ROMANS   12….  Hate Evil….²¹Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good.

The Evil world is made up of SATAN, THE POWERS OF DARKNESS, DEVILS, DEMONS, CURSES, HEXES and SPELLS. People that miss-use the POWER and AUTHORITY given to them by GOD also People that take and use POWER and AUTHORITY not given to them by GOD.

Ephesians 6   For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.

        WHERE TEMPTATION COMES FROM THAT CAN LEAD YOU TO EVIL.

JAMES 1  ¹⁴Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. ¹⁵Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

When a CHRISTIAN fights against Evil as a person he /she has no power to fight Evil, only THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST and THE HOLY SPIRIT have the POWER to go against SATAN/Evil. The GREATEST POWER over Evil is “THE NAME OF JESUS” and the POWER OF THE BLOOD THAT WAS SHED BY THE LAMB, JESUS”. We have to remind SATAN when we are in battle with him that we belong to “THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS WHO REIGNS OVER  HEAVEN AND EARTH”, HE is our PROTECTOR, DEFENDER and COMFORTER. HE will never leave us or forsake us. HE gives us a “FULL SPIRITUAL ARMOR OF GOD” to protect us against Evil. We have the “PROTECTIVE COVERING OF THE BLOOD AND THE WOUNDS THAT CHRIST SUFFERED BEFORE AND ON THE CROSS”.

 Evil hates both GOOD and Evil. Evil will turn against other Evil as fast as it fights against Good. When Evil attacks GOD’S people, it is attacking the CHRIST in that person and not the person him/herself. GOD hates Evil. Evil hates everything including other Evil, that is what makes it Evil. Evil has no laws , rules or regulations that govern it. It says and does what it wants. It is corrupt and changes its colors to fit its surroundings. Evil may be members of your own household. Evil may even be yourself.

In the world of spiritual warfare Satan/ Evil never builds. Their world is of destruction. They never can help you with your problems because they are the problem. Their world sounds inviting and is easy to get into but it is all a slippery slope downhill. You can never build a life on lies, deceit and denial, they are all sin. Sin leads to all types of sickness and death. There is only two ways out of a Evil world, they are eternal damnation or acceptance of JESUS CHRIST and then ETERNAL LIFE. The Evil world places you into Bondage that traps you with no way out except through JESUS CHRIST. The MUSTARD SEED FAITH in JESUS CHRIST is the only power to break your bondage of Evil. You cannot break the bond of Evil under any power that you yourself have. Only the ONE TRUE GOD and HIS WORD used in PRAYER can break the bonds of Evil. Only rebuking , bindingand casting out Evil in the NAME of JESUS can cast out/rid you of Evil. After the removal of Evil you must fill yourself with the WORD of GOD and ask for the in filling POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, to stay free of the Evil casted out.

In spiritual warfare you have to make a choice of ETERNAL LIFE or eternal damnation, there is no middle ground and no second chance. As for me and my house there is only one choice, ETERNAL LIFE . Eternal damnation,I would not wish even on my enemy.

                                                   2 SPIRITUAL WORLDS

One is GOOD and one is Evil. One is WHITE and one is Black. All gray worlds are a compromise and Evil. One is THE LIGHT and one is spiritual darkness.

                                                                   GOOD

GOD is GOOD. GOOD will always conquer Evil in the END. Good things are always transparent. THE LIGHT will always eliminate/conquer the darkness. Continuing to do Evil will not produce good results. GOD will not BLESS our Evil Corrupt Nation or HE will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

                                                                       EVIL

Evil tries to get the world to compromise itself when it deals with Evil things and good ( ? ) things too. Evil is the Master of compromise, false diplomacy and unkept promises. Evil promises are just Evil promises. “Money is the root of all Evil”. Evil is the master of deception. Evil denies it is Evil. Evil denies. Evil makes good things look Evil and Evil things look good. Evil can never be pinned down. Our greatest SPIRITUAL GIFT to fight Evil is the HOLY SPIRIT GIFT OF DISCERNMENT.

Continuous sinning leads to bondage, you have become a slave to sin. Sin leads to death. The only rescue from Evil is through JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOR and LORD as described by PAUL. Only by becoming a Slave to GOD do we have victory and are truly free from our Evil corrupt nature.

BONDAGE to the Evil corrupt nature is something that you don’t control,  it controls you. Bondage happens when you keep repeating Evil deeds so many times that the Evil becomes a controlling part of you. Some items you are in bondage to are: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, ²⁰idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. SPIRITUAL SURGERY is the only way to remove it.

SPIRITUAL SURGERY to remove personal Evil…is not painless….is not bloodless….but is needed for LIFE.

                                                   SPIRITUAL SURGERY

1 Peter 2       ¹So get rid of every kind of evil, every kind of deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander. ²Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation. ³Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good!

HEBREWS   4:   ¹²God’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions. ¹³No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.

 2 TIMOTHY   3:   ¹⁴However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were. ¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. ¹⁷They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.

Demons are the spiritual/physical part of our corrupt nature. Demons show up in our spiritual life if and when we let our corrupt nature take over our spiritual life. .i.e when “demon rum” takes over our life. At first temptation you have a chance to escape bondage to the temptation by fleeing it, or rebuking it, but be careful when you think that you have escaped it, it will capture you. When you cast out demons from your life they are very real and it is a very real thing that is happening. Most of the time there is a physical thing that is happening at the same time that a spiritual thing is happening when a demon is cast out. Only by the ‘name of JESUS’ and the presences of the HOLY SPIRIT will there be a removal of the demon. Sometimes there is hand to hand combat with Satan and Demons over a period of time to rid you of your spiritual warfare with Evil.

Demons and spiritual warfare are times in your spiritual life where deception and lies are used by your enemy time and time again to pull you into bondage. Your only freedom is your complete SLAVERY to GOD. There is no win by your power and in your power in spiritual warfare, the only victorious power is in GOD, THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST, THE SON and the HOLY SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT WORLD against The World of Evil. The WORLD where GOD is everything and you are nothing.

JOHN   8   ³⁴Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin. ³⁵A slave doesn’t live in the home forever, but a son does. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free…….

                                       WHERE DOES OUR EVIL COME FROM?

 ^{…………44}You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵So you don’t believe me because I tell the truth.

James 4    ¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Aren’t they caused by the selfish desires that fight to control you? ²You want what you don’t have, so you commit murder. You’re determined to have things, but you can’t get what you want. You quarrel and fight. You don’t have the things you want, because you don’t pray for them. ³When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.

⁴You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this Evil world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

EPHESIANS   2    ¹You were once dead because of your failures and sins. ²You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This ruler continues to work in people who refuse to obey God. ³All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.

Demons/devils/Evil in our lives are caused by/created by giving into our corrupt spiritual/physical natures. Bondage is caused by/created by giving into and toying with our corrupt natures or playing our mind games for a period of time and not removing them by spiritual surgery. Once started we feel that we have the “will power” to stop at our indiscretion,  the control of our corrupt nature, instead the opposite is true. Our corrupt nature controls us. The longer you stay in bondage to your corrupt nature the more lies are needed to protect your SIN, your denial and the harder it is to escape/be rescued through CHRIST.

MATTHEW   12 ⁴³“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. ⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. ⁴⁵Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”

THERE ARE 1000 EXCUSES/REASONS TO SIN AND ALL OF THEM ARE EVIL LIES.

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS NO NOT ONE”…… “ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD”…… “WE ARE ALL AS FILTHY RAGS”

 REVELATIONS   17  ¹One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters. ²The kings of the earth had sex with her, and those living on earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual sins.”³Then the angel carried me by his power into the wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a bright red beast covered with insulting names. It had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins. ⁵A name was written on her forehead. The name was Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth. ⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her…….

…… ¹⁶The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up in a fire. ¹⁷God has made them do what he wants them to do. So they will give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are carried out. ¹⁸The woman you saw is…. the important city…. which dominates the kings of the earth.”.

Babylon’s Fall

Revelation 18 ¹After these things I saw another angel come from heaven. He had tremendous power, and his glory lit up the earth. ²He cried out in a powerful voice, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a prison for every evil spirit, every unclean^£ bird, and every unclean and hated beast. ³All the nations fell because of the wine of her sexual sins. The kings of the earth had sex with her. Her luxurious wealth has made the merchants of the earth rich.” ⁴I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of Babylon, my people, so that you do not participate in her sins and suffer from any of her plagues. ⁵Her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. ⁶Do to her what she has done. Give her twice as much as she gave. Serve her a drink in her own cup twice as large as the drink she served others. ⁷She gave herself glory and luxury. Now give her just as much torture and misery. She says to herself, ‘I’m a queen on a throne, not a widow. I’ll never be miserable.’ ⁸For this reason her plagues of death, misery, and starvation will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful. ⁹“The kings of the earth who had sex with her and lived in luxury with her will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rise from her raging fire. ¹⁰Frightened by her torture, they will stand far away and say, ‘How horrible, how horrible it is….. for that important city, the powerful city Babylon!!!!!…. In one moment judgment has come to it!’ ¹¹“The merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore. ¹²No one buys their cargo of gold, silver, gems, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, bright red cloth, all kinds of citron wood, articles made of ivory and very costly wood, bronze, iron, marble, ¹³cinnamon, spices, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, slaves (that is, humans). ¹⁴ ‘The fruit you craved is gone. All your luxuries and your splendor have disappeared. No one will ever find them again.’¹⁵“Frightened by her torture, the merchants who had become rich by selling these things will stand far away. They will cry and mourn, ¹⁶saying, ‘How horrible, how horrible for that important city which was wearing fine linen, purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. ¹⁷ In one moment all this wealth has been destroyed!’ Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made their living from the sea stood far away. ¹⁸When they saw the smoke rise from her raging fire, they repeatedly cried out, ….‘Was there ever a city as important as this?……’ ¹⁹Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, ‘How horrible, how horrible for that important city. Everyone who had a ship at sea grew rich because of that city’s high prices. In one moment it has been destroyed!’ ²⁰ “Gloat over it, heaven, God’s people, apostles, and prophets. God has condemned it for you.” ²¹Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone. He threw it into the sea and said,…… “The important city Babylon will be thrown down with the same force. It will never be found again…….. ²² The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in it again. Skilled craftsman will never be found in it again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in it again. ²³ Light from lamps will never shine in it again. Voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in it again. Its merchants were the important people of the world, because all the nations were deceived by its witchcraft. ²⁴“The blood of prophets, God’s people, and everyone who had been murdered on earth was found in it.”

