Romans 3:10-19
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”[a]
13 “Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; [b]
“The poison of asps is under their lips”; [c]
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”[d]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”[e]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[f]
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ALCOHOL AND DRUGS?

Driving down the street you see a billboard. It shows a group of young, attractive people. Everyone is smiling, obviously having fun. And in everyone's hand is a bottle of beer. Or you see a commercial with some men in the forest. There is a beautiful stream nearby. And everyone is sitting around the campfire holding a beer. The commercial depicts a scene that says that good friends and good beer equal a good time.

Maybe you are not interested in beer or wine. Maybe your drug of choice is marijuana. Nowadays it seems that marijuana is more popular than ever. Everyone from rap stars to movie stars to doctors are singing the praises of getting high on weed. It has been called a reliever of pain, an aid for those with glaucoma, and a relaxant for people who just want to get high in general. The marijuana leaf has become so commonplace that you can even buy a hat or t-shirt that proudly displays the marijuana leaf logo.

Yes, nowadays you can't drive your car, watch tv, or turn on your radio without somehow seeing and hearing how the world glamorizes the use of alcohol and drugs. But how does God feel about these substances? What does the Bible say about alcohol and drugs?

In this paper I will share different verses that make it crystal clear that the Lord is not pleased with those who choose to defile their bodies and minds by the use of alcohol and drugs. Here are the topics that I will cover:

(1) What does God have to say about those who drink alcohol?

(2) Why Satan loves it when you drink and get high

(3) Just because something is natural, that does not mean that it is good

(4) Did you know that those who use mind-altering substances are disqualified from being used by God?

(For Christians who insist that it is okay to drink as long as you drink "responsibly," I have a whole different paper for you to go to. It can be found here.)

Hopefully, this paper will help you to see that alcohol and drugs don't make you more social or more creative or a cooler person. Those substances only steal your health, cloud your mind, make you a danger to others, and lead you closer to hell and farther from God.

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(1) WHAT DOES GOD HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THOSE WHO DRINK ALCOHOL?

There are countless verses that show us God's displeasure in those who choose to use alcoholic substances and the negative effect alcohol will have in your life. Here are just a few verses:

1 Corinthians 6:10 lists drunkards among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, NOR DRUNKARDS, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Galatians 5:21 "Envyings, murders, DRUNKENNESS, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

Proverbs 23:19-21, "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty."



And even though society tells you that drinking is fun, that people who drink are social and attractive, and that a little wine is good for your health, the Bible tells us something very different:

Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Isaiah 5:11, 22 "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. "

Hosea 4:11 "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart."



HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO LIVE? Titus 2:11-12 tells us, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

God does not want us to even spend time with people who are drunkards. 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one, no, not to eat... therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Who do you think has your best interest at heart, the big corporations who make millions off of you by getting you to drink as much as possible? Your drug selling friend who is buying fancy cars and expensive clothes off of every ounce of marijuana that you are dumb enough to buy? Or God in heaven who created you and who warned you against alcohol and told you to live soberly and righteously?

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(2) WHY SATAN LOVES IT WHEN YOU DRINK AND GET HIGH

Maybe you never thought of this, but you should know that drug use opens you up to spiritual attack. Some Indians used to use peyote and other "natural" substances to get high so that they could speak to their spiritual guides. I can tell you right now that those "guides" weren't angels of God; they were Satan's devils. Satan will use drugs and alcohol to get a stronghold in your life. He loves it when you drink and get high. Satan wants you to be off guard and hallucinating. There are specific demonic spirits associated with liquor and marijuana and cocaine and heroin, and opium, etc., and every time you use these substances, you could unknowingly be opening the doorway for these demonic spirits to come into your life.

Ephesians 6:12 warns us of such things: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Satan loves it when you drink alcohol and use drugs because you are then in no shape to fight against his attacks. You are leaving yourself wide open to demonic possession.

And satan loves it when you drink alcohol and use drugs because he knows that with your inhibitions lowered and your judgment gone, you will sin and get into things that you would have avoided had you not been intoxicated. How many people have been killed because of drunk drivers? How many babies have been aborted because two drunken strangers had sex that they later regretted? How many men and women have committed crimes against their neighbors and friends because they had to get some money for a quick fix?

God's Word warns against these things. Romans 13:12-14, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

Proverbs 23:31-32 "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."

Isaiah 28:7, "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink. They are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."

Does satan love the way you drink and get high? Are you living sober? Are you on guard? Remember Ephesians 6:11 instructs you to "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." So if you are struggling with sin in different areas of your life, ask yourself, "Am I leaving the door wide open for satan by the things I involve myself with?" And ask yourself, "Do I treat my body like the temple of the Holy Spirit or more like a temple of devils?"

Maybe you need to change your ways and follow the advice found here: 1 Peter 4:7, "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

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(3) JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NATURAL, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS GOOD

In my Bible study lessons with different youths at the juvenile facility, eventually someone always brings up a certain verse to try to say that getting high by smoking weed is okay because "the Bible says that God made herb and that it is good." I have even had a couple of teens specifically show me a verse in Genesis to try to justify their getting high. The verse is Genesis 1:11-12, which reads, "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

First of all, the "herb" or "grass" that this verse makes reference to is talking about the plants which are food for man and cattle and other beasts. (Refer to Genesis 1:29-30, Exodus 12:8, Deuteronomy 11:15, 1 Kings 18:5, Proverbs 15:17, Romans 14:2).

