From Gold to Brass: The Effects of Sin

Devaluing of the US dollar is a significant issue in today’s time. A devalued dollar has both good and bad results. Increased exports and a lower balance of payments deficit are the two most referenced positive results to devaluing the dollar. The greatest downfall of a devalued dollar is increased inflation and a higher interest payment, for government borrowing.

As you can see from the the chart in the link below, the dollar has been greatly devalued, beginñng in the 1970s and it continues to retain its lower value even unto today. You can read much more about the devalued dollar at: ‘
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historv of the United States dollar.

This chart speaks volumes about the decline of the US economic system. Prior to the seventies, the economy of the US was strong and a devaluing of the dollar was unnecessary to sustain international supremacy. Beginning with the 70s, and the decline in our economy and deficit balance of payments, the US has had to permanently devalue its dollar to remain competitive in the new “global” economy. As the dollar continues its decline, it will signal a continuing weakness of the US economy.

 

Gold and the US dollar are valuable assets for anyone to own, but; there are spiritual possessions that far outweigh the value of these. Our faith, and its resulting testimony to others around us, will retain eternal, spiritual value.

1 Pet 1:6-9 (KJV)
6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,  though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; 8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9) Receiving the end of your faith, (even] the salvation of [your] souls.

 
THE SCRIPTURES:
1 Kgs 10: 16-17 (KJV)
16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.  17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of theforest ofLebanon:

 1 Kgs 14:21-28 (KJV)
21) And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they, provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. . 23) For they also built them high places, and images, and groves. on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.  25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam,’ [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:  26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s. house even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solornon had made.  27) And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed [them) unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.   28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them,
and brought them back into the guard chamber.

 THE STUDY:  

1Kgs 10:16-17 (KJV)

16) And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.

“target” – large shield, you can hide your entire body behind it

“600 shekels of gold” – equals approximately 300 oz of gold with a value of $357,000.00 per target

17) And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

“shield” — smaller shield hooked to arm, hold it up to defend in hand to hand combat

3 Hebrew pounds = 3.75 American lbs = 6Ooz = $ 72,000.00 per shield

All of the targets and shields together totaled over $93 million dollars.

These were only for show and not for use in battle.  We know this because the targets were too heavy for a warrior to easily maneuver during battle, and the metal was too soft to supply protection for either the target or the shield.

This collection of targets and shields was symbolic of the nation’s wealth.  This collection was a testimony to the strength, presence and grace of Jehovah, as He brought prosperity to the Nation of Israel.  These symbols of God’s blessings, were meant to bring Him honor and praise throughout all generations.

Approximately 20 years after the making of the targets and shields that King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam took the throne of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
1 Kngs 14:21-28

21) And Rehoboam the son of Sotomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in - Jerusalem, the city[which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess

At the death of Solomon, Rehoboam his son, takes the throne of Judahthe southern
kingdom. During his reign Rehoboam did not follow the desires of God for his nation but allowed his nation to turn to the worship of false gods and sinful lifestyles....

 22) And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done 23) For they also built them high places and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and]  they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Israelhad turned their backs on being faithful to Jehovah! They began to worship the false Gods of the Gentiles. The high places, images, and groves were all instruments for their idol worship taken from the heathen nations that surroundedIsrael. Not only did they worship false gods; but they incorporated the sin of homosexuality with the idolatrous, worship services.

25) And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 26) And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

Following the five year decline ofJudahinto idolatry, the Lord allowedEgyptto invadeJudahand pillage the land. Some of the riches that were taken  by the Egyptians were the contents of theTempleofSolomon.  The contents included the shields of gold that had been previously stored there by Solomon.  The times of blessings and superiority that Jehovah had given to the Israelites had come to an end.

 27) And king Rehoboam made in their, stead brasen shields,” and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the King’s house  28) And it was [so], when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them and brought them back into the guard chamber.

King Rehoboam now replaces the golden shields with those made of brass.  What a poor replacement for those that were previously displays of Jehovah’s blessings and prosperity uponJudah.  These new shields were now a stunning admission of the loss of Jehovah’s favor upon this adulterous nation, who had turned their affections from the true God Jehovah to the idols and practices of the ungodly world around them.  These replacement shields were a public declaration of sin and its devastating effects upon the public testimony of God’s chosen nation.

