GOD’S PLAN IN DETAIL – THE STUDY GUIDE

Living as a Christian

Preparing to Live Forever

As humans we can be filled with enthusiasm and good intentions, but then find it impossible to really live up to all of our good intentions. Yeshua warned his disciples to careful about this because, while they were willing to follow him, they didn’t have the power within themselves to do so. Yeshua promised that they would receive that power – but only when they received the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49 NLTAnd now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven., Acts 1:8 NLTBut when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth..

This power from God’s Holy Spirit is not just some charismatic feeling. It is real power – power that is far beyond anything that we might imagine for ourselves. It is the same power that was used to create the universe. It is also the power that we need in order to overcome our own human nature and to please our Father.

Yeshua also gave us the right to use his own name – the same name that his Father gave him, and that he shares with his Father. It is a name that even the demons tremble before.

Access to this power doesn’t come cheap. We have to be willing to die in order to receive it. And we don’t get it all at once. We need to learn to exercise such power wisely and with deep humility as we live in the presence of our Father.

For Christians, baptism symbolises that death – the death of our own natural human desires and the beginning of a new life dedicated to learning how to exercise the power of God’s Holy Spirit to please our Father in all things. In ‘dying’ we are freed of the constraints imposed by the Old Covenant law and become free citizens of God’s new Kingdom. Our time here is then to learn how to use this power to become model citizens – perfect in all our ways just like our Father and Yeshua are perfect. Matthew 5:48 NLTBut you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.. Yeshua elaborated on what this means in his ‘Sermon on the Mount’. Matthew 5 – 7.

This doesn’t come all at once. Even towards the end of his life Paul was still very aware of his own faults. Galatians 6:1-5 NLTDear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.. For some of us it will be fiery trials that perfect us. James 1:2-4,12 NLTDear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.. It is God’s Holy Spirit working in us through all of these trials that will make this possible. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLTAnd all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
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But why such a high standard? Why doesn’t our Father just accept us as we are?

We have grown up immersed in sin. We are so used to living in Satan’s world that it is hard for us to imagine a world without sin. We accept it, and have become comfortable with it, even though all sin leads to suffering and death. Even the smallest sin carries the death penalty.

God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to suffer a horrible death so that we could be forgiven. So why is even the smallest sin so bad that, without that sacrifice, God would have to cast us aside forever?

The answer can be found in what God is offering to us – the chance to join many millions (billions?) of new members of his Family Kingdom. Every one of these new members will have awesome power and will live forever. Any wrong attitude, negative thought or wilful action will have all eternity to grow out of control. The result would be disaster on a scale that we cannot imagine.

Our Father is going to make sure that such a result can never happen. There will be structure within his Family with everyone being fully prepared and tested for the roles and responsibilities that he has planned for them. There will even be a memorial to remind us of what happened to all those who did rebel. Revelation 20:10-15 NLTThen the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire..

The standard is high. Impossible on our own, but achievable using the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The rewards are beyond our ability to imagine. 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLTThat is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”. We will receive our reward, and access to the full power of God’s Holy Spirit, when Yeshua returns.

What are our goals as Christians?

Christian life is a training ground – not meant to be easy, and only possible through faith in Yeshua and the power that he gives us. 1 John 5:3-5 CEVWe show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.

Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

, James 1:2,9-16 NLTDear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.

God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters., 1 Peter 1:4-7 NLTFor God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world., 1 Peter 4:12-19 NLTDear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad - because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.

Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his wonderful name!

For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God's own children. And if even we Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed God's Good News?

And "If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless and sinners have?"

So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.. Troubles and problems are all part of God’s plan for helping us to grow. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4 NLTFinally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided that I should stay alone in Athens, and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our co-worker for God and our brother in proclaiming the Good News of Christ.

We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from becoming disturbed by the troubles you were going through.

But, of course, you know that such troubles are going to happen to us Christians. Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come - and they did, as you well know., Romans 5:1-5 NLTTherefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
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We are to be focussed on serving others. Matthew 20:20-28 NLTThen the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.

"What is your request?" he asked.

She replied, "In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one at your right and the other at your left?"

But Jesus told them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?"

"Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"

"You will indeed drink from it," he told them. "But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen."

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different.

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.", Matthew 23:11-12 ESVThe greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
. This means being genuinely concerned about the needs of others and enthusiastically helping out when needed. Matthew 25:31-46 NLTBut when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

Then the King will say to those on the right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'

Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 9When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'

And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, `Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

Then they will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' And he will answer, `I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'

And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
, Mark 9:33-37 NLTAfter they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing out on the road?" But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, "Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me.", Luke 6:20-38 NLTThen Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for the time will come when you will laugh with joy. God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man.

