Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
I broke this up in sections to make it easier to read.
Confidence is a good thing. We need confidence in order to do God’s will, to share his word with others and to do our best to do his will. It is when we get overconfident is when we could error. This has caused many to fall short in the past and not only resulted in one harming themselves but it brought harm on others and in some instances caused some to lose favor with God. If we become over confident we stop listening to the little things and may view them as something minor providing an opportunity for sin. We are very near the conclusion of this system of things so now more then ever we need to pay attention and stay alert. Our staying alert and not becoming over confidence is very important in order for us to receive the future promises that give us hope.
We have to be careful about our confidence and in our abilities to handle our sinful nature we inherited from Adam and Eve. We should always be on the guard. We have many examples like king David, Korah, and many others who got over confident about their standing with God , and their handle on their sinful nature which caused them to miss the mark. It is usually when we are most confident that we are the most vulnerable to falling short. Pride can contribute to overconfidence and it resulted in Korah rebelling against the arrangements God had made. This resulted in Korah and others losing their lives. King Solomon had many wives and concubines. Israel was not to marry women of the nations because they worshiped foreign gods. Solomon put trust in his wisdom and standing with God and his overconfidence caused him to disobey God and take in wives and concubines from the nations. This eventually led to him worshiping foreign God’s in opposition to Jehovah.
(1 Corinthians 10:12) 12 So let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.
(Proverbs 28:14) 14 Happy is the man who is always on guard, But whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
(Proverbs 16:18-20) 18 Pride is before a crash, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. 19 Better to be humble among the meek Than to share the spoil of the haughty. 20 The one who shows insight in a matter will find success, And happy is the one trusting in Jehovah.
(Numbers 16:1-3) 16 Then Korʹah the son of Izʹhar, the son of Koʹhath, the son of Leʹvi, got up together with Daʹthan and A·biʹram the sons of E·liʹab, and On the son of Peʹleth, of the sons of Reuʹben. 2 They rose up against Moses along with 250 Israelite men, chieftains of the assembly, chosen ones of the congregation, prominent men. 3 So they gathered together against Moses and Aaron and said to them: “We have had enough of you! The whole assembly is holy, all of them, and Jehovah is in their midst. Why, then, should you exalt yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?” . King Davids overconfidence resulted in him sinning against God and another man, this eventually led to king David being responsible for the mans death.
(Numbers 16:31-35) 31 As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split apart. 32 And the earth opened and swallowed them up, along with their households and everyone who belonged to Korʹah and all their goods. 33 So they and all who belonged to them went down alive into the Grave, and the earth covered them over, so that they perished from the midst of the congregation. 34 All the Israelites who were around them fled at their screaming, for they said: “We are afraid that the earth may swallow us up!” 35 Then a fire came out from Jehovah and consumed the 250 men offering the incense. . .
(2 Samuel 11:2-4) 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the rooftop of the king’s house. From the rooftop he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful. 3 David sent someone to inquire about the woman, and he reported: “Is this not Bath-sheʹba the daughter of E·liʹam and the wife of U·riʹah the Hitʹtite?” 4 Then David sent messengers to bring her. So she came in to him, and he lay down with her. (This happened while she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Afterward, she returned to her house.
(1 Kings 11:1-6) 11 But King Solʹo·mon loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharʹaoh: Moʹab·ite, Amʹmon·ite, Eʹdom·ite, Si·doʹni·an, and Hitʹtite women. 2 They were from the nations about whom Jehovah had said to the Israelites: “You must not go in among them, and they should not come in among you, for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods.” But Solʹo·mon clung to them and loved them. 3 And he had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and his wives gradually inclined his heart. 4 In Solʹo·mon’s old age, his wives inclined his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his father. 5 And Solʹo·mon followed after Ashʹto·reth, the goddess of the Si·doʹni·ans, and Milʹcom, the disgusting god of the Amʹmon·ites. 6 And Solʹo·mon did what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, and he did not follow Jehovah completely as David his father had done.
Peter became overconfident, in doing so Peter became blind to his short comings. It resulted in him denying he knew Jesus three times. This is why the bible warned us we must always keep on the watch and pray continually. This also requires us to stay aware we are an imperfect human.
Be vigilant in prayers and do all things as if we were doing them for God. Jesus was very persistent in praying. Jesus persisted in prayer even when he was dying. Jesus did not only pray for himself he prayed for others. The apostles followed Jesus example.
Matt. 26:31-35, 69-75
(John 13:36-38) 36 Simon Peter said to him: “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered: “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him: “Lord, why is it I cannot follow you now? I will surrender my life in your behalf.” 38 Jesus answered: “Will you surrender your life in my behalf? Most truly I say to you, a rooster will by no means crow until you have disowned me three times.”
