​Where is my spiritual gift?
One of the problems that many of my World Bible School students report is a misunderstanding of the evidence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. They errantly believe that when one is baptized, they not only receive the Holy Spirit, but also receive one or more spiritual gifts, at least a partial list of which can be found in 1 Corinthians 12. The problem is that God never promised that all persons would be gifted with any of these. The issue is that you cannot apply a standard of the demonstration of any spiritual gift to determine the state of someone’s spiritual standing. You cannot apply it to others, and you can’t apply it to yourself.
Applying it to others means that we have the ability to judge the hearts others, which we don’t (1 Cor 2:11). Applying it to ourselves leaves us with the dilemma that my World Bible School students face, believing we are somehow unsaved or spiritually inferior because of the lack of a confirming demonstration of spiritual gifts.
So, how does God prove to us that we have the indwelling spirit when we arise forgiven, from the waters of baptism. The answer is, He does not have to prove anything to us. We may well feel more intensity in our digesting and application of the fruit of the Spirit. We may feel miraculously refreshed, forgiven, more energized, etc. but no miraculous sign of the Holy Spirit is promised. Then how do we know that the Spirit indwells us at baptism? Like most aspects of our relationship with God, it is all about our faith. We know that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Additionally, God promised us that when we are baptized, we will be given the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). That is it. God said it, and we believe it.
Can you hear me now?
Two misconceptions that some of my World Bible School students have are that when a person arises from the waters of baptism they are either totally controlled by the Spirit and are therefore incapable of sin, or are totally protected from temptation. They use 1 John 3:6 to mean that if we sin after baptism, it is evidence that we have not received the Holy Spirit. However, that Scripture is not talking about the sins that are occasional slips. It’s referring to sins that we choose to commit. For the occasional slips, God has provided His understanding of our frailties and He provides a path to our continued forgiveness (1 John 1:8-10). The second misconception, that the Holy Spirit removes all temptations, is proven inaccurate based on 1 Cor 10:13. So if the Holy Spirit doesn’t protect us from sin, what does He do? Scripture says that the Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what we should pray (Rom 8:27) guides our behavior, and reveals the Gospel to us through the Word (John 16:12-1 5). As the Spirit guides us we need to quiet ourselves and be aware as that still small voice whispers “Can you hear me now?”
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through Scripture.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Scripture holds everything we need to be a fruitful soldier for God to fulfill His every good work. Not “some good works.” Not “most good works.” “Every good work.“
Scripture thoroughly equips us for the task of completing all of the good works, which He has set apart for us to do. We are not, “partially equipped.” We are not, “mostly equipped.’’ We are “thoroughly equipped.”
If Scripture is where we get our training in righteousness and are totally prepared for good works, doesn’t it make sense that the language of the Holy Spirit is the language of Scripture?
How does that work? If we want to hear God, we need to meet Him in the Scriptures. This is where He reveals Himself to us, and provides the training we need to be men and women for Him. The more you understand about Scripture, the better you know God.
How does this work in practicality?
The Holy Spirit doesn’t just run around tossing Scripture at us. No, He guides us to the verses that we know and can use. Have you ever had a situation where a verse that would be appropriate and perhaps encouraging, pops into your head at just the right moment? Or how about when you are desperately in need of some encouragement and you open your Bible and the exact verses or story you need appear right on the page you opened it to. These are both examples of the Holy Spirit speaking to you through the Scriptures.
Next we will look at another way in which the Holy Spirit talks to us.
The Spirit speaks to us through each other.
In the last section we saw how the Holy Spirit Speaks to us through Scripture. Another way that the Holy Spirit to us is through each other.
Let’s look at a specific example. By inspiration, Paul wrote two letters to Timothy. In 2 Tim 3:16, Paul wrote, what is a well-known verse. In reading that Scripture we understand that God uses Paul, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to encourage Timothy, and ourselves the value of Scripture.
Other avenues that God has defined, and documented, include “rubbing off on each other”, and building each other up. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Here we see that when we “rub off” on each other, we maintain or strengthen our spiritual maturity. This happens as the Holy Spirit speaks through both participants at once.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through each other as we encourage each other.  As Hebrews 3:13 commands, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’ so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.” Our encouragement typically comes in the form of references of Scripture, or by examples of the fruit of the Spirit.
Finally, Jesus said in Mark 4:9, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” We need to be receptive to the Holy spirit’s leading to hear what He wants to speak to us.
Next week “How else does the Holy Spirit speak to us?”
That still small voice.
