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INDEX: Main Article - For Every Tree Is Known By His Own Fruit (Luke 6:44) - Faith Health Article - Soy: A Miracle Bean Bible Study and Last Month's Answers Questions on Spiritual Application of Creation - Day 4 Answers to Spiritual Application of Creation - Day 3 Questions and Answers #1 Were the apostles sinless after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? #2 Many people seem to think that because of the utter confusion that Y2K [Year 2000] computer glitch will cause, affecting banking, water systems, communications, and much more, that Jesus is sure to return then. Does the Bible predict such an event and imply that the return of Christ is on a 1,000 year schedule? #3 Where is the meaning of the various parts of the Antichrist animal seeing that Revelation cannot be taken literally? Antichrist PICTURE: A single pillar, automatically tiled in the index box, represents "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)..

FOR EVERY TREE IS KNOWN BY HIS OWN FRUIT (FAITH) (Luke 6:44)

The last six months we have looked at the first six stated fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 ("But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."). This month, we will look at faith.

As with our previous lessons, we followed the guidelines of proper Bible study outlined in Isaiah 28:10 and performed a word search. There are 231 verses with the word faith, 78 verses of faithful, 8 verses containing faithfully, 19 verses using faithfulness, 4 verses have faithless in them, and there is 1 occurrence of unfaithful as well as unfaithfully.

The first category regards cities as being either faithful or unfaithful which occurs three times as in Isaiah 1:26, "And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city."

The second category finds God to be faithful in twenty-eight verses. Some key references include 1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]." 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil." 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The third category is more of a collage being that they are very similar in meaning. There were fifty-eight references to people being honest, reliable, worthy, or the opposite. Proverbs 14:5 "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies." Of course Jesus said, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33). No true Christian would think to deny Jesus, yet every day is a test to see if we will deny Him for the sake of keeping a job, to keep a friend, to enjoy a little "sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25), or to keep peace in the family (Matthew 10:34-39). One example of faithfulness is brought out by a certain Hebrew. Daniel 6:4 "Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he [was] faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him." Let us all, like Daniel, have enough evidence to be convicted for being a Christian.

The fourth category lists items that are faithful. They include "commandments" (Psalm 119:86), "testimonies" (Psalm 119:138), "health" (Proverbs 13:17), "wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6) of course referring to pointing out saving truth which may hurt (James 5:20, Hebrews 4:12), "counsels of the Lord" (Isaiah 25:1) which the whole Bible is full of good counsel, "sayings" (1 Timothy 1:15, 4:9, 2 Timothy 2:11, Titus 3:8, Revelation 22:6), and "words" (1 Timothy 4:6, Titus 1:9). And one of the best statements in regards to faithful words is Revelation 21:5, "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Amen!

The fifth category uses the word faith in the context of being part of God’s religious body. Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Ephesians 4:11-13 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Since we are not unified today, that means all these positions are still necessary -- apostles or missionaries, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. God also makes a prediction for the last days concerning the faith. 1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Could people in the last days leave Biblical truth for the sake of religious unity? Not only could people do it, but it is already happening. When compromising, can one honestly quote the words Paul recorded? 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith."

The sixth category deals with ways to obtain faith. Romans 10:17 "So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 2 Timothy 3:15 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 1 Corinthians 12:9 "To another faith by the same Spirit." Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith." James 1:3 "Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience." James 1:6 "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." 2 Peter 1:4-7 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." Note that faith is just the first step. If one is stuck at faith only, they are missing out on what God would like to do in their lives such as making them more virtuous, knowledgeable, temperate, patient, godly, kind, and loving (charity). All they have to do is submit (James 4:7).

Speaking of faith being just the beginning, many use faith as an excuse to disobey. Does faith permit disobedience? This is the seventh category. Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Is that what is meant by this verse? Paul knew that people would misunderstand. That is why he quickly followed with verse 31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." So Paul did not teach to disobey God’s law. How about Galatians 3:11? "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 Galatians 3:24-25 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Well, what is that schoolmaster? Galatians 3:10 ". . .the book of the law. . ." which is not the commandments for they were written on stone tablets. Besides, the same saying is recorded before the cross Habakkuk 2:4 "Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith."

Well, is there an end to the commandments? 1 Timothy 1:5 "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned." Yes, there is an end to the commandments just as much as there is an end to God. James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." Remember, end does not necessarily mean it is over, done away with, finished, etc. It also means result. [See the Question and Answer section, February 1998.] Try re-reading these verses substituting the word result for end.

Are there any final words? James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Revelation 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

The eighth category contains just four verses – "The Christian’s Armour". Isaiah 11:5 "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity." Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." 1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

The ninth category, contains one-hundred thirty-four references, giving encouragement – the exercise of great faith. One example is acknowledged by Jesus. Matthew 8:8-10 "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it]. When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Further, Jesus even tells us in Matthew 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." And let us not forget the ultimate example. Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son], Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called."

In the tenth category, the opposite is portrayed in twenty-five verses. Matthew 14:28-31 "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Luke 18:8 "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" What a question! What is our answer?

May we have the faith that Jesus will be looking for when He returns.