(Mark 14:38) 38 Keep on the watch and pray continually, so that you do not come into temptation. The spirit, of course, is eager, but the flesh is weak.
(Romans 7:21-25) 21 I find, then, this law in my case: When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. 22 I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, 23 but I see in my body another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my body. 24 Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? 25 Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with my mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with my flesh to sin’s law.
(1 Peter 4:7-11) 7 But the end of all things has drawn close. Therefore, be sound in mind, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. 8 Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 To the extent that each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as fine stewards of God’s undeserved kindness that is expressed in various ways. 11 If anyone speaks, let him do so as speaking pronouncements from God; if anyone ministers, let him do so as depending on the strength that God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. The glory and the might are his forever and ever. Amen.
Luke 9:18; Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35, Matt. 27:46; Luke 23:46; John 19:30; Ps. 22:1; 31:5, Rom. 15:30; 1 Thess. 1:2; 1 Pet. 4:7
Satan is always looking to take us down. We live in the last days the lines between right and wrong have be skewed. We need to turn to God and let him guide us and help us determine what is Right and what is wrong. All the worldly things will be gone soon. No wealth or material things will save anyone but it is their faith and trust in God that will save them. Satan even tries to use our good qualities to tempt us. He tried to use Jesus compassion and desire to help others to get Jesus to do an act of worship to him but Jesus refused he put his faith in his heavenly father and the world he had given us. Jesus valued doing God’s will so much that he even put it over food in order of importance.
(1 Peter 5:7, 8) . . .. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. . .
(2 Timothy 3:1-5) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.
(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
(Matthew 4:3, 4) . . .” 4 But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.. . .
(Matthew 5:3) 3 “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.
(Isaiah 55:3) 3 Incline your ear and come to me. Listen, and you will keep alive, And I will readily make with you an everlasting covenant In harmony with the expressions of loyal love to David, which are faithful. . .
(Matthew 4:1-4) 4 Then Jesus was led by the spirit up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After he had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, he felt hungry. 3 And the Tempter approached and said to him: “If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’”
(John 4:31-34) 31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging him: “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them: “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another: “No one brought him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus said to them: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
We need to be shrewd and cautious with every step we take. Especially now days with the lines between right and wrong being so skewed. The bible warns us not to trust our hearts because the heart can deceive us. We should fear Jehovah God and let his wisdom found in the world he has given us to guide us. Becoming overconfident in our spiritual maturity or our own abilities or even man can not only bring harm to ourselves and cause us to sin it can also negative effect others around us.
(Proverbs 14:15, 16) 15 The naive person believes every word, But the shrewd one ponders each step. 16 The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil, But the stupid one is reckless and overconfident.
(Jeremiah 17:9) 9 The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate. Who can know it?
(Proverbs 28:26) 26 Whoever trusts in his own heart is stupid, But the one who walks in wisdom will escape. . .
(Job 28:28) 28 And he said to man: ‘Look! The fear of Jehovah—that is wisdom, And to turn away from bad is understanding.. . .
(Proverbs 3:7) 7 Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.
King Asa did not become over confident in the peace that Israel was experiencing after they removed the foreign gods. He used the time of peace to fortify Israel’s cities and to fortify Israel spiritually. Even when we are hungry there are foods we still are not permitted to eat and these are foods that still contain blood in them. In some culture they eat the blood or use it to prepare meals. Daniel and his friends refused to eat the food the king provided because it was declared unclean by God and they chose to obey God. This resulted in them being healthier then those who chose to eat the kings food showing even in what we eat we cannot put our confidence in the food but in God who will sustain us.
The lines between right and wrong are very skewed now days. They have many celebrations that are heavily laden with idolatry. The media and others glorify those who pursue power and wealth and some churches even promote those in their congregations who pursue such things. It is not a sin to acquire wealth or if we are put in a position of power but this should not be our goal gaining spiritual wealth should be our goal because all things in this present system will be gone soon but the spiritual treasure stored up in heaven will remain forever.
We are told in the last days the reason these things would occur. People would no longer listen to sound doctrine but would surround them with teachers who would scratch their itchy ears. In other words they would surround themselves with teachers who would tell them what they want to here not what they need to here. We have to remember in times past when a prophet was sent to correct Israel because they were no longer worshiping God in truth they would persecute and sometimes kill them. We are in the last days these things are occurring on a world wide scale. Soon the whole world will turn on true worship. So now more then ever we need to be aware that we are imperfect humans and not trust in things of the world or in ourselves but let God’s world and love guide all we do. This will protect us and God will reward those who trust in him and have faith in him and his son our king Jesus Christ who set the example of obedience even when facing persecution and death. God will reward those who know this is all temporary and their main focus is storing up treasures in heaven.
