Are You Ready For the Return of Jesus Christ?
By Joe Holmes

This article is copyrighted by author with all rights inferred. It may be freely distributed to friends and family provided it is not altered and remains in its original PDF format.

Preface

A story goes that once a Sunday school teacher of young people told them that it was anatomically impossible for a whale to swallow a man therefore the Bible story of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish could not be true. One young student replied, “When I get to heaven I’ll ask Jonah if it is true.” The teacher said, “I don’t think Jonah will be in heaven.” The student said, “Then you ask him.” Biblical stories such as the story of Jonah
contain important messages that can only be discerned with ones heart and spirit. When we demand detailed logic and scientific proof we destroy our ability to benefit spiritually from Bible stories.

Many think they must become Biblical scholars and spend much time arguing insignificant topics such as whether the pearly gates swing in or out. This book’s message is not intended to provide detailed proof of its topics rather to reach to ones heart and spirit. It is based on the need to do what will prepare your heart and spirit so that you can get to the pearly gates. There are hundreds of books that contain detailed facts and when appropriate such books may be referenced. It is the purpose of this book to motivate a change in your heart and spirit, to draw you closer to Jesus Christ and to prepare you to greet him when he comes to earth again.

Another illustration is the story of two men who died and were waiting to be interviewed to determine their heavenly fate. The first man entered the interview room and the interviewer asked him to tell him all he knew about Jesus Christ. The man elaborately described all he knew about Christ and was admitted to his heavenly state. The second man was asked the same question and as he pondered the question and looked into the eyes of the interviewer he fell to his knees and exclaimed, “Oh My God, my King” and wept on the feet of the Savior. The first man was so engrossed in the facts that he lacked the ability to feel the Spirit of Christ and was denied the privilege of recognizing and worshiping the Savior in all His Glory. Although this story is an allegory it conveys the topic of this book. It illustrates that if one does not culture the ability to feel the light of Christ within ones own heart and spirit they may not recognize Christ when he comes. It is my hope that this book in some small part may motivate you to listen to your heart and spirit like the second man.

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter One………………………………………..The Eternal Plan Chapter Two………………………………………..Counterfeit Success Chapter Three………………………………………Our works will judge us
Chapter Four………………………………………..The Light of Jesus purifies our heart

Chapter Five……………………………………….. What we must do to get the light of
Jesus

Chapter Six…………………………………………Communication with God

Chapter Seven………………………………………Trust

Chapter One: “The Eternal Plan”

There are two great miracles of life, birth and death. It has been said that when we are born we cry and everyone else smiles. When we die we smile and everyone else cries. Philosophers for thousands of years have speculated on the meaning of life, its origins and end. Jesus spoke of the folly of building treasures in life in Luke 12:19 referring to the phrase eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

There is more to life than this life alone. Most religions believe in some kind of life after death while few believe in an existence before birth. Consider the physics of a simple rock. It is an innate solid object yet we know it contains moving particles of atoms and molecules with an energy source. They are moving at tremendous speeds and are in constant motion. Yet from our natural eyes a rock is a solid and can only be changed by extreme heat or physical impact such as crushing or erosion. When did the rock get its energy? Science proves its energy is eternal, that it never can be destroyed. Its energy may become fire such as coal, or ground into sand and each either contains the same atoms or changes from one atom configuration to another. The energy force within a simple rock never dies. Space exploration and science continue to find energy that predates our earth and our solar system. Scientist agrees that energy is eternal, so why not our spirit as well? Are we not more complex than a rock and every particle of our body also has energy? Is it so difficult to accept that our istence indeed is eternal?

No depression or failure equals the feelings of being stymied. When we loose the means to be creative or to progress we become depressed. Water is a good example of the difference between progression and inactivity. It has been claimed that a mountain stream can purify its self in just a few feet of aggressive travel over sand and rocks. In contrast a body of water that has no movement becomes stagnant and putrid. So it is in our earth existence. If we have no belief in a past existence or hope of a future beyond death what is the use of life? This attitude is demonstrated in the phrase eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Nothing can destroy man’s desire to progress more than believing he cannot progress or that he just sprouted from nothing.