Please remember, gold throughout the Bible is a picture of high value and Divine presence; brass, on the other hand, is a picture of minimal temporal value and Divine displeasure.

Israeltraded their worship of the True God, His presence and His favor and blessings; for the worship of man made gods, and the loss of spiritual fidelity, intimacy and displeasure of Almighty God.

 
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who are not saved…

Just as habitual sin ruinedIsrael’s testimony and communion with Jehovah; sin in the lives of Christians, can bring ruin to our testimony and relationship with the Lord, as well.  One of our greatest privileges is to possess communion with the Lord and a testimony which is unspotted from this world and results in eternal praise to Almighty God. Let’s strive for faithfulness, allowing the Lord to be shown through our lives to His eternal glory.

Jas 1:27 (KJV) - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Job 23:10 (KJV) - But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

For those who are not saved…

Living a spiritually prosperous and blessed life of communion with God begins by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  By trusting in His person and work on the cross, you can receive the forgiveness of sins and an assurance of communion with Him.

John 1:10-13 (KJV)

10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Heb 13:5-6 (KJV)

5) [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Escaping Fear’s Grip Part 1

Anyone who is familiar with the current events of the day, realize that we are living in fearful times. 

 Terrorism; our nation's debt, crime, and unemployment; the decrease in value of our homes, investments, savings and retirement plans; shortages of oil and food;  the recent rash of  floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanoes; personal tragedies and trials, the loss of health, the loss of strength that comes with aging or sickness... all of these, and many others, produce anxiety, fear, and in some cases panic, in the hearts and minds of us all. 

 I am the first to admit that, at times, I am scared.  I don't know what the future holds for my family, my country and my self. 

 It is during times like this that I realize how blessed I have been in life.  There was a time terrorism was insignificant in the world, our nation was being blessed economically, socially and spiritually. Life still contained personal trials and heart aches, but  I had the strength and health that was necessary to face any task that was at hand, in general, life was good.  Sadly, looking back, I realize I did not appreciate the blessings I was given. 

 I  have no one to blame but myself.  I didn't count my blessings and now, as I grow older, I begin to see these temporal blessings falling by the wayside.  As these blessings begin slip away, anxiety, stress and fear fill the void. 

 So what are we to do in these troubled times?  What is the answer to fear in the hearts of someone who has lost their job, is facing the foreclosure of their home and, perhaps, does not know where their next meal is coming from?  What about those who are suffering the loss of a loved one through death or divorce? Even worse, what can possibly take away the anxiety and stress that stems from losing a loved one who was the sole provider for the family? What comfort can be given to someone who is facing failing health with no medical reason to believe things will get better? 

 By God's grace, over the next few blog entries we will be looking into the Word of God to see what comfort we can find during these catastrophic times of our life.  In our 3-part study we will be looking at three basic principles:

1.  Realize that the fearful times will remind us of God's presence in our lives.  He is always with us.


2. Realize that the fearful times fulfill a purpose in our lives. It opens doors of opportunity to us.


3. Realize that the fearful times will come to an end.  A glorious eternity awaits us.

 THE SCRIPTURES:

 Isa 41:10 (KJV)

Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

 Ps 27

1) [A Psalm] of David. The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

 THE STUDY:

 PRINCIPLE #1 – Our God Is With Us During The Fearful Times of Our Lives...

 As we face the troublesome times of our lives three basic issues produce the feelings of fear that we experience...

1. feelings of isolation (no one knows what I am facing, no one can remedy my situation, no one cares about me)


2. feelings of confusion (why is this happening to me? What should I have done differently?, what can I do now to change my situation?) and finally, 


3. feelings of inability (my circumstances are out of my control, I cannot continue on under this burden, I've done all I can and it has not helped)

In our text (Isa 41:10), we are given insight into overcoming all three issues that produce our anxiety and fear.

“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee:” -

#1 -feelings of isolation – Remember our gracious Lord is ALWAYS with His people. We are never alone as we face the many fearful times in our life.  He is with us, holding our hand through the difficult times that we face. 

