The American Wisdom Series 
 http://www.americanwisdomseries.com

Presents 

Revelation 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
 published at http://www.theseason.org/ 

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

 Now here is our revised study of:

I Peter

Chapter 4

"The Saint's New Life [2-6]; View of the End [7-19]."

I Peter 4:1 "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;"

When Jesus Christ was born in the flesh, his flesh body was just as human as your and mine. He grew up with all the fleshly natures that we have, and was tempted of the same things that we are tempted, only Jesus resisted from sinning when the temptations came. Jesus had emotions like any other person in the flesh, and He felt hurt just as you and I would under the same condition.

When the Kenite religious leaders took Jesus after Judas betrayed Him, He felt the same emotional hurt of being betrayed by one of His own, and when they whipped Him with those whips and placed that crown of thorns down over His head, the blood from His precious body flowed down His body. Jesus Christ suffered severely in the flesh when He had committed no sin, and took the punishment that belonged to each and every human being that is filled with sin, and the sin nature.

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth."

Jesus set the example for us to follow. "Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind." The only way to arm yourself is to prepare your mind from the Word of God. When men say and do certain things to you, when are you to keep quiet, and when do you speak out? This is arming yourself to think as Christ thought, and do what He did within our physical capabilities. When you arm yourself, the first thing you do is put on the armor that is required for the battle, and that is the "gospel armor" of Ephesians 6, to prepare yourselves of spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

The battle that we fight against is with Satan and all his realm. We are to do our preparation now, to arm our selves for the battle that is about to come in our generation when Satan will be kicked out of heaven with all his fallen angels, and come to earth to do spiritual battle with the saints. This is called the time of the "great tribulation" or deception more accurately described

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The battle that will be fought then is not with guns and tanks, but with spiritual ideas. The bullets and darts are words, and precepts that come right out of the bible, only they are twisted to make the truth of God's holy Word, half truths, when spoken by Satan, and those that are deceived by him.

Ephesians 6:13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

That "evil day" is the day of the sounding of the sixth trumpet, when Satan and his fallen angels are cast out on the earth. Revelation 12:10; "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." This is from John's vision that was given him by Jesus Christ, when he was brought forward to the time of Jesus Christ's coming at the seventh trumpet. At that time in the future, the casting had already taken place, for Satan and his fallen angels are cast out at the sixth trumpet, and that is when the great deception takes place.

You will either be prepared by this date, or you will not. You will either know the truth of all of God's Word, or you will be deceived, and that is why we must prepare before the battle is to take place. On that date it is too late. The word of God sealed in your mind protects your entire being, for Satan will know your weakness and he will attack where you expect it the least. It may be through your habits, your friends, or even your pastor and the doctrines that he teaches you.

Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with the truth, and having the breastplate, of righteousness;"

Your "girt" is your belt that hold up your pants. Your spiritual belt is the Word of God; all of it, from cover to cover. and just like a belt, it keep you from flying off in many directions. If you know what to expect you will not go straying off into Satan's camp in ignorance.

Our "breastplate of righteousness" is our justification, or authority for everything we say or do. That authority is the Word of God. It will protect you only if you are able to think for yourself, and the wisdom to direct our thinking can only come from God. Today the world is biblically illiterate.

Ephesians 6:15 "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"

There is only one true peace, and that peace comes from Jesus Christ. The "gospel of peace" is the "good news of God's plan of salvation". Your feet are used to walk with and get you where you are going, and your shoes are to protect your feet while you are walking there. As we are moving into the final days of this earth age of the flesh, and the coming of Satan in his role as Antichrist, or "instead of Christ", this is a very important part of your armor.

Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Paul is telling us that this is the most important part of all of our armor, "above all", so pay special attention. When we put on our "shield of faith" we can quench or snuff out all of Satan's fiery darts. There will be absolutely nothing that Satan can send your way mentally if your are sealed with the Word of God in your mind. Remember what God said in Revelation 9:4; "And it was commanded them [Satan and his locust army of fallen angels] that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."

Your mind is in your "forehead", and the "seal" of God is the "Word of God". The battle is a spiritual battle, and the battlefield is in your mind. The tribulation is a tribulation of deception and supernatural wonders and miracles to deceive those that are not aware of what is going to happen from the moment that Satan and his fallen angels come to earth. That is why the preparation must be taken before that date, and it is not very far off.

Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:"

The "helmet of salvation" is to protect the most vulnerable part of our body, your head and therefore our "salvation" had better be sure and secure in your mind. The "sword of the Spirit" is the Word of God, and Revelation 1:16 tells us that this sword is a two edged sword that cuts both ways. That swords cuts right through Satan's lies and deception.

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints,"

We are to make sure that is our Spirit that is guiding our prayers, and not the desires of the flesh. Look out for each other, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Ephesians 6:19 "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,"

The "mystery of the gospel" is that God chose us from before the foundations of this world age. This mystery is given in Ephesians 1:4, and that was the time of Satan's overthrow in the first earth age. Certain ones stood against Satan then, and earned the right to be called the elect. They are the ones that will also stand in this earth age, when Satan returns in his role as the Antichrist. The one thing that they did them, was to speak out boldly against Satan, and they will all do it again very shortly when they are delivered up.

Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost."

Ephesians 6:20 "For which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Paul is speaking and commanding that you and I should speak the truths of God's Word, and that we be direct and forthright. That we speak with boldness and with authority from the Word of God that is firmly fixed in our mind. This is the arming that Peter is speaking of in I Peter 4:1.

I Peter 4:2 "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."

When you put the things of the flesh aside, then you eliminate a lot of the sins that would come your way. The flesh is created by our heavenly Father for His purpose and plan and it is nothing to be ashamed of. We are living in this age of the flesh, and to live in the flesh is reality for us today. We are to live for Christ and have a happy life in what ever we are doing.

I Peter 4:3 "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:"

When we live our lives in the flesh, we will live as the Gentiles do. These things spoken of here are the things of the flesh and cater to our flesh nature. When you live in the flesh, your flesh nature will desire these things, and that is why when we accept Christ and repent of our sins to the Father in Jesus name, we are to put them aside. Then as you study God's Word and mature in the Word, the things of the flesh become less important to you, and as your mind becomes focused on the placement of your gospel armor, those things of the flesh just won't matter to you any more.

Though you may still partake of some of the things of the world, such as a little wine, or some of the fineries of life, the key here is "excess". The excess is what makes it sinful, for it is put in higher place in your life then the things of God.

I Peter 4:4 "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:"

When you stop doing the things that you use to do, then the old friends that did those things with you start to think that your a little strange. Of course, it is human nature to talk about you behind your back, and when you stop doing those riotous things that you use to do, they just don't want to be around you any more. Darkness and the Light just don't mix, when the Light of the Word comes in, the darkness flees from it. This is what happens when you come into the presence of those good old buddies and speak of the things of Christ, they want to get away from you.

I Peter 4:5 "Who shall give account to Him That is ready to judge the quick and the dead."

The "quick" are the living, and the subject is in reference to both the living and the dead. It is important to understand this, or you will not be able to understand the next verses. The living and the dead of the flesh. When the flesh dies, the soul of the living moves into their incorruptible bodies, and goes right on living. If you do not believe this then you are not a Christian, for that is the very foundation and hope that we have in Christ.

This is what Paul's subject was in I Thessalonians 4:13-16, for the question was, where are the dead. What happens to those dear brethren that have died and their flesh bodies have been laid in the grave.

I Thessalonians 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

What Paul is saying, I don't want you to be ignorant like the heathen as to where the dead are.

I Thessalonians 4:14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him."

When those that died in the flesh body are laid in the grave, those that believe in Him are with Him also when they die. Their soul is not laying out there in the grave with that old decaying body, but in heaven with the Lord. Solomon speaks of this in Ecclesiastes 12:7; "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it." The "dust is the decaying flesh body that returns to the elements that it is made of, and the spirit, which is the intellect of the soul, goes instantly to be with the Father in heaven. This is the hope of our salvation.

I Peter 4:6 "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

The "gospel" is the "good news" of salvation that all the people of the Old Testament looked forward to. It is the living power of God that He has given to His children. Those that lived before Christ paid the price were preached to by Christ when his flesh body was in the tomb. Jesus Christ's Spirit went to those in prison, that we studied in I Peter 3:19. What Jesus preached to them was the gospel, the saving loving God that cared for them and gave His Son for them. When they lived in the flesh they had not the opportunity to receive Christ, but in the Spirit they then had the opportunity to live. God is fair to all generation.