In contrast if man believes he came from a pre existent heavenly state it can change his whole outlook and purpose of life. It is no wonder those who question God with statements such as if there was a God He would not let bad things happen to us. Consider what would happen if parents could prevent any evil or harm happening to their child. If that child grew from an infant to adult and never experienced a disappointment or failure what kind of an adult would they be? As an adult how would they respond to life’s challenges? If you were an employer would you want to hire such a person? Would you wantto marry someone who had never lost a game, never flunked a test or never knew what it was like to have to work

If we did come from a past existence with God to earth what would be the purpose? Why would God send us to an earth experience with so much death, pain and sorrow? In Genesis God tells us why. The book of Genesis contains many important clues and information we need to be able to cope in this life. There is a God and he is the creator of all the world and the heavens Gave Adam dominion (responsibility and authority) of all the earth Created Man and Woman in the image of God. God is not a fly or a blob but a personage with arms, legs and a body like man’s.
God commanded Adam with Eve to be one flesh and to multiply. Lucifer tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.
o He deceived Eve with partial truth that sounded good and was
desirable.
o He revealed his method of operation, to sugar coat a lie with multiple truths.
o The eyes of Adam and Eve became opened. (They changed from innocent children to understand right from wrong with accountability and the ability to reason and think)
o Adam and Eve became ashamed to talk to God because of their sin.
God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden because they had become as one of us (like God) knowing good and evil.
o Gave Eve (all mankind) the tool of enmity to defend against
Satan. (Enmity means to treat someone as an enemy.)
o Eve to bear children in pain and sorrow.
o Adam to rule over Eve
o The land cursed with thorns and thistles
o Man to work for substance by sweat (hard work not easy)

I have listed only the more important highlights of the creation. Other things are obvious that are not specifically written in Genesis. It is evident from the story of Cain and Able that at some point God taught Adam about the law of sacrifice. This law was a commandment from God symbolizing the future life and sacrifice to be made by Jesus Christ to redeem the fall of Adam so man could enter Eternal Life. Christ was anointed by God to pay the price of our (Adam’s) sins.

The creation and all it entails was not some accident or chance happening but part of an eternal plan designed by God. Consider the message in Revelations 12 about the war in heaven before the earth was created. This war occurred between God and Lucifer. We know that it occurred before the earth was created because it states after the war 1/3 of the hosts of heaven who were angels of the devil were cast to earth. They were not cast into outer darkness or some other place but to earth. God makes no mistakes.

If one third of the hosts of heaven who are angels of the devil were cast out of heaven to the earth who do you suppose are the other two thirds? We are the other two thirds of the host of heaven. They are you and I who did not fight against God but with him against the devil. Our reward for fighting against Satan and for God is to come to earth to obtain a physical body. This opportunity gives us a chance to prove to ourselves and to God that we can learn to control our body. The whole plan is to reward us on how well we control our body. This is the purpose of our earthly experience and Gods eternal plan. It matters not what hardships or how long we live rather how we live.

This concept is not well accepted because Satan has deceived mankind with alternative concepts. For every good thing God provides the devil has devised a counterfeit to it. In the Garden of Eden Satan demonstrated how he operates. He has not changed but uses the same tactics today.

His goal is to create smoke screens of counterfeit concepts to keep us from believing we had a prior existence with God.Here are some of his tools and methods of operation. He uses many truths to hide one lie, which he then uses to distort the truth as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
He uses scriptures mingled with the philosophies of men to confuse us. He is able to appear as an angel of light. Acts 1:14 One of his greatest tools is to make us believe he does not exist, cannot influence us, and is not a threat to us.
He wants us to think the heavens are closed so that we will be less likely to pray and communicate with God. He teaches that we must have absolute proof and anything less cannot be acceptable.
He teaches that we must not use our heart and spirit but only our mind because it allows him to teach us and prevents us from communicating with God. He teaches that there can be no God because of all the calamities and problems in life.
He teaches that if we have a trial or hardship it is our fault to discourage us from learning what God will teach us from the experience. That woman can govern man and that marriage is not a sacred event with God. Destroying the concept of woman being helpmeet for man as God taught.

Reason in your heart and suppose for a minute that you are the devil. What would you think would be the best ways to thwart Gods plan for man. The devil knows each of usfrom our prior existence and knows our personality. He has many angels to try and destroy our communication with God.

Remember the previous example of the child who never experiences hardships. God did not create this earth so we could have a peaceful existence without hardships out of love not punishment.

Acts 14:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

This scripture shows that God allows Satan to give us thorns for our growth. God loves us so much He will not take away all of our pain and sorrow. The examples of Abraham, Noah, Isaac and Joseph the son of Jacob as well as Christ’s personal life are examples of trials and tribulation given to man. Jesus could have been born in a palace yet chose a stable.

The entire creation is based on the principle of opposition. There is nothing in our world that does not have an opposite. Satan vs. God, Light vs. darkness, joy vs. sorrow, gravity vs. weightlessness and on and on.

God commanded Adam to rule his wife and she to bear children, be a helpmeet and that they be one flesh. A man and a woman who are one flesh are not fighting or opposing each other. They work together without abuse but as an equally yoked team. God’s concept of marriage and family is broadly challenged in our world today. It is being destroyed with the concepts of same sex marriages, infidelities, throw away marriages, cohabitation without marriage, abortions, substance addictions, women’s rights and all kinds of spousal and child abuses. Satan teaches that we do not have to honor God and who is He to tell us what life style we should live. He builds up organizations, even churches to preach his doctrines.

