Scripture Challenge for 6-17-18

Answer:

This comes from 1 Peter.

__:__Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

__:__To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

I am sure at some point in your life you have probably heard someone say something like Jesus was a great teacher and He showed people how to live, and that is as far as they take it never proclaiming the whole truth. Jesus was not just a mere man coming to teach, He was God coming and teaching while here on this earth dwelling as a man. But,that is not all. He came with a specific reason and that was to be a sacrifice to pay for our sin debt and redeem all that will accept Him. He conquered death and won the victory for us who have truly accepted Jesus into our hearts. He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and when He raised from the dead He had a physical body (read Luke 24:36-44). Our hope is not a maybe so kind of hope, it is non-perishable, and kept in heaven where moths and rust do not corrupt. Our hope is based upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. People that only see Jesus as a great teacher miss something very important and do not have a personal relationship with Him, nor do they have any assurance of salvation or any hope. Put your trust in Jesus to pay your debt and yield your life to Him if you have not already; before it is to late! 

Scripture Challenge for 6-10-18

Answer: Acts 19:13

This comes from Acts:

__:__Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

*If you read the passages that come after this verse it becomes evident that this is the product of playing religion. In verse 15 of this same chapter we find that the evil spirit that was in the man that these Jews were trying to drive out said to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”. This is evidence that these men did not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus; they did not truly believe into Jesus. They were going about trying to invoke the power of Jesus, but notice that our verse says: “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.”. Paul preached the name of Jesus and drove out demons, but he never mentioned any other name. The reason was that Paul had a personal relationship with Jesus and Paul had believed and trusted in Jesus and there was no other name to mention and no other name above Jesus. The Spirit of God was dwelling inside Paul and He will indwell anyone that will surrender to Jesus. As for these men we read in verse 16 what happened to them: “And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”. Before anyone goes out to work for God, they had better be sure of their eternal state; that they have truly believed into the Lord Jesus and trusted Him for their salvation, they have a “personal relationship” with Him. The only way that we can ever do any work that is meaningful in this world, is if we do the work by the Spirit of God who indwells every true believer.