We must hate what is bad in God’s eyes and love what is good in God’s eyes and in order to know what is good in his eyes we need to deeply study his word so we can get to know him thoroughly. We may become too confident and associate with those who do not believe, or we may associate with those who seem to not be so sinful. These ones have drawn people away from Jehovah in the past and caused them to fall short. So we must be cautious because you can be certain Solomon may have seen many good qualities in the wives and concubines from the nations but his overconfidence in them drew him away from true worship. We should be very careful not to become overconfident in our knowledge or our spirituality to the point we drop our guard keeping in mind that God will reward those who endure to the end.
(2 Chronicles 14:2-7) 2 Aʹsa did what was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the sacred poles. 4 Further, he told Judah to search for Jehovah the God of their forefathers and to observe the Law and the commandment. 5 So he removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense stands, and under him, the kingdom continued without disturbance. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land had no disturbance and there was no war against him during these years, for Jehovah gave him rest. 7 He said to Judah: “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. For the land is still at our disposal, because we have searched for Jehovah our God. We have searched, and he has given us rest all around.” So their building was successful.
(Daniel 1:8-15) 8 But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies or with the wine he drank. So he asked the principal court official for permission not to defile himself in this way. 9 And the true God caused the principal court official to show Daniel favor and mercy. 10 But the principal court official said to Daniel: “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. What if he should see you looking worse in appearance than the other youths of your age? You would make me guilty before the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the guardian whom the principal court official had appointed over Daniel, Han·a·niʹah, Mishʹa·el, and Az·a·riʹah: 12 “Please, test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink; 13 then compare our appearance with the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s delicacies, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their appearance was better and healthier than all the youths who were eating the king’s delicacies.
(Acts 15:19, 20) 19 Therefore, my decision is not to trouble those from the nations who are turning to God, 20 but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.
(Isaiah 5:20, 21) 20 Woe to those who say that good is bad and bad is good, Those who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, Those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those wise in their own eyes And discreet in their own sight!
(Amos 6:12) 12 Do horses run on a crag, Or will one plow there with cattle? For you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.
(1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over it.
(Ephesians 6:10-13) 10 Finally, go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength. 11 Put on the complete suit of armor from God so that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil; 12 because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason take up the complete suit of armor from God, so that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have accomplished everything, to stand firm.
(Amos 5:15) 15 Hate what is bad, and love what is good, Let justice prevail in the city gate. It may be that Jehovah the God of armies Will show favor to the remaining ones of Joseph.’
(Psalm 97:10) O you who love Jehovah, hate what is bad. He is guarding the lives of his loyal ones; He rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
(Romans 12:9) Let your love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is wicked; cling to what is good.
The bible tells us those who worship in truth will suffer tribulation and will be hated. We have to keep in mind Jesus own people tortured and killed him. Jesus knew this would occur but did not leave that deter him from warning others of the things to come, teaching them about his father, giving them hope in the future promises and teaching them how to obey and have faith in his heavenly father. He was rewarded for his faith and loyalty to God and was promoted to a position in the heavenly kingdom of great authority. If we do our best to imitate Jesus and store up treasures in heaven and do our best to not tire out keeping in mind we will be persecuted in many ways and the persecution is not always obvious. If it was then we could easily prepare but often times in the bible the very people who were pretending to be someones friend would be the one sabotaging the one who was worshiping God in truth. This is why we should let God’s word guide who we call friends it will work to protect us. Having friends who do not share our faith or loyalty to God can put a heavier burden on us. A yoke is what is used to tie beast of burden together so they could share a load. If you put two types of beast of burden to one yoke it would cause them to work against each other. This is why we are warned not to become unevenly yoked with those who do not believe in true worship because we will have burden enough from those who oppose true worship why add farther to that burden?
Now days things have reach a point where many have no idea what is right or wrong and their minds are heavily burdened by not knowing what they should do or what they should think. This is why now more then ever we should listen to Jesus and follow his example. Jesus and our heavenly father Jehovah made it very clear what is right and what is wrong in their eyes. By taking in knowledge of them and putting on Jesus yoke it relieves the burdens many others have and the constant states of confusion and indecision they seem plagued with. Who better to be yoked to then Jesus?
(Matthew 10:22) And you will be hated by all people on account of my name, but the one who has endured to the end will be saved.
(Mark 13:13) And you will be hated by all people on account of my name. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.
(Luke 21:19) By your endurance you will preserve your lives.
(Hebrews 10:36) For you need endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive
the fulfillment of the promise.
(Revelation 2:10) Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of you into prison so that you may be fully put to the test, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life
(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) 14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” 18 “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”
(Matthew 11:25-30) 25 At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to young children. 26 Yes, O Father, because this is the way you approved. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone fully know the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light.”