There are two more ways in which the Holy Spirit speaks to us. The first are called “burdens.” These are also referred to as “callings.”  They are those things that God, through the Holy Spirit, puts upon our hearts. Have you ever heard of the expression, "I felt burdened to...” It might be a burden for missions, teaching, or any of the talents in Romans (12:7-8). Those skills He has given us to use for His glory. He speaks directly to our hearts in a way that focuses our passion. If we ignore these callings, we will miss out on the gifts that God had in store for us.
The last way we will discuss the Holy Spirit speaking to us, is through that “still small voice.” You “hear” it faintly calling. It is hearing, but not with ears, perhaps it’s a feeling, without the touch, knowing without all the facts. It’s that gut feeling, that silent prompting, that tiny thought that propels us towards a blessing. It’s that sensing that someone or something is calling.  It hits your mind, and it stings your conscience. That’s the voice of the Holy Spirit. Cartoonists paint a picture of a little angel sitting on one shoulder, and a little devil sitting on the other. One part of the picture they were correct on, is that the Spirit is not screaming His message. He is speaking in that still small, omnipotent, omniscient voice, summoning us with a calling or a gentle nudge. Our responsibility is to listen. We’ll talk about that more later. Biblical examples of this can be found in, Acts 20:22, Acts 16:6, Mark 20:24.
Whether a big calling or a gentle prompting, our job is to listen. And remember... never ignore the subtle nudge to pray.
Relating with the Holy Spirit.
We have looked at many of the ways the Spirit speaks to us, but what about us, are we willing to do what it takes to listen to Him?
There are two keys in preparing ourselves to listen intently to the Holy Spirit. They are building a relationship with Him and growing in our spirituality. These two attributes grow simultaneously.  As our relationship with the Holy Spirit grows, so does our faith.
Relationships are a gift from God. We were created to be people that need one another. God, after He created man, said, “It is not good for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18).” So, He created woman. Relationships are the key to growing in our faith. Relationships are built over time, and are nourished with shared, positive experiences. If you want to hear the Holy Spirit speak, avail yourself to where He is speaking. Go to Scripture, go to God's people. Open yourself to His leading and let them be an influence in your life. Let the Spirit take root in you as you grow in your relationship with Him. This will take time, but the more you lose yourself in God, the closer to Him, you will become, and the Spirit will be illuminated through You.
Eph 4:13-15 is a firm depiction of the expectation applied to us at baptism, that we are to strive to continually grow in our faith. Paul writes in Col 1:9-10, that “... the Spirit gives us all knowledge, wisdom and understanding in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Here we see an undeniable reference to the Spirit as the medium through which the growing knowledge of God is granted to His believers.
Spiritual Growth
Bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship are the three pillars to becoming spiritually mature.
“Spiritually mature? I was born again, isn't that enough?” It is plain from the teachings of Peter and Paul (1 Pet 2:2, Heb 5:12-14, 1 Cor 3:2) that we come out of the baptismal waters born again, new babes in Christ. If we don’t continue to grow in God’s Word, grace still saved us. However, we miss out on some of the blessings that God has in store for us, as mature followers in Christ. We grow spiritually as our communication with the Spirit grows. Remember, He is our interpreter as we pray to the Father.
 When we are born, we hear the voice of the world, with its clamor and noise. Amongst this, at some point in our physical, and mental development, Satan’s voice, moves into the throng. Consequently, there will come a time that we will succumb to that noise and break our relationship with God. At that time, we need Jesus. When we are baptized and saved, the Spirit comes to abide in us. But the world, and Satan haven’t changed, he still beckons us. At first the Spirit speaks like a whisper in a stadium packed full of fans. As we grow in discernment, we recognize and hear His voice more clearly, and it will strengthen our relationship with Him. Listen to the Spirit, surround yourself with fellow believers, bathe yourself in Scripture and spend your time in prayer. That’s how we grow in our quest towards spiritual maturity.
Spiritual Gifts
What are Spiritual Gifts? I think that sometimes we get confused and lump other gifts of God into the same bucket. So, we will start by understanding the gifts of the Godhead, knowingly that everything good comes from God (Rom 8:28).
Let us start with the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Although it is provided by the Holy Spirit, it is not a gift. It reflects the Spirit, alive within us. The fruit belongs to the Spirit. It grows and becomes more obvious as we learn to cooperate with the Spirit within us.
When we look closely at the gifts, sprinkled throughout the New Testament, we see that all three members of the Godhead participate in the distribution of gifts.
In Eph. 4:11-14, we see the following roles given by Christ, so that the body of Christ might be built up. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers.
In Romans 12:3-7 we see the following abilities given by God, to promote the unity and diversity of the Body. Prophesying, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading, Showing Mercy.
In 1 Cor. 12:27-31 we see the following skills given by God, to promote unity and diversity in the Body.Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Miracles, Healing, Helping, Guidance, Tongues.In 1 Cor. 12:7-11 we see the following miraculous gifts given by the Spirit, for the common good of the Body.
Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous Powers, Prophecy, Distinguishing Between Spirits, Speaking in Different Kinds of Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues.
 
