Episodios

  • GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-2

    GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-2
    Aug 1 2024
    Blessings to all,
    Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study continues with:

    GOD ANNOUNCES THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH part 2

    As the two angels walk on toward the city, Abraham begins a kind of negotiation with the Lord.
    His nephew Lot and his family live in Sodom. Abraham seems to be concerned for them.
    He boldly challenges the Lord: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

    Abraham insists that such an action would not be consistent with the Lord's character. The Lord is patient with Abraham as he begins to ask for assurances.

    Will you destroy the city if you find 50 righteous people there?

    The Lord agrees that He will not. Abraham keeps asking though, lowering the number at which the Lord would willingly destroy righteous people to judge the wicked.
    45?
    40?
    30?
    20?

    Finally, Abraham asks, with a request that the Lord not be angry, if He would spare the city for the sake of 10 righteous people.

    Once more, the Lord agrees that He would do so if He finds that many. With that, the Lord heads toward the city, and Abraham walks back home.

    It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD.

    Our scripture will be coming from:

    Genesis 18:24-33 KJV
    [24] Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
    [25] That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
    [26] And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
    [27] And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
    [28] Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
    [29] And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
    [30] And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
    [31] And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
    [32] And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
    [33] And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
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    37 m
  • GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1 Discussion

    GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1 Discussion
    Jul 1 2024
    Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

    Psalm 119:1 KJVS
    [1] Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

    This is both the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It may have been written by Ezra after the Temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:14-15) as a repetitive meditation on the beauty of God’s Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith. Psalm 119 has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding to a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet and each verse beginning with the letter of its section.

    Almost every verse mentions God’s Word. Such repetition was common in Hebrew culture. People did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to read as we do, so God’s people memorized his Word and passed it along orally. The structure of this psalm allowed for easy memorization.

    Remember that God’s Word, the Bible, along with the help and guidance of his Holy Spirit, is the only sure guide for living a God-honoring life.
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    32 m
  • GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1

    GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1
    Jun 1 2024
    Blessings to all,
    Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers:

    GOD ANNOUNCES THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH part 1

    Up to this point, the Lord has not revealed to Abraham what He is going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. The three men then set out on their journey, walking from Abraham's home near Hebron toward the city of Sodom. Abraham walks with them for a time, until they arrive at a high vantage point from which they can look across and see Sodom.

    From there, the Lord reveals to Abraham His plan regarding the grave sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The implication is that God will bring judgment on those people if their sins were as wicked as He had heard. This, of course, is a figure of speech, since God already knows exactly how sinful these cities are.

    The reason for this human perspective is revealed in the conversation with Abraham, as Abraham tries to specify just "how wicked" these cities must be to earn God's wrath.

    It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD.

    Our scripture will be coming from:

    Genesis 18:17-23 KJV
    [17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
    [18] Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
    [19] For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
    [20] And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
    [21] I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
    [22] And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
    [23] And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
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    33 m
  • GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2 Discussion

    GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2 Discussion
    May 1 2024
    Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

    Hebrews 1:1-2 KJVS
    [1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
    [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

    Hebrews begins with a reference to God's communication with mankind. The letter is primarily written to Jewish believers, who placed great importance on the prophets of the Old Testament. Verses 1 and 2 explain that God spoke through prophets in the past, and speaks now through Jesus Christ.

    This is an important point for several reasons. First, this reminds us that the Old Testament and New Testament are not contradictory. The message of God given by the prophets is not different than the message of God given through Christ. The same God is speaking, continuing to show us more and more of His plans.

    Second, this emphasizes how important it is to listen to the message of Christ. If God is speaking, then we ought to listen. The Jewish people, in particular, would have been sensitive to this idea.
    Israel was the chosen nation, given special attention by God. The message of the prophets was given to Israel, and God expected them to listen to what He said.

    Here, the writer of Hebrews wants us to understand that when God speaks, we have an obligation to pay attention. This is the background for this letter's many warnings against abandoning the gospel.