This brings up the concept that a family is the most important unit in God’s plan. God established the importance of a healthy family unit. Philosophers and activist are working to make it illegal to teach God’s concept of a family. Satan knows the importance of a healthy family unit and is destroying its rights so that he can destroy the world’s greatest resource, our children. Satan’s greatest enemy is a happy family unit with fidelity that teaches its children to love God.

Chapter Two ………Counterfeit Success

Good Christians are highly motivated to do well and be involved in good acts. Jesus Christ’s teachings indicate that we should become the best we can. Since the devil builds counterfeit plans to deceive good people away from Christ success becomes one of his great tools. It has been said, “If Satan cannot tempt good people with evil he will tempt them with good.” My first response to this strange statement was similar to the following scripture indicating something is either good or bad.

1 John 1: 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

As I gave it more thought I began to see how skillfully the devil uses a little good to camouflage his evil designs. Consider the example of a conscientious marriage councilor who must do much of his work in the evenings. As he achieves success in saving marriages he is apt to spend more and more time away from home. His own family begins to suffer
by his frequent absence in the critical hours of the evenings. He begins to dread coming home to a complaining wife. Then the old devil cunningly whispers to him that his wife is being unjust and selfish with statements such as, “You just saved Paul and Mary’s marriage tonight and all your wife can do is complain. After all, you are doing it for her so why should she complain when you are doing God’s work to save so many marriages?” Little by little their marriage begins to crumble because the councilor is doing good works. Unless the councilor changes and prioritizes his life to make his own family first Satan will use his pride and successes to destroy his family and eventually the councilor as well. All this in the guise of doing good.

Another example is, the frequently used ploy by network marketing companies who loudly proclaim they are a family and Christian centered company, then encourage their people to spend most of their family time working the business and attending seminars. They say, “Just a short time of working hard and look at what you will be able to offer your family when you make all this great money.” Often by the time they have the money and time the family is either destroyed or the children are grown. The serious consequence of this attitude is that in the process they have changed from a family oriented person to a materialistic person.

I would like to give you a Book of Mormon story that illustrates this principle. It is the story of a man named Korihor found in the book of Alma chapter 30. Later in the chapter Korihor admitted that the devil had appeared to him and this is what he devil told him to teach the people.

12 And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, …began to preach unto the people that (1) there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach, saying: 13. O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? (2) For no man can know of anythingwhichistocome. 14. Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers.
15. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ. 16. Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so. 17. And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for
the sins of men, (3) but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore (4) every man prospered according to his genius, and that (5) every man conquered according to his strength; and (6) whatsoever a man did was no crime. 18. And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof. (Book of Mormon book of Alma chapter 30:12-18)

Lets diagram the points the devil taught and see if it applies to our world today?

1. There should be no Christ.
a. For no man can know of anything which is to come. b. Prophecies (the Bible) are foolish traditions.
c. You cannot know of any thing you cannot see.d. You cannot know there is a Christ or that He can remit your sins.
e. To believe in Christ (& God) whom you cannot see is the effect of a frenzied and deranged mind.2. Every man fares in this life according to the management of the creature a. Every man prospered according to his genius,
b. Every man conquered according to his strength; c. Whatsoever a man did was no crime.

How does this relate to the counterfeit program for success?
When one has no belief in Christ or God there is no reason to care about anyone but ones own selfish desires.
Every popular book on success teaches the concept of “management of the creature”
What does it mean management of the creature and how does it relate to success? There is a quote used by Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peal two of the modern
pioneers of success philosophy.“What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe he can achieve. And the thought would not have come to him if it was not to be acted upon.”

Modern success teaches this concept with the phrase, “Positive Thinking.” Positive thinking appeals to all good people as a motto for doing good and is oft compared to the scripture, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7

The devil has used our appetite to be good and successful to deceive us. He is the author of the modern philosophies of success. He has so skillfully written them so that they appeal to good people. He incorporates hundreds of Christ’s teachings and examples of good to camouflage the so-called secrets of success hidden between the lines.

The devil is able to get people to accept his philosophies because man does not fear him and does not believe he can write books, have teachers and so on. Remember the tool of “enmity” God gave Eve in the Garden of Eden?When man does not recognize the existence of the devil or that he is a real threat, man is vulnerable and easily deceived.

Every success book teaches many good things, yet between the lines hide the real agenda that money is the measurement of success and it is ok to take advantage of the foolish to get an advantage. The concept that if they are stupid enough to let me take advantage of them they deserve it is often a motto of the rich.No matter how many good stories and Christ like attributes they use ultimately success philosophizers scorn the poor and teach greed, vanity and pride.