When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were also treated that way by your ancestors.

What sorrows await you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrows await you who are satisfied and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger is before you. What sorrows await you who laugh carelessly, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrows await you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do for you.

Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.

Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving - large or small - it will be used to measure what is given back to you.", Luke 22:24-27 NLTAnd they began to argue among themselves as to who would be the greatest in the coming Kingdom.

Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men order their people around, and yet they are called `friends of the people.' But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant., 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NLTRemember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten."

For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen - the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God.

You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.

Thank God for his Son - a gift too wonderful for words!, James 1:27 NLTPure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us., James 2:14-24 NLTWhat good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone..

We should also pray for each other. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 NLTHow we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy in the presence of God. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill up anything that may still be missing in your faith.

May God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus make it possible for us to come to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you.

As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him..

God wants us to be involved. This is all part of our training. Like young children trying to help their parents, we mightn’t do it very well, but we can only learn by doing. This is also an important reason why we have problems and why our Father doesn’t just ‘fix’ them for us. The early church suffered persecution, famine, poverty and sickness. Through all this, the love of its members was made perfect as they learned to help and care for each other through all of these problems.

We must separate ourselves out from the sinful practises of the world and concentrate on pleasing God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NLTDon't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

"I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.", 2 Corinthians 5:15 NLTHe died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.. This includes keeping free of sexual sin and living in our marriages as God wants us to. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 CEVFinally, my dear friends, since you belong to the Lord Jesus, we beg and urge you to live as we taught you. Then you will please God. You are already living that way, but try even harder.

Remember the instructions we gave you as followers of the Lord Jesus. God wants you to be holy, so don't be immoral in matters of sex. Respect and honor your wife. Don't be a slave of your desires or live like people who don't know God.

You must not cheat any of the Lord's followers in matters of sex. Remember, we warned you that he punishes everyone who does such things.

God didn't choose you to be filthy, but to be pure. So if you don't obey these rules, you are not really disobeying us. You are disobeying God, who gives you his Holy Spirit., 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 NLTYou say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food." This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.

But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which belongs to Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one."

But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
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We must be scrupulously honest in all our dealings. Luke 16:9-13 NLTI tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.

Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money..

We should exercise self-control and balance in all things – even in those things that we are given to enjoy. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NLTYou may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything..

We have the same commission that Yeshua gave to his disciples when he sent them out to proclaim the Good News of God's Kingdom. Matthew 28:18-20 NLTJesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.", Mark 16:15 NLTAnd then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.. Notice that Yeshua gave his disciples authority over demons and power to heal the sick. Luke 9:1-6 CEVJesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them complete power over all demons and diseases. Then he sent them to tell about God's kingdom and to heal the sick.

He told them, "Don't take anything with you! Don't take a walking stick or a traveling bag or food or money or even a change of clothes. When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. If people won't welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them."

The apostles left and went from village to village, telling the good news and healing people everywhere.. It was a very serious commission. Yeshua expected total commitment from his disciples. Read about the trial run in Matthew 10.

Being willing to openly tell others of our faith in Yeshua is a vital part of confirming our own faith. Romans 10:8-15 NLTSalvation that comes from trusting Christ - which is the message we preach - is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."

For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!", Luke 12:8-9 NLTAnd I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God's angels. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before God's angels..

This will ultimately result in announcing the Good News of God’s Kingdom throughout the whole world just before Yeshua returns. Matthew 24:14 NLTAnd the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come..

However, this is not something we should try to do by ourselves. After he was raised from the dead, Yeshua instructed his disciples to wait until they were filled with the power of God’s Holy Spirit before they were to go out and teach others. Luke 24:49 NLTAnd now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven., Acts 1:8 NLTBut when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth..

The Holy Spirit will lead us to know what to do and say. Of course we should be well prepared. But relying on our own power is a recipe for failure. Teaching others is huge responsibility and not to be undertaken lightly. While God hasn’t called all of us to teach, we can all teach by example - demonstrating by our own lives what it really means to be a Christian. James 3:1 CEVMy friends, we should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others., 1 Peter 3:1-2 NLTIn the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior..

There can be a big cost in following Yeshua – we should be clear about whether or not we are willing to go the whole way before we even start. Luke 14:25-35 CEVLarge crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:

You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, "You started building, but could not finish the job."

What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win? If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.

So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.. Yeshua was emphasising this to the great crowds of people who were only following him because of his miracles.