Revelation 19      ¹After these things I heard what sounded like the loud noise from a large crowd in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.

² His judgments are true and fair.

He has condemned the notorious prostitute

who corrupted the world with her sexual sins.

He has taken revenge on her for the blood of his servants.”

                                                   THE TRUE CHURCH

 JOHN   4   ²³Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. ²⁴God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

EPHESIANS   4            ¹¹He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts _ëto his church_û. ¹²Their purpose is to prepare God’s people, to serve, and to build up the body of Christ. ¹³This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard. ¹⁴Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. ¹⁵Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. ¹⁶He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The “Spirit part of the Spiritual church” will be the missionaries to “the old physical church” and will experience much persecution and warfare from the “old church”. Beware of the spin doctors creating a false economy, do not bank on Wall Street. GOD states that” the MESSAGE” not the money is the most important. Memorizing verses and learning “scriptural concepts ( word pictures )” will be essential.

  Forget the building programs, “the true believers” will be all body, no buildings. Now is the time to build the body, no more buildings. The “true believers” will have no home. “but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.” “, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men”.

1 THESSALONIANS. 5   ( KJV ) ^19″Quench not the Spirit”……. ²⁰Despise not prophesying.

( GWT )  ¹⁹Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire. ²⁰Don’t despise what God has revealed. ²¹Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. ²²Keep away from every kind of evil.

                  “We don’t go to church, We are the CHURCH”!!!!!

                     “WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT”.

 LUKE   17   ²⁰The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come.

He answered them, “People can’t observe the coming of the kingdom of God. ²¹They can’t say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ You see, the kingdom of God is within^£ you.”

                     THE MYSTICAL NEAR FUTURE

 1  KINGS   19     As the LORD was passing by, a fierce wind tore mountains and shattered rocks ahead of the LORD. But the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the LORD wasn’t in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake there was a fire. But the LORD wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was a quiet, whispering voice. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then the voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴He answered, “LORD God of Armies, I have eagerly served you. The Israelites have abandoned your promises, torn down your altars, and executed your prophets. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.”

        The hidden catacomb Church ( the new Spiritual Church ) is in front of your eyes.

 ¹⁵The LORD told him,………..¹⁸But I still have 7,000 people in Israel whose knees have not knelt to worship Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

 1 John 4:1   But we are children of God; that is why only  those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others won’t.

 Deuteronomy 13^{£     1}One of your people, claiming to be a prophet or to have prophetic dreams, may predict a miraculous sign or an amazing thing. ²What he predicts may even take place. But don’t listen to that prophet or dreamer^£ if he says, “Let’s worship and serve other gods ( IDEOLOGIES ).” (Those gods may be gods you’ve never heard of.) ³The LORD your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴Worship the LORD your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him. ⁵That prophet or dreamer must be put to death because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and freed you from slavery. He was trying to lead you away from following the directions the LORD your God gave you. You must get rid of this evil.

                             The life of God’s slaves/servants

2  CORINTHIANS   6     ³We don’t give people any opportunity to find fault with how we serve. ⁴Instead, our lives demonstrate that we are God’s servants. We have endured many things: suffering, distress, anxiety, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, and lack of food. ⁶_ëPeople can see_û our purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit’s presence _ëin our lives_û, our sincere love, ⁷truthfulness, and the presence of God’s power. We demonstrate that we are God’s servants ⁸as we are praised and dishonored, as we are slandered and honored, and as we use what is right to attack what is wrong and to defend the truth.^£ We are treated as dishonest although we are honest, ⁹as unknown although we are well-known, as dying although, as you see, we go on living. We are punished, but we are not killed. ¹⁰People think we are sad although we’re always glad, that we’re beggars although we make many people spiritually rich, that we have nothing although we possess everything.

                                We are very close to “OMEGA”

Revelation   21   ¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 ³And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵And 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. ⁶And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

  ⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers ( lobbyists ), and…. “idolaters”… , and all liars,…. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 REVELATIONS    22     ¹⁴“Blessed are those who wash their robes ( have purity ) so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵Outside are dogs, sorcerers ( lobbyists ) , sexual sinners, murderers, idolaters, and all who lie in what they say and what they do.

The Future message to:   ¹⁵The kings of the earth, the rulers, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people.

1   CORINTHIANS    15   ²⁴Then the end will come. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father as he destroys every ruler, authority, and power.

1  CORINTHIANS    2     ⁶However, we do use wisdom to speak to those who are mature. It is a wisdom that doesn’t belong to this world or to the rulers of this world who are in power today and gone tomorrow. ⁷We speak about the mystery of God’s wisdom. It is a wisdom that has been hidden, which God had planned for our glory before the world began. ⁸Not one of the rulers of this world has known it. If they had, they  His name is holy.wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.

LUKE   1     His name is holy.

⁵⁰ For those who fear him, his mercy lasts throughout every generation.

⁵¹ “He displayed his mighty power.

He scattered those who think too highly of themselves.

⁵² He pulled strong rulers from their thrones.

REVELATIONS   6    ¹⁵Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people hid themselves in caves and among the rocks in the mountains. ¹⁶They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the lamb, ¹⁷because the frightening day of their anger has come, and who is able to endure it?”

REVELATIONS   19               The Great Banquet of God

¹¹I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war. ¹²His eyes are flames of fire. On his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, but only he knows what it is. ¹³He wears clothes dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

¹⁴The armies of heaven, wearing pure, white linen, follow him on white horses. ¹⁵A sharp sword comes out of his mouth to defeat the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his clothes and his thigh he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁷I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come! Gather for the great banquet of God. ¹⁸Eat the flesh of kings, generals, warriors, horses and their riders, and all free people and slaves, both important or insignificant people.”

¹⁹I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰The beast and the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast were captured. By these miracles the false prophet had deceived those who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹The rider on the horse killed the rest with the sword that came out of his mouth. All the birds gorged themselves on the flesh of those who had been killed.

                                      The New ? Old Spiritual Church

   JOHN   4   ²³Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. ²⁴God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

                                  A PROPHETIC MESSAGE        5/01-02/2008

ECONOMY

J.L. The “signs of the times” is three acorns and 2 white doves.

 The 3 acorns are:

1^st  immature    Financial  recession now ( actually JULY 2007 ) [  prophesized 7/11/2006 ] and depression by December 12/2007 [ prophesized 7/11/2006 ] because of this, people will come to the LORD for one year.

( Stay out of the stock market for 2 years [prophesized 7/11/2006 ] )

 2^nd  young         Financial depression will start to abate and some people will start back to their old corrupt natures. The poor and the middle class will stay as steady as ever. The ones that GOD will rely on as HIS. This stage will last for one or two years.

 3^rd  mature       Financial prosperity  “back to business as usual”    Corruption and lawlessness will rule again. The poor and the middle-class will be under great pressure.

 Then comes 2011 GOD will separate the “wheat from the chaff ”,  “the sheep from the goats”.

 The white doves are the two prophets.

 3.)        Evil, “The Devil” started when we went from a bottom up democracy to a top down democratic dictatorship. Both parties let the Evil run wild. Both parties are to blame and both will self-destruct in the next 4 years ( 2012 ).

 10.)      Elections 2008, 2010 and 2012 will be the end of the Republican and Democratic parties. Independents will rule from then on.

 HOUSING    1.)    Will not recover to the level where it is now ( 5/2/08 ) until 1 Q of 2015.

 4.)        Employment & real wages will not recover for at least 10 years ( 2018 ).

 11.)      People say “ I will bring you out of what they call ‘ a recession’ into your highest economy that you ever had in your next four years.

 J.L. What is going to happen is a great Spiritual Prosperity = REVIVAL.

At the same time there will be a great persecution of Christians within the church. The letter of the law christians against the Spirit of the law Christians. The Spirit of the law Christians will have all the Power and Authority of GOD …. Salvations, Healings,  and Miracles. And they will deal with The Deep Things of God, Mysteries of God, Spiritual Things, Prayer, Meditation slayed by the Spirit and slayed in the Spirit. Their Only Teacher will  be The Holy Spirit.

                             A new PROPHETIC MESSAGE        12/28/11

 The New Spiritual Church may have only one or two members but it will have the full Authority of Jesus Christ and the full Power of God Almighty. They will be the Children of The Light that will destroy the Darkness with their Master the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Spiritual Church will be a Church of the Light. It will be a Body filled with the Glory of The Light as seen through Its eyes. There will be no Darkness in It. It will have no place to lay Its head but Its voice will be heard loud and clear and It will be of One Spirit. Its message is Purity, Holiness and Righteousness/ having God’s Approval.

 The Holy Spirit will always be teaching giving the believers what to say.

 GALATIONS   6     . ⁷Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God.

 1  CORINTHIANS   2    ¹⁰God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God.

 ¹¹After all, who knows everything about a person except that person’s own spirit? In the same way, no one has known everything about God except God’s Spirit. ¹²Now, we didn’t receive the spirit that belongs to the world.Instead, we received the Spirit who comes from God so that we could know the things which God has freely given us. ¹³We don’t speak about these things using teachings that are based on intellectual arguments like people do. Instead, we use the Spirit’s teachings. We explain spiritual things to those who have the Spirit.^£

 JOHN    26   ²⁶However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.

JOHN   15     ²⁶“The helper whom I will send to you from the Father will come. This helper, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will declare the truth about me.

JOHN    16     ¹³When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the full truth…… He won’t speak on his own….. He will speak what he hears and will tell you about things to come. ¹⁴He will give me glory, because he will tell you what I say. ¹⁵Everything the Father says is also what I say. That is why I said, ‘He will take what I say and tell it to you.’

JOHN   3    ⁶Flesh and blood give birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual.

 JOHN   4   ²³Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. ²⁴God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 MATTHEW    11      ⁴Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News. ⁶Whoever doesn’t lose his faith in me is indeed blessed.”

 2  CORINTHIANS   12    I’ll go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. ²I know a follower of Christ who was snatched away to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I don’t know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows. ³I know that this person ⁴was snatched away to paradise where he heard things that can’t be expressed in words, things that humans cannot put into words. I don’t know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows.

 MATTHEW   13   ¹¹Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. ¹²Those who understand _ëthese mysteries_û will be given _ëmore knowledge_û, and they will excel _ëin understanding them_û. 

1   CORINTHIANS  4    ²⁰God’s kingdom is not just talk, it is power.

LUKE   17   ²⁰The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come.He answered them, “People can’t observe the coming of the kingdom of God. ²¹They can’t say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ You see, the kingdom of God is within^£ you.”