There is no scripture in the New Testament where Christ equates money to Eternal Life and hundreds that teach purity of heart.Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matt. 19:23-24

This is one of many examples. Christ is not saying riches are bad, quite the opposite as there is many examples where He encourages those with riches to give to and help the poor. Something they cannot do if they do not have money. See Joseph of Armathea in Matthew 27:57.What Christ is saying in this allegory is that for a rich man to enter heaven he must do as the camels had to do. The gates in the walls surrounding their cities were designed to be too low for an upright camel with a man or burden to protect the city. For a camel to enter through the gate (eye of a needle) the burdens had to be removed from their backs and they had to alk through the gate on their knees. So the allegory is that for a man to enter heaven he must give his burdens to Christ and walk on his knees in humility worshiping Christ in order to enter heaven.

Consider the story of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus a poor man.

20. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And itcame to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And hecried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:20 –31

See also Luke 12:16, and Luke 16:1

The story of Jacob in Genesis 29-32 is one of the most remarkable stories of wealth and success in the way of God not man. Jacob obtained wealth at God’s hand not his (Jacob’s) ingenuity. Consider the story of Joseph son of Jacob who was sold into Egypt as a slave by his brothers.

1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that
the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had,that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the

LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. Genisis 39:1-5

Here is a young man who received dreams and visions and was scorned by his brothers. He had every right to be bitter and angry. If he had been bitter and angry Potiphar would never have appointed him over his house. In other words Joseph had the ultimate positive attitude and obedience to God. As the scripture states God was with Joseph and prospered him. Then as the story continues Joseph refused to submit to evil and by so doing gave up all his wealth and became a slave again. Again he had every right to be angry and bitter but again had to have had a pleasant and positive attitude to be trusted as the keeper of the prison. Again God blessed him and eventually Joseph obtained greater wealth than any other person in the kingdom other than Pharaoh.

The story of Joseph forgiving his brothers is remarkable and gives us a valuable lesson on the workings of God with his faithful followers. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy sonJoseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: Genisis 45:3-9

Note the underlined words; if God sent Joseph to preserve his brothers it means all the trials and tribulation including the evil acts of his brothers was in some manner designed
by God. There is a valuable key to success in this story that we must have to be acceptable to Christ when he returns.Now add the concepts in the examples of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph with the following teaching of Christ and we begin to understand God’s success plan.

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought,

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saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:28-34

Christ says take no thought for riches and seek first the kingdom of God with righteousness and all will be added. Is this not what Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph did? Even the story of Job is a wonderful example of our progress in life in the Lords way not men’s.

Job had great wealth and success and all was taken away by the devil. Job’s friends criticized him and in essence told him that it was his own entire fault because he had negative thinking. This is the devils plan to torment man and get him to believe it is his ingenuity that creates wealth or failure. This way the devil destroys us with depression and anger. Consider the test to Job, it was to curse God and die or to be trusting and obey God. It was to avoid being angry with God and maintain trust, love and faith.
Now consider this next very important aspect of God’s plan for our salvation or success. When the devil tempted Jesus in the third temptation he said, “worship me and I will give
you all the kingdoms (wealth & power) of the word.” We must understand that the devil tried his very best to destroy Jesus and that this was a very serious matter. We must not think the temptation of Jesus was a trivial matter. Remember the devil was cast out of heaven to dwell on the earth to test and try man. Likewise since Jesus and his sacrifice is the most important event in the entire world the devil did all he could to tempt and destroy Jesus. Everything Jesus did and every story in the Bible from Adam through Revelations are there to teach us valuable lessons. This means that the temptation of Jesus is an allegory of how the devil operates.

We must understand that the devil will pay us to worship him.

Is it no wonder that hundreds of people who are willing to sacrifice family and integrity become wealthy? The devil is real and he pays anyone who will sacrifice the values taught by God. Just look around you and see how many of the wealthy and rich are vain and anti- Godly? The devil uses money to promote his agenda to destroy the meek and pure in
heart. He has been unsuccessful in destroying the pure in heart by wars and dictators and now is waging a war using greed and pride.

We must give up our appetites for wealth and replace it with love and obedience to the commandments of Christ in order to be pure in heart. In other words take no thought for wealth but seek the righteousness of God first. Completely submit ones self to God without expecting wealth. Learn to love God without putting a condition or barraging with God.

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To often we try and negotiate with God and say I love you, now give me wealth. We must love God and forsake all, or our love of God is vain.