As we can see, the Miraculous Gifts are given only by the Spirit.
Next we will begin to look at miracles.
Miraculous Gifts Given by the Holy Spirit
A miracle is “An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.” (The Free Dictionary). In 1 Cor. 12:7-11 we see the following miraculous gifts given by the Spirit, for the common good of the Body:
Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous Powers, Prophecy, Distinguishing Between Spirits, Speaking in Different Kinds of Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues.
There are two purposes for these miraculous gifts. The first was to authenticate that Jesus came from God and was God. The second was to validate the message of Jesus.
Jesus used many of these miraculous abilities in His teachings.
Matt. 11:1-6; 14:25-33; Luke 11:20; John 10:37-38; 14:11; Acts 2:22.
The Apostles used miraculous gifts.
 Acts 2:43; 3:1-11; 3:16; 5:12; 5:15-16.
It is clear there are special divine powers that Jesus used. The Holy Spirit distributed a subset, the Miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, to the Apostles. It's also clear that both Jesus and the Apostles used these for the two purposes listed above.
Next we will look at the longevity of these gifts, and will answer the questions; “Do miraculous gifts exist today?” and “Do miracles exist today?”
 
Did Miraculous Gifts cease and if so, when? A study of the miraculous. 
 
1st Corinthians 13 is typically known as “the love chapter.”  Paul dedicates over half of the text to defining agape love. He examines the Spiritual gifts bestowed upon the Apostles, and how they are of little value without that love. He also discusses in verses 10-13 that at some point, the miracles would cease because they were no longer needed. 
Here is where we wade into deeper water. If you look back a few verses you note that the gifts that pass away, tongues, prophecy, and knowledge are all means by which the Corinthians used to share their understanding of God. 
Paul talks about children verses maturity and the process of growing up. 
In the later verses of the chapter Paul discusses the phrase “when the perfect/completeness comes.” Remember, we are still pondering the question, “Do miraculous gifts still exist?” 
There are several different conclusions people make about when exactly the “perfect” comes. Some say that it is being with Jesus or being in heaven. This cannot be true because faith and hope will be realized in the presence of God. Love is forever. Some believe that “perfect” came when the Church was created by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-42). This is flawed because the gifts, by-and-large, had not been given out at that time. 
The conclusion I make is that, when the “perfect” comes refers to when the Word of God, the Bible, was completed. If the purpose of miraculous gifts was to prove that Jesus came from, and was God, then the gifts are no longer needed. We now spread the Gospel through God’s Word. Lastly, add to this John’s admonition in Revelation 22:18-19, that we are neither to add nor to take away from the Bible. Revelation was the final completed book in the cannon, written just a few years prior to John's death. 
 
