Bible School, lesson 1 - Why did Jesus come to earth?

1. God created men

Genesis 1 27:28 

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

 1.1 Men were created in the Image of God. God is a Spirit

2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

1 Cor 15:45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[f]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

A person is a spirit, living in a body and having a soul. Man is an eternal creation.

  1.2 God created man with a good nature, saint

Genesis 1:31  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. 

  1.3 God set man as master over all of God's creatures

Psalm 8:6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:  all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

 1.4 God gave purpose to man

Genesis 1:27-28

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Subdue it, the wise guidance and order that God has given us.

Rule over - as God dominates everywhere, so he entrusted man to rule on earth, because in man - there is a God’s nature.

Isaiah 43:20-21 The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

2. The fall of man (lapse from virtue/thrushing)

Adam voluntarily refused the life of God - believing the devil

Hebrews 11:1, 6 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Through the disobedience of man came spiritual death and separation from God.

Genesis 3:1-6

The Fall

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned

Romans 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

When man obeyed the devil, then power and dominion passed from men to the devil.

2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.

Exodus 20:7 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Through deception, he began to blind people and the evil on earth multiplied.

3. REDEMPTION means to redeem those who are enslaved, i.e. make them free

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

1 John 3:8  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

Colossians 1:19-22

 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

To make us holy and innocent and blameless in front of God.

In the old covenant, the burnt offerings could only cover sin.

If a person is not born again, he will remain under the authority of Satan and will not see the kingdom of God.

Everyone has the right to choose - to choose life or death and destruction.

The choice of life was made possible by the fact that Jesus paid the price for us, and led us to the opportunity to communicate with God through his death and to salvation alongside God.

********

Home Church & Bible Study

Every Friday, 16:00

Bible School, lesson 2 - Prayer

Prayer is fellowship, conversation with God, believing that He hears us through Jesus Christ’s intercession. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man, and only through Him can one come to the Lord in prayer

1 Tim 2:5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

Luke 18: 1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

1 Thesalon 5: 17 Never stop praying.

God expects us to pray always, in all circumstances.

There are various types of prayers.

1 Petition for our needs - we ask God to fulfill our needs by believing that He hears and will give us what we asked for

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

We must ask the Father in the name of Jesus, God is always ready to answer our prayers.

(John 16: 23-24) 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 15:17 These things I command you, love each other.

2 Prayer of Consent (accordance)

God promises to answer such a prayer when two or three agree to ask Him something in the Name of Jesus.

Matt 18-19 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

3 Intercessory prayer is prayer when a person prays for someone else.

It may last a long time.

3.1 We can pray as intercessors for countries:

1 Tim 2: 1-4 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior,

3.2 For spiritual leaders: Apostle Paul asks the Romans to pray for him to God. In Hebrews 13:18 Paul also says

Hebrews 13:18: Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honourably in everything we do.

3.3 For all believers

1 Thessalonians 1:1-2 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give you grace and peace.2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.

Ephesians 1: 16-23 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Ephesians 3: 14-20 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Collosians 1: 9-10 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

3.4 Intercessory prayer during which you can pray in the Spirit (in tongues).

Romans 8: 26-27 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

1 Samuel 1:27-28 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

Daniel 10: 12-14 12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince  of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” But he said to me: “Do not be afraid, Daniel; from the first day, how you set your heart to reach understanding and to humble you before your God, your words would be heard, and I would have come according to your words.13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me twenty-one days; but behold, Michael, one of the first princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Bible School, lesson 3 – What does it means to be a Christian?

To become a Christian is not to perform a ceremony — but to be like Jesus to Christ (Christ-like), that is, to have such a life, a look, and aspirations like Jesus Christ.

The first thing that is needed is repentance.

1 Repentance is a change in thinking, the formation of a new mindset, view, the realization that a person by default is not acceptable to the Holy God, regret for his sins and leaving own’s sins through Jesus Christ. When Isaiah saw the Lord, then he noticed his sinfulness. He regrets for his sins:

Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Like Isaiah, one should be conscious of his sinfulness and regret sins. Regret does not take away sin by itself - God produces this regret in order to bring him to repentance.

Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

When a person repents of his sins, there is a great joy in heaven - this joy is the joy of the appearance of the newborn in God's family, who came out from under the power of satan.

(Luke 15:7-10) 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

God does not want the sinners to die, He wants people to live, and He gave the opportunity to repent. When a person repents, God gives him a new nature.

(Ezekiel 18:30-32) “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

2 Faith In order not to perish one must believe in Jesus Christ.

(Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

(Hebrews 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

Faith in Jesus Christ (not in confession and not in church) - faith in a person – Jesus Christ; necessary for salvation.

(John 3:15-16) that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(John 1:1-5, 11) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him

A person is not saved because of his deeds, but by the grace of God.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  

In order to be saved by the grace of God, you must believe in Christ Jesus - and remember and understand his sacrifice. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and shed his blood and died for us.

Repentance has 2 steps:  1)Have faith in the heart 2)Confess with your mouth

(Romans 10:9-10) If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

A person does not need to confess all his sins that he had before repentance. But you need to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and accept him as your personal saviour. It is also necessary to believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and begin to live by this word, because with the heart they believe unto righteousness, and with their mouth they confess unto salvation.

(2 Tim 3:16-17) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

(Psalm 15) 1Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.

4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

Repentance means to entrust your life to God and promise to serve Him.  It is enough to come to God with repentance:

Father, I come to you in the Name of Jesus. I thank you for Jesus Christ, who died for my sins and shed His Blood for my iniquities. Lord, I apologize for all my sins, and for not knowing You. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that He rose from the dead for my justification, I confess Him as my Lord and Savior. Lord Jesus, come into my heart and live in me, thank you Father, that now I am saved. I am now Your child, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

3 Water baptism is a necessary part of repentance, it matters only for believers, for those who have already accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Water Baptism is physical act expressing spiritual truth, namely the participation by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Baptism == Immersion)

Mat 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Water baptism is a public, public testimony of dedication to Christ, the rejection of sinful life. The man proclaims then: It is no longer I, it is Christ who lives in me. I live by faith in the Son of God

Water baptism doesnt save us, but its symbolic, like a ring during a marriage.

4 Blood of Jesus Christ Hebrews 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The Bible teaches that without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, therefore Jesus Himself shed Blood for us to cleanse us to serve the Living God.

Hebrews 9:12-14 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!

Without faith in the action of the blood of Jesus Christ there can be no salvation. The New Testament, whose intercessor is Jesus Christ, and which speaks of our redemption, is affirmed by the Blood of Jesus Christ — this is a covenant for the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:20-21 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.

Hebrews 9:24-28 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The blood of Jesus Christ is the high price that we have been redeemed by.

1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Leviticus17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life

Romans 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.

The blood of Jesus Christ brings us closer to God.

Ephesians 2:13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!

We can daily feel the action of the Blood of Jesus, in protecting us and protecting our lives, because the Blood of Jesus Christ is the price by which God redeemed us.

Bible School, lesson 4 – What do we have in being born again?

1 Cor 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.

2 Cor 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

1 New creation 

When a person repents, he gets eternal life, while being still here on earth, man already has eternal life, from God, and will always have it.

A newborn from God is a new creation, which previously did not exist in his inner man, in his spirit.

This new creation has new abilities and capabilities in God.

A person born again can:

- communicate with God;

- hear God;

- move with God;

- to fulfill God's instructions;

Eph 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

Regardless of appearance, life benefits and circumstances - a born-again person is valuable to God, and has the ability to do everything expected of him by God - because the Lord himself strengthens him and gives him his ability

Phil 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

2 Child of God

A newborn person who has just repented in the eyes of God is seen as a child. God treats him like a Father would treat his newborn child. The acceptance of Jesus Christ and the Word of God are the conditions for becoming a child of God.

1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

When a person repents before God, he has the same rights that the son has before the Father, as well as obligations. The Spirit of God testifies and helps us to affirm that we are the children of God.