Do we remember Psalms 23?  It is perhaps the most familiar portion of Scripture known to man.  Within the verses this Psalm we find verse 4:  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

How about Psalms 57:1?  “To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until [these] calamities be overpast.”

Throughout a lifetime of trials and anxious moments, David had come to an understanding that His Lord was ALWAYS with him and that He was the refuge to whom David would flee.

“be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God:”

#2 – feelings of confusion – Remember our Lord is with us to lead and guide us through our troublesome times.  Although we may not understand the path we should take during these times, our Lord does know and He will lead us on a daily basis.  Although confusion may abound as we try to “figure things out”, our Lord will be our mainstay and compass, directing us through the indwelling Spirit to the right path to take.

David wrote about this principle in Psalm 18:28 - “For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.”   When we are in the middle of the dark times of our life, it is much like being in a darkened room.  We cannot see what lies ahead of us, nor can we perceive how to proceed.   But  David understood, as we can understand, that the Lord, through His Spirit, would enlighten His path.

“I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

#3 – feelings of inability” - Remember, our God is the all-powerful Creator and Lord of heaven and earth.  There is nothing our God cannot do.  He can intervene and change even the most hopeless situations that we may face.   It is during the times of our greatest weaknesses and inabilities that our Lord can display His greatest acts of power and sovereignty.

Paul understood this principle as he came to a point of acceptance of his physical infirmities in 2 Cor 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Isaiah during the course of his prophetic ministry had faced persecution, rejection, mockery all while being ignored by almost his entire nation.  It was only through the many experiences of rejection and seeming failure that Isaiah came to understand this important principle found in Isaiah 40:28-31...

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [that] the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [there is] no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. “

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

We have seen that the Bible clearly promises that the fearful times in our lives do not have to overcome us.  We can be victorious even when we are in the midst of these dark, seemingly hopeless situations that we face....

How can we know if this promise applies to us?  David, in Psalm 27:1, touches on this subject.

“[A Psalm] of David. The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

In these verses, David links his relationship to God with the application of His promises to us.  David describes his relationship to God as “the LORD is my light and my salvation”.  David here says that the Lord has given him the “light” of knowledge and understanding of the truth of His Word.  He goes further and says that the Lord is his “salvation”. 

It is only when we have been enlightened with the truths of His Word and we have received deliverance from our sins, that we can apply His promises to our lives.  Have you ever been forgiven of your sins?  Have you ever come to Him understanding your spiritual needs and His divine supplies?

If you have any questions about salvation, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved.  Please click on this link for more information about salvation.

If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area.  The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you.   If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. 

May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” (updated twice weekly) – http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com

The following are other places you can find “Settled In Heaven” blog (updated once per month):

www.settledinheavenbibleblog.posterous.com

www.settledinheavenblog.blogspot.com

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

 Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.” 

April Fools Day Devotion

The April Fools Day right around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to study a Biblical “fool”.



One of the clearest portions of Scripture that describes a “fool” is found in Psalm 14:1-3.  Lets look and see what the Bible says about a “fool”….

 

THE SCRIPTURE:

 Ps 14:1-3 (KJV)  The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and] seek God.  They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.   

 Rom 3:11-12  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one…

 Rom 3:23-24 (KJV)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

 

THE STUDY:

 

Here we find in Ps 14:1-3, the Biblical characteristics of a “fool”.  Also, in our study we will find that all of us, apart from the grace of God, can be classified as a fool. And finally, we will see that the Lord has given each of us a remedy for our “foolishness”… the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross. 

 

Psalm 14:1-3:

The fool

Here we find one of many verses where the Bible talks about a “fool”.  What does the Lord mean when he describes someone as a “fool”?   Here the Hebrew word for “fool” is describing someone who is without knowledge and wisdom.  Because they are without this wisdom they are not in submission to the desires of God for their life.

 hath said in his heart, [There is] no God.

One characteristic in the life of a “fool”, is their refusal to recognize that Jehovah is a living God who has authority over their lives.  This type of denial can take two forms: 

Firstly, there is a lack of recognition of the very existence of the Biblical God.  (This type of attitude is characterized by the atheists, agnostics, and pagan religions among others.)