Does God perform miracles today?
A miracle is “An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to
be   supernatural in origin or an act of God” (The Free Dictionary). Some believe that miracles occur today, while others believe that the laws of nature constrain such events from happening. Which is correct?   We will base our conclusion on the Word of God, and the studies about the Holy Spirit that we have been exploring. We have recently demonstrated that both the need and ability to perform   miracles through man, has ceased. Only God may perform miracles today. God is the creator   (John 1:1‐4) and sustainer of all things (Col 1:17), therefore He is certainly capable of performing   miracles. He is omnipotent. He has told us that He will do whatever we ask, in Jesus' name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13‐14.) This is called prayer. First, we need to examine Romans 8:28. From this text we see that God desires to do good things for His faithful believers. It sounds logical that a loving, capable Father, would be answering all His Children’s requests. But He does not. Dreadful things still happen to good people. I have never seen a verifiable miracle, so you could call me a sceptic. I do not know if God uses His powers in this way. I presume not. I prefer to leave it that; it is within God’s providential love, for His faithful believers, that He answers prayers that are in alignment with His will, in His time and within His plan. Miracles or not. I believe that when terrible things happen to good people, it is part of God’s greater plan. A plan that may not be fathomable to us, or even come to fruition, within our lifetime.

God is God and we are not.
 
We’ve all, at some time, studied the attributes of God. Let’s take a quick look now.
·         Omniscient - Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.
o   Psalm 147:5 – “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”
o   1 John 3:20 – “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
·         Omnipotent - Possessing virtually unlimited authority or influence.
o   Genesis 18:14 – “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
·         Eternal - Possessing infinite duration.
o   Job 25:36 - "Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.”
o   Psalm 102:12 – “But You, O LORD, abide forever, And Your name to all generations.”
·         Omnipresent - Present in all places at all times.
o   Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”
o   Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD,“ and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.”
o   Psalm 139:7-12 – “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
·         Immutable - Not capable of or susceptible to change.
o   Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
o   Malachi 3:6 - “I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”
·         Love - Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another such as, the fatherly concern of God for humankind.
o   1 John 4:8 – “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
·         Holy - Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
o   Psalm 99:9 – “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.”
o   Habakkuk 1:13 – “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”
Now that we have discussed some of the attributes of God, we should have in mind a description of who God is. So let’s dig a little deeper. We seem to consider the greatness of God only by those characteristics that fit into our current situation.
God is omnipresent when we need Him near us. He is love when we feel heartache. He us immutable when we need some stability in our lives.
But through our studies I have seen authors that try to second guess God. We do the same thing ourselves when we start discussions with statements like, “I think that in this Scripture God means ...,” or “I don’t believe that God would do …,”
I think about things like the debate of the age of the earth, carbon dating, thermodynamics, global warning, and the like and I consider the fact that we’re doing our level best to understand and relate the greatness of God, but it feels at times like we don’t take that greatness as seriously as we should.
So I want us to look at some of the differences between God and man. My hope is that this makes us both awestruck and humble before our God.
·         God is the creator; we are the created.
o   Isaiah 40:28 – “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”
o   John 1:1-4 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
o   Psalm 100:3 – “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his[fn]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
·         How should we consider our relationship with God knowing that we are the created and He is the creator?
·         God is the master; we are the slaves.
o   Romans 6:18 – “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
o   Psalm 16:2 – “I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.””
·         How should we approach God as our master?
 
 
·         God is the owner; we are the merchandise.
o   Romans 14:8 – “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
o   Isaiah 43:1 – “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
o   1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
·         How should we live before the Lord as our Owner, our Lord?
Let’s look at how God described to Job the difference between God and Job.
Job 38 – Please read – It’s a long reading.
I’d like to close with the words of Paul in Romans 11:33-36 –
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
​

What does Christmas mean to you?

When did Christmas begin?
Ancient Roman pagans had a festival called Saturnalia, a celebration dedicated to the deity Saturn. It was a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25, aligning with the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.”  Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week.  At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.
During the 2nd or 3rd century, the Church father Cyprian remarked: "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born...Christ should be born." In other words, the Savior's birth was being observed at the Winter Solstice.
In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it.  Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.
The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday.
Prior to this there were different dates believed to be Jesus birthday, including: January 5th, January 6th, March 25th, March 28th, April 19th, April 20th, May 20th, August 21st, November 17th and November 19th.

When was Jesus born?
While history paints a fair suggestion of the year that Jesus was born, we really have no agreed upon month and day for Jesus birth.