In this chapter we have established that there are opposites of good and bad, God and Satan. That Satan is a real and powerful force in the world today doing everything he can to destroy the spiritual welfare of all men. He is working at a frenzied pace in these last days trying to thwart the return of Christ. Satan has a counterfeit program for every good thing God has provided. Satan hides his programs with sugar coating of things that appear to be good. He uses many truths to hide one lie.

The devil cannot have power over us unless we let him. We have learned that God gave to us the effective weapon of enmity to protect ourselves from the devil. If we do not recognize the devil as our enemy we will not be able to discern his snares. His snares are improper applications of sex, money and power.

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Chapter Three………Our works will judge us

The Bible has several scriptures stating grace is applied by faith without works (Ephesians
2:8). It also has verses that say works are required such as works without faith is dead (James 2:17) and that every man will be rewarded according to his works (Matt 16:27). Other scriptures indicate saved is attached to works such as the rich man (Matt 19:24) or only those who endure to the end will be saved. (Matt 10:22) As Jesus restored the sight of a man He said, “thy faith hath saved thee. (Luke 18:42)

In Acts 12:31 the requirement to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is a requirement to be saved. One cannot believe on the Lord and fail to live His commandments. They cannot be separated.

Consider the Saviors parable about the tares and the judgment that will come at the end of the World.

Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the
tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 47 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of
the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Christ teaches that both judgment and mercy or grace applies to His children. Both works and grace are required and neither can be without the other. This means no matter how perfect we may become we cannot open the gate to Heaven. It also means if we are evil
we will be cast into the furnace of fire. There can be only one conclusion, which is that we cannot obtain grace if we do not have faith. Faith is described as hope and charity.(Corr.

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13:13 ) Faith without works is dead. (James 2:19) Faith is also equated to righteousness and light.

The meaning of the next scripture makes more sense when we apply the concept that without good works (faith) we cannot be granted the grace of Christ.

Gal 2: 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

No one can obtain salvation by just works. If a man lives a perfect life he cannot obtain the kingdom of God without Christ opening the gate and welcoming him in. Our good works can bring us to the gate and then we must appeal to the grace (love/power/authority) of Christ to accept us. Any other path is vain.

There are hundreds of scriptures throughout the Old and New Testament concerning judgment and Gods providence being given based on righteousness. Noah, Abraham, The children of Moses, Sodom and Gomorrah the prophets and events of the Jews all show that God blesses and curses based on obedience. Obedience is the same as faith.

Rev 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. 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.

Father in Heaven has granted to Jesus Christ the responsibility and authority to judge man. Jesus has the power (grace) to judge and determine the eternal fate of all who live on the earth.

John 5: 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
Son:

Our body is a temple to God. It is His greatest gift and creation that He has given to us. He expects us to honor our body and purify it. He warns us that if we defile our body he will destroy it.

1 Corr 3: 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

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Our mind and heart is the center of our body. God refers to our mind as reins as it governs what our heart feels and desires.

Rev 2: 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

When God searches the reins and hearts it means he will evaluate our self-control over the desires of our heart.

In this chapter we have established that both works and grace apply to our eternal salvation. Our works are manifested in our body (temple). God will look at our mind and heart (works) and reward us accordingly (apply grace).

The process of self-control of our mind and heart is the primary aspect to becoming pure in heart.

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Chapter Four……The Light of Jesus purifies our heart

As we contemplate what pure in heart means compare it to the research conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese researcher who has published the book, "The Message from Water." He placed vials of water between speakers for several hours and other vials with various statements or names taped to the vile overnight. He then froze the water, sliced it and photographed it under a microscope. The pictures below are some of his tests.

Polluted water from the Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer

Polluted water from the Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer.

Distilled water with the thought, “You make me sick, I will kill you.”

Distilled water placed between two speakers playing heavy metal music for several hours

Distilled water placed between two speakers playing Kawachi Folk dance for several hours

Distilled water after love and appreciation

Distilled water after
Beethoven's Pastorale

Spring water of
Saijo, Japan

Mother Teresa

Adolph Hitler
These pictures are used by written permission from Hado Kyoikusha Co. Ltd and have nothing to do with this book. For more information see their web site at http://www.hado.net

These pictures show the affect of thoughts; music and words have on the cellular organization of water. Notice how positive aspects concentrate the light in each picture

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while negative aspects are less organized and has less light. Our body is composed of 70% water so how much is our body affected by our thoughts. Every thought, action and experience we have affects the composition of our body.

What if all God has to do to evaluate the purity of our heart is to look at the composition of our body? With this concept is it possible that we become our own judge. That our body cannot lie to God who can see all things therefore he may be able to classify us simply on who we are.