God is telling us that they had the same opportunity then, that you now have while living in your flesh body. They did not have the opportunity until Christ, in the Spirit, went to them and preached this gospel of Christ, and gave them the opportunity to accept or reject it. All person that ever lived back to "Noah", which is to say "the beginning" , meaning that all persons born of woman that have lived in the flesh have had the opportunity to accept or reject Christ.

When this age of the flesh is over and Christ returns to set up His kingdom here on earth, there will be no flesh bodies. At that time those people that have lived from the time of Jesus Resurrection to the sounding of the seventh trumpet will be taught the Word of God, and it will be a thousand years of learning and discipline. Many living today are taught the traditions of men, and not the Word of God. They don't stand a chance to face Satan in victory, and will be taken instantly by him at his coming. It is these that shall learn with discipline the ways of God, and be saved by their works at judgment day.

Revelation 20:11 "And I saw a great white throne, and Him That sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

There is no soul in existence anywhere, in any generation, on heaven or earth that shall escape this time of judgment. There is just no place to hide from God.

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

Understand that there are two sets of books kept in heaven, the first set is kept that records all your deeds works and deeds that are done while living in the Millennium age, while the second set "the book of life", is for those that were saved during this flesh age. The only thing recorded in the book of life is the name of the saved, for at Christ's return at the seventh trumpet, all souls are changed instantly from their flesh bodies to their incorruptible bodies that shall not change or age during the thousand year Millennium kingdom. The elect are those that made a stand against Satan the Antichrist, as well as all those of free will that were saved and sealed with the Word of God in their mind [hearts], and it will be a time of their rewards.

During the Millennium age all evil will be removed from the earth, Satan will be in the pit, and his angels and those that would cause evil will be removed. Every soul will be in a incorruptible body that gives them complete understanding, and there will be no ties with the flesh that would cause you to sin in that manner. That is why "the books" were kept in the Millennium age, and all those souls that fell short in this age of the flesh will be judged by their works only. "Salvation by our faith in Jesus Christ" is for this age of the flesh only, for "faith" is believing in something that cannot be seen, and it is accepted and acted upon sight unseen. Jesus Christ will be here on earth and seen of all men in the Millennium and there will be no doubt of who He is, and that His blood was shed for our sins.

Revelaton 20:13 "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

On that judgment day, following the Millennium age and the short season that Satan will be released, every soul that was ever created will stand before the throne of God and give account of themselves according to their works done in the Millennium age. The Saved from this age will be there also, only their judgment will have been rewards given prior to the Millennium age. So we see that the elect were Judged for their stand in the first earth age, but must come through the age of the flesh also. Those people of the free will, that are saved in the flesh age are judged and rewarded at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and Christ's return. At that time they receive their rewards, while those deceived by Satan in this age, and did not have the opportunity to hear the Word of God will be judged by their works done in the Millennium age, when they will have their incorruptible body, and complete understanding. They will be judged only by their works.

If your name is in the "Lamb's book of life" you will enter into the eternal age, with life eternal. If not:

Revelation 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

This second death is the death of your soul. The souls that are destroyed are completely destroyed as even the memory of them will be erased from the memory of their loved ones.

God's Word is so very precious for it shows us that God is fair, and thoughtful of all His children. It doesn't matter where they are, or when they lived, they shall all have the opportunity to hear the Godpel of Christ taught. God loved all His children equally, and it does not matter when they lived. Those that lived prior to Jesus' death are just as important as those that live after Jesus' resurrection. God has a perfect plan of salvation that is fair to everyone.

Our God is a God of the living and not of the dead. Jesus did not go to a hole in the ground to preach to those souls, but He went to that place of holding in paradise to preach to those that did not have the opportunity of hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of God's children are living somewhere, some awaiting their judgment to hell fire, which hasn't happened yet.

The point to remember here is that our Heavenly Father has prepared a vessel to carry is to safety, and that vessel is Jesus Christ. He was in the flesh and the Spirit, He was the only begotten Son of the living God. When Jesus was born in the flesh, He knew how His flesh life would end, and He went to the cross gladly for you and I. Even in the tomb, He went to free many from Satan's grasp. Jesus Christ is our happiness.