1  CORINTHIANS   15     ⁵¹I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. ⁵²It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. ⁵³This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. 

There are 2 ways people change their behavior: 1^st  way is because they “want to”.…and the 2^nd is because they “have to”. The 1^st way is when you see some thing that you really want and you change your behavior to achieve your goal. The 2^nd is when things get so bad, you become desperate forcing a behavior change just to survive .

The Future message to: Pastors, The Church, The Publicans ( Leaders ) and the Nations

                           It’s all about your Spiritual Prostitution

Hosea   4    My case is against you priests.
⁵ During the day you stumble, and during the night the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother, _ëthe nation of Israel_û.
^………6 I will destroy my people because they are ignorant…….. You have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be my priests. You have forgotten the teachings of your God, so I will forget your children.
⁷ The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. So I will turn their glory into shame.
⁸ They feed on the sins of my people, and they want them to do wicked things.
⁹ So the priests will be punished like the people. I will punish them for their wicked ways and pay them back for what they have done.
¹⁰ “They will eat, but they’ll never be full. They will have sex with prostitutes, but they’ll never have children. They have abandoned the LORD.
¹¹ Prostitutes, old wine, and new wine have robbed them of their senses.
¹² My people ask their wooden idols for help. A piece of wood tells them what to do. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray. They commit adultery by giving themselves to other gods.
¹³ They offer sacrifices on mountaintops, and they burn incense on the hills under oaks, poplars, and other trees. They think that these trees provide good shade. “That is why your daughters become prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
¹⁴ Yet, I will not punish your daughters when they become prostitutes or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. The men go to prostitutes and offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes. These foolish people will be trampled.
¹⁵ “Israel, you act like a prostitute. Don’t let Judah become guilty too. Don’t go to Gilgal. Don’t go to Beth Aven. Don’t take the oath, ‘As the LORD lives ….’
¹⁶ “The people of Israel are as stubborn as a bull. How can the LORD feed them like lambs in an open pasture?
¹⁷ The people of Ephraim have chosen to worship idols. Leave them alone!
¹⁸ When they’re done drinking their wine, they continue to have sex with the prostitutes. Their rulers dearly love to act shamefully.
¹⁹ The wind will carry them away in its wings, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

Hosea 5    ¹ “Listen to this, you priests! Pay attention, nation of Israel! Open your ears, royal family! This is my decision about you. You set traps at Mizpah and spread out nets on Mount Tabor.
² You are deeply involved in sin. So I will punish all of you.^£
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel isn’t a stranger to me. Now, Ephraim, you are acting like a prostitute, and Israel is unclean.^£
4 “The wicked things that the people have done keep them from returning to their God. They have a spirit of prostitution, and they don’t know the LORD.
⁵ The people of Israel’s arrogance testifies against them. Israel and Ephraim stumble because of their sins, and Judah stumbles with them……..

…..HOSEA   9    ¹⁷ My God will reject them because they refused to listen to him. They will wander among the nations…….

…..HOSEA     12  ⁷ _ëThe LORD says,_û “The merchants use dishonest scales. They love to cheat people.
⁸ The people of Ephraim say, ‘We’re rich. We’ve made a fortune. With all this wealth, no one will find us guilty of any sin.’……

……HOSEA    13    When you were full, you became arrogant. That is why you forgot me.
⁷ So I will be like a lion. Like a leopard I will wait by the road to ambush you.
⁸ Like a bear that has lost her cubs, I will attack you. I will rip you open. Like a lion I will devour you. Like a wild animal I will tear you apart.
⁹ You are destroying yourself, Israel. You are against me, your helper…………

 Pastors….. They have a spirit of prostitution, and they don’t know the LORD.

MATTHEW  22     ²⁹Jesus answered, “You’re mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power.  

JOHN   7     ¹⁶Jesus responded to them, “What I teach doesn’t come from me but from the one who sent me. ¹⁷Those who want to follow the will of God will know if what I teach is from God or if I teach my own thoughts. ¹⁸Those who speak their own thoughts are looking for their own glory. But the man who wants to bring glory to the one who sent him is a true teacher and doesn’t have dishonest motives. ¹⁹Didn’t Moses give you his teachings? Yet, none of you does what Moses taught you. So why do you want to kill me?”

GALATIONS   1        ¹¹I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Good News I have spread is not a human message. ¹²I didn’t receive it from any person. I wasn’t taught it, but Jesus Christ revealed it to me.

COL    3      ²²Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to “please people”. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master. ²³Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. ²⁴You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving. ²⁵The person who does wrong will be paid back for the wrong he has done. God does not play favorites.

  1 THES.   2     ³When we encouraged you, we didn’t use unethical schemes, corrupt practices, or deception.⁴Rather, we are always spreading the Good News. God trusts us to do this because we passed his test. We don’t try to please people but God, who tests our motives.⁵As you know, we never used flattery or schemes to make money. God is our witness! ⁶We didn’t seek praise from people, from you or from anyone else, ⁷although as apostles of Christ we had the right to do this.

                                                           APPROVES OF 

Psalm 1:2, tlb    But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.

 1 CORINTHIANS 2 ¹⁰God has revealed ( TEACHES ) those things to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God.

 2 Timothy 2:7, niv Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

 PSALM 63  ⁶ When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

 JOHN 14 : 15-17 If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you.

 JOHN 14  ²⁵“I have told you this while I’m still with you. ²⁶However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.

 JOHN 15   ²⁶“The helper whom I will send to you from the Father will come. This helper, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will declare the truth about me. ²⁷You will declare the truth, too, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

              THE WORD AS SPIRITUAL SURGERY to gain GOD’S APPROVAL

 HEBREWS   4      ¹²God’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions. ¹³No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.

 2 TIMOTHY   3     ¹⁴However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were. ¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures ( THE WORD ). They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶Every Scripture ( THE WORD )  passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. ¹⁷They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things. 

    SUMMARY of  PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT to get GOD’S Approval

 Psalm 46:10    ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

 GENESIS    3   ⁸In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife… “heard”  … the LORD God walking around in the garden.

 1 John 4:1   But we are children of God; that is why only  those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others won’t.

 EPHESIANS    6    ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is.. For the same reason be alert.

 1 THESSALONIANS  5   ¹⁶Rejoice evermore. ¹⁷Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ¹⁹Quench not the Spirit. ²⁰Despise not prophesyings. ²¹Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ²²Abstain from all appearance of evil.

 J.L. The pathway of the MYSTIC CHRISTIAN PRAYER WARRIOR to the WORLD of THE HOLY SPIRIT is through the NARROW GATE of JESUS CHRIST. The  pathway up to the GATE is in the secular world  that we all live in. As we approach the GATE we have two path choices . One stays in the world and to the glory of man and the second one goes to the NARROW GATE toward the GLORY of GOD and to THE WORLD of THE HOLY SPIRIT also known as “ the road less traveled”. The NARROW GATE is at the end of the passage way through  the wall to THE KINGDOM of GOD.

  J.L. The passage way is where we are observed by GOD and HE will not allow us to enter  THE NARROW GATE if we are carrying our “luggage of sin” or our “weapons of war” ( lust, hate, anger ) .

 JAMES 4   ⁷So place yourselves under God’s authority ( getting GOD‘S Approval ). Resist the devil ( SPIRITUAL WAREFARE ), and he will run away from you. ⁸Come close to God, and he will come close to you ( INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with GOD ). Clean up your lives, you sinners ( CONFESSION ), and clear your minds   ( REPENDANCE ), you doubters ( WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH YOUR FAITH ).  

  J.L. All we have on when we enter the passageway to THE NARROW GATE is our nakedness before GOD and a VAIL of RIGHTEOUSNESS covering our body. Nothing is hid from the sight of GOD. Everything that we are , is observed by GOD. All of our actions , deeds, thoughts , desires, intentions and heart are judged by a loving HEAVENLY FATHER.

  J.L. If we make it through the “passageway of observation” to the NARROW GATE ,we knock on the NARROW GATE and the NARROW DOOR opens to THE WORLD of THE HOLY SPIRIT. We will sup and talk with GOD and we will hear what GOD wants us to do for HIM and we will talk to HIM of the desires of our heart.

 J.L. We will be equipped in THE WORLD of THE HOLY SPIRIT with the GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT needed to carry out the GODLY tasks from our HEAVENLY FATHER when we return to the secular world. We will also be given MIRACULOUS  POWER to carry out the tasks that GOD wants us to do.

 J.L. When we travel this path , it is all GOD and not us. All POWER  and WILL is GODS’. We can never take the glory for what is done under the POWER and DIRECTION of THE LORD and ALL THINGS that happen are to HIS GLORY.      AMEN—–AMEN.

 J.L. HATE EVIL…….LOVE YOUR ENEMIES……..PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES AND THEY WILL BECOME YOUR FRIENDS   i.e.   TAKE YOUR ENEMY AND SPLIT HIM/HER IN 2 PIECES   1 PIECE IS THE EVIL DEED AND THE OTHER PIECE IS THE PERSON, REBUKE THE EVIL DEED AND CAST IT OUT IN THE NAME OF JESUS, NOW YOU CAN LOVE THE PERSON WITHOUT THE EVIL IN HIM/HER, IT’S SIMPLE AND IT WORKS AND IT’S SCRIPTURAL..

 J.L.                      The barriers to having your prayers answered. 

A.    Living a life that doesn’t have GOD’S APPROVAL… SIN….

B.    Impatience…. being in a hurry…not giving enough time to be intimate      with GOD... to hear HIS voice…I want HIS answer right now.

C.     Not willing to accept “NO” for a answer.

D.     Not being humble before THE KING of KINGS and LORD of    LORDS….Remember that you are GOD’S SLAVE and HE is THE  MASTER…We are to do HIS WILL, not HE do our will.

E.     We can make requests but not give GOD orders.

F.      No man can change the PERFECT WILL OF GOD.

G.     Unbelief….lack of faith….lack of hope

H.     Asking for wants and not needs.

I.      Testing GOD with your requests…i.e. If I do this, I want/ am expecting this.

J.      Wrong motives.

K.     Not giving yourself enough time to get rid of the “cares of the world”. 

J.L.                                       SUMMARY

 HE created and controls everything in HEAVEN, earth and below the earth.  To have HIS APPROVAL in your Christian SPIRITUAL WALK is an Absolute Necessarily. There is no sneaking or maneuvering  around GOD to get anything from HIM which HE is not in control of and observant of. You will not win with GOD with MIND GAMES. HE is Omnipresent.