We are to dedicate our lives to serving God and must be prepared to give up everything to serve him and promote the Good News of God’s coming Kingdom. Mark 8:34-38 CEVJesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.

What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?

Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels., Mark 10:28-31 CEVPeter replied, "Remember, we left everything to be your followers!"

Jesus told him: You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated.

And in the world to come, they will have eternal life.

But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first., Luke 9:23-26 NLTThen he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.

If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.

And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?

If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels., Luke 9:57-62 NLTAs they were walking along someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go."

But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head."

He said to another person, "Come, be my disciple."
The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."

Jesus replied, "Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God."

Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family."

But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."
. This is work in God’s eyes and accepting hospitality is an acceptable part of our wages. Luke 10:1-7 NLTThe Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them on ahead in pairs to all the towns and villages he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them:

"The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields.

Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don't take along any money, or a traveler's bag, or even an extra pair of sandals. And don't stop to greet anyone on the road.

Whenever you enter a home, give it your blessing. If those who live there are worthy, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.

When you enter a town, don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide you. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.
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We must learn to trust in God to provide our needs each day. Luke 12:13-34 CEVJesus said to his disciples:

I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having something to eat or wear. Life is more than food or clothing.

Look at the crows! They don't plant or harvest, and they don't have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds.

Can worry make you live longer? If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else?

Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers.

God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little faith!

Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.. God has promised that he will never fail us. Hebrews 13:5-6 NLTStay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you."

That is why we can say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?".

However, we must not be lazy and expect to live off others. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 CEVMy dear friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you.

You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could.

We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you.

We also gave you the rule that if you don't work, you don't eat.

Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody. So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living.. Notice Paul’s example of working to support himself so that he could teach God’s message freely without placing any financial burden on those he taught. He also taught church members that, if they weren’t willing to work, then neither should they eat.

Note that this is a clear indication that the Jewish practise of tithing was not practised in the Gentile Church. Paul warned that those who required obedience to the Jewish laws were only interested in making money. Titus 1:10-11 NLTFor there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.

They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth.

Such teachers only want your money. .

We can only grow in understanding by putting into practise what Yeshua taught. Listening isn’t enough. Mark 4:23-25 NLTAnyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! And be sure to pay attention to what you hear.

The more you do this, the more you will understand - and even more, besides.

To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.
. We also need to obey everything that Yeshua taught. Luke 6:46-49 NLTSo why do you call me `Lord,' when you won't obey me? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me.

It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built.

But anyone who listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins.
, Luke 11:28 CEVJesus replied, "That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!".

We are to be more concerned about shunning any wrong behaviour than by what we eat. Mark 7:17-23 CEVAfter Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and had gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. He answered, "Don't you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. It doesn't go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body." By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.

Then Jesus said: "What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.". It is not food that damages us, but rather the way we think and act. That is why Paul later made it quite clear that eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols is not a problem unless doing so would hurt our conscience because we feel that it is wrong. 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 CEVIn your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. In fact, people who think they know so much don't know anything at all. But God has no doubts about who loves him.

Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is only one God. Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are gods or lords.

We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.

Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. But food doesn't bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.

Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for.

When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live..

This is also why Yeshua criticised those in the church in Pergamum who were eating food that had been sacrificed to idols. Their consciences were corrupted because they were also following false teachings and committing sexual immorality. They were eating such food because of its religious significance. Revelation 2:12-16 CEVThis is what you must write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: I am the one who has the sharp double-edged sword! Listen to what I say.

I know that you live where Satan has his throne. But you have kept true to my name. Right there where Satan lives, my faithful witness Antipas was taken from you and put to death. Even then you did not give up your faith in me.

I do have a few things against you. Some of you are following the teaching of Balaam. Long ago he told Balak to teach the people of Israel to eat food that had been offered to idols and to be immoral. Now some of you are following the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Turn back! If you don't, I will come quickly and fight against these people. And my words will cut like a sword..

We are to be as openly accepting of God’s Word and free of guile as a young child. Mark 10:13-16 CEVSome people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.

When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God.

I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them., Luke 10:21-23 CEVAt that same time, Jesus felt the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, and he said: My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.

My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.

Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, "You are really blessed to see what you see!". But we must also test everything that others would teach us to be sure it is true. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 NLTDo not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good., 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 CEVWhen our Lord Jesus returns, we will be gathered up to meet him. So I ask you, my friends, not to be easily upset or disturbed by people who claim that the Lord has already come.

They may say that they heard this directly from the Holy Spirit, or from someone else, or even that they read it in one of our letters.