What do we know about Jesus birth?
We know only what God has revealed to us, but He has revealed a great deal to us, and He wrote revealed it long before Jesus came in the flesh.
 
Prophecies of the events of Jesus birth, given and fulfilled:

Born of the Seed of Woman
GEN 3:15
GAL 4:4

Born of a Virgin
ISA 7:14
MAT 1:18; MAT 1:24-25

Son of God
PSA 2:7
MAT 3:17

Seed of Abraham
GEN 22:18
MAT 1:1

Son of Isaac
GEN 21:12
LUK 3:23; LUK 3:34

Tribe of Judah
GEN 49:10
LUK 3:23; LUK 3:33

Family Line of Jesse
ISA 11:1
LUK 3:23; LUK 3:32

House of David
JER 23:5
LUK 3:23; LUK 3:31

Born at Bethlehem
MIC 5:2
MAT 2:1

Presented with Gifts
PSA 72:10
MAT 2:1; MAT 2:11

Herod Kills Children
JER 31:15
MAT 2:16

 How does knowing and understanding these prophecies help to grow or sustain your faith?

​Demons / Evil Spirits
 
In this study I’d like us to answer the following questions:
·         What are demons?
·         Where did they come from?
·         What is their purpose?
·         Are they present today?
·         Are they responsible for the physical and psychological issues that people deal with today?
We won’t look at demon hierarchy.
Eph 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
What do we know about demons?
Demons are spiritual - Matt 8:16
They have knowledge and awareness - Luke 4:34
They are not all knowing - Acts 19:15
They have varying strengths - Mat 17:14021
Their leader (Satan) is on the offence against Christians - Eph 6:10-17
Demons do the bidding of Satan / Beelzebub / the Devil – Matt 25:41, Rev 12:9
Names for their leader, Satan.
Adversary, devil, destroyer, dragon, enemy, evil spirit, great dragon, Lucifer, Satan, serpent, son of the morning, son of wickedness, spoiler, tempter, angel of the bottomless pit, antichrist, beast, Beelzebub, chief of the devils, murderer, prince of the power of the air.
Where do they come from?
One theory is that demons are the offspring of Angels and human women.
Gen 6:1-8 - 1When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
They also claim that the Nephilim were destroyed in the flood and that their spirits are demons.
This can’t be true because God specifically set in motion for everything to breed “after its kind.”
Gen 1:11-12, 21, 24-25 -  11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
This cannot be true because Jesus taught that angels / demons are neuter.
Matt 2:29-30 - 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
The more biblically supported view is that demons are fallen Angels.
Satan fell / was hurled from heaven.
Isaiah 14:12 - 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
Luke 10:18 -  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.
Some of the sinning angels were bound up waiting for judgment.
2 Pet 2:4 - 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;
 
 
Others accompanied Satan when he was cast down to earth.
Rev 12:7-9 - 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 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.
There were many angels in Heaven.
Heb 12:22 - 22 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, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.
How many were cast down to the earth?
Rev 12:1-91 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 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.
What are demons purpose?
To serve the devil, and to attack us.
What types of attacks do demons stage?
Physical attacks.
·         Matthew 9:33 – A spirit that made a man unable to speak.
·         Luke 13:11-16 – A spirit of infirmity.
Mental attacks.
·         Matt 17:15 – A boy lunatic.
·         Luke 8:27 – A crazy or mentally ill person.
 
 
Who dealt with demons?
Jesus
·         Mark 5:1-12 – A legion of demons left a man and went into a herd of pigs.
·         Mark 9:25 – An evil spirit made a man deaf and mute.
·         Luke 9:42 – An evil spirit possessed a young man.
The Apostles
·         Acts 16:16 – Paul drives out an evil spirit that is harassing him.
The 72
·         Luke 10:17 - The 72 dealt with demons.
All of these works are “miraculous,” intended to give credibility to the message, proving that tit is from God?
If miracles have ceased, has driving out demons ceased?
 
Discussion – How do demons, and especially demon possession relate to the plethora of physical and psychological issues that we deal with today?
·         Dementia, Schizophrenia, Tourette’s, Bi-Polar, Run Amuk.
·         Birth defects – lame, blind, mute.
·         Are their evil people? How does accountability fit into all of this?
 