Secondly, just because God made something, that does not mean that He wants you to use that thing in a way that would harm yourself or others. God made many mushrooms that spring forth out of the ground and are poisonous. Do you think God wants you to eat these poisonous mushrooms? Are they good for you since God made them? Of course not. God also made the materials needed to fashion a gun, and God gave man the ability to use his brain to create different weapons. Does God want His created beings to use their God-given abilities to create weapons of destruction and ultimately kill one another? Of course not.

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, there was a tree there that God had created. It was the tree that bore the fruit that would reveal knowledge about good and evil. It was a tree pleasant to the eye. It was also a tree that God told Adam and Eve to stay away from. God created this tree, but He did not want His children to have anything to do with it.

But satan came along and whispered in Eve's ear and told her that the fruit from this tree would make her wise and that eating from the tree would not harm her. Foolishly, instead of listening to God's instructions, Eve listened to the devil. We all know what happened next.

How many of you foolishly believe the devil's lie that smoking weed will give you knowledge, for example, make you more creative? How many of you are deceiving yourselves by saying, "but it is natural"? The forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden was "natural," too. How many of you are trying to prove something to your so-called friends and fit in with them instead of heeding God's warning to stay away from those substances that alter your behavior and damage your mind? Don't be surprised when you find that the price you have to pay for a quick high is more than you bargained for.

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(4) ALCOHOL AND DRUGS DISQUALIFY YOU FROM BEING USED BY GOD

Don't you want to be used by God? How can God use you as a witness to others if you have no self-control, are setting a bad example to others, and are behaving just like the world by drinking and getting high? God's Word tells us that for us to be used by God, we must be sober and avoid intoxicating substances.

Titus 1:7-8, "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine...But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just holy temperate.

Titus 2:2-6, "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children... Young men likewise exhort to be soberminded.

This is what God's Word tells us about a great man of God, John the Baptist: Luke 1:15-16, "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.'

And this is what another great man of God, Daniel, did when given the opportunity to drink wine: Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank."

These men were used by God in a mighty way. God was able to use them because they did not defile their bodies or minds with alcohol or drugs. Do you think anyone would have listened to John the Baptist or Daniel or the disciples if they would have been hanging out at the bar during happy hour and getting drunk?

And if you are a Christian man or woman who is thinking, "But I'm not a bishop or deacon or someone chosen like John the Baptist. I am not under those same conditions. I'm just trying to enjoy a little wine with my meal," I want you to think on this: If you are truly saved and have been adopted into God's family, you are now called kings, priests, and saints. Revelation 1:5-6 says "Jesus Christ ... washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us KINGS and PRIESTS unto God and his Father." And Revelation 5:10 also says that Jesus hast made us unto our God kings and priests. So you see, men and women, we have been adopted into God's royal family. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9). And the Bible says this of its kings and royalty: Proverbs 31:4 "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted." So, friends, stop living like the world, and start living like God's holy royal people!

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In conclusion, this corrupt world that we live in will tell you that to have fun and to be social and to look cool, you have to drink or get high. And then later if you become an alcoholic or a crackhead, this twisted world says, "Well, that is okay. You just have a "disease." But God's Word tells you that your body is a holy temple, and that you are not to defile yourself with these substances. And if you insist on rebelling against God and indulging in alcohol and drugs, God's Word calls you a drunkard and a fool. It is that simple.

You need to choose this day whom you will serve. You can serve God and ask Him to clean up your life, or you can continue serving your own fleshly lusts and drinking and getting high. And if you choose to serve God, you need to follow God's command as found in this verse: Ephesians 5:8, 11 "For ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." So stop being entertained by wickedness and stop taking part in it. Stop calling evil good and good evil, and prepare for the battle that is at hand.

WHAT ABOUT ABSTINENCE?

I was holding a notice from my 13-year-old son's school announcing a meeting to preview the new course in sexuality. Parents could examine the curriculum and take part in an actual lesson presented exactly as it would be given to the students.

When I arrived at the school, I was surprised to discover only about a dozen parents there. As we waited for the presentation, I thumbed through page after page of instructions in the prevention of pregnancy or disease. I found abstinence mentioned only in passing.

When the teacher arrived with the school nurse, she asked if there were any questions. I asked why abstinence did not play a noticeable part in the educational material.

What happened next was shocking. There was a great deal of laughter, and someone suggested that if I thought abstinence had any merit, I should go back to burying my head in the sand. The teacher and the nurse said nothing as I drowned in a sea of embarrassment. My mind had gone blank, and I could think of nothing to say. The teacher explained to me that the job of the school was to teach "facts," and the home was responsible for moral training.

I sat in silence for the next 20 minutes as the sexuality course was explained. The other parents seemed to give their unqualified support to the materials.

At the break time, the teacher announced that there were donuts in the back of the room and requested that everyone put on a name tag and mingle with each other. Everyone moved to the back of the room. As I watched them affixing their name tags and shaking hands, I sat deep in thought. I was ashamed that I had not been able to convince them to include a serious discussion of abstinence in the educational materials.
I uttered a silent prayer for guidance.

My thoughts were interrupted by the teacher's hand on my shoulder. "Won't you join the others, Mr. Layton?" The nurse smiled sweetly at me. "The donuts are good."