But don't be fooled! People will rebel against God. Then before the Lord returns, the wicked one who is doomed to be destroyed will appear..

This is also a very clear message for the leaders of God’s Church. Those who would take offence at being questioned are themselves on dangerous ground. Those who are called to teach others must be able to demonstrate by their own example, and the power of the Holy Spirit working through them, that they really are teaching sound doctrine. Those who are being taught also have the responsibility to check and make sure that everything they are receiving really is sound doctrine.

We are not to judge those who are not being called today. However, we are responsible to guard the integrity of those who are being called and to take whatever action is necessary to protect our church members. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 CEVI have heard terrible things about some of you. In fact, you are behaving worse than the Gentiles. A man is even sleeping with his own stepmother. You are proud, when you ought to feel bad enough to chase away anyone who acts like that.

I am with you only in my thoughts. But in the name of our Lord Jesus I have already judged this man, as though I were with you in person. So when you meet together and the power of the Lord Jesus is with you, I will be there too.

You must then hand that man over to Satan. His body will be destroyed, but his spirit will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns.

Stop being proud! Don't you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh bread made without yeast, and that is what you are. Our Passover lamb is Christ, who has already been sacrificed. So don't celebrate the festival by being evil and sinful, which is like serving bread made with yeast. Be pure and truthful and celebrate by using bread made without yeast.

In my other letter I told you not to have anything to do with immoral people. But I wasn't talking about the people of this world. You would have to leave this world to get away from everyone who is immoral or greedy or who cheats or worships idols.

I was talking about your own people who are immoral or greedy or worship idols or curse others or get drunk or cheat. Don't even eat with them! Why should I judge outsiders? Aren't we supposed to judge only church members? God judges everyone else.

The Scriptures say, "Chase away any of your own people who are evil." .

As Christians, we must develop the wisdom to exercise sound judgement, learning how to resolve problems and disputes among fellow Christians. This is both to keep the church spiritually healthy, as well as to prepare us for taking up our full responsibilities in the future. 1 Corinthians 6:1-10 NLTWhen one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another — right in front of unbelievers!

Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people — none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God., 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 NIVNow we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else..

We should rebuke someone who sins against us, but also be willing to forgive. Luke 17:1-4 NLTOne day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.

I am warning you! If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him.". Notice that the purpose of the rebuke is not to vent our anger, or to get our own way, but to achieve reconciliation – to win back our brother.

Christians are to live and worship God in a fresh new way as illustrated by the very different lives of John the Baptist and Yeshua. Matthew 9:14-17 NLTOne day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

Jesus responded, "Should the wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Someday he will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved.". Yeshua wants us to learn how to enjoy life to the full. John 10:7-10 CEVJesus said: I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep. Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture.

A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest..

We need to learn to know God better so that we can learn to live the way that he does, relying on God to help us in everything we do. 2 Peter 1:2-11 CEVI pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus.

We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.

But if you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.

My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won't stumble and fall. Then our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will give you a glorious welcome into his kingdom that will last forever..

We should be doing more than just what we have to do, Luke 17:7-10 NLTWhen a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, he doesn't just sit down and eat. He must first prepare his master's meal and serve him his supper before eating his own.

And the servant is not even thanked, because he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, `We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty.' , and we must also be careful not to neglect to do what we know we should. James 4:17 NLTRemember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
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Paul gives a detailed outline of how we must commit ourselves to living as Christians in Romans 12-14, and further stresses the need to be sensitive to the consciences of our Christian brothers and sisters in Romans 14. Pleasing our Father must become the main focus of our lives. He gives another wonderfully clear description of how we must live as Christians in Colossians 3-4.

We must live by faith – trusting God in all things and following him without shrinking back regardless of the problems and hardships we might face. Hebrews 10:38 NLTAnd a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away., Hebrews 11:6 NLTSo, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
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The Power of Prayer

Prayer is a vital part of Christian life. This isn’t recited prayers mumbled over and over again. We are God’s very own children – the younger brothers of Yeshua. We should spend time with our Father every day just as our own children need to spend time with us. Which one of us, as parents, would expect their children to get down on their knees and recite the same prayers over and over whenever they want to spend time with us?

How different it is in real life when your child runs up to greet you, all excited about what has just happened in their life, wanting to show you what they have done, or crying because they have been hurt, or asking for help to do to do something.

Our heavenly Father is the same – we should enthusiastically share our day with him, thanking him for the good things and asking for help with our problems. We should look outside of ourselves and ask him to help others who may be experiencing problems. Discuss the events happening around us that we don’t understand. Ask what we can do to help. Look forward to the time when Yeshua finally returns to fix all of the problems that trouble our world.