 Never forget HE is THE KING of king and THE LORD of lords and HE reigns over HEAVEN and Earth.

 To have an intimate relationship with GOD is to be in total obedience to HIM to get HIS APPROVAL.

 HIS APPROVAL carries with it the full Power and Authority of GOD when we carry out HIS PERFECT WILL. With HIS APPROVAL nothing is IMPOSSIBLE.

 J.L For a person, country or world to constantly  and continuously do what GOD DISAPPROVES of and expects GOD to BLESS it, to give it SALVATION, to HEAL it or to do Miracles in it, is just plain NUTS. That way of thinking is blasphemy.

  HE has to give HIS Approval for all the above SPIRITUAL THINGS to happen or they won‘t happen. HE is in control!!!!!!

 HEBREWS   12   ⁴You struggle against sin, but your struggles haven’t killed you. ⁵You have forgotten the encouraging words that God speaks to you as his children: “My child, pay attention when the Lord disciplines you.

 Don’t give up when he corrects you. ⁶ The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”

 ⁷Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. ⁸If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. ⁹On earth we have fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them. Shouldn’t we place ourselves under the authority of God, the father of spirits, so that we will live? ¹⁰For a short time our fathers disciplined us as they thought best. Yet, God disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him. ¹¹We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right ( That has GOD‘S Approval ).

 JAMES   3    ¹³Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. ¹⁵That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. ¹⁶Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil. 

 BENEFITS FROM HAVING GOD’S APPROVAL THROUGH/ in JESUS CHRIST

 ¹⁷However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere……. ¹⁸A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers…….

 HEBREWS   13   ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever

 HEBREWS   13   ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 DANIEL   9   ⁴I prayed to the LORD my God. I confessed and said, “Lord, you are great and deserve respect as the only God. You keep your promise^£ and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments. ⁵We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commandments and laws. ⁶We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the common people. ⁷You, Lord, are righteous. But we—the men of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far—are still ashamed because we have been unfaithful to you. ⁸We, our kings, leaders, and ancestors are ashamed because we have sinned against you, LORD.

 Esther 4    ¹When Mordecai found out about everything that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried loudly and bitterly. ²He even went right up to the king’s gate. (No one could enter it wearing sackcloth.)

³In every province touched by the king’s command and decree, the Jews went into mourning, fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many put on sackcloth and ashes.

 1 KINGS   8     ⁴⁶“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; ⁴⁷yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; ⁴⁸and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: ⁴⁹then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, ⁵⁰and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them ⁵¹(for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace), ⁵²that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. ⁵³For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.”

 JEREMIAH   25   ³“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened. ⁴And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. ⁵They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. ⁶Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ ⁷Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

⁸“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, ⁹behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. ¹⁰Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

 EZEKIEL    18    ²⁷Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. ²⁸Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

³⁰“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD……. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin…….. ³¹Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit……. For why should you die, O house of Israel? ³²For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”

 MATTHEW   3    ¹In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

 ⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ^£and fire. ¹²His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

MATTHEW    11  ²⁰Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, who^£ are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

 MARK   2   ¹⁷When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick……. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, ^£to repentance.”…….

 LUKE   13     “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?…….. ⁵I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

 LUKE   15   ⁷I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. ¹⁰Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 LUKE   16   ²⁷“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

 LUKE   17    ¹Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. ³Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins ^£against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns ^£to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

 ACTS   8    ²⁰But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God……. ²²Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you……. ²³For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

 ACTS   17   Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: ²⁴God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. ²⁵Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. ²⁶And He has made from one ^£blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, ²⁷so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ ²⁹Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. ³⁰Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

 ROMANS   2   ¹Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ²But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:^{£ 7}eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; ¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹For there is no partiality with God.

 2  CORINTHIANS   7   ⁹Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. ¹²Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

 2  CORINTHIANS   12   ¹⁹Again,^£ do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. ²⁰For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; ²¹lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

2  TIMOTHY   2   ²⁰But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²²Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

 Hebrews 6   ( NKJV )  ¹Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ²of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³And this ^£we will do if God permits

 ⁴For it is …..impossible for those who were once enlightened ( saved  ? )….. , and have tasted the heavenly gift ( SALVATION ? ) , and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted…. the good word of God…. and the powers of the age to come, …..^6£if they fall away…., to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

 ( GWT )    ⁴Some people once had God’s light. They experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit. ⁵They experienced the goodness of God’s word and the powers of the world to come. ⁶Yet, they have deserted _ëChrist_û. They are crucifying the Son of God again and publicly disgracing him. Therefore, they cannot be led a second time to God.

 2  PETER   3  ⁸But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward ^£us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

       PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE GOD’S APPROVAL BUT HAVE    

                                                   HIS DISAPPROVAL

 HEBREWS   13   ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever

JOB    20            A Wicked Person’s Joy Is Short, His Pain Long

 ⁴ “Don’t you know that from ancient times, from the time humans were placed on earth, ⁵ the triumph of the wicked is short-lived, and the joy of the godless person lasts only a moment?

⁶ If his height reaches to the sky and his head touches the clouds, ⁷ he will certainly rot£ like his own feces. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

⁸ He will fly away like a dream and not be found. He will be chased away like a vision in the night. ⁹ Eyes that saw him will see him no more. His home will not look at him again.

¹⁰ His children will have to ask the poor for help. His own hands will have to give back his wealth. ¹¹ His bones, once full of youthful vigor, will lie down with him in the dust.

¹² “Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue .¼¹³ Though he savors it and won’t let go of it and he holds it on the roof of his mouth,¹⁴ the food in his belly turns sour. It becomes snake venom in his stomach.

¹⁵ He vomits up the riches that he swallowed. God forces them out of his stomach. 

¹⁶ The godless person sucks the poison of snakes. A viper’s fang kills him.

¹⁷ He won’t be able to drink from the streams or from the rivers of honey and buttermilk. ¹⁸ He will give back what he earned without enjoying it. He will get no joy from the profits of his business ¹⁹ because he crushed and abandoned the poor. He has taken by force a house that he didn’t build.²⁰ He will never know peace in his heart.

He will never allow anything he desires to escape _ëhis grasp_û. ²¹ “Nothing is left for him to eat. His prosperity won’t last. ² _ëEven_û with all his wealth the full force of misery comes down on him.

²³ Let that misery fill his belly. _ëGod_û throws his burning anger at the godless person and makes his wrath come down on him like rain.²⁴ If that person flees from an iron weapon, a bronze bow will pierce him. ²⁵ He pulls it out, and it comes out of his back. The glittering point comes out of his gallbladder. “Terrors come quickly to the godless person:

²⁶ Total darkness waits in hiding for his treasure. A fire that no one fans will burn him. Whatever is left in his tent will be devoured.

²⁷ Heaven exposes his sin. Earth rises up against him. ²⁸ A flood will sweep away his house, a flash flood on the day of his anger.²⁹ This is the reward God gives to the wicked person, the inheritance God has appointed for him.”

 1  CORINTHIANS   5   ⁴When you have gathered together, I am with you in spirit. Then, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and with his power, ⁵hand such a person over to Satan to destroy his corrupt nature so that his spiritual nature may be saved on the day of the Lord.

 DANIEL   9     ¹¹All Israel has ignored your teachings and …..“refused to listen to you”….. So you brought on us “the curses” you swore in an oath, “the curses” written in the Teachings of your servant Moses. We sinned against you. ¹²So you did what you said you would do to us and “our rulers” by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem. ¹³This entire disaster happened to us, exactly as it was written in Moses’ Teachings. LORD our God, we never tried to gain your favor by turning from our wrongs and dedicating ourselves to your truth. ¹⁴So you were prepared to bring this disaster on us. LORD our God, you are righteous in everything you do……. “But we never listened to you”……

 DEUTERONOMY   28  ⁴⁶These curses will be a sign and an amazing thing to warn you and your descendants forever. ⁴⁷You didn’t serve the LORD your God with a joyful and happy heart when you had so much. ⁴⁸So you will “serve your enemies”, whom the LORD will send against you.

 DEUTERONOMY   28   ⁶²At one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But only a few of you will be left, because you didn’t obey the LORD your God. ⁶³At one time the LORD was more than glad to make you prosperous and numerous. Now the LORD will be more than glad to destroy you and wipe you out. You will be torn out of the land you’re about to enter and take possession of.

 ISAIAH    30  ³⁰ The LORD will make his majestic voice heard.He will come down with all his might, with furious anger, with fire storms, windstorms, rainstorms, and hailstones.

 MATTHEW   15   ³He answered them, “Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions? ⁴For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁵But you say that whoever tells his father or mother, ‘I have given to God whatever support you might have received from me,’ ⁶does not have to honor his father. Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. ⁷You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

⁸ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

 ⁹ Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans.’”

 ¹⁰Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! ¹¹What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean.^£ It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”

 1 CORINTHIANS  6       ⁹Don’t you know that wicked people won’t inherit the kingdom of God?….. “Stop deceiving yourselves!”….. People who “continue to commit”…… sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals, ¹⁰or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 GALATIANS   5  ¹⁹Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, ²⁰idolatry, drug use,…...“hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, ²¹envy ( are all MIND GAMES)”……. drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 REVELATIONS  21           ⁵The one sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new.” He said, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true.’” ⁶He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z the beginning and the end. I will give a drink from the fountain filled with the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. It won’t cost anything. ⁷Everyone who wins the victory will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my children. ⁸But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers ( witchcraft ), idolaters ( greed ), and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 REVELATIONS    22  ¹⁴“Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵Outside are dogs, sorcerers ( witchcraft ), sexual sinners, murderers, idolaters  ( greed ),….. and all who lie in what they say and what they do ( MIND GAMES )……

 REVELATIONS   2     ⁴Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.⁷“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

 ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ^£which thing I hate. ¹⁶Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

 REVELATIONS   3  ²Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before ^£God. ³Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

 REVELATIONS   9  ( NKJV )   ²⁰But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. ²¹And they did not repent of their murders or their ^£sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

 ( GWT )   ²⁰The people who survived these plagues still did not turn to me and change the way they were thinking and acting. If they had, they would have stopped worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. ²¹They did not turn away from committing murder, practicing witchcraft, sinning sexually, or stealing.

 REVELATIONS   16     ⁷And I heard ^£another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”

⁸Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. ⁹And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

¹⁰Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. ¹¹They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

 JAMES   3  ¹⁷However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere……. ¹⁸A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers…….