Romans 8:38-39 -  38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[fn] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 

Shall We Build A Wall?
This is a question we are not going to answer.
This question is best left to the laws of the land and the will of the people. However, we have the opportunity to voice our opinion on the laws of the land as we are the people whose will should take into consideration. So to best equip us for decisions we need to make, we will look at the Biblical perspective of illegal aliens / foreigners and prayerfully consider our reaction to, and treatment of them.
Foreigners vs Illegal Alias
Foreigner

• A 70’s rock group perhaps best known for the song, “Double Vision.”
• A person born in or coming from a country other than one’s own.
• A person not belonging to a particular place or group; a stranger or outsider.

Illegal Alien

• A foreigner living in a country in defiance to that countries current immigration laws.

From the L.A.Times (date and author unknown)
From the L.A. Times:
1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card.
2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.
8 Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. 21 radio stations in L. A. are Spanish speaking.
10. In L.A. County 5.1 million people speak English, 3.9 million speak Spanish. (There are 10.2 million people in L.A. County.)
 
Illegal immigration is a volatile topic. Let’s see if we can gain some clarity from God’s Word.
OT Foreigners and Aliens
GEN 1:26-28
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Question: What do all men get from God’s creation activity?
GEN 11:31-12:5
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Question : What was Abram in Canaan?

• In GEN 12:10-39 Abraham was a foreigner in Egypt.
• Remember that Jacob came down to Egypt and they were foreigners in that land.

EXO 12:43-49
43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:
“No foreigner may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it.
46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. 48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”
Question : What do these passages reveal to us about God’s commands on foreigners living among God’s people?

• Foreigners that were visiting or passing through were not allowed to participate in the Passover.
• Foreigners living among the Israelites needed to follow the rules adjoining them to the Israelites before they could participate in the benefits of the Law.
• There were different rules for residential and non-residential foreigners.

EXO 20:8-10
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your town.”
EXO 22:21
21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
EXO 23:9
9 “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
Lev 19:9-10
9 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
LEV 19.33-34
33 “ ‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
 
LEV 24:17-22, DEU 10:14-22
17 “ ‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. 18 Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. 19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. 21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. 22 You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.’ ”
DEU 23:3-6
3 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. 5 However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 6 Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.
Question : How does God want us to react to people that mistreated the Israelites?
DEU 26:10-13
10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.” Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. 12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the LORD your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.”
Question: How does God want His people to treat the foreigners?
DEU 28:43-44
43 The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.
Question : What are the dangers of being too accepting of foreigners?
Additional References
Numbers 10:32, Ps 22:21, 146:9, NEIHAMIA 9:2, MALACHI 3:5, EZERA 47:21-23
Question: What are some generalizations that we can make about foreigners and God’s people in the Old Testament?
NT Foreigners and Aliens
MATT 5:43
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
MATT 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
MATT 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…
Question : What did Jesus teach, in general about dealing with others?
JOHN 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
GAL 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
EPH 2:11-ff
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
 
COL 3:11
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Question : Are we to be more or less inclusive under the covenant of Christ then under the  covenant of the Law?
Back to the wall…

• The Christian distinction is not whether people are foreigners, it’s about being legal or illegal.
• We’ve seen that we are supposed to obey human authorities (1 PET 2:11-17, ROM 13:1-7) and that there may be different rules for citizens and non-citizens (residents and visitors, legal and illegal). So the main two concerns are whether people are legally here, and whether they intend to do us harm.

OT Thoughts

• God had Solomon manage the building of the wall.
• Where was the wall?
• What was it for?
• What did it do?
• What eventually happened to the wall?

NT Thoughts

• What was the wall?
• What was it for?
• What did it do?
• What eventually happened to the wall?

Someone please read EPH 2:11-22.
Should we build a wall? We’re still not going to answer that question. Our answer is something we can voice as we vote.

