"DECEPTION IN THE CHURCH" e-Newsletter
3/16/05
Dear All,
Greetings from the islands of the Pacific!
The feature article in this edition is "Learn To Love Jesus Christ!" by Sandy Simpson, 3/16/05. Is learning to love yourself really what people need to learn? Is this how a Christian should accurately explain the human condition? Is the problem with people that they don't love themselves enough or that they only love themselves? Is loving yourself the answer to your needs in life? After reading Rick Warren's first contract column called "Learn To Love Yourself!" for Ladies Home Journal (LHJ), it struck me that it is a perfect example of why churches should definitely NOT be using his materials. For more information on Rick Warren, his teachings, book reviews and his associations, go here.
New Book Available Now!
Finish The Race!
A Study On Christian Maturity
by Sandy Simpson & Juanita Simpson
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This book was
written to help believers to realize the absolute necessity of growing
to maturity in Christ. It contains chapters on a variety of topics that
apply to the subject of maturing from infancy to adulthood in the Lord.
What many believers today do not realize is that the Bible teaches that
growth in Christ is directly tied to learning to discern truth from error,
good from evil. Since this is the emphasis the Word of God gives to the
subject, Christians ought to be busy being Bereans (Acts 17:11). Yet many
churches are urging Christians to push aside discernment in favor of experience.
The trendy teaching these days is that matters of doctrine are not as important
as how one feels. Jesus Christ and the foundational Apostles made it clear
that a Christian must grow to maturity or be in danger of being deceived.
When carnal desires to sin, including following false teachers (James 1:13-16),
has grown to full flower this can cause a Christian to shipwreck his faith
(1 Tim. 1:19).
It is our hope that this book will inspire many believers to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7).
Important Book! The price for the Finish The Race! - A Study On Christian Maturity is $11. plus $4.00 shipping and handling per book=Total $15.00. For outside the US the price is $11. + $9. = $20. To order simply click on the PayPal logo below to pay online with credit card or directly from your bank account. U.S. Orders Outside USIf you wish to order Finish The Race! - A Study On Christian Maturity book by mail, click on the order forms below and print them out. You can send a personal check, bank check or money order made out to "Alexander Simpson" to: Deception In The Church, P.O. Box 1043, Wadesboro, NC 28170 U.S. Orders
Outside U.S.
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Excellent ACT Resources!
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THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION is now available in book form. This is the DVD script plus commentary by Sandy Simpson. The commentary of the DVD series is not in the book, but there are many more quotes available than in the video series. Good reference material. Also available on CD-ROM. Go here for ordering details. |
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THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION is a DVD /VHS expose of the NAR and it's leadership of C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Peirce, Dutch Sheets, Bill Hamon, Jack Deere and others. It features commentary by Bill Randles, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jacob Prasch, Mike Oppenheimer, Orrel Steinkamp, Gary Gilley, Dave Hunt, Sandy Simpson and others. Go here for ordering details! |
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LETTERS TO THE CHURCH is a fitting manual for the Revelation Christian. All the precepts are in the seven letters in Revelation 1:9 - 3:22 to help us keep the faith, stay in sound doctrine, and reach out to those who are perishing. I hope and pray that this book will help the reader to be an “overcomer”. Go here for more details and how to order! |
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Want to be able to see your way through to clear biblical discernment? Want a set of tools that will allow you to disciple your loved ones so they will stand firm in the Faith? Want to sort out many of the false arguments and teachings that have invaded the churches? Then DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT is for you! Go here for more details and how to order! |
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On Benny Hinn! SPIRIT OF TRUTH OR SPIRIT OF ERROR? PART 1 - BENNY HINN features Jacob Prasch, Mike Oppenheimer & Sandy Simpson and tons of video showing the teachings and prophecies of Benny Hinn. This is a proven tool to keep people away from heresy. Go here for more details and how to order! |
We Still Have These On Special!