    Verses 1 and 2 of Hebrews emphasize the fact that Christ is the latest part of God's continuous, consistent message. Where God had spoken through the prophets of the Old Testament, He now speaks through the person of Jesus Christ. These are not contradictory messages. Jesus is the Messiah of whom those prophets spoke.

    Since this is a message from God, it stands to reason that those who love God ought to listen. Knowing that Jesus is a message from God, and is God, and is the ultimate truth sets the table for this letter's many warnings against rejecting the gospel. The end of verse 2 also introduces an idea which is fundamental to the Christian faith: Jesus Christ is God.

    The first four verses of this book establish that Jesus is not some created being or a higher form of angel. According to verse 3, Jesus is the "exact imprint" of the nature of God. This is the consistent teaching of the Bible, that Christ is both fully God and fully man.

    The words of this verse echo the Gospel of John, which notes that "all things were made through [Christ], and without [Christ] was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). This establishes that Jesus is, in fact, part of the un-created and eternal God. All things which "were made" were made by God; the only thing not "made" is the eternal Creator.
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    36 m
  • GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2

    GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2
    Apr 1 2024
    Blessings to all,
    Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers:

    GOD REAFFIRMS HIS PROMISE part 2

    Once the meal is over, the Lord fully reveals Himself, in a conversation He conducts with Sarah through Abraham while she remains hidden and listening in the tent. First, the Lord asks where Sarah is and then reveals to her what He had said to Abraham in the previous chapter: by this time a year from now she will have a son.

    Sarah's response is much the same as Abraham's in the previous chapter: she laughs to herself. Not only was she around 90 years old, we're told that the "way of women" had ceased for her. The phrasing here might suggest the idea of menopause: Sarah is literally "beyond" a woman's normal ability to conceive. She describes herself as worn out and her husband as old.

    She cannot imagine having the "pleasure" of a new birth in their season of life. The Lord knows both that Sarah laughed and what she thought about His revelation. He asks Abraham why she laughed.

    "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"

    Then He repeats the promise of a son at the appointed time. Sarah, likely realizing now that this is God, is afraid. She lies and says that she did not laugh. The Lord corrects her once more, but He does not punish her. In another instance of divine humor, He has already named her child Isaac, which means laughter.

    The three men then set out on their journey, walking from Abraham's home near Hebron toward the city of Sodom. Abraham walks with them for a time, until they arrive at a high vantage point from which they can look across and see Sodom. From there, the Lord reveals to Abraham His plan regarding the grave sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.

    The implication is that God will bring judgment on those people if their sins were as wicked as He had heard. This, of course, is a figure of speech, since God already knows exactly how sinful these cities are. The reason for this human perspective is revealed in the conversation with Abraham, as Abraham tries to specify just "how wicked" these cities must be to earn God's wrath.

    As the two angels walk on toward the city, Abraham begins a kind of negotiation with the Lord. His nephew Lot and his family live in Sodom. Abraham seems to be concerned for them.

    He boldly challenges the Lord:

    Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

    Abraham insists that such an action would not be consistent with the Lord's character. The Lord is patient with Abraham as he begins to ask for assurances.

    Will you destroy the city if you find 50 righteous people there?

    The Lord agrees that He will not. Abraham keeps asking though, lowering the number at which the Lord would willingly destroy righteous people to judge the wicked.

    45? 40? 30? 20?

    Finally, Abraham asks, with a request that the Lord not be angry, if He would spare the city for the sake of 10 righteous people. Once more, the Lord agrees that He would do so if He finds that many. With that, the Lord heads toward the city, and Abraham walks back home.
    Más Menos
    43 m
  • GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-1 Discussion

    GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-1 Discussion
    Nov 2 2022
    Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

    Romans 12:10 KJVS
    [10] Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

    Paul is giving a list of short commands to those who are in Christ. He is describing what it means to live as a self-sacrificing Christian. In the previous verse, he wrote that our love for each other must be sincere or genuine. Now he writes of love as a kind of devotion to a sibling. We must love each other with a brotherly affection.