This experiment suggests that no matter how impure our body is or was we can change it. We have the power to change our body, our heart and mind to become pure in heart. The music experiments show how water is affected by peaceful or negative music. The same applies to us with all our associations and relationships. If we associate with or frequent evil places we cannot avoid it affecting our entire body and mind. We cannot abuse our body with negative chemicals and avoid the negative effects on our body.

Many in the world today teach that we can do anything we want and there are no consequences. The experiments with water provide scientific proof that this is not true and that we are affected. We cannot abuse any commandment or teaching of Jesus without it darkening our body and spirit. Likewise when we follow Christ we increase the light in our spirit and body.

Matthew chapter five tells us we must let our light shine and not hide it. Chapter six compares our light to how we perceive things with our eye. If our eye sees evil our whole body will be of darkness. When Jesus was transfigured he shone as a light like the sun. Luke chapter one verse seventy-eight to eighty tells us Jesus gives us light. John chapter one verse four tells us Jesus is the light that shines in darkness and the world does not comprehend it. Numerous other scriptures teach that Jesus is light and gives to those who follow Him light. In Dr. Emoto’s experiments we see that when we incorporate good in our lives we increase our light. Or in other words when we follow Jesus we increase our light. The light of Jesus purifies our heart.

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Chapter Five……………. What we must do to get the light of Jesus

Since there is an opposite of light if we want to have the light of Jesus we must eliminate darkness.
In a dark room it is as simple as turning on a light switch assuming that there is an electrical source.

In our life Jesus is our electrical source and all we have to do is look to him. This means we forsake evil and follow His commandments and teachings.

Lengthy explanations and discussions could be written on each of God’s commandments or instructions. With a few exceptions I will only outline them for your consideration and let you draw your own conclusions. I have purposely avoided specific Bible chapter and verse references and hope you will take the time to look them up and read them for yourselves.

Outline of God’s Commandments and instructions.

1. Gods instructions to Man in the Garden of Eden
a. Man to have dominion over every living thing and the resources of the earth.
Webster’s dictionary defines dominion as supreme authority and governed territory. Man is to use wisdom and conservation in the use of animals and the earth.
b. God instituted marriage between a man and a woman with the man to rule and woman to be a helpmeet. Man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. Cleave means to adhere, remain loyal and to stick fast. Man and woman to become one flesh. This has two meanings, first that through intercourse they are joined and second that they become one in purpose and desires. They are to
become joint partners in all decisions and directions in life. Neither dominating nor going separate ways but both working with a common purpose or oneness.
c. Multiply and replenish the earth. God designed man and woman to have children and thereby replenish the earth. Without children the earth’s purpose is destroyed. Man and woman with oneness of purpose are to give birth, nurture and teach children in the ways of the Lord.
d. Man commanded to treat Satan as an enemy hence enmity.
e. Man to work with sweat and sorrow to overcome thorns and thistles.
2. The Ten Commandments
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

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3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
3. The Sermon on the Mount. Christ’s teachings of the behaviors we need to have.
a. (1) Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (humble)
b. (2) Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. (Sorrow for their sins)
c. (3) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (not prideful)
d. (4) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
e. (5) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. f. (6) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
g. (7) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. h. (8) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
i. (9) Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
j. (10) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
k. (11) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
l. (12) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. m. (13) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
n. (14) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
o. (15) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

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p. (16) For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
q. (17) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill;
and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger
of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
r. (18) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
s. (19) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
t. (20) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
u. (21) And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
v. (22) And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
w. (23) It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
x. (25) Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne. Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
y. (26) Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
z. (27) But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

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aa. (28) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
bb. (29) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust.
cc. (30) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
dd. (31) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. ee. (32) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
ff. (33) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
gg. (34) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
hh. (35) Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
ii. (36) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where

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thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
jj. (37) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
kk. (38) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.
ll. (39) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall
we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
mm. (40) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
nn. (41) Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
oo. (42) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
pp. (43) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

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qq. (44) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
rr. (45) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
ss. (46) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
tt. (47) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
uu. (48) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
4. The most important law and commandment
a. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind
5. The second most important law and commandment a. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

There are numerous additional instructions given by the apostles and Christ throughout the Bible such as Peters question on how many times must we forgive another and Christ’s answer of seventy times seven.

No commandment or instruction is given for God they are given for our benefit

How we live and apply each commandment affects our cellular makeup like the water pictures in chapter four. For example when Christ tells us to forgive it is not for Him but to affect a change in our hearts. When a cement truck killed our eighteen-year-old daughter we could have been angry and hateful toward the driver. Instead all my family showed

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him love and compassion. At this time of sorrow we felt a great measure of spiritual comfort and the love of God.

A few months later a family we were acquainted with lost a baby from shaken baby syndrome at the hand of the young father. The entire family were frequently quoted and interviewed in the news expressing hate and demanding vengeance. They attended the court trials demanding the severest punishment possible. Unlike our experience they were distraught angry and had no peace or spiritual comfort.