I Peter 4:7 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

"Sober" as stated here means that we should be sincere in all that we do. We are not to turn our Christianity into a religion, but make it the reality of our life. We don't practice it, but we live it as a way of life. Christianity is not a religion, it is life. Our heavenly Father watches over us every moment of the day, and when it says, "the end of all things is at hand", remember what Peter wrote in II Peter 3:8; "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." God has plenty of time to carry out His plan, but we are in that day that the Millennium is upon us.

We are living in the generation of the parable of the fig tree, in which all of the prophesies concerning the end times will come to pass. We must be sober and sincere in our watch for those signs so that we will not be deceived in that day of Satan's coming. "Prayer" means to talk to our heavenly Father, and be sincere in our communication with Him.

I Peter 4:8 "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall comer the multitude of sins."

"Charity" is more than just to say you love some one, it is to give of yourself, expecting nothing in return. If you see one to the brethren needs help or building up in his spirits, go and help him with the friendship and love that one brother has for another. Love him and be thankful that you can help him to have a better life in this earth age. Love is the strongest force in the world, and the love you show to others can bring them to Christ. Love will gain you everything.

I Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging."

To "use hospitality" is to be hospitable or helpful. When your neighbor needs a cup of sugar, and you have extra, give it freely to them with a smile. If a person is stranded and needs a ride, be willing to go that extra mile for him or her, when you can. We are to help one another in all areas that we can, when the opportunity allows it, and when we give our help let there be no strings attatched. When you give, give expecting nothing in return. Don't do a good deed and then gripe about it.

I Peter 4:10 "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

God is the one that gave you the gift which allows you to serve and help other, and there are many different gifts. There is a gift of singing, and teaching, as well as the gift of praying and caring for others needs. What ever your gift happens to be, just as God has given you His grace or unmerited favor, so also we are to give of our gifts to others. When God gives a gift it is without repentance, it means that it is without recall. If you have a God given gift, you will have it as long as you breath air. God gives all gifts to be use. To be a good steward means that if God gave you a dollar, then spend it wisely; if He gives you a gift then use it wisely also. We are to "occupy" or work at our gifts while we have them. "Manifold" means to "multiply", God will multiply the the gifts that you use for Him, and the unmerited favor that He has for you.

I Peter 4:11 "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

If any man teaches, let him teach these Scriptures of God. This is the only thing that you are to teach, and not the traditions and doctrines of men. A lot of teachers and preachers think that they can add to the Word of God and make it better, but this is one of the greatest insults that you can do to God. If teaching is your gift, then it must be taught as God's Word tells us to teach, line upon line, and chapter by chapter and with understanding.

Teaching should be done to the ability of understanding that God has given to you. God controls both the gifts that He gives to a person, and the ability that that person has to use it. If you can teach others and touch the minds of people, it is not you that gives the clarity in their minds, but the Holy Spirit of God. This is why God gets all the credit for what ever understanding comes from your gift. When you have a gift and there it is fruitful, don't ever forget to thank God for that gift. Look to the Father, and not to the man that teaches, when giving your thanks and praise. If the man desires the praise for his teaching, then that man is a fraud.

What ever understanding you receive from the Word of God it is placed in your mind by the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is the only one we give our praise to. It is through Christ that all blessings flow, and you will rob yourself of it you get all wrapped up in looking at any man's titles, instead of focusing on the beautiful Word of God.

I Peter 4:12 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"

This "fiery trial" is not the fiery trial of hell fire, but is is the shining glory of God when He is trying to get you in gear to use those gifts that He has given to you. When God places His Word in your mind, and gives you the understanding of how it is to be use, and then He gives you the command to use it, He expects it to be done. He doesn't want you to take the things that He has opened to you, and use it to head off into some strange direction. The moment that you start looking at a man, instead of looking for that gift from God, you are going to enter into a firey trial. When you turn to man, the blessings of God will be sucked right out of your life. That is when people turn to gossip, bickering and all sorts of filthy games that man likes to play.