As children of God, we have the right to inherit everything that God promises to his children.

This means that all the promises of which the Bible speaks concern us as well. All that Jesus has and we also have – because we are joint heirs to him.

Romans 8:13-23 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Having reconciled with God through Jesus Christ we become related to our God - we are not strangers anymore to him but fellow citizens in his kingdom.

Ephesians 2:19-22 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

This position gives us peace in the mind and in the soul, as well as confidence before God.

3 Righteousness

Jesus Christ has become for us righteousness - this means that having Christ we have righteousness within ourselves and stand correctly before God.

1 Cor 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Righteousness is not a human achievement, but it is a gift from God that we receive from the Lord when we accept Jesus Christ and receive cleansing in His Blood.

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

1 Cor 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

All believers who accept Jesus are righteous. Therefore, every time you come to God, be sure that in His eyes you are standing right before him, God sees you righteous because of His Son Jesus.

4 Healing

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus not only redeemed us from sin, but He redeemed us from physical diseases and from everything that belongs to the kingdom of the devil. The Bible says that the Lord delivered us from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of His Beloved Son.

Col 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Bible also teaches that with his suffering and death Jesus Christ took upon himself our infirmities, illnesses and afflictions. Hence, on the basis of this, we can receive healing for our physical body.

Mat 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:“He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Isaiah 53:4-12 Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

11 After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];

by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

On the body of Jesus there were many wounds (he was beaten, there was a crown of thorns on his head, his hands and feet were pierced with nails), and these wounds were healed. Healing is an accomplished fact that Jesus already took upon ourselves our sins and also took our sicknesses.

1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

It is only necessary to stand on these words and ask God for healing in disagreement with illness, with sensations and circumstances.

Healing will come if you ask in faith!

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

5 Authority of the believer

The Bible says that we are believers all overcome by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ - we are more than conquerors

Romans 8:36-37 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

This suggests that Christians have the power that can be used to overcome problems and obstacles.

The Bible teaches that when Jesus rose from the dead, then along with him the Lord raised up and believers and put them in heaven in Christ Jesus

Eph 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Now we are with Christ in a position of authority, superior to the authorities, authorities, and evil spirits of the heavens. The Bible says that God delivered us from the power of darkness

Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

Therefore, the devil can no longer dominion over us, and we have the right to refuse and we also have the ability to defeat the devil’s influence with our faith.

1 John 5:4-5 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Therefore, in any situation, based on the word of God, we can repel all the attacks of the devil, as well as attack the whole devilish force in any form in any quantity, cast out demons and at the same time do not fear any evil.

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you

Jesus also gave us the power to repel the ills of others, i.e. heal in jesus name

Matthew 10:7-8 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Mark 16:15-20 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

We have freedom from the influence of magic and witchcraft, magic, occultism, and so on. We should not turn to the people involved in these things, for the source of their influence and power is from the devil.

Believers are freed from the influence of all the devil, they can safely use their power and command the name of Jesus with faith in order to destroy the devilish deeds and schemes.

A. Word of God

1 Living by the Word The Word of God is the will of God, recorded by Himself. God's Word and God are one. The Lord expresses Himself through His Word.

 John 1:1-14 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word of God has the life of God. It is capable of creating new things.

1 John 9:5-7 5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beares witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

 Hebrews 4:12-13 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Salvation can only be received by faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God. When we accept the Word, we receive salvation.

 Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Therefore, it is important to hear the Word of God, to read the Bible.

TODO (Homework): Install YouVersion bible for Android or iOS smartphone and subscribe to a Bible reading plan. Also go to your profile -> friends, find Slava Sveatoslav and add me to friends J

God said one day to Joshua: Joshua 1:8  Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. This means that there will be no success until a person begins to dwell in the Word of God.

Whatever we do, everything must be according to God's Word, i.e. we need to fulfill and represent the Word in our works.

 2 Sanctification is separation from everything devilish and worldly. To be sanctified is to set yourself apart for God, God is Holy and expects His children to be holy also.

