, to looking at self. I found out that self is not what one should always look for, because it excludes most other people but you. That life revolves around you and other people should be meeting your needs. On the other end of the spectrum is God. He wants your life to revolve around Him. Over the centuries there have been many lists that people have made that what they think basic Christians beliefs are. I would like you to remember and think of one word as you read, Faith, we all have faith in something. As you read, what does faith mean to you, and whom do you put your faith in? Write it down, so, as you read, ask what the word faith means to you now. Faith in the right person will change your life, your outlook of life, and your position in life with God.
1. Belief that God exists.

Before all things were brought into existence, God was, and God has all power and authority to create and change things. God can create a new Spirit within you and change your position in Him. Only one can swear by His own name and have it stand forever. God only asks one thing of you! That you believe that He has existed from eternity to eternity.
1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 2.Then God said, “let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over the creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 3. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes. 4. “Even from eternity I am He; and there is none who can deliver out of my hand; I act and who can reverse it?” 5. “I have sworn by myself, the Word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, only in the Lord are righteousness and strength, men will come to Him, and all who are angry at Him shall be put to shame”. 6. “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” (Jesus) “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” 7. “You believe that God is one. You do well; demons also believe, and shudder.” What is there about demons, that they know God and His Son, along with the angels of heaven. They are spirit beings, since God is Spirit along with Christ, that is the reason they know God, and the power that he has. They also know who has power over them.
1. Genesis 1:1 2. Genesis 1:26 3. Proverbs 3:5-6 4. Isaiah 43:13 5. Isaiah 45:23-24 6. John 14:1 7. Hebrews 11:6 7. James 2:19 8. Hebrews 11:6
2. The word of God is inspired and true.

God’s word tells us who He is, what He has done, what He is doing through Christ, and what He will do in the future. What God has spoken, it will come to pass, sooner or later. God cannot lie as man lies, then He would not be trustworthy. If this was so, believers could not hang their hat on Him helping us in this life, or in the promised after life to come. Changing our lives to look like Him and , living in this world for helping us to overcome this world by Christs life, to make our own, and the future life with God. The Bible is God, and we can know Him by His written word. He has not forgotten one word or punctuation mark to help you through this life in the world. He alone keeps you and talks to you. He wants you to talk to Him.
1. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far has the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 2. “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are invisible.” 3. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” 4. “Is not My word like fire? declares the Lord, and like a hammer which shatters a rock? Therefore behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal My words from each other.” 5. “Now He (Jesus) said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the book of the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 6. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together in a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” 7. “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.” 8. “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. But the word of the Lord abides forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you”. 9. “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 10. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. 11. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law of the Prophets; I did not abolish , but fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.” 12. “So shall My word be which goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 13. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”
1. Hebrews 4:12; 2. Hebrews 11:3; 3. Isaiah 40:8; 4. Jeremiah 23:29,30; 5. Luke 24:44; 6. Psalms 33:6-9; 7. Psalms 119:89; 8. I Peter 1:23,25; 9. Ephesians 6:16,17; 10. Mark 13:31; 11. Matthew 5:17-18; 12. Isaiah 55:11; 13. Jeremiah 17:9,10;
3. God and Christs Righteousness and Holiness.

God set up an ethical and moral standard for people to live by. Since God is Holy and Righteous, without sin or vile thought, God knows what all think and do. 1. He cannot permit sinful man into His presence without these moral standards. 2. Characteristics of the Godly, O Lord, who may abide in your tent, Who may dwell on the holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; he swears to his own hurt, and does not change; he does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. 3.”He has told you , O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God”. 4. “And one called out to another and said Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His Glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of Him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” Since all are sinners, they could not be saved apart from the supernatural intervention of God. 5. “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,” “Their is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of ASPS is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His site; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The righteous demands of God coupled with the inability of man, might present a dilemma for God. God Himself has solved the problem. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, who never sinned, to die for our sins and thus satisfy His wrath toward us. In other words, God sent His Son to be in our place of wrath because of our sin. Jesus took it and bore it for us. When we believe in Jesus, it is as though He had committed the sin instead of us. We sinned, but Christ paid the penalty for us. By our faith, He paid the price of our sin, and then He makes us righteous in God’s eyes. Thank you Jesus. 6. The Bible says “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 7. “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned to him as righteousness.” 8. Abraham, “yet, with respect, to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He has promised , He was able also to perform. Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” I have heard on more than one occasion that we are not worthy of this. I believe, Christ has made us worthy by faith. He made us sons and daughters of the Lord Most High, let us believe He made us worthy, thank and praise Him for it.
1. Isaiah 62:10; 2. Psalm 15:1-5; 3.Micah 6:8; 4. Isaiah 6:3-5; 5. Romans 3:9-23 6. 2 Corinthians 2 5:21; 7. Romans 4:5; 8. Romans 4:20-24;
4. Jesus born of a Virgin.

1. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Emmanuel.” Previously, Joseph in a dream with the Holy Spirit, told Joseph that the child Mary was carrying was of the Holy Spirit and that they shall call His name Emmanuel. 2. “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, Which means, GOD WITH US”. 3. “Now in the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the Virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in , he said to her, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. And the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. And Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God,” And Mary said, behold, the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” And the angel departed from her. 4. And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in my God, my savior.” 5.”And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” 6. The Spirit of God moving across the surface of the waters. It also means that the Spirit of God was in all aspects of creation. His word also says that God is the Spirit. What we have here with Mary and Gabriel is the same Spirit that was involved in the creation of the world. The Holy Spirit here that overshadowed Mary is the same Holy Spirit that was moving on the face of the waters, that is the same Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to us at His ascension.) Do you see the thread that runs through the whole bible. 7. it says God is Spirit, and we have to worship Him in our Spirit to be able to praise, worship, honor, and love God our ever indwelling Spirit that is always with us and helps us.
1. Jeremiah 7:14; 2. Matt 1:23; 3. Luke 1:26-38; 4. Luke 1:46, 47; 5. 1 John 4:14; 6. Genesis 1:2; 7. John 4:24

5. Christ Crucified

“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off of the land of the living, for the transgressions of my people to whom the stroke was due. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the righteous One, My servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.” <Isaiah 53:8-11/ Psalm 16:9-10> “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For thou wilt not abandon My soul to Sheol; neither wilt thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.” // “For dogs have surrounded Me; a band of evildoers has encompassed Me; they have pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at Me; they divide My garments among them. and for My clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:16-19 And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. <Zechariah 12:10/
The above verses come out of the Old Testament. God was prophesying to the People of Israel that what was going to happen to Messiah when He comes. That He was going to be their savior.
“And it came about that when Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, you know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of man is to be delivered up for crucifixion,” (Matthew 26:2) “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-this Jesus whom you crucified.” <Acts 2:36/ John 19:17-20> “They took Jesus therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross,to the place called the skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. And Pilate wrote an inscription also, and put it on the cross, and it is written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore this inscription many of the Jews read. for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.” “And they led Him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on Him the cross behind Jesus.” “And when they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.” “But Jesus was saying, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.” (As Jesus was hanging on the cross), He said to one of them, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.” <Luke 23:26,33,34,38,43/ Matt 27:26> “Then he (Pilate)released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified.”27:45-50 Now about the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying” ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is ” MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, this man is calling for Elijah.” And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge , he filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, let us see whether Elijah will come save Him. And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit.” v51; When this happened, the Temple Veil was torn from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split. In the old Testament the Vail was the barrier between God and Israel. The people were never allowed to go into the Holy of Hollies. Now that Messiah is here, Jesus became the mediator between God and man. With Jesus being the sacrifice for Sin, because Jesus shed His blood and gave His life so man can have true forgiveness of sin, instead of it being just covered with the animal sacrifice. Now you see the agony that Christ went through, so we would not have to. Thank you Jesus for changing my life in you.
I Peter 3:18-19 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.” Luke 23:26,33,34,38,43/Galations 6:14 has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Other companion verses about the crucifixion. Matthew Chapter 27: 26-50, Mark 15: 15-31, Luke 23:23-39. John 19:17-37
Pilate sent Jesus to be scourged. Scourging was done by using a leather straps or a whip attached to a wood handle. It does not say how many lashes Jesus had, but think of the pain of each one. Then God’s word says that the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’s head. Then they put a purple rob on Him. If your back was raw from being beaten, how do you think the robe felt with open wounds. Do you think the Roman soldiers just put the crown of thorns on His head without pushing even a little bit. Then they mocked Him, and tried to get Him to carry his own cross, but He was weak from all the abuse that He received that day. Simon of Cyrene was brought in to carry the cross for Him.
What does it look like to take the sins of the world upon yourself as Christ did In Psalm 16 it talked about His hands and feet being pierced. Think of the pain with a nail driven into your hands and feet going through your flesh and breaking bones. The Romans, no doubt had nails that would have been larger to be able to hold a man on the Cross because of the weight of the man. The reason the Romans hung people that way, it was a slow death, and the body would collapse and eventually the person would suffocate. Also in these verses it says that the other men hanging that day had their legs broken so they could not hold themselves up. The last things the Romans did was to pierce Christ side with a spear, and when that happened blood and water came out of His side. (John 19:34)
Now do you see what Christ endured for us. Why did He do this, because He wanted to do the Fathers will, and God sent Him into the world to be the one sacrifice once, for all man kind, for those who want Him to be their Lord and Savior.

During the day that Christ was crucified, Jesus Christ bleed for the sins of the world four times that day.

1. When Pilate sent Christ to be scourged or whipped.
2.  When the soldiers made the crown of thorns and put it on His head.
3.  When Christ’s hands and feet were nailed to the cross.
4. When the Roman soldier pierced His side while on the cross.

6. Christ Resurrection.

1. “And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him,and became like dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just has He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. And go quickly and tell the disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold I have told you.” 2. “And they were saying to one another, who rolled away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And He said to them, Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.” 3. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “why do you seek the living One among the dead?” He is not here, but risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hand of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 4. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him. Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb. And the two were running together;and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and believed.” 5. “To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the Kingdom of God.” 6. “Who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, on which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone to heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” 7. And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over the first born.
1. Matthew 28:2-7; 2. Mark 16:3-6; 3. Luke 24:2-7; 4. John 20:1-7; 5. Act 1:3; 6.1 Peter 3:20-22; 7. Zachariah 12:10

7.Christ will return for His own believers.

1. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22a. For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, 22b. only a remnant within them will return. 2. So the ransomed of the Lord will return, and come with joyful shouting to Zion;and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. 3. At the appointed time he will return and come into the south, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 4. “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectations of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 5. “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold I tell you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But with this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH WHERE IS YOUR STING? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, ln knowing that your toil in not in vain in the Lord.” 6. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” 7. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done whether good or bad,” 8. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;” 9. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 10. “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ.” 11. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given them, and I saw souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and those who has not worshiped the beast of his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
1. Isaiah 10:21-22; 2. Isaiah 51:11; 3. Daniel 11:29; 4. Luke 21:25-28; 5.1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 6.2 Corinthians 11:2-3; 7. 2 Corinthians 5:10; 8. Ephesians 5:6-7; 9.1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 10. Titus 2:13; 11. Revelation 20:4; 12.Isaiah 35:9-10