When God gives you a gift, use it and give God the glory and praise for your use of it. Don't worship the gift, worship the one that gave the gift. You don't have to ask someone whether they have the ability to preach or teach the Word of God, for if they have the gift, [the words that they say,] the Holy Spirit will reveal it in your mind. All the glory that comes from God is given to Jesus Christ for He is the only one deserving our praise.

Revelation 4:11 "Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

I Peter 4:13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

In other words, if the world hates you, and makes fun of everything that Christianity stands for, don't worry about it, they hated Christ also. When you go out and tell people of the love of God, and the saving power of Jesus Christ and they won't listen to you, don't worry about it, they scorned Jesus also. Do you think that you are better then He? We are to humbly serve Him, and those that are open to the Holy Spirit will listen to you. Though there is a few hard times here and now, when the time that Jesus Christ reveals Himself to us at His coming, all things will be made right.

If you plant a seed and that seed did not grow, then be mature in the Word enough to know that that is the way that our heavenly Father wanted it to be. Don't take it as a personal disappointment. There is nothing disappointing about the work of our heavenly Father. We are to be His good and faithful steward in all that we do, and that is all that He expects of us. Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, and to be partakers of Christ's sufferings means that when we sin, we repent to the Father in His name. We partake of His sufferings when we tell other of Christ, and live the life that He has taught us to live. Then when people poke fun of you because of your living for Christ, rejoice in their ignorance and the flak they put you through for the time is coming when even they will know the truth.

I Peter 4:14 "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified."

You know that you are doing some good, when the world resents what you are doing for the sake of Christ. Even while the people of this world are taking against you, the Spirit of the Living God is upon you. When they, through their traditions speak evil or against the Word of God, the things that they say make void the Word of God through those traditions. However we are to stick to God's way, exactly as it is written in His Word, line by line, chapter by chapter and God will be glorified in us.

I Peter 4:15 "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters."

God is telling you to protect your credibility. If you are thrown in prison, let it be for the sake of the gospel, and not for the sack of those things that are evil. The "busybody in other men's matters", are the ones that goes all over town picking up and spreading the gossip of the town. God is telling you "don't do it", for it takes your credibility from you. If you fall in what you do, repent and get up and just keep on going. God's gift that He gave you is without repentance, and it will be there even after you fall. That is why you get right with God and get back on the course that is set for you.

I Peter 4:16 "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

"A Christian" is one that believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and by faith has repented of their sins to the Father in Jesus name. God has given your soul a new life, an eternal life, and in Christ is our glory. The only glory we have is in Christ, and that is why He is the only one that we praise eternal gift we have. He deserves it and we don't and we don't. If God had not given us every thing and gift that we have, we could not do anything on our own.

God took an old fisherman and pulled him away from his nets, and gave him a gift. That man's name was Peter, and we are reading his works right here in this book. What gifts do you think he had as a fisherman to lead us spiritually? None, but when he became filled with the Spirit of God, and with the knowledge that Christ had taught him, he became a powerhouse for God. Peter's credentials are his ability to do the task that God gave him.

I Peter 4:17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

Judgment is coming to all of the house of God, and to those that have faithfully served the Lord Jesus Christ, "judgment" means rewards and inheritance". Are you aware of the great rewards await you if you have withstood the fiery trial of this age of the flesh? Friend, it is payday for all those things that you have done, the smile that you gave and the seeds that you have planted in this age of the flesh, and you will be well rewarded. If you have amassed a great sum of righteous acts and deeds, then you have a great pay day coming. It is a real pleasure to say that judgment begins at the pulpit, at the place where the Word of God is taught.

I Peter 4:18 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Of course their appearance will be at the judgment seat of God, where they will be judged for their sins.

I Peter 4:19 "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

Your soul and Spirit is the only part of you that is eternal. When you take Jesus Christ by faith, and repent of your sins, you are committing your soul into our faithful Creator's hands for safe keeping. This is saying that our soul is the child of the One that Created every thing that exists in heaven and on earth. He is your Father and He has His eye on you. Why would we worship any man or object that He created, when we have the real thing to worship, that can and will return the love that we give to Him. He is the one that gives us all the gifts and blessings that we receive, and those gifts are not ours but His, and we are to use them according to His Will.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.  We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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