TODO: listen to Holiness recording (Homework, to be provided in our WhatsApp or Telegram groups)

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Leviticus 20:26 You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.

People alone cannot reach God's standard of holiness. But God gave the Word and through Him gave birth to us (elected) so that we would be holy and blameless

Ephesians 1:4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

As the Word of God works in a person’s life, the person is sanctified, separated from the world. When we act on the Word of God, it helps us to achieve God's standard of holiness. An example of holiness for us is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His life on this earth.

1 Peter 1:15-16 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

We are believers, are God's chosen ones for special, for His special purposes.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[g] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Hebrews 12:10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

Our work is a continuation of Jesus’s ministry on earth The Bible says in 1 John 2:6 that when we are with Jesus and we know Him, we should act as He did.

1 John 2:6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

We need to put on the new man (born of God) in order to fulfill the commandments of God

Ephesians 4:24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Then God can make us a holy vessel that is ready to live with God.

When a person becomes a believer, the norms of his life should coincide with God's standards. This means that you need to avoid bad old habits that can give the devil a place in a person’s life and hinder his spiritual growth and life in God

Ephesians 5:1-9 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Mark 7:20-23 20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Acts 15:20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.

3 We need to do the following:

Ephesians 4:21-32 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you

3.1 Testimony about Jesus A Christian is called not only to be saved and to be holy, but also to preach and spread the Word of God, to testify about Jesus Christ

The Bible speaks in Matthew 10:7: Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Since God's life is in the Word of God, when people hear it from us, they become free. God gave us the power to testify. The Bible speak in Acts:

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

3.2 Occult, witchcraft, magic, idols

When preaching to people, we should also help them free themselves from various oppressions and slaveries, such as illness, drug addiction, drinking, smoking, and so on. For this we have been given the power that we can use in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:15-20 15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 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.”19 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. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. Amen!

Isaiah 44:9-20 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” 18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Being an instrument of God to spread His kingdom on earth is a great privilege. Every Christian needs to enjoy this privilege in collaboration with God. We should not be ashamed to preach to other people about Jesus, because God's power is in them for their salvation.

Romans says:

Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile

Jesus said: Matthew 28:18-20 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 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.”

B. Holy Spirit

Any believer has the right to receive the Holy Spirit, for an effective spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is a divine Person who can communicate and actually manifest itself. Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Triune Godhead, He has the will, the intellect and the feelings, He is eternal. He can be grieved or extinguished; we need the Holy Spirit.

 In the Bible, He is called by different names:

- Spirit of God

Mathew 3:16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened[g] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.

- Comforter

John 14:16-26 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[e] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[f] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

- Spirit of Truth John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

- Living Water Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

John 7:37-39 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[e] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[f] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

In these names His modes of action and the characteristic features of His personality are degenerated.

It is the Holy Spirit that makes all God's promises real. He brings God's life into man. He is the source of strength for service.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

 Filling up with the Holy Spirit

God wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the power to walk like Jesus Christ, and also that we have the power to help other people. The Holy Spirit is the source of strength for believers.

Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Ghost. The apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and lived filled with the Holy Spirit. We believers also need baptism, and the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the One who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist spoke of Jesus:

John 1:32-33 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ commanded the disciples to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4-5 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The disciples awaited the fulfillment of this fellowship, and everyone received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in tongues, which the Holy Spirit gave

Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Baptism of the Holy Ghost

This phenomenon of the baptism of the Holy Spirit repeated many more times in the lives of the disciples. who turned after the ascension of Jesus.

Acts 10:42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.

Apostle Peter explained that the Holy Spirit is a gift and that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not only for the apostles, but for all who accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, by faith we can ask God for the Gift of the Holy Spirit and receive it.Speaking in tongues is a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit.

Tongues are useful:

For edification

1 Corinthians 14:2-4 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

As prophecy edifies many, speaking in tongues edifies, strengthens, and builds the speaker.

For the edification of faith

Apostle Jude says that a person can build and strengthen his faith by praying in the tongues of the Spirit

Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

In Prayer and Glorification of God

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.