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SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39)

Spiritual Application of Creation - Day 4

1. What was created on the fourth day? Genesis 1:14-19
   
   
   
   
   
2. Who represents the greatest light? John 8:12
   
   
   
   
   
3. Who represents the lesser light? Matthew 5:14
   
   
   
   
   
4. What does light do? John 3:19-21

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S STUDY:

Spiritual Application of Creation - Day 3

1. What was created on the third day? Genesis 1:9-13 "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. And the evening and the morning were the third day."
2. Should people mingle seeds? Leviticus 19:19 "Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee."; Deuteronomy 22:9 "Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled."
3. Which part of the earth should Christians physically and spiritually build upon? Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
4. What lesson did Jesus teach using the lilies and the grass as an example? Luke 12:27-31 "Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

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YE HAVE HEARD THAT ANTICHRIST SHALL COME (1 John 2:18)

Daniel 7:24, ". . ., and he shall be diverse from the first, . . .." The Antichrist would not appear as any ordinary political kingdom. It would be different or diverse. According to Webster, one meaning to stout is to be firm. So this kingdom would appear to exercise more firmness and be less tolerant of dissidents.

REVIEW OF THE IDENTIFYING MARKS:

1. . . . would deny Jesus is the Christ either by words, actions, or both (1 John 2:22, Titus 1:16).
2. . . . is in a populated area of the world (Revelation 131-2, 17:15).
3. . . . would wear titles attributed to God (Revelation 13:6, Matt 23:8-12).
4. . . . is a kingdom (Revelation 13:1-2, Daniel 7:23).
5. . . . derives it’s authority based on satanic principles or paganism (Revelation 13:1-2, 12:9).
6. . . . is a little kingdom (Daniel 7:8).
7. . . . would conquer three kingdoms (Daniel 7:8, 20, 24).
8. . . . a single person would be leader of this kingdom (Daniel 7:8).
9. . . . the leader’s name or title would add up to 666 (Revelation 13:18).
10. . . . would embrace non-Christian theology (Revelation 18:2, 1 John 4:1, 3).
11. . . . would not be just another political kingdom (Daniel 7:20, 24).

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THAT THOU MAYEST PROSPER AND BE IN HEALTH, EVEN AS THY SOUL PROSPERETH (3 John 1:2)

SOY: A MIRACLE BEAN

Winston J. Craig, Ph.D., R.D.

Regular soybean consumption is a contributing factor in the low incidence of breast and prostate cancer in Japanese women and men, respectively. Chinese regularly consuming soybeans and/or tofu have only one half as much cancer of the stomach, colon, rectum, breast, and lung when compared with those Chinese who rarely consume soy or soy products. Soybeans contain fairly high levels of several compounds with demonstrated anti-cancer activity. For example, soybeans are a very rich and unique source of isoflavonoids, such as genistein. These isoflavonoids have been shown to inhibit the growth of both human breast and prostate cancer cells. In addition, regular use of soy protein can lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels by 10 to 15 percent, especially in persons with elevated levels of these blood lipids. As little as on to two ounces of soy protein incorporated into muffins, breads, cookies, and other commonly eaten bakery items effectively lower the cholesterol levels. The soy isoflavonoids lower blood cholesterol levels, inhibit LDL cholesterol oxidation, and inhibit blood clots from forming. One can obtain substantial levels of dietary isoflavones by a daily consumption of an ounce or two of soy protein. One-half cup of soybeans, one cup of soy beverage or four ounces of tofu can provide about 30 to 40 milligrams of genistein.

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ANSWERS FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH (Daniel 10:21)

QUESTION #1 - Newville - Were the apostles sinless after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

ANSWER #1 - As Christians, we understand hypocrisy to be sin. It is a form of lying. With that in mind, Paul had to rebuke Peter for committing such an act. Galatians 2:11-14 "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" Further, we are given direct council not to think such. 1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

QUESTION #2 - Grasonville, MD - Many people seem to think that because of the utter confusion that Y2K [Year 2000] computer glitch will cause, affecting banking, water systems, communications, and much more, that Jesus is sure to return then. Does the Bible predict such an event and imply that the return of Christ is on a 1,000 year schedule?

ANSWER #2 - By looking into verses deeper than intended, people come up with quite a few predictions which have ended up being false for we are still here. People ignore Matthew 25:13 "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." If God wanted us to know the year, He would have given us a timeline, instead, God specified events that would occur just before the time. Jesus said that we would sense the time (Matthew 24:32-33), but to predict the year is dangerous. First, that means one can "party" until December 31, 1999 taking the risk they do not drop dead before then. Second, if it becomes 2001, where will your faith be? Third, if it becomes 2001, what would it do for the nominal Christians that you told? As Jesus said, "Watch" in fact we are to be ready at every moment.

QUESTION #3 - Elizabethville - Where is the meaning of the various parts of the Antichrist animal seeing that Revelation cannot be taken literally?

ANSWER #3 - The Antichrist beast is identified in Revelation 13:1-2 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." It is not by chance or coincidence that the beast parts are in exact reverse order of how Daniel records separate beasts that he saw. Daniel 7:3-7 "And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns." Understanding the meaning of each of these animal parts will provide a key to unlocking the singular Antichrist beast. [Keep reading the monthly Antichrist points for the identification of these beasts.]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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