The terrible tragedy in the Amish community when the milkman killed five schoolgirls in
2006 received a lot of media attention. Reporters could not understand the forgiveness and love the Amish community extended to the family of the gunman. There have been other examples of similar forgiveness and also examples of hate and anger. Each reflects on the heart and spirit of the victim with either a blessing of peace and light or terrible darkness and anger.

Each person has a choice to become bitter or to obtain peace through forgiveness. This is the example of God’s commandments being for us not for Him. When we choose anger we canker our heart and our cells become dark and depressed. When we choose to forgive we obtain light and peace as if the Heavens open and Christ sends us his love.

Our application of every commandment brings light and love of God or turns it away and attracts darkness and anger. We choose to turn on or off the light switch to obtain light or the absence of light. No amount of rationalization or denial of God’s commandments can alter this outcome.

It has been aptly said, “If we are farther from God today than we were yesterday, who moved?”

Pure in heart means in our hearts we desire and are trying to live God’s commandments. No one but Christ will ever live a perfect life. We all fall short and have weaknesses. The difference is not just obedience but our attitude. When we are sincerely trying and want to follow Christ we are on the right track to obtaining a pure heart. Obviously trying will not make our heart pure but it is the essential process to do so.

Jesus would not have instructed us to become perfect even as God is, if is impossible for us to do. It may take us years to accomplish but it is possible if we make Christ our partner.

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Chapter Six………………. Communication with God

When Christ ascended into heaven he promised to send the Holy Ghost to comfort and teach man.

John 14: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: …26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Ephesians 1: 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The apostles and disciples received manifestations to direct them in where to go and where not to go. They were given inspiration by the Holy Ghost, which is also referred to as the Spirit as well as visions or dreams to tell them when and where to preach the Gospel of Christ.

Acts 16: 6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And
they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Some may say well that was then and was for the Apostles that God has shut the heavens and no longer speaks to man. God still speaks to man if and when he listens.

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Romans 8: 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

1 Cor 3: 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1 Cor 2: 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually

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discerned.

We have the promise that the Spirit of God dwells in us if we turn off the natural man and listen with a pure heart.

As a child my mother taught my brothers and me a valuable lesson on how to turn off the natural man and listen to God with a pure heart. We lived in a rural area with a small alfalfa (hay) field. We played baseball especially the game of five hundred and one day we came into the house and complained to our mother that we had lost our ball in the alfalfa. She asked us if we had prayed and asked God to help us find the ball. She then taught us that we must not ask for help until we had done all we could on our own, that God seldom helps us when we can help ourselves. She explained that only after we had done all we could and given our best effort, were we entitled to pray to God to help us.

We returned to the field and looked again then together we prayed for help in locating our baseball. Immediately after our prayer one of us turned and walked across the field bent down and picked up the ball. Over the years as children we repeated this process time after time. We learned that if we walked the wrong direction we would not feel right about it
and would then turn until we had a good feeling and go that direction. It did not always come immediately, sometimes we walked several directions and locations, yet through persistence and listening to that still small inner voice of God’s spirit we located the baseball time after time.

I cannot tell how we knew what direction to walk and when to stop and pick up the ball I just know it worked. It would not work if we used a lot of mental energy, we simply had to be humble and child like in our faith in God to make it work. It seemed as if a small inner voice whispered to us with instructions on what to do.

Later as adults my brothers have related similar experiences in their adult life of spiritual promptings. One brother is a truck driver and one day took one of two rout choices to get to his destination and felt the spirit tell him not to go that way today. He turned around and took the other rout. He never knew why and never learned of anything wrong with the first rout and has used it many times since. The wise and learned would scoff and count such feelings as foolishness. Indeed are not the attributes of the learned and wise what the Savior taught us to avoid. Did He not teach us to be like little children for thus is the Kingdom of Heaven.

As I became an adult and studied the Lords instructions on prayer I compared it to my Mothers wisdom. I have learned that it is what the Lord meant when He said, “Ask, Seek and Knock.”

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Matthew 7: 7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

The Savior is saying in order to receive the Holy Spirit to answer prayers we must do three things;
1. Ask: means that we must desire the Lords help and petition Him for His Grace. (Love & Power)
2. Seek: Means we do our homework. We research and study it in our mind before
we expect God to give us an answer. Someone once said it is like having an empty bucket or one that is full of knowledge and information regarding the situation.
God simply helps us determine what we have put into our bucket that is right. If our bucket is empty God seldom fills it for us.
3. Knock: Once we have done our research we then must apply it. It means we must test a direction or idea and carefully listen to the still small voice within our mind and heart. If it feels right continue, but if it does not feel right go back and make a different choice.