We have some special items in limited stock priced low to sell. Hurry because we are running out of these special sale items. PayPal purchases for items that have run out will be refunded through PayPal. Mail orders will not be accepted for these specials.
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by Bill Randles Go here for more details and how to order! |
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by Bill Randles Go here for more details and how to order! |
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by Vishal & Ruth Mangalwadi Go here for more details and how to order! |
Keep being a Berean!
In His hands,
Sandy Simpson
Apologetics Coordination Team (ACT)
Learn To Love Jesus Christ!
After reading Rick Warren's first contract column called "Learn To Love Yourself!" for Ladies Home Journal (LHJ), it struck me that it is a perfect example of why churches should definitely NOT be using his materials. For more information on Rick Warren, his teachings, book reviews and his associations, go here.
I am going to give you his entire LHJ article in BLUE, then I will give you my rebuttal article in RED. This LHJ article reveals much about the false teachings of Rick Warren whose mentors are Robert Schuller, C. Peter Wagner, and the other New Age false teachers.
I simply request that you compare what Rick Warren is teaching the Christian and non believing women who read LHJ all over the world (mainly non believing!) with what the Bible says we should be teaching and doing. I think this will help you understand where Rick Warren is coming from.
Learn To Love Yourself!
Carnival fun houses have distorted mirrors that can make us appear taller; fatter or shorter than we really are. But this doesn't bother us, because we know we're getting an inaccurate picture of ourselves. It's just a bit of harmless fun.
Carnival mirrors illustrate the distorted view we have of ourselves. We appear to ourselves to be far different than we really are. The Bible says that we deceive ourselves (Gal. 6:3, 1 Cor. 3:18). The truth that we are deceitfully wicked and beyond cure (Jer. 17:9) is not "just a bit of harmless fun."
What's not fun is the fact that many of us look at ourselves through a different kind of distorted mirror. We let other people in our lives--from parents and siblings to friends and coworkers--create a reflection of who we are, but it's rarely accurate. To truly love yourself, you need to know the five truths that form the basis of a healthy self-image.
What's not fun is the fact that many of us think more highly of ourselves than we ought these days through the distorted mirror of postmodern culture. Instead of allowing Jesus Christ to change us through a relationship with Him (Eph. 4:20-24), we allow the world (1 John 2:16), the flesh (John 6:63) and the devil (1 John 3:8) to influence the way we perceive ourselves. We read about ourselves in magazines and self-help books like The Purpose Driven Life, we indulge every appetite we have to excess, and we are continually bombarded with the idea that if we just think positively and confess what we want we will get it. To truly love yourself (the phrase "love yourself" is not in the Bible), you need to know Jesus Christ (1 John 3:16). You will then discover that it is not all about YOU, but about HIM. Here are five biblical truths that form the basis of a healthy self-image.
Accept yourself. Don't chase after other people's approval. Too much of what we do, say, buy or wear is motivated by our deep desire to be accepted by others. God accepts us unconditionally, and in His view we are all precious and priceless. Focus on this and you will not waste any time and effort trying to be someone you're not.
Deny yourself. Don't chase after vanity. The Bible tells us that if we would have abundant life (John 10:10) we must deny ourselves and follow Christ (Luke 9:23) by taking up our cross and following him to death. God only accepts us on the basis of our belief in (Rom. 10:9) and relationship to (John 14:23) His Son Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), Who He sent to die (1 John 4:10) to pay the penalty (Rev. 5:9) of death (Rom. 6:23) for our sins (Rom. 3:23). God does NOT accept us outside of His Son (John 14:6). When we are in Christ we become "precious and priceless". God loves all people He has created so much that He sent His only Son (John 3:16) to die as the only sacrifice (Heb. 10:12) of forgiveness possible (Col. 1:14, Acts 4:12), but God hates wickedness (Ps. 97:10, Is. 61:8, Mal. 2:16, Prov. 6:16-19), and only those who turn away from wickedness (2 Tim. 2:19), repent (Acts 3:19) and accept the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9) as their Savior (John 4:42, 1 Tim. 4:10) will be called "children of God" (John 1:12).