    The Greek word used here inspired the name of a city in the United States: Philadelphia, self-described as the city of brotherly love. Those in Christ are truly brothers and sisters. God adopts us as His children, welcoming us into His family. That family includes everyone who knows God as Father.

    Brothers and sisters, of course, don't always get along. In most families, however, they share a loyalty and sense of belonging that surpasses most normal friendships. Paul's second command in this verse urges us to compete, in a sense. We're told to outdo one another in showing honor to each other.

    If each of us acted on this, every person in the body of Christ would always feel deeply honored by the others and would never be satisfied that we are honoring one another enough. We would be motivated to continue asking, "How can I show more honor than he showed to me?"
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    29 m
  • GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-1

    GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-1
    Oct 25 2022
    Blessings to all,
    Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers:

    GOD REAFFIRMS HIS PROMISE part 1

    Until you get to the New Testament, you may wonder why the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of Genesis are included in the Bible. They seem rather detached from the story of Abraham. They deal with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Chapter 18 is a rather lengthy chapter in which God tells Abraham about the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham intercedes on behalf of the cities of the plain.

    This is an illustration, I think, of the blessed Christian life, of life in fellowship with God. But in chapter 19, down in Sodom and Gomorrah with Lot, we will see what I would call the blasted life—all because of a decision that was made. Unfortunately, we have both kinds among Christians today—those living a blessed life and those living a blasted life.

    There are those who have really made a shipwreck of their lives; they have gotten entirely out of the will of God. I would not suggest even for a moment that they have lost their salvation, but they sure have lost everything else. As Paul says, they are saved, “. . . yet so as by fire” (l Cor. 3:15).
    The events of Genesis 18 take place not long after God's visit with Abraham in chapter 17.

    This visit from the Lord is quite different, however. It's not clear, at first, if Abraham even recognizes the three men who appear outside of his tent as the Lord and two angels in human form. In either case, Abraham runs to show them deep respect and hospitality. He tells Sarah to bake them bread and has a young calf slaughtered for them to eat as they rest in the heat of the day.
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    40 m
  • Ishmael's Inheritance - Because Of Abraham Discussion

    Ishmael's Inheritance - Because Of Abraham Discussion
    Oct 19 2022
    Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

    1 John 2:3 KJVS
    [3] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

    The rule for perfect living is to obey all of God’s commandments. But no one is perfect. That’s why Jesus Christ died for us, to forgive our sins. The key, therefore, is to consistently try to obey God’s commandments, realizing that we will fail in some.

    At the point of our failures, we need to consistently seek Jesus and His forgiveness. One way in which we display evidence of saving faith in Jesus is through obedience. However, as believers, we always have a choice whether to obey or disobey.

    This particular sense of "knowledge" comes at more than one level. First, is that of salvation.
    Behavior is a reflection of belief. Actions, however, in and of themselves, are not an infallible test of one's salvation. This is especially true in regards to other people; only God knows exactly what happens in another person's heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

    However, obedience to the commands of Christ is a primary marker, both for others and ourselves, which at least confirms our place in Christ. The other, more immediate level of this "knowledge" is in fellowship with God. Even in an existing parent-child relationship, the level of fellowship depends on obedience and communication.

    A lack of communication does not prove that there is no relationship, but it is certainly not the way things "ought" to be (1 John 2:6). A person who has put trusting faith in Christ is expected to obey (1 John 2:5), but whether or not they do is still up to them. Critical to understanding this passage is the connection between "knowing" and "keeping" as seen in the Old Testament.

    The Jewish people were called to show their belief in God through obedience to the Mosaic Law. Even during that time, obedience was the result of faith, not the object of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 offers clear evidence of those godly people throughout the Old Testament who lived by faith, obeyed the Lord, and were recognized for it.

    Faith was, and is, essential to knowing the Lord. Here, John places the condition at the end of the sentence. He emphasized knowing Christ as exemplified by obedience. This is in contrasts to verses 5–10, where the conditions will come first.
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    33 m