Apostle Paul praised the fact that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else:

1 Corinthians 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

Other Languages are a necessary part of a believer’s life.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Bible teaches spiritual gifts that gifts are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all.

Gifts are different - they serve the Lord Jesus, bring glory to God, and manifest themselves through believers.

The essence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is as follows:

1 Corinthians 12:7-10 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are governed by the Holy Spirit. They must be used with the right motives to bring glory to God. Believers need to strive to have gifts and jealousy about them.

1 Corinthians 12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.   

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

Practical exercise: Pray for receiving the gift of speaking in tongues (Homework, will add the link to our WhatsApp or Telegram groups)

1 Without fatherhood there is no blessing

God was referred to as "our Father" 13 times in the Old Testament. Jesus frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God.

Malachi 4:6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Parable of prodigal son. Luke 15:11–32

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Old testament mentors and fatherhood examples:

• Moses and Joshua

• Elijah and Elishah

• others, examples?

Three things which are accumulated in the spirit:

1. The blessing

2. The anointing

3. The faith

Holy Spirit brings the revelation of the Father.

Romans 8:15  So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i] 1

Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father,”[g] he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Galatians 4:6 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.”

The fatherhood of God brings affirmation and validation.

2 God our father in heaven is the perfect example of what a father should be. 

Strong, courageous, compassionate and even-tempered.  We would do well to follow His example in all that we do.

1 Corinthians 16:13  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Deuteronomy 1:29-31  Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.

Psalm 103:13  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Proverbs 17:27  The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

3 Children, Listen To Your Fathers

As a child it can be hard at times to listen to, and honor your father.  But if your father is following a Godly example it's important to heed what he has to say.  God has made him your father for a reason, and you will be blessed for honoring him.

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Proverbs 23:22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Luke 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’

Proverbs 4:1-4  Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.  I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.  For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother.  Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.

Proverbs 23:24  The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

Proverbs 20:7  The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

4 Jesus Christ and God the Father are one

In John 10 Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd and, in a debate with the Jewish leaders, makes the claim, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). It was a bold statement—one His audience found quite audacious—and it reveals much about who Jesus is.

Five key observations can be made concerning this passage.

First, Jesus claimed to be one with God in the sense of being equal to Him. Jesus did not claim to be merely a messenger or prophet of God, but of equal power with God.

Second, His audience understood that Jesus was claiming equality with God the Father. In verse 31, “The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.” Why? Blasphemy was a crime punishable by death according to the Jewish Law. When Jesus asked why they were planning to kill Him, they answered, “For blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:33). If Jesus had been lying or deceived, His statement would have been blasphemous. In fact, the only way His words were not blasphemy is if Jesus was telling the truth about His equality with God.

Third, Jesus referred to Himself as God’s Son and to God as His Father. He used Psalm 82:6 to show that the Messiah has the right to claim the title “Son of God.”

John 10:36–37 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.

Psalm 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Fourth, Jesus claimed that that Father sent Him: “the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world” (John 10:36). In this statement, Jesus claimed preexistence in the Father’s presence. No biblical prophet had ever made such a claim before; yet Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham (John 8:58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am![k]”)

Fifth, Jesus only stated that the Jews did not believe Him; He never said they misunderstood His claim to be God. John 10:38 notes, “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Jesus was not correcting a misunderstanding. They understood what He said perfectly. He was correcting their willful rejection of Him.

Colossians 1:16–17 affirms Jesus’ same teaching: “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” John 1:1 explicitly notes that Jesus was both with God in the beginning and was God.

In summary, Jesus claimed to be one with the Father as part of a larger argument to note that He had existed from eternity past, lived in perfect oneness with the Father, held the same power as God, and was sent by God the Father’s authority. Unfortunately, He was rejected as divine by the Jewish leaders. Jesus’ claim to have equal power as the Father was not blasphemy. It was the plain truth.

The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that, if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.).  A created being, which Jesus would be if He were not God, could not pay the infinite penalty required for sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.), die, and be resurrected, proving His victory over sin and death.