Love yourself. "The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end," says the Lord. God is not fickle and He does not have grouchy days. I asked my wife, Kay, "When was the first time you remember really feeling loved by God?" She said it was more than 25 years ago, when our marriage was falling apart and we decided to get counseling. After we got home from a particularly painful session, Kay lay down on our bed in the dark, praying. In that moment of deep distress and self-doubt, she focused on God and was overwhelmed with the feeling that "God really does love me--without strings attached!" It was a breakthrough to freedom for her, and for our marriage.
Love Jesus Christ. God said in reference to His chosen people Israel "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10 NIV) So this has little to do with the Gentile readership of Ladies Home Journal. But moving on ... God is not fickle and He does not have "grouchy days" but God is a righteous judge and will send those people who are "lovers of themselves" (2 Tim. 3:1-9) to judgment (Rom. 2:5) and hell (Rev. 21:8). Where is the concept of "feeling loved" mentioned in the Bible? The answer is nowhere. God has given us the ability to feel, but our feelings can be misled by ourselves, others, the world, and the enemy. To base a relationship with the Lord on how you "feel" is totally subjective, and provides an opening for the devil to deceive. The enemy does not deceive with bad things, but with "good" things including "good" feelings (2 Cor. 11:14). God does love world (John 3:16), but the world is judged (John 12:31, 1 Cor. 11:32). God loves people (Matt. 18:14), but they are on their way to judgment without hope (Rom. 1:20, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 5:12). God has many creatures (Gen. 1:1-2:25), but the only people who can call God "Father" (Gal. 4:6) are those who are saved by His Son and have a personal relationship with Him (Titus 3:7). There can be no "breakthrough" without you allowing the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) through the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16) and the Gospel preached (Rom. 10:14) to break your hard heart (Heb. 4:7) so that you confess you are a sinner (1 John 1:9). You must repent of your sins (2 Tim. 2:19) and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ to experience sonship (Rom. 8:15).
Be true to yourself. Accept and enjoy your "shape,' and by that I'm talking about far more than the contours of your physical body--although you should rejoice in those too. To get to know yourself, make a list of your abilities and be as honest as you can. Ask friends for their input too. Then consider your heart--what you love to do--as well as the strengths and weaknesses of your personality. Don't deny your weaknesses; we all have a bundle of them. Be content with them.
Be true to Jesus Christ. Accept and enjoy a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:4) when you become one of His children (1 John 3:1). He will lift you up (James 4:10). He foreknew everyone who would be true to Jesus Christ (2 John 1:9) and because of that they are predestined, called, justified, and glorified (Rom. 8:29-30). Get to know Jesus Christ (John 17:3, 2 Pet. 3:18). Let God who created your gifts and abilities (James 1:17) use them (Ps. 100:1-5), but more importantly He gives you spiritual gifts as well (1 Cor. 14:12). These are to be used to build up others, not spend them on your vanity. We are weak, but the Lord is strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10). But we are not to be content in our weakness (sins), but strive through Christ to live holy lives (1 Thess. 4:7, 2 Tim. 1:9). No one can do this without being born again (John 3:3).
Forgive yourself. God doesn't expect perfection, but He does insist on honesty. When I honestly admit my errors and ask forgiveness in faith, He doesn't hold a grudge, doesn't get even and doesn't bring it up again. We should practice such a forgiving attitude with ourselves.
Forgive others as God forgives you. God is perfection (Ps. 18:30, James 1:17). We are sinners (Rom. 5:12). But God expects believers to come to unity in the Faith (Eph. 4:13), to believe what is right according to the Word of God (Titus 1:9, 1 Pet. 1:23). God expects honesty (Eph. 4:15, Rev. 21:8). For a teacher like Rick Warren to have "honesty" as a "Christian" he would need to deal with the issue of sin. But he does not. The only basis for wiping a person's slate clean of sins, again, is the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:19) shed substitutionally on our behalf. We must confess our sins (1 John 4:9) and believe that only Jesus Christ can save us (Eph. 1:13). THEN ... God will not not "hold a grudge" but will remove our sins as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:11-12). Jesus Christ has forgiven those who believe in Him (1 John 2:12). We in turn need to forgive others (Luke 11:4, Col. 3:13) . There is no mention about "forgiving ourselves" in the Bible. How can a guilty person forgive themselves?