These three steps mean we learn to apply them with a spiritual listening ear not the natural man. That God wants us to grow and will never give us a serpent.

I like to compare this process to a child that asks their father for a new sports car. A wise parent would never give the child a new sports car until they are able to use it safely and without spiritual harm. In the verse above when it says if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent is like the sports car. The wise parent will wait for the right time to teach the child how to drive safely. So it is in our prayers sometimes the best answer is no or wait until we are ready. The wise parent even when the child becomes a responsible youth would probably not give them a sporty car. Rather they would let them use the family car to avoid giving the youth more temptation than they are yet able to handle. So it is with God
He gives to us what is wisest for us at the time based on what will give us the best spiritual growth. God sees the whole picture and is not limited to our narrow immediate vision of our wants.

We can and must learn to put off the natural man to obtain the promised blessing of the
Holy Ghost with its spiritual direction in life.

This privilege is not given to the sinner but to those who develop a pure heart. With this great gift we can better discern between good and evil. With this gift we will be able to

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recognize the works of God and what we must do develop a pure heart so we can be ready to welcome Jesus when He returns.

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Chapter Seven…………….Trust

When Joseph who was sold in to Egypt revealed himself to his brothers he made an important revelation about how God works in our lives.

Genesis 45: 4…And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life…7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Consider this verse on how God gives to us for our best spiritual growth, not how man thinks.

John 9: 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

God gives us challenges, thorns and thistles for our good so that we may develop attributes that manifest in us the works (glory) of God.

In my years of research on the topic of success I have seen how the great philosophers and wise men of our day teach that if any calamity befalls us it is our fault. In a seminar an instructor said, “If we have an accident it is because we created it in our mind and we caused it to happen.”

This is one of the terrible lies of the modern success philosophies that actually say there is no God. It says only man’s ingenuity or positive thinking leads to his success or failure. This philosophy is skillfully designed by the devil to keep us from understanding and trusting God. He uses it to confuse and mislead us to think we are responsible for everything. If we experience the thorns or thistles in life the devil tells us we are failures and causes us to become depressed and angry with ourselves. Or he wants us to blame God for the misfortune he Satan afflicted upon us. To others who worship him he lifts up with pride and tells them their great intellect created their success.

This is all designed to convince man that there is no great eternal plan and to keep us from trusting God. As in the previous chapter we must overcome this natural man and trust God.

It has been said that in the years that wells were dug for water that a mother gave to her young daughter a lunch with instructions to take it out to her father who was digging a well. As the child came to the deep well she looked down and all she could see was darkness. She called to her father who answered her and told her to throw the lunch down the well and he would catch it. He then called to her and said, “There is more here than I

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can eat, jump to me and I will catch you and we will share the lunch.” With child like trust the child jumped into the dark hole and into the strong arms of a loving father.”

This story illustrates the child’s trust in her father. She was able with that faith and trust to overcome the natural man tendencies we have as adults. Our trust of God is like this story. The child did not blindly jump as some may think. She knew her father and trusted him so implicitly that she had no doubt of his ability to catch her. She had other factors to help in her decision such as hearing her fathers voice and knowing he caught the lunch. If this father had ever abused his trust she certainly would not have jumped.

If there had been others near with the natural man philosophies they would offer all the trite sayings of the unbelievers who do not trust God.

God tells us we must become as little children in our faith and trust in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. We do not need to shut off our rationalization and ignore facts in life. We simply must not let things we feel by the spirit be dimmed by that which we cannot see.

When we put off the natural man and seek the light of Christ we can obtain the Holy Spirit that can bridge the gap between what we cannot see and that which we feel in our heart.

Trust means that no matter what we encounter we know there is a loving God who will some day provide our entrance into His Kingdom. Whether a child lives one day or is handicapped that it is all part of the great plan of God. The scriptures have recorded tragedies that caused great human suffering throughout all generations and still prophesy of even greater calamities. The devil and unbeliever would have us think that if God allows such calamities that there can be no God. Such lies deny the eternal nature of God who knows all things. God’s love bridges all pain and suffering and He promises peace and eternal life.

Did not Jesus endure great tribulation and suffering both as an example and to perform His selfless act of transcending above all evil to bring us the gift of Eternal Life? The devil wantonly shouts he is the victor and that God is dead.

Did Jesus choose a palace and robes of purple when he was born or a humble stable to demonstrate to us that status in life is not important? His supreme example and love will transcend all evil and He will return as a glorious resurrected being. When He comes he will destroy the wicked and embrace all who have pure hearts. Only those who have forsaken evil and acquired spiritual trust in Him our Redeemer will be alive to welcome His Glorious return.