"Thank you, no," I replied.

"Well, then, how about a name tag? I'm sure the others would like to meet you."

"Somehow I doubt that," I replied.

"Won't you please join them?" she coaxed.

Then I heard a still, small voice whisper, "Don't go." The message in my head was unmistakable: "Don't go!"

"I'll just wait here," I said.

When the class was called back to order, the teacher looked around the long table and thanked everyone for putting on name tags. She ignored me. Then she said, "Now we're going to give you the same lesson we'll
be giving your children. Everyone please peel off your name tags and look at the back of the tag." I watched in silence as the tags came off.

"Now then, I drew a tiny flower on the back of one of the tags. Who has it, please?" the teacher asked.


The gentleman across from me held it up. "Here it is!"

"All right," she said. "The flower represents disease. Do you recall with whom you shook hands?" He pointed to a couple of people. "Very good," she replied. "The handshake in this case represents intimacy. So the two people you had contact with now have the disease." There was laughter and joking among the parents.

The teacher continued, "And whom did the two of you shake hands with?" The point was well taken, and she explained how this lesson would show students how quickly disease is spread. She concluded by saying, "Since we all shook hands, we all have the disease."

It was then that I heard the still, small voice again. "Speak now," it said, "but be humble." I wryly noted the latter admonition, then rose
from my chair. I apologized for any upset I might have caused earlier, congratulated the teacher on an excellent lesson that would impress the youth, and concluded by saying I had only one small point I wished to make. "Not all of us were infected with the disease," I said. "One of us ... abstained."

-- Author Unknown

1 Corinthians 6:13b, 18 "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

No Fear!

We are living in a time where people everywhere are looking for ways to "push the envelope," so to speak. There is even a slogan that embodies this live-on-the-edge lifestyle and that slogan boldly states, "No Fear." Perhaps you yourself have seen those two words emblazoned on the back window of your neighbor's pickup truck, or maybe you've seen the No Fear logo on some guy's hat or sweatshirt. What is it all about? Well, in some instances it is the proud proclamation made by those who participate in extreme sports such as motocross or rock climbing or base jumping. In other instances it is just a design on a piece of clothing as part of a current fashion trend. But, unfortunately, I believe that No Fear is also the subtle cry of many who proclaim to be Christians. And although these Christians are not decorating themselves in No Fear paraphernalia, they live their lives as though they are truly without fear. But the fear that they seem to have lost is not the fear of participating in some radical sport or hobby. No, the fear that seems to have fallen by the wayside is their fear of the Lord!

How does this no fear attitude manifest itself in the professed Christian’s life? It shows itself in many different ways. It is apparent when they break the Lord’s commandments and go about their day-to-day activities living immorally with no care or concern for the one whom they claim is their Savior. For example, the bible is clear that God would have us abstain from sex outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Yet Christian men and women everywhere are fornicating freely with no true remorse and no plans on stopping. They have no fear.

Also, the bible is clear that we are to guard our minds and hearts from evil influences of this world (Psalm 101:3; Jeremiah 10:2; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:11-12, 15-16). Yet Christian men and women everywhere are filling their eyes, ears, and soul with sinfulness displayed via inappropriate movies, television shows, video games, and music. They find enjoyment and entertainment in the violence, sex, profanity, lies, and rebelliousness that they so willingly set before their eyes. They have no fear.

Furthermore, the bible says that as Christians we are to be separate and set apart; not giving place to the devil; pilgrims just passing through; cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit; living soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (1 Peter 2:11; Titus 2:12; 2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 2:15). Yet these fearless Christians look, act, and behave just like this sinful world with their suggestive My Space pages, revealing clothing, use of foul language, adornment of tattoos, and love of all things worldly and carnal. They are without fear!

But these things ought not to be, and this no fear attitude is in direct opposition of how the bible says Christians are to conduct themselves before our Holy God!

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Where did such rebelliousness come from? How has this brazen attitude gained such a stronghold in the lives of so many professed Christians? Why have they lost their fear of the Lord? Sadly, I believe that part of the problem lies in the present-day churches themselves.

Many churches are teaching this no fear mentality by neglecting to share the whole counsel of God. These preachers will tell the congregation all about God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, but they never touch upon the weightier matters such as righteousness, holy living, repentance, and judgment. These preachers will spend 30 minutes telling the congregation to name it and claim it, focusing on God's abundant blessings for your life, yet they are afraid to say anything that might cause the congregation's conscience to be pricked (or their purse strings to be tightened).

Think about it. When is the last time YOUR preacher spoke out against fornication, lying, or immorality amongst the brethren? When is the last time you heard a sermon and truly felt grieved in your soul to the point where your sorrow led to repentance on your part? Have you been lulled into believing that all of the sins you are currently committing and the carnal ways you are clinging to are of no consequence because, hey, no one is expected to be perfect? Has your fear of the Lord been replaced with some mumbo-jumbo along the lines of "The God I serve is a forgiving God, so I am eternally sealed no matter what I do or how much I sin"?

Yes, most church leaders convey to the congregation that there is nothing to fear, as though God is some big teddy bear. The bible even warns us of this very occurrence: that certain men would fall short of preaching God's Holy Truths. Jeremiah 23:14 reads, "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

Isaiah 29:13, "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

The Lord has this to say about such worthless preachers: Jeremiah 23:21-22, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings."