 JAMES   5     You have stored up riches in these last days. ⁴The wages you refused to pay the people who harvested your fields shout _ëto God_û against you. The Lord of Armies has heard the cries of those who gather the crops. ⁵You have lived in luxury and pleasure here on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and murdered people who have God’s approval, even though they didn’t resist you.

 ……..Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective……. ¹⁷Elijah was human like us. Yet, when he prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell on the ground for three-and-a-half years. ¹⁸Then he prayed again. It rained, and the ground produced crops.

 1  PETER  2    ²¹God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps. ²²Christ never committed any sin. He never spoke deceitfully. ²³Christ never verbally abused those who verbally abused him. When he suffered, he didn’t make any threats but left everything to the one who judges fairly. ²⁴Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God’s approval….. His wounds have healed you. ²⁵You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop^£ of your lives.

 1  PETER   4     ¹⁵If you suffer, you shouldn’t suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker. ¹⁶If you suffer for being a Christian, don’t feel ashamed, but praise God for being called that name…….. ¹⁷The time has come for the judgment to begin, and it will begin with God’s family……. If it starts with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to obey the Good News of God?¹⁸ If it’s hard for the person who has…. God’s approval to be saved….., what will happen to the godless sinner? ¹⁹Those who suffer because that is God’s will for them must entrust themselves to a faithful creator and continue to do what is good.

 2  PETER  2    ⁵God didn’t spare the ancient world either. He brought the flood on the world of ungodly people, but he protected Noah and seven other people. Noah was his messenger who told people about the kind of life that has God’s approval.

⁶God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them by burning them to ashes. He made those cities an example to ungodly people of what is going to happen to them. ⁷Yet, God rescued Lot, a man who had his approval. Lot was distressed by the lifestyle of people who had no principles and lived in sexual freedom. ⁸Although he was a man who had God’s approval, he lived among the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Each day was like torture to him as he saw and heard the immoral things that people did. 

 2  PETER   3    ¹¹All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. ¹³But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives.

 1 JOHN   2     ²⁸Now, dear children, live in Christ. Then, when he appears we will have confidence, and when he comes we won’t turn from him in shame. ²⁹If you know that Christ has God’s approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.

 1 JOHN   3      ⁷Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God’s approval as Christ has God’s approval. ⁸The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does. ⁹Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God. ¹⁰This is the way God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s children. Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child.

                                                          Love One Another

 ¹¹The message that you have heard from the beginning is to love each other. ¹²Don’t be like Cain. He was a child of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain murder his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil and the things his brother did had God’s approval. ¹³Brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised if the world hates you.

 REVELATION   22     ¹⁰Then the angel said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book because the time is near. ¹¹Let those who don’t have God’s approval go without it, and let filthy people continue to be filthy. Let those who have God’s approval continue to have it, and let holy people continue to be holy.”

        RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE are PEOPLE that have GOD’S Approval.

 MATTHEW    10     ⁴⁰“The person who welcomes you welcomes me, and the person who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹The person who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward.”

 2 CORINTHIANS    9   ⁶Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return. ⁷Each of you should give whatever you have decided. You shouldn’t be sorry that you gave or feel forced to give, since God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸Besides, God will give you his constantly overflowing kindness.^£ Then, when you always have everything you need, you can do more and more good things. ⁹Scripture says,

“The righteous person gives freely to the poor. His righteousness continues forever.”

 ¹⁰God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat. God will also give you seed and multiply it. In your lives he will increase the things you do that have his approval. ¹¹God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous. Your generosity will produce thanksgiving to God because of us. ¹²What you do to serve others not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but also produces more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God. ¹³You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else. ¹⁴With deep affection they will pray for you because of the extreme kindness that God has shown you. ¹⁵I thank God for his gift that words cannot describe.

 EPHESIANS   4    ¹⁷So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. ¹⁸They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. ¹⁹Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more.

²⁰But that is not what you learned from Christ’s teachings. ²¹You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. ²²You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. ²³However, you were taught to have a new attitude…… ²⁴You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy…….

²⁵So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body.

²⁶Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. ²⁷Don’t give the devil any opportunity _ëto work_û.

²⁸Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.

²⁹Don’t say anything that would hurt _ëanother person_û. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. ……..³⁰Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you……… He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free _ëfrom the world of sin_û.

³¹Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. ³²Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.

 Something to ponder :  I keep hearing people talk about GOD’S GRACE and MERCY. What they are saying about them is that GOD’S GRACE and MERCY is a DEFAULT POSITION to ketch you if you continue to live a unpure, unholy and unrighteous life after you are saved. That way of thinking is BLASPHEMY. 

                                                          CONFESSION

 DANIEL   9     ¹¹All Israel has ignored your teachings and …..“refused to listen to you”….. So you brought on us “the curses” you swore in an oath, “the curses” written in the Teachings of your servant Moses. We sinned against you. ¹²So you did what you said you would do to us and “our rulers” by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem. ¹³This entire disaster happened to us, exactly as it was written in Moses’ Teachings. LORD our God, we never tried to gain your favor by turning from our wrongs and dedicating ourselves to your truth. ¹⁴So you were prepared to bring this disaster on us. LORD our God, you are righteous in everything you do……. “But we never listened to you”……

 1  CORINTHIANS   14  ²⁴Now suppose you speak what God has revealed. When unbelievers or outsiders come in you will show them where they are wrong and convince them that they are sinners. ²⁵The secrets in their hearts will become known, and in this way they will quickly bow with their faces touching the ground, worship God, and confess that God is truly among you.

 1  JOHN  1    ⁷But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. ⁸If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. ¹⁰If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

 MATTHEW   10    ²⁸And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. ³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. ³²Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. ³³But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 ROMANS   10   ⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 ROMANS   14     ¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. ¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. ¹⁴I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Let not then your good be evil spoken of: ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;…… but righteousness,…. and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost……. ¹⁸For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. ¹⁹Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. ²⁰For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. ²¹It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. ²²Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. ²³And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

 PHILIPPIANS  4   ⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 JAMES   5   ¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; ……and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. ……¹⁶Confess your faults one to another,….. and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a ……righteous man …..availeth much.

 1  JOHN   1   ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us……. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness………. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 1  JOHN   4   ¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

REVELATIONS   3    ⁴Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. ⁵He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ⁶He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 Mose’s Teachings were PHYSICAL Worldly Laws set down by GOD in stone as the guide for us before CHRIST’S first glorious coming on earth.  The Glorious Ministry that has come after CHRIST’S  1^st coming is the NEW SPIRITUAL PROMISE from GOD.

 ROMANS   6    ¹⁵Then what is the implication? Should we sin because we are not controlled by laws but by God’s favor ( GOD‘S Approval )? That’s unthinkable! ¹⁶Don’t you know that if you offer to be someone’s slave, you must obey that master? Either your master is sin, or your master is obedience. Letting sin be your master leads to death. Letting obedience be your master leads to God’s approval. ¹⁷You were slaves to sin. But I thank God that you have become wholeheartedly obedient to the teachings which you were given. …..¹⁸Freed from sin, you were made slaves who do what God approves of……

 ROMANS   8     Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him. ¹⁰However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God’s approval. ¹¹Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.

 1 TIMOTHY   1    ⁸We know that Moses’ Teachings are good if they are used as they were intended to be used.

  ⁹For example, a person must realize that laws are not intended for people who have God’s approval.

 Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people. ¹⁰Laws are intended for people involved in sexual sins, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for those who lie when they take an oath, and for whatever else is against accurate teachings.

 ¹¹Moses’ Teachings were intended to be used in agreement with the Good News that contains the glory of the blessed God. I was entrusted with that Good News.

 J.L. We, those of us in CHRIST, have made the…. “cross-over”…. from the PHYSICAL to the SPIRITUAL, to FAITH in JESUS CHRIST and The WORLD of THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

 ROMANS   1     ¹⁶I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well. ¹⁷God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”

 ROMANS   3   ²¹Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain in a way other than Moses’ Teachings. Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this. ²²Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Jesus Christ.

 There is no difference between people. ²³Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory. ²⁴They receive God’s approval freely by an act of his kindness^£ through the price Christ Jesus paid to set us free _ëfrom sin_û. ²⁵God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. ²⁶He waited so that he could display his approval at the present time. This shows that he is a God of justice, a God who approves of people who believe in Jesus.

²⁷So, do we have anything to brag about? Bragging has been eliminated. On what basis was it eliminated? On the basis of our own efforts? No, indeed! Rather, it is eliminated on the basis of faith. ²⁸We conclude that a person has God’s approval by faith, not by his own efforts.

 J.L. From the Laws written in ink , stone with punishment to THOSE being written  by the Spirit of the living God on tablets of human hearts  where the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory.

 2  CORINTHIANS   3    ( GWT )    ¹Do we have to show you our qualifications again? Do we, like some people, need letters that recommend us to you or letters from you that recommend us to others? ²You’re our letter of recommendation written in our hearts that everyone knows and reads. ³It’s clear that you are Christ’s letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴Christ gives us confidence about you in God’s presence. ⁵By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. ⁶He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise,^£……. a spiritual promise, …….not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death,…… but the Spirit brings life.

 ⁷The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. ⁸Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory. ¹⁰In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry. ¹¹If that former ministry faded away despite its glory, how much more does that ministry which remains continue to be glorious?

 ( KJV )   ¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. ⁴And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: ⁵Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

⁶Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. ⁷But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: ⁸How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? ⁹For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. ¹⁰For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ¹¹For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

                                                      THE PHYSICAL

 LUKE  18   ²⁹Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God ( the physical world )

 2  CORINTHIANS   3   ⁷The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading.

 ⁹If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, 

                                                 to    THE SPIRITUAL

LUKE  18      ³⁰will certainly receive many times as much in this life and will receive eternal life in the world to come ( THE SPIRITUAL WORLD ).”

 2 CORINTHIANS     5    ¹⁷Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.

 J.L. The Laws of this world do  not apply , we are now under a new promise set of standards setup under our FAITH in JESUS CHRIST.

 PHILIPPIANS    3     I’m a descendant of Israel. I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a pure-blooded Hebrew. When it comes to living up to standards, I was a Pharisee. ⁶When it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the church. When it comes to winning God’s approval by keeping Jewish laws, I was perfect.