 The second type of denial, is a denial of God’s Lordship in an individual’s life.  There are many people who will say that they believe God exists and yet, do not recognize the authority of God over their lives. In practice, they are in denial of the existence of God, and is classified as a Biblical “fool”. (This type of denial we are all guilty of committing.  How often have we, in practice, denied the very Lord that we claimed existed.)

 They are corrupt,

Here the word “corrupt” means to decay, or to enter into a worse condition. 

We are clearly told that those who deny the existence of the Lord are continuously entering into a worse and worse condition. The longer that they deny His existence and fail to recognize His will for their lives, the worse their condition before God.   

 they have done abominable works,

Here, the word “abominable” means to detest or to reject due to filth.  What was our condition before we acknowledged His existence and lived in submission to His authority?  The Lord rejected our good works of righteousness rejecting them because they were filthy in His sight. Remember,  the Lord has loving warned us not to rely on our good works to secure salvation. “But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf ; and our iniquities , like the wind , have taken us away.” (Isa 64:6)

 [there is] none that doeth good.  

There is no one, apart from the grace of God, that does good in His sight. 

 

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and] seek God. 

When the Lord searched for someone who recognized His existence and His lordship, desiring His rule for their lives; He could find none…

Here, is what the Lord saw when He looked upon all of us….

 They are all gone aside,

Every one of us, before the Lord saved us, had turned off the right path for our life, choosing to follow our fleshly desires.

 they are [all] together become filthy:

We all had appeared, defiled in His sight, so defiled that He could not accept us due to the filth of our sin that was upon us.

 [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.

Once again, to emphasize our hopeless situation, the Lord reminds us that our works were not found acceptable in His sight; they all were tainted by our sinful condition and found wanting.

 In the book of Romans, Paul now takes up the message that King David had begun.  Paul continues the same thought but concludes giving us the solution to our dilemma…

 Rom 3:11-12, 23-24:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one…

Here, in Rom 3:11-12, we find Paul repeating the words of David, once again, establishing the principle that we, as sinful mankind, can do nothing to gain the favor of a Holy, Just God.  We are stand as fools, not understanding nor seeking after the only One who can graciously impart salvation unto us.

 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Now, in Rom 3:23-24, Paul helps us to understand that our situation as fallen mankind is not impossible.  We still have hope of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Each of us has fallen short of the holiness that is required to enter God’s presence. 

Before we can spend an eternity with this Existing, Almighty, Holy, Just God, we must be justified (declared innocent) of those sins which we have committed:

First of all, declaration of innocence comes to us freely.  It is nothing we can merit, nor is it something we can work to gain.

 Secondly, this declaration of innocence is an act of His divine grace.  “Grace” is a term used to describe benefiting someone who does not deserve the benefits.  In other words, none of us “deserve” to be declared innocent of our sins, yet He saw fit to declare us innocent.

 Thirdly, this declaration of innocence is based upon the price that was paid by Christ on the cross.  You see, our sin debt could not be paid by us.  But Christ, our sinless substitute died on the cross to pay the price for those who are brought to faith in Him.  This act of redemption cost Christ everything and, yet, costs us nothing to receive.  At His expense, He gave us His free gift of justification.   

 PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

 For those who have never come to a life changing belief in an Existing God…

 Please take just a moment to read the following verses, and by faith, know they are true:

  God exists and has authority over our lives:

 Deut 4:35-39 (KJV)  Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him.  Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.  And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;  To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou [art], to bring thee in, to give thee their land [for] an inheritance, as [it is] this day.  Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.

 Ps 83:18 (KJV)  That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.

 Isa 54:5 (KJV)  For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 Dan 4:34-35 (KJV)  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [is] from generation to generation:  And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 Zech 4:14 (KJV)  Then said he, These [are] the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

 Jesus Christ and His work is the basis of the forgiveness of our sins:

 Col 1:12-17   Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:  In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 Gal 3:7-13  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:

 2Cor 5:17-21 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 Matt 11:27-30  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].  Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

 John 6:28-40  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 Believe His Word, turn to Him and come before Him humbly recognizing your need and your inability to save yourself.  Trust in Him for your forgiveness and you will be saved.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

 If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

 

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

 

Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace

 

May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------