People, wake up from this dangerous slumber! Whether your ignorance is because your pastor is not sharing all of God's Word with you or because you have just been too lazy to read the bible for yourself, you need to open your eyes and learn the fear of the Lord. Jesus' shed blood does not give you license to sin. Do not mock God with your words of love but actions of disrespect and shamelessness. If you have truly been born again, you should no longer be sinning, period!

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2)

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not" (1 Corinthians 15:34).

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Ask yourself, have you been living as a "No Fear" Christian? When there is the fear of God, the Christian is striving to perfect holiness in their lives. When there is no fear of God, the person continues to wilfully sin. Which have you been doing? I beseech you to learn the fear of the Lord before it's too late. And we will see exactly what that means now.

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What does it mean to fear the Lord and why is this of the utmost importance in the Christian's life? Here's what God's Word says on this matter:

Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Psalm 89:7, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him."

Deuteronomy 10:12-13, " And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"

Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Malachi 1:6, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Psalm 33:8, "Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him."

Acts 10:34-35, "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

1 Peter 1:17, "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."

Psalm 147:11, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

1 Samuel 12:24, "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."

So we have just read that God wants and deserves our fear, that He requires it of us. The fear of God means to have holy awe and reverence for God and His laws. You should hate and shun anything that would offend your Holy Father whom you love and respect. You should desire to be obedient to the one whom you call your Lord. Your sincere fear and reverence should lead you to live your life in such a way that would make your Heavenly Father proud. You should put His will above all others.

People have forgotten that fear of the Lord is a good thing and that it produces wonderful changes in our lives. This fear leads us to depart from evil. It teaches us knowledge and wisdom. It prolongeth our days and keeps us from wickedness. It strengthens our walk and helps us to strive to live holy, righteous, worthwhile lives. It is a fountain of life! Just look at what these verses tell us about the benefits of fearing the Lord:

Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 16:6, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."

Deuteronomy 6:24, "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day."

Proverbs 10:27, "The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened."

Proverbs 14:27, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."

Proverbs 19:23, "The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil."

Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Psalm 145:19, "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."

Psalm 112:1, "Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."

Proverbs 31:30, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

So in conclusion, never forget who God is. Never become highminded, arrogant, or presumptuous. Never take the Lord's mercy and grace for granted. And never lose your fear of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 5:29, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!"

(For more on this topic, please read this well-written article found here: Christian Fear)

Jesus Christ is the Only way to God

One day I was on a break at work. I was just sitting and reading my Bible and minding my own business. A man sitting next to me noticed that I had a Bible and struck up a conversation. He stated something to the effect that he believed that all of the religions were equal and that he felt that God had revealed Himself to different people and cultures in different ways and that, basically, all roads lead to God.

So I told him, first, that I don't follow a religion, that I have a Lord and Savior named Jesus Christ. Then I told him that salvation could only be found in Jesus. Then I quoted to him John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The man then started raising his voice, and he told me that he felt sorry for me and that I was narrow minded.

I bring this up because I believe that there are many people out in the world who are similar to that man, people who pride themselves on being "accepting" and all-inclusive in their view on the various faiths and religions. Some people feel that as long as you believe in something, you will be all right. As long as you are "spiritual" (whatever that means), then everything will be honky dory. Even some people who call themselves Christians seem to have this anything and everything goes kind of mindset.

Well, although it is well and grand to respect the views of others, the Bible teaches us that there truly is only one way to God, and Jesus Christ is that way! Here are a few verses:

John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

Acts 16:30-31, He asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

1 Corinthians 3:11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

The Bible makes it very clear that all roads do not lead to God. And if you believe that just any and every "religion" is fine or that they are all basically the same, you are obviously not reading your Bible.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

People and religions will try to teach you that you have to perform certain rituals to be saved or do good works or follow some man's teachings or pay homage to some idol. The Bible says that there is nothing we can do on our own to merit grace and that our works are as filthy rags. Again, there is only one way through one Person that we can be saved:

Romans 10:9-10, 13, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

John 3:18, "He that believeth on him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Mathew 10:32-33, (Jesus speaking), "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God; and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Did you catch that? Giving the statue of Buddha fruit and cigarettes won't save you. Following the Torah or Koran won't save you. Positive affirmations cannot help you. You don't need to do penance or ask Mary to intercede for you. Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." What name is being referred to? The name Jesus Christ!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Many people want to lump Christ in with a bunch of other so-called religious leaders. But you cannot say that Jesus was just a great teacher or only another prophet. Jesus did not claim to be teaching mankind the truth; He claimed that He was Truth! Christ is not just a religious leader among many religious leaders. Only Jesus Christ claimed to be and was God in human flesh. As a matter of fact, when Jesus asked the Jewish authorities why they wanted to stone Him, they replied, "For a good work we stone thee not: but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God" (John 10:33). Did Jesus lie when He said that He was God?

Only God can forgive sins. Only God could make a way for sinful man to make it to heaven. And Jesus Christ came down to earth to do just that:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22, "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."

1 Timothy 3:16, "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

So if you believe in Jesus, you must believe that He was who He said He was, God, and that He did what He said He did, which is died on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus did not say pick a way. He said, "I am the way."