When his disciples asked Yeshua about praying he told them not to recite prayers over and over again, and then gave them an outline for what they should include when praying to our Father. Matthew 6:7-15 NLTWhen you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins..

Yeshua meant it when he told his disciples that we must become like children. Matthew 18:1-4 NLTAbout that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.". We live in a world controlled by Satan. It is confusing and dangerous. In such a world Christians are as helpless as little children. However capable we might think we are, we have no real strength at all without God’s help.

Fortunately we have a loving Father who takes great pleasure in us and wants to help. Share everything with him just as a young child wants to share everything with its parents. It doesn’t matter about the time, your location or position. We demonstrate both our love and awe of God by how we live and interact with him.

We have access to amazing power if we believe God will do what we ask, and if are free of sin. Mark 11:22-25 NLTThen Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too., Mark 16:15-20 NLTAnd then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs., Luke 17:5-6 NLTThe apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!, John 14:12-14 NLTI tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!, John 16:23-27 NLTAt that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God., 1 John 5:14-15 NIVThis is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.. But we do need to be persistent in asking. Luke 11:5-13 NIVThen Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”.

Yeshua emphasised many times to his disciples that his Father would answer any requests they made using his name. This promise was made to all men and women who would later come to believe and obey him, including Christians today.

However we cannot pray effectively unless the Holy Spirit is helping us. John 4:23-24 NIVYet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. , Romans 8:26-27 NIVIn the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God..

If we are being led and helped by the Holy Spirit then we can be confident that what we ask for will be in line with God’s will and is not simply to serve our own selfish desires. James 4:1-3 NIVWhat causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures..

Other Special Gifts from Yeshua

Just before he died, Yeshua gave his disciples a very special gift – total peace of mind. John 14:27 NLTI am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid..

At the same time he promised to send the Holy Spirit – the Comforter and source of all truth. John 15:26 NKJVBut when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me., 1 John 2:27 NLTBut you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie. So continue in what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ.. The Holy Spirit will help us to understand how Yeshua and our Father think so that we can learn to become more like them. 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 NLTThat is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets.

No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths.

But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.

We who have the Spirit understand these things, but others can't understand us at all. 6How could they? For,

"Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel?"

But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
. The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in our role as Christians. Romans 8:26-27 NIVIn the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God..

We will experience great joy as Christians through our special relationship with Yeshua and our Father.  John 16:19-24 NLTJesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy., Philippians 4:6-7 NLTDon’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus..

We are also given a variety of special gifts from the Holy Spirit that help us to contribute to God’s church and the work he is doing. We need to realistically understand what these gifts are and enthusiastically use them for the purpose they have been given. Romans 12:3-11 NLTBecause of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically., 1 Peter 4:10-11 NLTGod has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen..

God will also do amazing miracles to demonstrate to new members of his church that the message being taught really is coming from him. Romans 15:18-19 NLTYet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum., Hebrews 2:4 NLTAnd God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose., Act 19:11-12 NLTGod gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled..

As Christians, we have been reunited with our Father in Heaven - the supreme ruler over everything there is. He is training us to develop all the attributes that we will need so that we can receive our full inheritance as spirit-born sons in his Family-Kingdom.

He is intensely interested in how we progress and will provide everything that we need to be successful. We only have to keep doing ‘the hard yards’ – driving ourselves to stay close to him and to keep using the power of his Holy Spirit to overcome every obstacle and to get the work done.

This is the greatest gift that Yeshua gave us. He made it possible for us to be reunited with our heavenly Father – which is the source of every other gift, as it will be forever.

The Unforgivable Sin

All of our sins can be forgiven except for the case of a Christian who, having fully understood and believed God’s message, deliberately chooses to reject it and then returns to his old ways. Hebrews 6:4-8 NLTFor it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come — and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it., Hebrews 10:26-31 NLTDear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said,

“I will take revenge. I will pay them back.”

He also said,

“The Lord will judge his own people.”

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God..

Yeshua described this as blaspheming the Holy Spirit because any Christian that does so is rejecting all the help and understanding that they have received from the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that has made them at one with God the Father and Yeshua the Messiah, and who is their guarantee that they will receive eternal life as part of God's Family. They have cast aside the most precious gift that God can give us.

But this doesn’t necessarily apply to someone who has just become discouraged. James 5:19-20 NLTMy dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins., 1 John 5: 16-18 NLTIf you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. .