Believe in yourself. I talk with many successful women who are plagued by a gnawing sense of insecurity and feelings of incompetence. What causes that? It's because they are still listening to old tapes from their past and acting on statements made years ago that weren't true even then. How do you reverse this? Start affirming the truth about yourself! The truth is God has created you with talents, abilities, personality and background in a combination that is uniquely you.
Believe in Jesus Christ. I talk with many successful women who are plagued with pride and self-absorbtion. What causes that? It is because they are not listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), they are not reading God's Word (2 Tim. 2:15), but instead are completely caught up in the "me" culture that is in the world and in the churches thanks to people like Rick Warren (Rom. 6:18). How do you reverse this? By coming to know the truth about yourself as a sinner (1 John 1:8), the truth about Jesus Christ as the God-man (Phil. 2:6-11), the truth about the world (John 14:17), flesh (John 6:63) and the devil (John 8:44), the truth about heaven (Heb. 12:23) and hell (2 Pet. 2:4-9). You can "affirm" and positively confess yourself all the way to perdition. But what good will it do you in the end (Jer. 5:31)? The truth is that God has created you to come to the point where you bow your knee to the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:6-11) and make Him the Lord of your life (Luke 4:8) INSTEAD OF YOURSELF. You can bow now or be forced to bow before you are sentenced to the lake of fire (Rom. 14:11).
For those of you who have never heard about true life and "purpose" that Jesus Christ taught about because you have been reading Rick Warren books ... and for Rick Warren who has apparently forgotten about the Gospel and the Christian's mandate to preach it ... here is a place you can start to learn about true life, true love, true joy and true hope.
Read this tract.
Verses
Gal. 6:3 If anyone
thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
1 Cor. 3:18
Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards
of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.
Jer. 17:9 The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand
it?
Eph. 4:20-24
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of
him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made
new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
1 John 2:16
For everything in the world— the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his
eyes and the boasting of what he has and does— comes not from the Father
but from the world.
John 6:63 The
Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken
to you are spirit and they are life.
1 John 3:8
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been
sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy
the devil’s work.
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full.
Luke 9:23 Then
he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Rom. 10:9 That
if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 14:23
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father
will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Acts 4:12 Salvation
is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
to men by which we must be saved."
1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his
Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Rev. 5:9 And
they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its
seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Rom. 6:23 For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Rom. 3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
John 14:6 Jesus
answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
John 3:16 "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Heb. 10:12
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he
sat down at the right hand of God.
Col. 1:14 in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Ps. 97:10 Let
those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful
ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Is. 61:8 "For
I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness
I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Mal. 2:16 "I
hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man’s covering
himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty.
So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.
Prov. 6:16-19
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that
devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false
witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
2 Tim. 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:
"The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name
of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
Acts 3:19 Repent,
then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from the Lord,
John 4:42 They
said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said;
now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the
Savior of the world."
1 Tim. 4:10
(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living
God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
Jn. 1:12 Yet
to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God—
2 Tim. 3:1-9
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will
be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient
to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are
the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed
women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil
desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just
as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—
men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their
folly will be clear to everyone.
Rom. 2:5 But
because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing
up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous
judgment will be revealed.
Rev. 21:8 But
the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral,
those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars— their place
will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
2 Cor. 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
John 12:31 Now
is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will
be driven out.
1 Cor. 11:32
When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will
not be condemned with the world.
Matt. 18:14
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these
little ones should be lost.