And if you don't believe in Jesus and, instead, you choose to reject His shed blood in exchange for some other way, expect to face an eternity of suffering in hell. John 3:36, "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We live in a world of many. There are many places to visit or live, many different styles of clothing and music, and many people from all walks of life with varied backgrounds and heritages. You have 100 cable channels with an assortment of programs to watch, and even at the ice cream parlor there are 31 flavors to choose from. But there is only one way and one correct choice concerning matters of the soul -- Jesus Christ! You may think that that sounds narrow, but that is what God has proclaimed.

Matthew 7:13-14, "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."

I hope that you are not someone who gets lost on the way in the potpourri of religions, but that instead you find the straight path to Jesus Christ.

And, remember, those other religions' leaders were just sinful men. Jesus Christ is God. Those other religions' leaders died and the dust of their bodies is still in the grave. Only Christ rose from the dead. Those other religions say that you have to "work" towards an ultimate prize. Only Jesus came down from heaven to be crucified for your sins so that He could make a way for you to be with Him in heaven. Why would you even want to try some other way?

(Click here to check out a tract that illustrates the importance of making the right decision. It is called: The Long Trip.)

Death – You can't avoid it

An old legend tells of a merchant in Baghdad who one day sent his servant to the market. Before very long, the servant came back, white and trembling, and in great agitation said to his master, "Down in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned around, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master, please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid her. I will ride to Samarra and there I will hide, and Death will not find me." The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant galloped away in great haste.

Later, the merchant went down to the market place and saw Death standing in the crowd. He went over to her and asked, "Why did you make a threatening gesture at my servant?"

"That was not a threatening gesture," Death said. "I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

THE DAY I ALMOST WENT TO HELL

I woke up that morning, got ready for work, and drove off from my house to my job. It was a lovely day, sunny but with a cool breeze. A perfect day for the kind of work that I did. I was a Meter Reader for the electric company, and I preferred walking around and doing my route on days that were not too hot and not too cold.

Work was uneventful. I had a pretty good route that day, and I even finished kind of early. In this line of work, you have a certain number of houses to do, and whatever time you finished, you got to go home. So even though I left home at 7:30 a.m., I was already on my way back home and finished for the day by 12:30 p.m. Yes, it was turning out to be a pretty good day.

I got home, pulled up to the driveway, opened up the garage door, and parked my car. Then I walked from the garage through the backyard and to the back door of my house. That was the way I always went. I don't remember what was on my mind as I walked. I probably was thinking about what I would have for lunch.

Well, I opened up the back door, took a couple of steps inside, and before I knew it, some guy with a gun was standing right there with me in my laundry room. Apparently he had gotten in through the doggie door. I don't know why I even had a doggie door. I didn't have a dog.

This armed young man told me to lay on the floor. I did what he said. It was at that time that two other men came into the room. So now I am surrounded by three strange men, at least one holding a gun, and they are demanding to know, "Where is the money? Where is the money?" I drove a kind of flashy car, and for some reason these men were under the impression that I had money. They had broken into my house and waited all day for me to come home so they could rob me. Well, with my head down and my eyes to the floor, I kept telling them that there was no money, that I just had a regular job.

As these events were transpiring, I felt like I was in some kind of bad dream. At first I wasn't scared, but then all kinds of thoughts began to go through my head. What if they rape me? What if they kill me? At that point I began to cry and cry. I kept thinking to myself, "They are going to kill me, and I'm going to be laying here on my hallway floor in my own blood and no one is going to find me until who knows when."

Well, we went back and forth for a while -- them asking me about the money, and me crying and insisting that I had no money -- when finally one of them told the other one, "Get her car keys. Let's get out of here."

Then something happened that scared me to the very core of my soul. One of the intruders told me to look up. Now, you have to understand that since this whole ordeal had started, I had my head to the floor facedown, and I hadn't gotten a good look at any of these men. And now he is telling me to look at him? Why did he want me to look at him? I thought for sure that he was going to kill me. I believed that he was going to kill me and that for some reason he wanted me to look him in the eyes before he did it. So I cried even harder and told him I didn't want to look up. He yelled at me and told me to look up.

Eventually I looked up, and I saw that he had his face covered with a piece of cloth. He mumbled some smart-alecky words that I do not even remember now, and then told me to just lay there until they were gone. Then one of the other men tied my hands behind my back, and the three of them left.

All of this happened about 14 years ago. I say that it was the day I almost went to hell because if those men had killed me on that day, hell is where I would be right now. I was not a "bad" person, comparatively speaking, but I did not know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior back then. So if those men would have had it in their hearts to shoot me in the head as I lay on that floor, I would have died in my sins and been in eternal torment in hell where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where the worm dieth not (Matthew 13:42, Mark 9:44).

Friend, you may never be the victim of a home invasion, but who is to say how the rest of this day is going to turn out for you? How many basically nice, decent people are in hell right now because they rejected Christ's gift of salvation? They were too busy with the cares of this life to worry about their soul. They clung to their sins and rejected the Savior. I am sure that hell is going to be full of such people. I very easily could have been one of them.

I believe that the only reason I am not in hell is because even back when I was in my rebellious state, the Lord had His angels around me to protect me. The Lord knew that I would eventually stop running from Him and instead ask Him to lead me. And now I feel like Peter. The Lord not only gave me a second chance, but He has told me "Feed My lambs." And now I am privileged to say that the Lord has even entrusted me with a youth ministry.

