Rewards - The Crown of Life

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."  (James 1:12)
 
"This reward could be called the lover's crown.

Love God

God says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

But we don’t love God. We love other things more than God. This is what sin is—dishonoring God.

Therefore, the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

And,  “…the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

“The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

Rewards for Believers

 "There is a vast difference in the doctrine of salvation for the lost, and
 the doctrine of rewards for the saved. Salvation is "the gift of God; not as
 a result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is received by faith in the
 finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36). Rewards are according to
 the works of the believer (Matthew 16:27).

How Do You Repent from Sin?

http://www.godlife.com/hope/prayer-letter/how-do-you-repent-from-sinScripture: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” I John 1:8-9

A Testament Is Born

How We Got Our Bible, Canon to King James

Could Matthew take shorthand?—and other intriguing reasons the New Testament may have emerged surprisingly early.

A C C U S A T I O N S AGAINST EARLY CHRISTIANS

“BEHOLD how they love one another.” This was a hallmark of the early Christians. Yet these same believers were the object of repeated persecutions and oppression for almost the first 300 years. 

Why were the believers so hated in the Roman Empire? What were they guilty of? What were the charges against them?

EARLY CHURCH EVANGELISM, JUSTIN MATYR :

JUSTIN MATYR, a leading second century Apologist for the faith, was a pagan philosopher who was converted to Christ through the witness of an old man by the seashore. Justin wrote vigorously to clear up misunderstandings of the faith by Christianity's opponents. He was martyred at Rome about 165.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE TWELVE APOSTLES?

The Calling of The Apostles Peter and Andrew.

It wasn't from among the respected religious leaders in Jerusalem that Jesus called his Apostles but from ordinary workers in remote Galilee.

A LOOK AT THE EARLY CHURCH : FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH:

This current set will deal with the early church, the first few hundred years up to the time of the Emperor Constantine. At that point, the church received legal status and went on to become the official faith of the Roman Empire. This first issue in the cycle takes a broad look at life, worship, and ministry in the early church. We hope this will whet your appetite to feast more on this critical period.

Accusation The Trial and Testimony of the Early Church

PROGRAM 3 ACCUSATION

NIGEL as CAECILIUS: You people are happy to benefit from all that is ours, living in this greatest time of all history. But where is your gratitude? You are all anti-social snobs. You will not show proper respect for our anniversary festivals. You will not sacrifice to the genius of the emperor. You will not fight and join the empire.

SPREAD : The Trial and Testimony of the Early Church

PROGRAM 2 SPREAD

DAVID WRIGHT: Dead as a dodo. That’s the fate of most of the cults and religions of the ancient world. Have you ever met Mithra-ist or a Manichean or a devotee of Isis and Osiris? And yet the movement started by Jesus did survive. And more than survive, it grew to conquer and win the allegiance of the whole Roman world and beyond it.

Titus Destroys Jerusalem 70

100 Most Important Events in Church History A.D. 70 Titus Destroys Jerusalem

When the Roman general sacked the temple, the Jews were forced into a new era—and so were the Christians.

The Trial and Testimony of the Early Church

PROGRAM 1 FOUNDATIONS

Have And Follow A Sound Doctrine :

 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will   save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim 4:16NIV)

A ‘doctrine’ is what the whole Bible teaches about a particular topic, such as about  God, Jesus, sin, Salvation, condemnation, etc.

Suicide of Satan and the Salvation of the World

God Conquered Sin through Sin

“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the ab­sence of a crowd.” (Luke 22:3–6)

Judgment of The Wicked

"And I saw a great white throne and Him Who sat upon it, from Whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them." (Revelation 20:11)
 
The great white throne judgment will follow the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. This is the final judgment, and only the wicked dead are to be judged. 

5 Facts About Hell

Scripture: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ . . . and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41, 46

The subject of hell is not as enjoyable as last week’s topic, Heaven. But Jesus didn’t ignore it, and we can’t either. Here are five things you need to know:

Fear and Love God

Friend, “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and commit­ted them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment. “(2 Peter 2:4)

Do you think God will spare you if you sin against Him? No, He will not spare any one who does not obey Him. God know the weakness of man. No man is able to please God by good work, even if he sacrificed his life. God is just and accept only what is done in His way.

Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ” (John 14:6)   

Be Saved From the World

Satan is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31). 