⁷These things that I once considered valuable, I now consider worthless for Christ. ⁸It’s far more than that! I consider everything else worthless because I’m much better off knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It’s because of him that I think of everything as worthless. I threw it all away in order to gain Christ ⁹and to have a relationship with him. This means that I didn’t receive God’s approval by obeying his laws. The opposite is true!….. I have God’s approval through faith in Christ……. This is the approval that comes from God and is based on faith ¹⁰that knows Christ…….. Faith knows the power that his coming back to life gives and what it means to share his suffering. In this way I’m becoming like him in his death, ¹¹with the confidence that I’ll come back to life from the dead.

 J.L. They are called GOD’S STANDARDS and they are SPIRITUAL STANDARDS. Some of them are your morals, ethics and conscience, to not pay heed to them will definitely put you in peril physically and SPIRITUALY. If you numb them off, you will never know when you are near spiritual of physical disaster.  When you go against them ,GOD will be screaming in your ear but repetitious bad behavior will eventually numb them off at your peril. GOD’S STARDARDS are obeyed out of a LOVE and FAITH in and for JESUS CHRIST and the necessity of having GOD’S Approval.

1  TIMOTHY  4    ¹The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith. They will follow spirits that deceive, and they will believe the teachings of demons. ²These people will speak lies disguised as truth. Their consciences have been scarred as if branded by a red-hot iron.

 2 CORINTHIANS     5    ¹⁶So from now on we don’t think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don’t anymore. ¹⁷Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. ¹⁸God has done all this.

He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. ¹⁹In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.

²⁰Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. ²¹God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.

 GALATIANS   5     ¹Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm _ëin this freedom_û, and don’t become slaves again.

²I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand.

  ⁴Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his ( Mose’s ) laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor

 ^{£ 5}However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval. ⁶As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.

⁷You were doing so well. Who stopped you from being influenced by the truth? ⁸The arguments of the person who is influencing you do not come from the one who is calling you. ⁹A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰The Lord gives me confidence that you will not disagree with this. However, the one who is confusing you will suffer God’s judgment regardless of who he is. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the cross wouldn’t be offensive anymore. ¹²I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves.

 EPHESIANS    5    ⁸Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. ⁹Light produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is true. ¹⁰Determine which things please the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. ¹²It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. ¹³Light exposes the true character of everything ¹⁴because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says:

“Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”^£

 ¹⁵So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. ¹⁶Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. ¹⁷So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants ( GOD‘S Approval ). ¹⁸Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit^{£ 19}by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. ²⁰Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 EPHESIANS    6    ¹⁰Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. ¹¹Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. ¹²This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. ¹³For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days.^£ Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.

¹⁴So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval  ( righteousness ) as your breastplate. ¹⁵Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. ¹⁶In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Also take salvation as your helmet and the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies.

 PHILIPPIANS   1    ⁹I pray that your love will keep on growing because of your knowledge and insight. ¹⁰That way you will be able to determine what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. ¹¹Jesus Christ will fill your lives with everything that God’s approval produces. Your lives will then bring glory and praise to God.

 2 TIMOTHY   2    ²²Stay away from lusts which tempt young people…….. Pursue what has God’s approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart…….. ²³Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. You know they cause quarrels. ²⁴A servant of the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be willing to suffer wrong. ²⁵He must be gentle in correcting those who oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and lead them to know the truth. ²⁶Then they might come back to their senses and God will free them from the devil’s snare so that they can do his will.

 2 TIMOTHY    3   ¹⁴However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were. ¹⁵From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus…….. ¹⁶Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval…….. ¹⁷They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things………

 2  TIMOTHY    4   ⁵But you must keep a clear head in everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of a missionary. Devote yourself completely to your work.

⁶My life is coming to an end, and it is now time for me to be poured out as a sacrifice to God. ⁷I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith…… ⁸The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me……. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again.

 HEBREWS   10    ³⁵So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. ³⁶You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants ( has GOD’S Approval ) you to do, you can receive what he has promised.

³⁷ “Yet, the one who is coming will come soon. He will not delay. ³⁸ The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.

But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”

 HEBREWS    11    ⁷Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.

 HEBREWS   12    ²²Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together ²³and to the assembly of God’s firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You ( the God of all people) have come to a judge and to the spirits of people who have God’s approval and have gained eternal life. ²⁴You have come to Jesus, who brings the new promise^£ from God, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than Abel’s

 JAMES   2      ¹⁸Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.

²⁰You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? ²¹Didn’t our ancestor Abraham receive God’s approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar? ²²You see that Abraham’s faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did. ²³The Scripture passage came true…… It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.” …….So Abraham was called God’s friend…….. ²⁴You see that a person receives God’s approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes…….. ²⁵The same is true of the prostitute Rahab who welcomed the spies and sent them away on another road…….. She received God’s approval because of what she did…….

 MATTHEW   25    ³⁷“Then the people who have God’s approval will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger and take you into our homes or see you in need of clothes and give you something to wear? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰“The king will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant _ëthey seemed_û, you did for me.’

⁴¹“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴²I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me into your homes. I needed clothes, and you didn’t give me anything to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.’

⁴⁴“They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or in need of clothes or sick or in prison and didn’t help you?’

⁴⁵“He will answer them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you failed to do for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant _ëthey seemed_û, you failed to do for me.’

⁴⁶“These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.”

 LUKE   1    ⁵When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly. ⁷Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children.

 ¹³The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born. ¹⁵As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.”

 LUKE   14    ¹²Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor. ¹³Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”

 LUKE   23     ⁵⁰There was a good man who had God’s approval. His name was Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish council, ⁵¹but he had not agreed with what they had done. He was from the Jewish city of Arimathea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

⁵²He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³After he took it down from the cross, he wrapped it in linen. Then he laid the body in a tomb cut in rock, a tomb in which no one had ever been buried. ⁵⁴It was Friday, and the day of worship was just beginning.

⁵⁵The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed closely behind Joseph. They observed the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶Then they went back to the city and prepared spices and perfumes. But on the day of worship they rested according to the commandment.

 JOHN    16     ⁵“Now I’m going to the one who sent me. Yet, none of you asks me where I’m going. ⁶But because I’ve told you this, you’re filled with sadness. ⁷However, I am telling you the truth: It’s good for you that I’m going away. If I don’t go away, the helper won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. ⁹He will convict the world of sin, because people don’t believe in me. ¹⁰He will show the world what has God’s approval, because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. ¹¹He will convince the world that God judges it, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

 ACTS    7  ⁴⁸“However, the Most High doesn’t live in a house built by humans, as the prophet says:

 ⁴⁹ ‘The Lord says, “Heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool.What kind of house are you going to build for me?

Where will I rest? ⁵⁰ Didn’t I make all these things?”’

 ⁵¹“How stubborn can you be? How can you be so heartless and disobedient? You’re just like your ancestors. They always opposed the Holy Spirit, and so do you! ⁵²Was there ever a prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute? They killed those who predicted that a man with God’s approval would come. You have now become the people who betrayed and murdered that man. ⁵³You are the people who received Moses’ Teachings, which were put into effect by angels. But you haven’t obeyed those teachings.”

 ACTS   10   ²¹So Peter went to the men. He said, “I’m the man you’re looking for. Why are you here?”

²²The men replied, “Cornelius, a Roman army officer, sent us. He’s a man who has God’s approval and who respects God. Also, the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to summon you to his home to hear what you have to say.”

²³Peter asked the men to come into the house and had them stay overnight.

 ³⁸“So, brothers, I’m telling you that through Jesus your sins can be forgiven. Sins kept you from receiving God’s approval through Moses’ Teachings. ³⁹However, everyone who believes in Jesus receives God’s approval.

 ACTS   22   ¹⁴“Ananias said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the one who has God’s approval, and to hear him speak to you. ¹⁵You will be his witness and will tell everyone what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶What are you waiting for now? Get up! Be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’

¹⁷“After that, I returned to Jerusalem. While I was praying in the temple courtyard, I fell into a trance ¹⁸and saw the Lord. He told me, ‘Hurry! Get out of Jerusalem immediately. The people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹“I said, ‘Lord, people here know that I went from synagogue to synagogue to imprison and whip those who believe in you. ²⁰When Stephen, who witnessed about you, was being killed, I was standing there. I approved of his death and guarded the coats of those who were murdering him.’

 ACTS   24    ¹³These people cannot even prove their accusations to you. ¹⁴But I’ll admit to you that I’m a follower of the way _ëof Christ_û, which they call a sect. This means that I serve our ancestors’ God and believe everything written in Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets. ¹⁵I hope for the same thing my accusers do, that people with God’s approval and those without it will come back to life. ¹⁶With this belief I always do my best to have a clear conscience in the sight of God and people.

 ROMANS    2    ¹²Here’s the reason: Whoever sins without having laws from God will still be condemned to destruction. And whoever has laws from God and sins will still be judged by them. ¹³People who merely listen to laws from God don’t have God’s approval (  PHYSICAL ). Rather, people who do what those laws demand will have God’s approval ( SPIRITUAL ).

 ROMANS   4    ¹What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham? ²If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it. ³What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.”

⁴When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. ⁵However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as God’s approval. ⁶David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,

 ⁷ “Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sins are pardoned.⁸ Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful ( has HIS Approval ).”

 ⁹Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as God’s approval of him.” ¹⁰How was his faith regarded as God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. ¹¹Abraham’s faith was regarded as God’s approval while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as God’s approval of them. ¹²He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.

¹³So it was not by obeying Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, it was through God’s approval of his faith. ¹⁴If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless. ¹⁵The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken.

¹⁶Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.^£ Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.

 ROMANS    5  ¹Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. ²Through Christ we can approach God^£ and stand in his favor.^£ So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. ³But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, ⁴endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. ⁵We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people. ⁷Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. ⁸Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.

⁹Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger. ¹⁰If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. ¹¹In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God.

                               A Comparison Between Adam and Christ

 ¹²Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. ¹³Sin was in the world before there were any laws. But no record of sin can be kept when there are no laws. ¹⁴Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an image of the one who would come.

¹⁵There is no comparison between _ëGod’s_û gift and _ëAdam’s_û failure. If humanity died as the result of one person’s failure, it is certainly true that God’s kindness^£ and the gift given through the kindness of one person, Jesus Christ, have been showered on humanity.

