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Vol. 1 Iss. 1

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INDEX: Main Article - Lord, Teach Us To Pray (Luke 11:1) Monthly Bible Thought - Thanksgiving Health Article - God Given Diet (Part II) Bible Study and Last Month's Answers Questions on Can one be saved, then be lost, then be saved? Answers to And who is my neighbour? Questions and Answers #1 How can the Antichrist be acknowledging Jesus is the Christ, and yet deny Jesus Christ? #2 Which is greater: God's creative work, which is recognized by keeping Saturday holy, or God's redemptive work, which is recognized by keeping Sunday holy? #3 Who is the woman in Simon's house that weeps upon Jesus' feet and dries them with her tears and also pours ointment upon Him? 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).

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY (Luke 11:1)

The title of this message comes from the lips of Jesus' disciples in Luke 11:1, "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, as John also taught his disciples." Let us allow the Lord to teach us how to pray for Jesus did answer their request and He specifically stated "After this manner therefore pray ye" (Matthew 6:9).

Jesus began with, "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9). What a beginning! No other god has such a relationship. All other gods are usually to be feared but "the only true God" (John 17:3) treats us differently. He refers to us as "My little children" (1 John 2:1). So just as little children go to their earthly parents, we also ought to go to our Father as well.

The next part states "which art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). This directs our thoughts in the right place "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21).

Matthew 6:9 continues with "Hallowed be thy name." Do we go to God with our needs only? How would you like to hear from a friend or relative only when they need something? But this is not to give God an ego trip, but rather, this reveals the type of God we believe in for David recorded "I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving" (Psalms 69:30). When He is magnified, it seems that the so called crisis is but a little matter in God's hands, and He will be "our Refuge" (Psalms 46:7). For further ideas on how to praise God, read the Psalms.

Matthew 6:10 states "Thy kingdom come." Do we want to see God's kingdom come or are we hoping for a few more things to be accomplished first like a new house, a new car, to have children, etc. But 2 Peter 3:12 tells us "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." Nothing should hold our feelings back from wanting to be in His physical kingdom today.

Also in Matthew 6:10 are the words "Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven." What is God's will? Psalms 40:8 "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart." If we are having problems here on earth with God's Holy Ten Commandments, we would then have trouble in heaven where it is the law of the land.

Matthew 6:11 includes the words "Give us this day our daily bread." This is very similar to Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof." We are to go to God daily and He will supply what we need to make it through that day for He says, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Just as we eat every day, we ought to go to God every day for our needs.

In Matthew 6:12 our imperfections show through the words "And forgive us our debts." Now these debts are our sins. What is sin? "For sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). It is interesting that a moment ago we were to request that God's will (His Law) be done in us. Then we hit this part of the prayer and find out that we have come short of perfection. Notice that the request does not offer any form of making up for our sins. It does not state, "If you forgive me, I'll put an extra $20 in the collection plate." Simply, He forgives. This is evident in 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." And we must have faith as described in 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." However, as with all blessings, there are conditions to be met.

Matthew 6:12 continues with "as we forgive our debtors." If we hold grudges against others and are unwilling to forgive, all the sins that we have confessed will be brought back upon us. This is evident in the parable recorded in Matthew 18:23-35 where a servant owes a huge amount of money that was forgiven, but he went and treated a fellow servant miserably for a few bucks. The lord of the servant then said, "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?" And what happened to the first servant? "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him." Are we sure this applies to the Lord's prayer? "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation." Is it God who tempts us? James 1:13 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." Then who is leading into temptation? 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]." What we are actually praying for then is, "God, don't leave me to my own temptations but lead me in your way which is away from my temptations."

Matthew 6:13 continues with "but deliver us from evil." How evil is evil? Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]." The solution is in Ephesians 6:13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." We are actually praying that we would use these God given instruments properly. The details of the armor used to fight against Satan and his evil ways is provided in the remainder of chapter 6.

Matthew 6:13 "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever." There is only one kingdom that will last throughout eternity. Daniel 2:44 "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." Daniel 7:27 "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Which kingdom do you want to be a part of?

And the prayer ends in Matthew 6:13 with "Amen" which means, "So it is," "So be it," and "May it be fulfilled."

In our daily prayers, may we recognize that God cares for us as a Father to a child. May we praise God as well as bring our petitions to Him. May we truly want His kingdom to come by fulfilling the mission we have each been called to fulfill. May His will be done by each one of us. May we deal with today and realize that God will work out the future. May we confess and forsake our sins. May we show the same forgiveness to others that God shows to us. May we seek the way of God and not tempt ourselves with the world. May we seek God who only can deliver us. And may we desire to do all for the eternal kingdom and not this earthly kingdom.

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THINK ON THESE THINGS (Philippians 4:8)

THANKSGIVING: Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

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

NUTRITION

God Given Diet (Part II) ... "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; ..." (Genesis 1:29)

The diet chosen by the very one who created us includes; grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The disease and suffering that prevail everywhere can be avoided by correcting the popular errors in the daily diet.

There is great value in the freshness of vegetables straight from the garden, prepared in a simple manner.

Did you know... ?

