What the Bible Says about Grace (2)

Acts 15:1-2, 11, 22-29 (KJV from www.biblegateway.com)
"
1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

11 But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
"

The temptation of fixing-up things on the old church shows in this passage that some men were trying to take away the simplicity of the Gospel message. They were insisting that the rite of circumcision was necessary to Christian salvation. They were trying to place the Grace under Mosaic Law. First the gentiles needed to become Jews and then, Christians. A conference was called among the elders in Jerusalem and the conclusion was that the gentiles as well as the Jews are dependent on the Grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Therefore circumcision was not necessary for salvation, because Grace alone assures us of salvation.
The letter goes on mentioning reasonable restrictions for the new gentile Christians and they were valid also to the Jews, as they would aid the new Christians to avoid contact with any pagan worship in any form.
“Salvation is through grace and grace alone, and anything added to that is heresy.” Barbara Brokhoff
Grace is not what we do, but what Christ has done!

What the Bible Says About Sin and Its Consequences…

When God created the universe, He did it under His own principles. Those principles do not change. In the same way there are physics' laws that govern the material world (like the law of universal gravitation, for example), there are spiritual's laws that govern the spiritual world, or your relationship with God.

If we read 1 Timothy 2:4, we see that God love us and want to meet us.
1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV from www.biblegateway.com)
“
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
“

But in Romans 3:23 we read (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
“
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
“
And from Isaiah 59:1-2 we have (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
“
1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
“
From those two texts we learned that we are sinners and sin keeps us away from God. Even if God wants to have communion with us while we have the barrier of sin, this is not possible. The first consequence of the sin is that it keeps us away from God.
While we are away from God, we cannot have communion with Him, therefore we are spiritually dead. The second consequence of the sin is the spiritual death.

Jesus, Son of God, came to the world to die and pay the price for our sins. He resurrected to restore our lives. Today, all those who believe in Jesus, and regret from having sinned and receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior, is forgiven and goes from spiritual death to spiritual life: God’s communion is back! This person should no longer live in sin, but should live according to God’s will. So, Jesus Christ is the answer from God to recover us from sin.

What the Bible Says about the “Day of The Lord”

Matthew 24:21-22 (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
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21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
"
Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:21-22 that never in history of mankind has there been anything as deadly as what will come on the time of tribulation.
There are different positions on the interpretation of verse 22, some saying that this is a sign that the rapture will happen to those who wait in faith, to hide them from God’s wrath.
In Isaiah 13:11 we read (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
"
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
"
So let’s be prepared for His return.

What the Bible Says about Obstacles to Prayer

Romans 12:12 (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
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12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
"

We have difficulties to prayer because we fear the pain of the possibility of the truth about our own live to be disclosed to ourselves and to God. And when we flee from God we flee from the only one who can heal and save us.
This fear is based on our own guilt, our own lack of trust and our own opposition to love and serve God.
"The power of God's love is so strong and so powerfull that we need only let it into our lives to be changed... - When we respond to God in hope, humility and silence - all the defenses and blocks... against God's love are swept away. Then, and only then, we can pray." James R.Mitchell

What the Bible Says about Prayer (3)

Sometimes we need help to pray. Romans 8:26-27 tells us (KJV from www.biblegateway.com):
"
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
"

The spirit is always willing to help us, even if we cannot understand it.
We should pray to discover the will of God for our lives and also to gain perspectives on our own life. We should pray to achieve peace of mind and to strengthen our spiritual connection with those around us (James R.Mitchell).

We should constantly ask God what we are suppose to do with our talents and skills. How we can use them to help people, how we can use our gifts, energy and abilities towards the work of making this a better world. Prayer show us the correct path and maintain us in the correct direction that God has chosen for us.

What the Bible Says about Grace (1)

Romans 5:17
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

What is Grace? Many explain Grace by saying that "it is a gift given to someone that did nothing to deserve that gift".
Discovering Grace is a pleasant surprise. It is the discovery of the forgiveness and love of God. It is to find out how much God loved us and what He did through His Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ.
Grace is the theme of the New Testament and the key to understand its message. The Bible's writers that talk about salvation, forgiveness and justification always make the connection with the Grace of God.
Our salvation from the sin and wrath was a gracious idea from God before the creation of the world (2 Timothy 1:9 -> 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began) and it was executed according to His plan (Romans 8:30-> 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.). We are salved by the Grace of God, not by our own work (Ephesians 2:8-9 -> 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.) and the Grace of God teach us to live our salvation on God in a dignified and honored way (Tito 2:11-12 -> 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;). The praise of the glorious Grace of God is the final goal of salvation (Ephesians 1:6 -> 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved). Everything is related to the Grace of God. Without it we would never be saved from the coming wrath.

All verses were taken from KJV at www.biblegateway.com.
Special thanks to late Pastor Estêvão for his Bible studies on Grace.

What the Bible Says about Prayer (2)

Most people that do not pray blame on the fact that they do not know how to pray. If you are shy and do not know how to initiate a conversation with God, The Bible teach us how to do that. Read Matthew 6:7-15 (New KJV, www.biblegateway.com):
"
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
"

Such a simple and powerful pray! Practice this pray daily and it will be a starting point for a new life in communion with God!

What the Bible Says about Prayer (1)

Worship without pray becomes an empty and hollow occasion... The sacraments of baptism and holy communion become sterile rituals without pray... Also without pray, the Bible is only an ancient and obscure text which puzzles and troubles but does not enlighten or guide us... "The element which connects worship, sacrament and scripture with reality of human life is prayer." (James R.Mitchell)
Through prayer we address God and God address us... Without prayer, faith suffocates and dies...
Take for example the text on 1 Kings 3:5-9 (KJV at www.biblegateway.com):
"
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
"
Is the message crystal clear? "ASK WHAT I SHALL GIVE THEE".

What the Bible Says on Eve's Sin

If we take a carefull look at Genesis 2:15-18 we read (KJV at www.biblegateway.com):

"15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. "

So, God gave Adam a direct order, and them, created Eve. The conclusion is that Eve did not receive a direct order from God, but she heard the order from Adam. Does that make her sin "smaller"?

Are we also waiting a direct commandment from God in order to obey? Does that mean if we do not follow an order from our pastor our sin is "smaller"? I don't think so...

What Bible Says About The End of Times

Eschatology is the part of Theology that studies the final events on the world. Christian's eschatology or apocalypticism view the end of time as the consummation of perfection on God's creation of the world. The prophecies of the end of times is addressed in the Bible at the Old Testament's Book of Daniel and New Testament's Book of Revelation.
Some philosophers think that an accelerating rate of scientific progress could cause a technological singularity that could dramatically change the course of human history.

The Bible at Matthew 24:6-7 says(King James Version from www.biblegateway.com):
"6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

So, trying to guess about the end of times is a topic that always fascinates human race. But the Bible is crystal clear when it says in Matthew 24:36 (KJV from www.biblegateway.com)
"36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

As you can notice, it is not written "... but my Father and the Mayans only."...

What Bible Says About September 11th, 2001

The "function" of the prophets on the Bible is to make prophecies on future events.

Look at Daniel, for example, Chapter 8 verses 1 to 7 (taken from the King James Version of the Bible at www.biblegateway.com):
"
Daniel 8
1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
"

Very interesting, isn't it?
Some may say the ram represents United States (no beasts could stand before him) and the two horns would be the World Trade Center. The goat is usually used as a symbol of evil. The goat comes from West, without touching the ground (airplanes?!?)... The goat cast the ram down to the ground.