The purpose of my sharing this story is to bring home the point that you never know what the day will bring. If you have not turned from your sins and asked Christ to be your Savior and Lord, today might just be the day that you go to hell! You had better seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT AFFECT MOVEMENT
 
Jan 23, 2010 | By Liz Stannard
Movements, both voluntary and involuntary, are coordinated by multiple regions of the brain. The different parts of the brain communicate with each other to carry out the desired movement. If damage occurs to one part of the brain that affects movement, it can result in mobility problems and alter the motor line of communication.
CEREBELLUM
One area highly involved in movement is the cerebellum, which is the second largest part of the brain and is located at the back of the brain. According to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the cerebellum's main function is to coordinate movements by positioning and controlling the muscles in reaction to sensory input. The cerebellum is also a storage area for procedural memories, which are memories of motor skills. The Centre for Neuro Skills adds that the cerebellum controls balance and equilibrium.
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MOTOR CORTEX
The motor cortex affects many of the movement abilities of the body. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research state that the motor cortex is made up of three parts: the primary motor cortex (located in area four of the precentral gyrus), the pre-motor area and the supplementary motor area, the latter two of which are located in area six. The primary motor cortex controls muscle contractions on the same side of the body. These are needed for movement. The pre-motor area takes the incoming sensory information needed for the body movements, and the supplementary motor area plans the complex movements. The motor cortex is not the only area of the brain responsible for voluntary movements---the prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex are also involved.
FRONTAL LOBE
According to the Centre for Neuro Skills, the frontal lobe, which is the part of the cerebral cortex near the forehead, affects movement. The frontal lobe stores motor memories, controls simple movements and does the sequencing of complex movements.
BASAL GANGLIA
The Lundbeck Institute states that the basal ganglia contain multiple structures---the caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus---that are involved in movement control. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research add that the basal ganglia are relays for motor information. They send signals between the cerebral cortex and the supplementary motor area. The basal ganglia also act as a motor filter, preventing movements when they are not appropriate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_function
http://www.thewritingnut.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/right_vs_left.jpg
http://www.princetonbrainandspine.com/subject.php?pn=brain-anatomy-066

Chapter Contents

God creates heaven and earth. (1,2) The creation of light. (3-5) God separates the earth from the waters, and makes it fruitful. (6-13) God forms the sun, moon, and stars. (14-19) Animals created. (20-25) Man created in the image of God. (26-28) Food appointed. (29,30) The work of creation ended and approved. (31)

Five Great Bible Covenants

by David Padfield

In form, a covenant is an agreement between two people and involves promises on the part of each to the other. The concept of a covenant between God and His people is one of the central themes of the Bible. In the Biblical sense, a covenant implies much more than a contract or a simple agreement between two parties.

The word for "covenant" in the Old Testament also provides additional insight into the meaning of this important idea. It comes from a Hebrew root word that means "to cut." This explains the strange custom of two people passing through the cut bodies of slain animals after making an agreement (cf. Jer. 34:18 ). A ceremony such as this always accompanied the making of a covenant in the Old Testament. Sometimes those entering into a covenant shared a meal, such as when Laban and Jacob made their covenant (Gen. 31:54 ).

Abraham and his children were commanded to be circumcised as a "sign of covenant" between them and God (Gen. 17:10-11 ).

At Sinai, Moses sprinkled the blood of animals on the altar and upon the people who entered into covenant with God (Exo. 24:3-8 ).

The Old Testament contains many examples of covenants between people who related to each other as equals. For example, David and Jonathan entered into a covenant because of their love for each other -- this agreement bound each of them to certain responsibilities (1 Sam. 18:3 ).

The remarkable thing is that God is holy, omniscient, and omnipotent; but He consents to enter into covenant with man, who is feeble, sinful, and flawed.

In this article, we want to examine five great covenants of the Bible.

God's Covenant With Noah
Centuries before the time of Abraham, God made a covenant with Noah, assuring Noah that He would never again destroy the world by flood (Gen. 9).

Noah lived at a time when the whole earth was filled with violence and corruption -- yet Noah did not allow the evil standards of his day to rob him of fellowship with God. He stood out as the only one who "walked with God" (Gen. 6:9 ), as was also true of his great-grandfather Enoch (Gen. 5:22 ). "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations" (Gen. 6:9 ). The Lord singled out Noah from among all his contemporaries and chose him as the man to accomplish a great work.

When God saw the wickedness that prevailed in the world (Gen. 6:5 ), He told Noah of His intention to destroy the ancient world by a universal flood. God instructed Noah to build an ark (a large barge) in which he and his family would survive the universal deluge. Noah believed God and "according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (Gen. 6:22 ).

Noah is listed among the heroes of faith. "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Heb. 11:7 ).

With steadfast confidence in God, Noah started building the ark. During this time, Noah continued to preach God's judgment and mercy, warning the ungodly of their approaching doom. Peter reminds us of how God "did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:5 ).

Noah preached for 120 years, apparently without any converts. At the end of that time, "when ... the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah ... eight souls were saved through water" (1 Pet. 3:20 ).

People continued in their evil ways and ignored his pleadings and warnings until the flood overtook them. When the ark was ready, Noah entered in with all kinds of animals "and the Lord shut him in" (Gen. 7:16 ), cut off completely from the rest of mankind.

Noah was grateful to the Lord who had delivered him from the flood. After the flood, he built an altar to God (Gen. 8:20 ) and made a sacrifice, which was accepted graciously, for in it "the Lord smelled a soothing aroma" (Gen. 8:21 ).