• Vegetables provide not only nourishment, but they invigorate the intellect and increase endurance.
• Vegetables contain the necessary nutritive properties for making good blood.
• Because of the increased nutritional value, 80% of your intake of vegetables should be served raw (uncooked).
• Iceberg lettuce has little nutrients. Greenleaf, romaine, and other such varieties are very nutritious.
• When cooking vegetables, the least amount of nutrients are lost by steaming them.
• When preserving vegetables, the least amount of nutrients are lost by freezing them.
• Beets are low in calories and high in foliate, C, potassium, calcium, iron and beta-carotene. Buy them small in size and if not eaten raw, bake them so as to preserve all nutrients. Once cool, peel skins and serve.
• Corn contains; foliate, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Corn is also high in starch and protein. Corn is most nutritious when served with a legume (bean).
• Greens - beet, collards, turnip and kale are most nutritious!!! If cooking them, steam them till tender.
• Carrots are the one vegetable very nutritious either raw or cooked, because heat breaks down the tough cellular walls that encase the beta-carotene. Many ulcer or hyper-acidic stomach patients have found complete relief from eating just one carrot a day.

In summary, your diet should consist of many varieties of in-season vegetables for optimal nutritional value.

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SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES (John 5:39)

Saved, Lost, and Saved Again?

1. Was the Spirit with Samson from childhood? Judges 13:24-25, 14:6, 14:19

2. Did the Spirit depart? Judges 16:20

3. Did the Spirit return? Judges 16:28-30, Hebrews 11:32

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S STUDY:

And who is my neighbour?

1. What are we commanded to do regarding other people? Matthew 22:39 "And the second [is] like unto it, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF."

2. How much are we to love them? James 5:20 "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." Be willing to share the gospel even to someone who is an unrepentant sinner. As a side note, sharing the gospel does include people who feel uncomfortable talking about Jesus.

3. Do we really have a responsibility for others? Ezekiel 3:18 "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and THOU GIVEST HIM NOT WARNING, NOR SPEAKEST TO WARN THE WICKED FROM HIS WICKED WAY, TO SAVE HIS LIFE; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but HIS BLOOD WILL I REQUIRE AT THINE HAND."

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

2 Thessalonians 2:4 "Shewing himself that he is God." John 10:32-33 "Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." Daniel 8:11 "... he magnified [himself] even to the prince of the host."

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, Matthew 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; 1 Timothy 2:5).
11 ... would not be just another political kingdom (Daniel 7:20, 24).
12 ... would deny the single sacrifice of Christ (1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7, Hebrews 9:28).
13 ... have seeds in the apostolic age. (2 Thessalonians 2:7, 1 John 4:3).
14 ... recognized as a kingdom after 476 AD (Daniel 7:4-8, 5:28, 8:20-21, Jeremiah 50:17, John 11:48).
15 ... is located in Europe (Daniel 7:7-8, 7:24)
16 ... is located on seven mountains (Revelation 17:9)
17 ... is a religious power (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 13:4)
18 ... set up a counterfeit service to Christ's true service. (Daniel 8:11, Hebrews 9:11)
19 ... set up a counterfeit to God's tabernacle in heaven. (Daniel 8:11, Revelation 13:6)
20 ... rules from what is recognized to be one of the most holiest places on earth (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
21 ... is in the Christian fold. (2 Thessalonians 2:3, John 17:12)
22 ... would speak blasphemously. (Daniel 7:8, 20, 25; Revelation 13:5-6)
23 ... would declare to be as God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, John 10:32-33, Daniel 8:11)

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

QUESTION #1 - Baltimore, MD - How can the Antichrist be in the Christian fold acknowledging Jesus is the Christ, and yet deny Jesus Christ? [This is in regards to point #1 on the Antichrist list.]

ANSWER #1 - As stated during that point, one can give God verbal acknowledgment and yet deny Him according to the Bible. Titus 1:16 "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." To give evidence that the Antichrist is not one who denies in words that Jesus came in the flesh, let us examine the ultimate Antichrists - Satan and the fallen angels. Matthew 8:28-29 "And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Mark 3:11 "And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God." Luke 4:41 "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking [them] suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ." Luke 8:27-28 "And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in [any] house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not." In each of these verses, they acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God, yet they denied Jesus in action because they remained rebellious.

QUESTION #2 - Harrisburg - Which is greater: God's creative work, which is recognized by keeping Saturday holy, or God's redemptive work, which is recognized by keeping Sunday holy?

ANSWER #2 - Actually both are equally important. We could not experience redemption if we were not created. Likewise, there is no value to being created if we were not redeemed. But looking at both events, it seems from the Biblical account there is actually a parallel and not an opposition. Creation ended on the sixth day and God rested the seventh day. Genesis 1:31-2:3 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Jesus redeemed mankind on the sixth day and rested in the tomb on the seventh day. Redemption at the cross is denoted in Hebrews 9:14-15 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." And Jesus resting in the tomb over the seventh day is denoted by Luke 23:52-24:3 "This [man] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."

Besides, Jesus was the one referenced in both cases. John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." In specific words, Jesus is both the Creator and the Redeemer. Creation is not honoring just God the Father and Redemption honoring just Jesus Christ. Both honor the God head.

QUESTION #3 - Harrisburg - Who is the woman in Simon's house that weeps upon Jesus' feet and dries them with her tears and also pours ointment upon Him?

ANSWER #3 - Looking at all of the scripture accounts, the answer will be revealed. Matthew 26:6-7 "Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat]." Mark 14:3 "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head." Luke 7:36-38 "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment." John 11:1-2 "Now a certain [man] was sick, [named] Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was [that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)" John 12:3 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."

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