5 Role of the father in the family

A father's role in the family is a pivotal one.  He is called upon to be a leader and protector for the family, and to give an example of Christ's love by being loving towards the children's mother. He is also to be strong in the faith, and to bring the children up knowing right from wrong.

Ephesians 5:25-37  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Genesis 18:19  For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

Psalm 128:3-4  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.

1 Timothy 3:2-5  Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

6 Fathers Give Direction And Discipline To Their Children

A father is implored to bring their children up in the ways of the Lord, to discipline them and to encourage, comfort and instruct them.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Proverbs 22:6  Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

1 Chronicles 29:17  I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

Proverbs 3:11-12  My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Ephesians 6:11-18  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Joshua 24:15  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12  For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,  encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Colossians 3:21  Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

7 God, The Most Loving Father

While I can do my best to live out God's example as a father, I'm still an imperfect vessel.  Only God Himself can truly be the perfect example of a father. A father that's loving, compassionate, caring and forgiving. I'm so glad that I can call Him father.

Even if you don't have a relationship with your earthly father, you can have one with your heavenly father.  If you repent and confess your sins  and put your trust in Him, you can be born again and inherit eternal life (John 3:16).

He loves you, and wants to have a relationship with you. He'll be the most loving and caring father you could hope for.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Rom 10:9-13

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

In Genesis, God planted the The tree of life in the Garden of Eden to save mankind, who were to die by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It is the tree of life, if we eat it, we will live forever (Genesis 3:22)

Today is the Passover. We are given back the fruit of the tree of life that we had lost.

The Passover is the feast of life, which contains God's mystery.

1 Covenants between God and men

1.1 Adamic Covenant

The covenant God made with Adam and Eve. Sometimes referred to as to the theological covenant of works. (Genesis 1-6 chapters).

1.2 Noahic Covenant

God sparing Noah’s Family from the flood. This covenant was God’s promise to Noah to never again destroy the world with a flood, but by Fire - next time.

Genesis 6:18 But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

God gave the rainbow as a sign.

Genesis 9:1-5

9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. 3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. 4 Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. 7 “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” 8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

1.3 Abrahamic Covenant

God promised a land filled with Milk & Honey to the descendants of Abraham. It was not universal, but specifically to the descendants of Abraham

Genesis 15:18-21

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your [t]descendants I have given this land,

From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

1.4 Mosaic Covenant

A Covenant established in Exodus 19 through 24, contingent on his people - the Israelites, obeying his voice and commandments.It is in this Covenant God gives Moses and his people the 10 commandments.

The Origin of the Passover

The Israelites were once enslaved in Egypt. For 430 years, they cried out to God asking Him for freedom. In 1498 BC, God answered their prayers by sending His prophet, Moses, to free the Israelites from Pharaoh. When Pharaoh refused, God sent plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts and darkness. Before sending the tenth and final plague to kill firstborn males of men and animals, God commanded Moses and the Israelites to celebrate the Passover to protect them.

The Lord said to Moses… “Tell the whole community of Israel… to take a lamb for his family, one for each household… Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs… Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover… The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Exodus 12:4-13 Now if the household is too small for a [e]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [f]number of persons in them; according to [g]what each man should eat, you are to [h]divide the lamb. 5 Your [i]lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 [j]You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it [k]at twilight. 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [l]of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread [m]and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you [n]live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you [o]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt

1.5 Davidic Covenant

This Covenant slightly overlaps with Christianity, in that God made an everlasting promise that the King of Israel will always and forever be a descendant of King David. Which is claimed by both Christianity and Jesus

2 Samuel 7:8-17

8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the [b]wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your [c]descendant after you, who will come forth from [d]you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before [e]Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

1.6 The New Covenant of Grace

This Covenant is the basis for Christianity, established by Christ Jesus, brought forth the New Testament. Established by the spilling of His blood, death and resurrection. This is considered the New Covenant with the previous four, consider collectively the old covenant.

(Old testament prophecies about the New Covenant)