¹⁶There is also no comparison between _ëGod’s_û gift and the one who sinned. The verdict which followed one person’s failure condemned everyone. But, even after many failures, the gift brought God’s approval. ¹⁷It is certain that death ruled because of one person’s failure. It’s even more certain that those who receive God’s overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸Therefore, everyone was condemned through one failure, and everyone received God’s life-giving approval through one verdict. ¹⁹Clearly, through one person’s disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person’s obedience humanity will receive God’s approval. ²⁰Laws were added to increase the failure. But where sin increased, God’s kindness increased even more. ²¹As sin ruled by bringing death, God’s kindness would rule by bringing us his approval. This results in our living forever because of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 ROMANS   10   ¹Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of the Jewish people is that they would be saved. ²I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided. ³They don’t understand _ëhow to receive_û God’s approval. So they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not accepted God’s way for receiving his approval.

 ⁴Christ is the fulfillment of Moses’ Teachings so that everyone who has faith may receive God’s approval.

 ⁵Moses writes about receiving God’s approval by following his laws. He says, “The person who obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”

  ⁶However, Scripture says about God’s approval which is based on faith,

 “Don’t ask yourself who will go up to heaven,” (that is, to bring Christ down). ⁷“Don’t ask who will go down into the depths,” (that is, to bring Christ back from the dead). ⁸However, what else does it say? “This message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the message of faith that we spread. ⁹If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. …..¹⁰By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved…… ¹¹Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”

 ROMANS   14     ¹⁷God’s kingdom does not consist of what a person eats or drinks.

 Rather, God’s kingdom consists of God’s approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives. ¹⁸The person who serves Christ with this in mind is pleasing to God and respected by people.

 1 CORINTHIANS   4   ³It means very little to me that you or any human court should cross-examine me. I don’t even ask myself questions. ⁴I have a clear conscience, but that doesn’t mean I have God’s approval. It is the Lord who cross-examines me. ⁵Therefore, don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people’s motives. Then each person will receive praise from God.

 1  CORINTHIANS   6    ⁹Don’t you know that wicked people won’t inherit the kingdom of God?…… Stop deceiving yourselves!….. People who continue to commit sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals, ¹⁰or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will not inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹That’s what some of you were!……. But you have been washed and made holy, and you have received God’s approval in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God……..

 2 CORINTHIANS    3   ⁷The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. ⁸Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory. ¹⁰In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry. ¹¹If that former ministry faded away despite its glory, how much more does that ministry which remains continue to be glorious?

¹²Since we have confidence _ëin the new promise_û, we speak very boldly. ¹³We are not like Moses. He kept covering his face with a veil. He didn’t want the people of Israel to see the glory fading away. ¹⁴However, their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Testament. It isn’t removed, because only Christ can remove it. ¹⁵Yet, even today, when they read the books of Moses, a veil covers their minds. ¹⁶But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

 ¹⁷This Lord is the Spirit. Wherever the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. ¹⁸As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 GALATIANS   2    ¹⁵We are Jewish by birth, not sinners from other nations. . So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive¹⁶Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards, but only by believing in Jesus Christ God’s approval by faith in Christ and not because of our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards.

¹⁷If we, the same people who are searching for God’s approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That’s unthinkable! ¹⁸If I rebuild something that I’ve torn down, I admit that I was wrong to tear it down. ¹⁹When I tried to obey the law’s standards, those laws killed me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been crucified with Christ. ²⁰I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God’s Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins. ²¹I don’t reject God’s kindness.^£ If we receive God’s approval by obeying laws, then Christ’s death was pointless.

 GALATIANS   3   ¹⁰Certainly, there is a curse on all who rely on their own efforts to live according to a set of standards because Scripture says, “Whoever doesn’t obey everything that is written in Moses’ Teachings ( the letter of the LAW ) is cursed.” ¹¹No one receives God’s approval by obeying the law’s standards since, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith ( THE SPIRIT of the Law ).” ¹²Laws have nothing to do with faith, but, “Whoever obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”

¹³Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that God’s laws bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” ¹⁴_ëChrist paid the price_û so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to all the people of the world….. through Jesus Christ….. and we would receive the promised …Spirit through faith. 

                        The Relationship Between Law and Promise

 ¹⁵Brothers and sisters, let me use an example from everyday life. No one can cancel a person’s will or add conditions to it once that will is put into effect. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture doesn’t say, “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one. That descendant is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: The laws _ëgiven to Moses_û 430 years after God had already put his promise _ëto Abraham_û into effect didn’t cancel the promise _ëto Abraham_û. ¹⁸If we have to gain the inheritance by following those laws, then it no longer comes to us because of the promise. However, God freely gave the inheritance to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹What, then, is the purpose of the laws given to Moses? They were added to identify what wrongdoing is. Moses’ laws did this until the descendant to whom the promise was given came.^£ It was put into effect through angels, using a mediator. ²⁰A mediator is not used when there is only one person involved, and God has acted on his own.

²¹Does this mean, then, that the laws given to Moses contradict God’s promises? That’s unthinkable! If those laws could give us life, then certainly we would receive God’s approval because we obeyed them. ²²But Scripture states that the whole world is controlled by the power of sin. Therefore, a promise based on faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe.

²³We were kept under control by Moses’ laws until this faith came. We were under their control until this… faith…. which was about to come would be revealed.

 J.L For a person, country or world to constantly  and continuously do what GOD DISAPPROVES of and expects GOD to BLESS it, to give it SALVATION, to HEAL it or to do Miracles in it, is just plain NUTS. That way of thinking is blasphemy.

  HE has to give HIS Approval for all the above SPIRITUAL THINGS to happen or they won‘t happen. HE is in control!!!!!!

JAMES   3    ¹³Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. ¹⁵That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. ¹⁶Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil. 

          BENEFITS FROM HAVING GOD’S APPROVAL in JESUS CHRIST

 ¹⁷However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere……. ¹⁸A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers…….

 J.L. As “GOD is a SPIRIT” so to are HIS APPROVALS. We need HIS APPROVAL if we are to receive HIS BLESSING, HIS HEALING, HIS MIRACULES and especially HIS SALVATION. In order to get HIS APPROVAL, HE has set down some very special SPIRITUAL conditions in HIS SCRIPTURES. If you do not have GOD’S APPROVAL, than you will not receive any of the above.

 J.L. HE created and controls everything in HEAVEN, earth and below the earth. To have HIS APPROVAL in your Christian SPIRITUAL WALK is an Absolute Necessarily. There is no sneaking or maneuvering around GOD to get anything from HIM which HE is not in control of and observant of. HE is Omnipresent. Never forget HE is THE KING of king and THE LORD of lords and HE reigns over HEAVEN and Earth. To have an intimate relationship with GOD is to be in total obedience to HIM to get HIS APROVAL. HIS APPROVAL carries with it the full Power and Authority of GOD when we carry out HIS PERFECT WILL. With HIS APPROVAL nothing is IMPOSSIBLE.

 LUKE    1   ³⁷But nothing is impossible for God.”

 LUKE    18    ²⁷Jesus said, “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do.”

 JOHN   14    ¹²“I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do anything you ask _ëthe Father_û in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. ¹⁴If you ask me to do something, I will do it.

 J.L. A concrete example of how the concept of GOD’S APPROVAL works: While you are praying for your lung cancer to be healed by GOD, you are still smoking a cigarette. Because you are still smoking, HE will probably not heal you ,but HE might. HE does not approve of your smoking. To get HIS APPROVAL , you will have to stop smoking. Than you have a much better chance of HIM giving you HIS APPROVAL and your possible HEALING.

 A second example is : It is hard to pray for more cookies with both of your hands in  some one else’s cookie jar.

 EPHESIANS   1    ¹⁵I, too, have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. For this reason ¹⁶I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that ……the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a….. “spirit of wisdom and revelation”….. as you come to know Christ better. ¹⁸Then you will have deeper insight ( DISCERNMENT ) . You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious ( Spiritual ) wealth that God’s people will inherit. ¹⁹You will also know the unlimited greatness of his ( Spiritual ) power as it works with might and strength for us, the believers. ²⁰He worked with that same power ( physical and Spiritual ) in Christ when he brought him back to life and gave him the highest position in heaven ( Spiritual Authority ).

 ….. ²¹He    ( The KING of kings and LORD of lords)   is far above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world ( physical ) but also in the world to come ( Spiritual )…… ²²God has put everything under the control of Christ. He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church…… ²³The church is Christ’s body and completes him as….. he fills everything in every way……

                                               Even the evil spirits.

 Jeremiah 17:9-10, tlb   The heart is the most deceitful thing there is, and desperately wicked. No one can really know how bad it is! Only the Lord knows! He searches all hearts and examines deepest motives so he can give to each person his right reward, according to his deeds—how he has lived.

 1  CORINTHIANS   5   ⁴When you have gathered together, I am with you in spirit. Then, in the name of our Lord Jesus, and with his power, ⁵hand such a person over to Satan to destroy his corrupt nature so that his spiritual nature may be saved on the day of the Lord.

 JAMES    1  ¹²Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴Everyone is tempted by his own desires ( They do not have GOD’S Approval ) as they lure him away and trap him. ¹⁵Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

  Ephesians 6:12, tlb   For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.

 JOHN   1  ¹In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was already with God in the beginning.³Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him. ⁴He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.

⁵The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.^£

 ⁹The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him.

 PHILIPPIANS   2   ⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 2  CORINTHIANS   3   ¹⁷This Lord is the Spirit. Wherever the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. ¹⁸As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 JOHN   4    ²³Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him. ²⁴God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 MARK 12  ²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. ³⁰So love the Lord your God with…all… your heart, with… all… your soul, with …all…. your mind, and with… all… your strength.’ ³¹The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

 1  JOHN  3     ¹⁹This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence. ²⁰Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.

 ²¹Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us ( if we have GOD‘S Approval ), we can boldly look to God ²²and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. ( has GOD’S Approval )

 ²³This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us. ²⁴Those who obey Christ’s commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that he lives in us because he has given us the Spirit.

 Matthew 6:1, tlb    Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward  ( GOD’S Approval ) from your Father in heaven.

 Jeremiah 9:23-24  This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness ( HIS Approval ) on earth, for in these I delight ( I approve ),” declares the Lord .

 GENESIS   6     Noah had ……God’s approval….. and was a man of integrity among the people of his time….. He walked with God…… ¹⁰He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹The world was corrupt in God’s sight and full of violence. ¹²God saw the world and how corrupt it was because all people on earth lived evil lives.

¹³God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all people because the earth is full of their violence. Now I’m going to destroy them along with the earth

 MATTHEW   5:6       Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval.

They will be satisfied. 