Now more then ever you can see how unreasonable man is and how they are like a wave on the sea which blows whichever way the wind blows. God does not change and what he requires does not change. In knowing God and his son Jesus we are not burdened like others when it comes to knowing when to make our yes mean yes and our no mean no. If we are torn between loyalty to the world and loyalty to God then we are trying to slave two masters adding even more burden to us. The bible warns us we cannot slave for two masters. We will suffer no matter what because this system is coming to it’s conclusion. It is better to suffer as a slave to God then to suffer as a slave to the world.
The bible warned we would have to endure many things but we can be certain neither that our appointed king Jesus Christ understands our suffering because he endured the same sufferings. Nothing can separate us from the love he has for us. He gave his own life so many could be saved. So we have a king who understands our suffering and loves us deeply. Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus not even death. Jesus came to earth and put God’s will first. He knew what God’s will was because when he was in heaven with God before he had came to earth he learned from God so could perfectly imitate him. Jesus clearly demonstrated his love for man. This shows that God also loves man deeply and desires all to repent and draw close to him and his son Jesus. Those who do so will be rewarded. Since Jesus was the very first creation of God we can be sure he knew God very well and could perfectly imitate what he had seen his father do.
(James 5:12) 12 Above all, my brothers, stop swearing, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” mean yes and your “No,” no, so that you do not become liable to judgment.
(Matthew 5:36, 37) . . .. 37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
(Matthew 6:19-24) 19 “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is focused, your whole body will be bright. 23 But if your eye is envious, your whole body will be dark. If the light that is in you is really darkness, how great that darkness is! 24 “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches. . .
(Romans 8:35-39) 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.” 37 On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(John 6:37-39) 37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me, and I will never drive away the one who comes to me; 38 for I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none out of all those whom he has given me, but that I should resurrect them on the last day.
(Colossians 1:15) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
(Proverbs 8:22) Jehovah produced me as the beginning of his way, The earliest of his achievements of long ago.
(Revelation 3:14) “To the angel of the congregation in La·o·di·ceʹa write: These are the things that the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God:
The bible warned we would have to endure many things but we can be certain neither that our appointed king Jesus Christ understands our suffering because he endured the same sufferings. Nothing can separate us from the love he has for us. He gave his own life so many could be saved. So we have a king who understands our suffering and loves us deeply. Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus not even death. Jesus came to earth and put God’s will first. He knew what God’s will was because when he was in heaven with God before he had came to earth he learned from God so could perfectly imitate him. Jesus clearly demonstrated his love for man. This shows that God also loves man deeply and desires all to repent and draw close to him and his son Jesus. Those who do so will be rewarded. Since Jesus was the very first creation of God we can be sure he knew God very well and could perfectly imitate what he had seen his father do. Jesus even stated he does what he seen his father do. So if we endure a little longer we will be rewarded.
The new system will be here very soon. There will be no more hate, no more evil, no more corruption , no more death and tears of sorrow those will all be done away with. If we endure a little longer we may see loved ones we lost in death during the resurrection.
(James 5:12) 12 Above all, my brothers, stop swearing, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” mean yes and your “No,” no, so that you do not become liable to judgment.
(Matthew 5:36, 37) . . .. 37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
(Matthew 6:19-24) 19 “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is focused, your whole body will be bright. 23 But if your eye is envious, your whole body will be dark. If the light that is in you is really darkness, how great that darkness is! 24 “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches. . .
(Romans 8:35-39) 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.” 37 On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(John 6:37-39) 37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me, and I will never drive away the one who comes to me; 38 for I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none out of all those whom he has given me, but that I should resurrect them on the last day.
(Colossians 1:15) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
(Proverbs 8:22) Jehovah produced me as the beginning of his way, The earliest of his achievements of long ago.
(Revelation 3:14) “To the angel of the congregation in La·o·di·ceʹa write: These are the things that the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God:
(John 8:57, 58) 57 Then the Jews said to him: “You are not yet 50 years old, and still you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.. . .
(John 5:19-22) 19 Therefore, in response Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, the Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son does also in like manner. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, so that you may marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to. 22 For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son,
(Psalm 37:9-11) 9 For evil men will be done away with, But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth. ו [Waw] 10 Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. . .
(Isaiah 35:4-7) 4 Say to those who are anxious at heart: “Be strong. Do not be afraid. Look! Your own God will come with vengeance, God will come with retribution. He will come and save you.” 5 At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain. 7 The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested, There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus.
(Revelation 21:1-4) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
(John 5:28, 29) Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
(Matthew 24:12-14) . . .. 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
(Hebrews 10:35-39) 35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which will be richly rewarded. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. 37 For yet “a very little while,” and “the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay.” 38 “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and “if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.” 39 Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives.
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