The Lord promised Noah and his descendants that He would never destroy the world again with a universal flood (Gen. 9:15 ). The Lord made an everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants, establishing the rainbow as the sign of His promise (Gen. 9:1-17 ).

Another part of the covenant involved the sanctity of human life, i.e., that "whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man" (Gen. 9:6 ). Every time we see a rainbow today we are reminded of that agreement -- this covenant has not been done away with. As long as God still sends rainbows after a storm, capital punishment will still be a part of God's law for the human race.

God's Covenant With Abraham
In making a covenant with Abraham, God promised to bless his descendants and make them His own special people -- in return, Abraham was to remain faithful to God and to serve as a channel through which God's blessings could flow to the rest of the world (Gen. 12:1-3 ).

Abraham's story begins with his passage with the rest of his family from Ur of the Chaldeans in ancient southern Babylonia (Gen. 11:31 ). He and his family moved north along the trade routes of the ancient world and settled in the prosperous trade center of Haran, several hundred miles to the northwest.

While living in Haran, at the age of 75, Abraham received a call from God to go to a strange, unknown land that God would show him. The Lord promised Abraham that He would make him and his descendants a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3 ). The promise must have seemed unbelievable to Abraham because his wife Sarah was childless (Gen. 11:30-31 ; 17:15 ). Abraham obeyed God with no hint of doubt or disbelief.

Abraham took his wife and his nephew, Lot, and went toward the land that God would show him. Abraham moved south along the trade routes from Haran, through Shechem and Bethel, to the land of Canaan. Canaan was a populated area at the time, inhabited by the war-like Canaanites; so, Abraham's belief that God would ultimately give this land to him and his descendants was an act of faith.

The circumstances seemed quite difficult, but Abraham's faith in God's promises allowed him to trust in the Lord. In Genesis 15, the Lord reaffirmed His promise to Abraham. The relationship between God and Abraham should be understood as a covenant relationship -- the most common form of arrangement between individuals in the ancient world. In this case, Abraham agreed to go to the land that God would show him (an act of faith on his part), and God agreed to make Abraham a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3 ).

In Genesis 15 Abraham became anxious about the promise of a nation being found in his descendants because of his advanced age -- and the Lord then reaffirmed the earlier covenant. A common practice of that time among heirless families was to adopt a slave who would inherit the master's goods. Therefore, because Abraham was childless, he proposed to make a slave, Eliezer of Damascus, his heir (Gen. 15:2 ). But God rejected this action and challenged Abraham's faith: "'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be'" (Gen. 15:5 ).

Abraham's response is the model of believing faith: "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6 ). The rest of Genesis 15 consists of a ceremony between Abraham and God that was commonly used in the ancient world to formalize a covenant (Gen. 15:7-21 ). God repeated this covenant to Abraham' son, Isaac (Gen. 17:19 ). Stephen summarized the story in the book of Acts 7:1-8 .

The Mosaic Covenant
The Israelites moved to Egypt during the time of Joseph. A new Pharaoh came upon the scene and turned the Israelites into common slaves. The people cried out to the God of their forefathers. "So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Exo. 2:24 ). After a series of ten plagues upon the land of Egypt, God brought the Israelites out "of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand" (Exo. 32:11 ).

Three months after leaving the land of Egypt, the children of Israel camped at the base of Mount Sinai (Exo. 19:1 ). God promised to make a covenant with the Israelites (Exo. 19:3-6 ). Before they even knew the conditions of the contract, the people agreed to abide by whatever God said (Exo. 19:8 ).

This covenant was between God and the people of Israel -- you and I are not a party in this contract (and never have been). The Ten Commandments are the foundation of the covenant, but they are not the entirety of it.

After giving the first ten commands, the people asked the Lord to speak no more (Exo. 20:18-20 ). Moses then drew near to the presence of God to hear the rest of the covenant (Exo. 20:21 ). After receiving the Law, Moses spoke the words of the covenant to all of the people, and the people agreed to obey (Exo. 24:4 ).

Moses then wrote the conditions of the covenant down, offered sacrifices to God, and then sprinkled both the book and the people with blood to seal the covenant (Exo. 24:8 ). This covenant between God and the people of Israel was temporary -- God promised a day when He would make a new covenant, not only with Israel but also with all mankind. "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jer. 31:31-34 ).

God's Covenant With David
Another covenant was between God and King David, in which David and his descendants were established as the royal heirs to the throne of the nation of Israel (2 Sam. 7:12-13 ).

This covenant agreement reached its fulfillment when Jesus, a descendant of the line of David, was born in Bethlehem. The gospel of Matthew starts off by showing Christ was "the Son of David" (Matt. 1:1 ), and thus He had the right to rule over God's people. Peter preached that Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of God's promise to David (Acts 2:29-36 ).

The Covenant Of Christ
The New Testament makes a clear distinction between the covenants of the Mosaic Law and the covenant of Promise. The apostle Paul spoke of these "two covenants," one originating "from Mount Sinai," the other from "the Jerusalem above" (Gal. 4:24-26 ). Paul also argued that the covenant established at Mount Sinai was a "ministry of death" and "condemnation" (2 Cor. 3:7 , 9 ).