Rom. 1:20 For
since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities— his eternal
power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore,
just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and
in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
Gen. 1:1-2:25
¶ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the
earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let
there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good,
and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day,"
and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was
morning— the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between
the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated
the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God
called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—
the second day. And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered
to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the
dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw
that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing
plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according
to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants
bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed
in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there
was evening, and there was morning— the third day. And God said, "Let there
be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night,
and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let
them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And
it was so. God made two great lights— the greater light to govern the day
and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set
them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the
day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that
it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the fourth day.
And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds
fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the
great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which
the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according
to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be
fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let
the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was
morning— the fifth day. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures
according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground,
and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made
the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their
kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their
kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in
our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea
and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over
all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds
of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then
God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours
for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air
and all the creatures that move on the ground— everything that has the
breath of life in it— I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,
and there was morning— the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were
completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished
the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his
work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he
rested from all the work of creating that he had done. This is the account
of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God
made the earth and the heavens—and no shrub of the field had yet appeared
on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD
God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,
but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the
ground— the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he
put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow
out of the ground— trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there
it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon;
it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The
gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The
name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land
of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east
side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The LORD God took
the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree
in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." The LORD God said,
"It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable
for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts
of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to
see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature,
that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds
of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper
was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and
while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the
place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken
out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now
bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘for
she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The
man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Gal. 4:6 Because
you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit
who calls out, <"Abba>, Father."
Tit. 3:7 so that,
having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope
of eternal life.
John 16:8 When
he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment:
2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness,
Rom. 10:14
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how
can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they
hear without someone preaching to them?
Heb. 4:7 Therefore
God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he
spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."
1 Jn. 1:9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Tim. 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:
"The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name
of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
Rom. 8:15 For
you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but
you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, <"Abba,> Father."
Rom. 6:4 We were
therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
too may live a new life.
1 Jn. 3:1 How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not
know us is that it did not know him.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
2 Jn. 1:9 Anyone
who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not
have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the
Son.
Jn. 17:3 Now
this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom you have sent.
Rom. 8:29-30
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those
he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those
he justified, he also glorified.
2 Pet. 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Ps. 100:1-5
A psalm. For giving thanks. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship
the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the
LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the
sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts
with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good
and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
1 Cor. 14:12
So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to
excel in gifts that build up the church.
2 Cor. 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about
my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,
in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1 Thes. 4:7
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
John 3:3 In reply
Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again."
Ps. 18:30 As
for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a
shield for all who take refuge in him.
Eph. 4:13 until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Tit. 1:9 He must
hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he
can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
1 Pet. 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God.
Eph. 4:15 Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who
is the Head, that is, Christ.
Hebrews 10:19
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place
by the blood of Jesus,
1 Jn. 4:9 This
is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into
the world that we might live through him.
Eph. 1:13 And
you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with
a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Ps. 103:11-12
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for
those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he
removed our transgressions from us.
1 Jn. 2:12
I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on
account of his name.
Luke 11:4 Forgive
us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead
us not into temptation. ‘"
Col. 3:13 Bear
with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Jn. 16:8 When
he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment:
2 Tim. 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)
Rom. 6:18 You
have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
1 Jn. 1:8 If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in
us.
Phil. 2:6-11
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jn. 14:17 the
Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him
nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 8:44 You
belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s
desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth,
for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Heb. 12:23
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You
have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men
made perfect,
2 Pet. 2:4-9
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,
putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not
spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,
but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others if he
condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and
made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if
he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives
of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day,
was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—if
this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and
to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their
punishment.
Jer. 5:31 The
prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my
people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
Luke 4:8 Jesus
answered, "It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’"
Romans 14:11
It is written: "‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ’every knee will
bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’"
Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served
beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
1 Pet. 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to
be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
1 Thes. 1:4
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
1 Tim. 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all
things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Jn. 4:7 Dear
friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God.
Phil. 3:8 What
is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