                                           FAKE GOD’S Approval

 MATTHEW   5    ¹⁸I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from Moses’ Teachings before everything has come true. ¹⁹So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God’s approval and do it more faithfully than the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 MATTHEW   9   ¹²When Jesus heard that, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. ¹³Learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices.’ I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have God’s approval.”

 2 CORINTHIANS    11     ¹⁰As surely as I have Christ’s truth, my bragging will not be silenced anywhere in Greece. ¹¹Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do love you. ¹²But I’ll go on doing what I’m doing. This will take away the opportunity of those people who want to brag because they think they’re like us. ¹³People who brag like this are false apostles. They are dishonest workers, since they disguise themselves as Christ’s apostles. ¹⁴And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵So it’s not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants who have God’s approval. In the end they will get what they deserve.

 MATTHEW    23    ²⁷“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and every kind of impurity. ²⁸So on the outside you look as though you have God’s approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 ²⁹“How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God’s approval. ³⁰Then you say, ‘If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.’ ³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!

 LUKE   18      ⁹Jesus also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else. ¹⁰He said, “Two men went into the temple courtyard to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.’

¹³“But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

¹⁴“I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”

 ACTS    13    ⁹But Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared at Elymas ¹⁰and said, “You are full of dirty tricks and schemes, you son of the devil! You hate everything that has God’s approval. Quit trying to distort the truth about the way the Lord wants people to live. ¹¹The Lord is against you now. For a while you will be blind, unable to see the light of day.”

Suddenly, Elymas couldn’t see a thing. He tried to find people to lead him. ¹²When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. The Lord’s teachings amazed him.

 JAMES   5     You have stored up riches in these last days. ⁴The wages you refused to pay the people who harvested your fields shout _ëto God_û against you. The Lord of Armies has heard the cries of those who gather the crops. ⁵You have lived in luxury and pleasure here on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and murdered people who have God’s approval, even though they didn’t resist you.

 ROMANS   3   ⁹What, then, is the situation? Do we have any advantage? Not at all. We have already accused everyone (both Jews and Greeks) of being under the power of sin, ¹⁰as Scripture says,

“Not one person has God’s approval.

¹² Everyone has turned away. ¹¹ No one understands. No one searches for God.Together they have become rotten to the core.

No one does anything good,not even one person.¹³ Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deception.

Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes.¹⁴ Their mouths are full of curses and bitter resentment.

 ¹⁵ They run quickly to murder people.¹⁶ There is ruin and suffering wherever they go.¹⁷ They have not learned to live in peace.

¹⁸ They are not terrified of God.”

 MATTHEW   13     ³⁷He answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. ⁴²The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. ⁴³Then the people who have God’s approval will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!

 ⁴⁷“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea. It gathered all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, they pulled it to the shore. Then they sat down, gathered the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹The same thing will happen at the end of time. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from people who have God’s approval. ⁵⁰Then the angels will throw the evil people into a blazing furnace. They will cry and be in extreme pain there.

⁵¹“Have you understood all of this?”

“Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.”….. ¹⁶Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.^£

ROMANS   4    ¹What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham? ²If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it. ³What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.”

⁴When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. ⁵However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as God’s approval. ⁶David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,

“Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sins are pardoned.⁸ Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful ( has HIS Approval ).”

⁹Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as God’s approval of him.” ¹⁰How was his faith regarded as God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. ¹¹Abraham’s faith was regarded as God’s approval while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as God’s approval of them. ¹²He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.

¹³So it was not by obeying Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, it was through God’s approval of his faith. ¹⁴If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless. ¹⁵The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken.

¹⁶Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.^£ Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.

  ¹Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done……⁹Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger

 ROMANS    5  ¹Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. ²Through Christ we can approach God^£ and stand in his favor.^£ So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. ³But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, ⁴endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. ⁵We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people. ⁷Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. ⁸Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.

⁹Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger. ¹⁰If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. ¹¹In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored.

                            ⁶However, Scripture says about God’s approval which is based on faith…….,…….. . ⁹If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. …..¹⁰By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved……

 ROMANS   10   ¹Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of the Jewish people is that they would be saved. ²I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided. ³They don’t understand _ëhow to receive_û God’s approval. So they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not accepted God’s way for receiving his approval.

  ⁴Christ is the fulfillment of Moses’ Teachings so that everyone who has faith may receive God’s approval.

 ⁵Moses writes about receiving God’s approval by following his laws. He says, “The person who obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”

 ⁶However, Scripture says about God’s approval which is based on faith

“Don’t ask yourself who will go up to heaven,” (that is, to bring Christ down). ⁷“Don’t ask who will go down into the depths,” (that is, to bring Christ back from the dead). ⁸However, what else does it say? “This message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the message of faith that we spread. ⁹If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. …..¹⁰By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved…… ¹¹Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”

 ¹⁶Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not because of our own efforts…… If we receive God’s approval by obeying laws, then Christ’s death was pointless.

 GALATIANS   2    ¹⁵We are Jewish by birth, not sinners from other nations. ¹⁶Yet, we know that people don’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards, but only by believing in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ in order to receive God’s approval by faith in Christ and not because of our own efforts. People won’t receive God’s approval because of their own efforts to live according to a set of standards.

¹⁷If we, the same people who are searching for God’s approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That’s unthinkable! ¹⁸If I rebuild something that I’ve torn down, I admit that I was wrong to tear it down. ¹⁹When I tried to obey the law’s standards, those laws killed me. As a result, I live in a relationship with God. I have been crucified with Christ. ²⁰I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by believing in God’s Son, who loved me and took the punishment for my sins. ²¹I don’t reject God’s kindness.^£ If we receive God’s approval by obeying laws, then Christ’s death was pointless.

 ” ¹²Laws have nothing to do with faith, but, “Whoever obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”…….. . Therefore, a promise based on faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe………

²³We were kept under control by Moses’ laws until this faith came. We were under their control until this… faith…. which was about to come would be revealed.

GALATIANS   3   ¹⁰Certainly, there is a curse on all who rely on their own efforts to live according to a set of standards because Scripture says, “Whoever doesn’t obey everything that is written in Moses’ Teachings ( the letter of the LAW ) is cursed.” ¹¹No one receives God’s approval by obeying the law’s standards since, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith ( THE SPIRIT of the Law ).” ¹²Laws have nothing to do with faith, but, “Whoever obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”

¹³Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that God’s laws bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” ¹⁴_ëChrist paid the price_û so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to all the people of the world….. through Jesus Christ….. and we would receive the promised …Spirit through faith.

                                       The Relationship Between Law and Promise

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, let me use an example from everyday life. No one can cancel a person’s will or add conditions to it once that will is put into effect. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture doesn’t say, “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one. That descendant is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: The laws _ëgiven to Moses_û 430 years after God had already put his promise _ëto Abraham_û into effect didn’t cancel the promise _ëto Abraham_û. ¹⁸If we have to gain the inheritance by following those laws, then it no longer comes to us because of the promise. However, God freely gave the inheritance to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹What, then, is the purpose of the laws given to Moses? They were added to identify what wrongdoing is. Moses’ laws did this until the descendant to whom the promise was given came.^£ It was put into effect through angels, using a mediator. ²⁰A mediator is not used when there is only one person involved, and God has acted on his own.

²¹Does this mean, then, that the laws given to Moses contradict God’s promises? That’s unthinkable!If those laws could give us life, then certainly we would receive God’s approval because we obeyed them. ²²But Scripture states that the whole world is controlled by the power of sin. Therefore, a promise based on faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe.

²³We were kept under control by Moses’ laws until this faith came. We were under their control until this… faith…. which was about to come would be revealed.

 ^{£ 5}However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval.

GALATIANS   5     ¹Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm _ëin this freedom_û, and don’t become slaves again.

²I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand.

⁴Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his ( Mose’s ) laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor.

^{£ 5}However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval. ⁶As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.

⁷You were doing so well. Who stopped you from being influenced by the truth? ⁸The arguments of the person who is influencing you do not come from the one who is calling you. ⁹A little yeast spreads through the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰The Lord gives me confidence that you will not disagree with this. However, the one who is confusing you will suffer God’s judgment regardless of who he is. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the cross wouldn’t be offensive anymore. ¹²I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves.

  ²²Stay away from lusts which tempt young people…….. Pursue what has God’s approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart……..

 2 TIMOTHY   2   ²²Stay away from lusts which tempt young people…….. Pursue what has God’s approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart……..²³Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. You know they cause quarrels. ²⁴A servant of the Lord must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher. He must be willing to suffer wrong. ²⁵He must be gentle in correcting those who oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and lead them to know the truth. ²⁶Then they might come back to their senses and God will free them from the devil’s snare so that they can do his will.

  I have kept the faith…… ⁸The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me……. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again.

 2  TIMOTHY    4   ⁵But you must keep a clear head in everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of a missionary. Devote yourself completely to your work.

⁶My life is coming to an end, and it is now time for me to be poured out as a sacrifice to God. ⁷I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith…… ⁸The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me……. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again.

                   ³⁸The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.

                But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”

HEBREWS   10    ³⁵So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. ³⁶You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants ( has GOD’S Approval ) you to do, you can receive what he has promised.

 ³⁷ “Yet, the one who is coming will come soon. He will not delay.

³⁸ The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.

But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”

 Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.

 HEBREWS    11    ⁷Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.

 It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.” …….So Abraham was called God’s friend…….. ²⁴You see that a person receives God’s approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes……..

 JAMES   2      ¹⁸Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.

²⁰You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? ²¹Didn’t our ancestor Abraham receive God’s approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar? ²²You see that Abraham’s faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did. ²³The Scripture passage came true…… It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.” …….So Abraham was called God’s friend…….. ²⁴You see that a person receives God’s approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes…….. ²⁵The same is true of the prostitute Rahab who welcomed the spies and sent them away on another road…….. She received God’s approval because of what she did…….

           The effectual fervent prayer of a ……righteous man …..availeth much.

 JAMES   5   ¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; ……and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. ……¹⁶Confess your faults one to another,….. and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a ……righteous man …..availeth much.

 ; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

 2  TIMOTHY   2   ²⁰But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²²Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

JAMES 4   ⁷So place yourselves under God’s authority ( getting GOD‘S Approval ). Resist the devil ( SPIRITUAL WAREFARE ), and he will run away from you. ⁸Come close to God, and he will come close to you ( INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with GOD ). Clean up your lives, you sinners ( CONFESSION ), and clear your minds  ( REPENDANCE ), you doubters ( WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH YOUR FAITH ).