​Genesis 1:1 says that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” There are many that deny this fact by talking about other “scientific” solutions as to how the world came to be. On one hand Conservative Christians believe that God spoke the earth into existence. At the other end of the spectrum some say that there was a giant interstellar  explosion,  called the “big bang.” What is the truth? Is it either of these or something else. Genesis states that God created everything in six days beginning with the heavens and the earth on day one. If we agree on that, doesn’t either option work, or can both work? Could God have spoken the earth into existence (Psalm 33:8-9) using a “big bang?” There are things that we don't know because as God says,  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Someday we will understand how God did it, but regardless of your stance, we can all find commonality in the fact that no matter how He did it, “In the beginning God…”

​Planting, watering, growing, harvesting
A Christians Gardening Responsibilities.
Focus – What is our responsibility for the growth of the Kingdom and how should we react when people refuse to listen or obey? In particular, loved ones.
Matthew 28:18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
•                     What are our three responsibilities according to this charge of Jesus?
•                     How responsible are we personally for baptizing those we come into contact with?
•                     How responsible are we for the learning of those we convert?
•                     How do we know if we are failing at “teaching?”
•                     Do we have excuses for not spreading the Word?
·                     “I don't  have the gift of evangelism.”
·                     “I show God by the way I live my life.”
1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3  You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?4  For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8  The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
•                     What does this say about Christian growth?
•                     Are people expected to grow on their own?
•                     Are we expected to teach them?
•                     What is our responsibility in the growth of the Kingdom?
•                     Is it a responsibility to the seed or the soil?
•                     Is it to plant only?
•                     Is it to water only?
•                     What is our responsibility for the growth of each individual planting?
 
 
 
Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:1  That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
19  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
•                     If they don’t understand the message are we not doing a good job of explaining it?
•                     How accountable are we for our work with the seed that was sewn along the path?
Matthew 13:5  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
20  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
•                     Is this due to a lack of discipling on our part?
•                     Is there a way we could help them to be better “rooted” in Christ?
7  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
22  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
•                     How do we intervene such that the thorns do not prevail in the effort of growth?
8  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
23  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
•                     Can we change the soil?
 
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
Matthew  13:24  Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27  “The owner's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’28  “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?” 29  “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds *and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
•                     Who came and planted weeds?
•                     When did he come?
•                     What  will God do with the weeds?
•                     What are we to do with the weeds?
•                     What does this tell us about the soil?
 
Finally
Mark 4:26  He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.  27  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28  All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29  As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
•                     Does this tell us anything about the responsibilities that we have and those that God has?
Matthew 7:13  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
 

There are a lot of opinions about what happens when we die, and before the day of judgement. Let’s take a look at what Scripture has to say about it.
In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus spoke the parable of the sheep and the goats. The sheep represents the righteous and the goats the unrighteous. Verse 46 tells us that the righteous will go to eternal life and the unrighteous, eternal punishment. Cleary, Scripture shows us there is a heaven and a hell. But there is one day of judgment and we don't all die on that day so there must be some answer to what happens in between death and judgment.
First we need to understand the terms, body, soul and spirit. The body represents our physical body, our flesh. When we die the body decomposes and eventually turns to dust. Scripture uses the terms spirit and soul sometimes interchangeably, but we see in an example that is a little confusing. When Jesus is asked what the greatest command His reply is recorded in three places; Matthew 23:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27. Using the NIV the list of things with which we need to love the Lord our God include all of our: heart, soul, mind, strength. I believe that there are three parts to the human being; the body, the spirit that God puts inside us so that we are alive; the soul/spirit/mind. This is the part of us that contains our personality, our will, and all the things that make us spiritually unique. This is also the part of us that will stand before judgement and live eternally in either heaven or hell.
With this in “mind,” let’s continue to look at the period between death and judgement. When the thief on the cross asked Jess for mercy (Luke 23:43), Jesus replied, "Today you will be with me in paradise." The place that Jesus was speaking of isn't heaven but it's a lot like heaven. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19 we see that there are two places that people go when they die, torment or Abrahams bosom (this is widely believed to be the same as paradise). Between torment and paradise is a chasm (a wide bottomless canyon). The term hades is used to refer to this place, with paradise, torment, and the chasm between them.
So when we die, we go to hades. At that point it is almost like we are already judged because we are in a good place or a bad place. Judgement, then, is not so much a pronouncement of guilt or innocence. It’s more like a reading of the charges against or for you and a sentencing. Those in paradise will be welcomed into heaven and those in torment will be thrown into the everlasting lake of fire, hell.