‘World’ or 'worldliness' in the Bible usually is ‘ungodliness’,  ‘unbelieving world’,where God does not reign,.  

Judgments - Of the Nations

 
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne, and all the nations will be gathered before Him . . ." (Matthew 25:31,32)
 
This judgment is not the judgment of the great white throne (Revelations 20:11-15). A careful comparison of the two judgments will establish the following facts:
 
01) The judgment of the nations will take place "when the Son of Man comes in His glory . . . then He will sit on His glorious throne." The great white throne is never called "the Throne of His Glory" (Revelation 20:11-15).
 

Judgments - Of the Believer's Works

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
 
The believer's works will be judged at the "judgment seat of Christ," which is referred to many times in the Bible. A careful reading of 2 Corinthians 5:10 within the context reveals that only believers will appear at the "judgment seat of Christ." Their works will be judged, not their sins, for we have already seen that all sins of the believer were judged in Christ on Calvary, and "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)

You Are Image Bearer of God

You are image bearer of God. God created you to be like Him and in His image. “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26NIV)

God is ruler of heaven and earth. As His image-bearer, He entrusted man to rule, in His behalf, over His created things on earth and in the sky.

This is recognized even by our forefathers before we were Christian that some thought man himself is god and others regarded nature as god, nature also show the glory of God. But, human beings are not God, we only bear God’s image. And nature only shows the glory of God. They are not God. As such, we must worship God only and not His image bearer, man; neither nature, which only show the glory of God partially.  

5 Facts About Heaven

 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” Revelation 21:1

Heaven is Real

Have you ever thought about Heaven and wondered if it’s real? Heaven is a real place. God’s Word, the Bible, is full of facts about Heaven. Let’s look at five facts about heaven and learn more about what our eternal lives will be like.

Judgement of The Believer's Self

 "But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged." (1 Corinthians 11:31)
 The judgment of the believer's self is more than judging things in the believer's life. When the believer judges self, the good and the bad in his life come to light; and he will confess the bad (1 John 1:9) and forsake it (Isaiah 55:7). However it is not enough just to judge sin in the believer; he must judge self.

Pentecost : Celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers

Jews observe Pentecost to commemorate God giving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai 50 days after the Exodus, 50 days after Passover.

Christians celebrate Pentecost to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on Pentecost day 10 days after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, 50 days after resurrection (Easter Sunday), as recorded in Acts 2:1-13.  

Christians do not talk much about Jews’ Pentecost but stress on God giving the Holy Spirit to believers.

Christians celebrate Pentecost Sunday all over the world because :

Salvation is a Gift Not Force

A gift is not forced, you can be refused. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a gift from God.

The Bible say, “ let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life..”( Revelation 22:17NIV)

No one will force or compel you to accept it. It is up to you to accept or reject it.

If you receive you will become God’s child (John 1:12) and will have eternal life (John 3:16-17).

If you reject, you are condemned (John 3:18) and will go to hell after this life.

Judgments - Of the Sins of Believers

 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him Who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24)

 In the above verse, our Lord tells us that the believer "does not come into judgment." Our sins were judged in Christ on Calvary and every believer "has passed out of death into life."  This is present salvation. Christ paid for our sins. He was judged in the believer's stead. The believer will not come into judgment because:
 01) Jesus Christ paid the penalty, and on the ground of His substitutional death, the believer is separated from his sins forever (Psalm 103:12).
 02) The sins of the believer have been wiped out and God has promised that He "will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25).

Judgments - Introduction

 "In the Scriptures, we are instructed how we should be "handling accurately the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

 This is most essential when studying the judgments. Do not endeavor to make all the judgments conform to the theory of one "general judgment." The "general judgment" theory is the invention of religion (man), and is not taught in the Word of God. There are five separate judgments revealed in the Bible, and they differ as to time, place, and purpose. Yet, they all have one thing in common: the Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge (John 5:22).
 Everyone - from Adam to the last man to be born on this earth - will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged. 

God Answer Prayer In Faith

God wants us to seek Him. He promised to answer when we call Him, saying, “Call to me and I will answer” (Jeremiah 33:3).

So, call God in prayer with full faith in Him that He will surely answer your prayer.  Thank Him for He gives you life and all necessary to live life. Ask Him to help you in your need. Always pray and read the Bible daily. But don’t miss a day without reading the Bible. Through your reading the Bible, God will speak to you.

God answer our prayer in three different ways :

Peace and Hope

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.