The death of Christ ushered in the new covenant under which we are justified by God's grace and mercy -- it is now possible to have the true forgiveness of sins. Jesus Himself is the Mediator of this better covenant between God and man (Heb. 9:15 ). Jesus' sacrificial death served as the oath, or pledge, which God made to us to seal this new covenant.

The "new covenant" is the new agreement God has made with mankind, based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The concept of a new covenant originated with the promise of Jeremiah that God would accomplish for His people what the old covenant had failed to do (Jer. 31:31-34 ; Heb. 11:7-13 ). Under this new covenant, God would write His Law on human hearts.

When Jesus ate the Passover meal at the Last Supper with His disciples, He spoke of the cup and said, "this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28 ). Luke's account refers to this cup as symbolizing "the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20 ).

When Paul recited the account he had received concerning the Last Supper, he quoted these words of Jesus about the cup as "the new covenant in My blood" (1 Cor. 11:25 ).

The Epistle to the Hebrews gives the new covenant more attention than any other book in the New Testament. It quotes the entire passage from Jeremiah 31:31-34  (Heb. 8:8-12 ). Jesus is referred to by the writer of Hebrews as "the Mediator of the new covenant" (Heb. 9:15 ; 12:24 ). The new covenant, a "better covenant ... established on better promises" (Heb. 8:6 ), rests directly on the sacrificial work of Christ.

The new covenant accomplished what the old could not, i.e., the removal of sin and cleansing of the conscience (Heb. 10:2 , 22 ). The work of Jesus Christ on the cross thus makes the old covenant "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13 ) and fulfills the promise of the prophet Jeremiah.

Conclusion
Unlike the Mosaic covenant, the new covenant of Jesus Christ is intended for all mankind -- regardless of race. In the Great Commission Jesus sent His apostles into the entire world so they could tell the story of the cross (Luke 24:46-47 ; Matt. 28:18-20 ). The gospel call extends to every man and woman today!

History of Satan

The history of Satan began with riches and honor. Satan had a glorious future. Then he became jealous and proud. He refused to repent and his future became dark. The events of history continue as Satan comes to earth and tries to become the god of this world.

Satan has caused more sorrow, pain, and death than any other individual in the history of the world. He delights in destruction. Satan would like to destroy every person on earth.

As you read the history of Satan, know that Jesus is stronger than Satan. Jesus loves you and desires to save you.

History of Satan – past

Satan was created by God thousands of years ago as a perfect angel. Satan was called Lucifer and he lived in heaven.

Lucifer was above every other angel in heaven. His appearance was beautiful and dazzling. He radiated light and glory. He was covered with gold and shimmering jewels. Lucifer was the Chief Covering angel and he worked in the throne room of God.

12 "You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.”
Ezekiel 28:12-14

Lucifer spent a lot of time with God the father and Jesus Christ. They met together frequently to share ideas and make plans. They were very close to each other and were in perfect harmony.

Lucifer became proud

Just over 6,000 years ago God and Jesus had a private meeting and Lucifer was not included. Lucifer became jealous. He set out on a campaign to prove that he was above Jesus. Lucifer began to be proud of his own glory and wisdom.

"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” Ezekiel 28:17

"you have set your heart as the heart of a god.” Ezekiel 28:6

Over time one third of the angels in heaven chose to side with Lucifer and to worship him instead of Jesus. God made tireless efforts to persuade Lucifer to repent and return to God. Lucifer almost relented, but he would not give up his pride and humble himself. He refused to admit that he was wrong.

Lucifer thrown out of heaven

Eventually Lucifer became entrenched in his pride and God could no longer influence him. God reluctantly removed Lucifer from his position of Chief Covering angel. Lucifer was thrown out of heaven, along with the angels who had chosen to follow him.

"How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
'I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'” Isaiah 14:12-14

History of Satan – present

Satan is alive and real. He got the name Satan after he was thrown out of heaven. Satan and his angels are demons. They live in the spirit world. They tempt and influence people on earth, but most of the time they are invisible to us.

Satan has many names. He is also called the devil, Dragon, Serpent, Beelzebub, Abaddon, Apollyon and many other names. The names of Satan lists many of his names from the Bible.

History of Satan – future

Very soon Satan will be released from the spirit world. He will appear on earth in a glorious, physical body. Then Satan will be called the beast. He will pretend to be God and he will have the appearance of God.

The beast is the name for Satan when he comes visibly to the earth claiming that he is God. His demons will come with him and they will appear to be angels from heaven.

How long will be beast be on earth? Satan will be given 3 ½ years as the visible god of this world. During this time he will try to convince every person on earth to worship him. Do not be deceived. He is not God and you should not worship him.
Who will worship the beast?

History of Satan – ultimate end

Satan will be physically on this earth for 3 ½ years. During that time he will disguise himself as God. After the 3 ½ years he will be put in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. During the 1,000 years Satan will not be allowed to tempt any people.

“1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” Revelation 20:1-3

At the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released from the bottomless pit for a short time. He will gather the wicked together and they will fight against God and His people. God will bring fire down from heaven to destroy the wicked. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire. He will never again tempt any person.

“7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:7-10

The universe will be eternally secure from sin and Satan. Sin will never rise again.

“What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.” Nahum 1:9

Who is the Beast in Revelation 13?

“And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1

The most solemn warning in the Bible is given to people who worship the beast. This warning includes the threat of receiving God’s wrath.