A new covenant, sealed by Jesus.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

Old laws are fleshly, new are spirit. If we live under the old laws and not the new covenant then we will not be covered by the new covenant because the new covenant teaches us to walk by spirit , the heavenly kingdom is a spiritual kingdom with Christ as our king. So if we walk by the old laws we are not covered by the ransom sacrifice of Jesus the that sealed the new covenant. We are no longer slaves to law but we have been freed and are servants of Jehovah. If we believe the physical nation of Israel is God’s people then we are rejecting Jesus and the new covenant. This covenant was promised to Abraham when the old covenant had been fulfilled. In fulfilling the old covenant and forming a new one, a new nation of Israel arose. It is a spiritual nations. This nation is ruled by Jesus who is sitting on the heavenly throne. Those who enter the narrow gate can be a part of the new kingdom. We enter the narrow gate by having faith and being obedient to God. We also believe Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected and is now sitting on the heavenly throne.

Many say God does not change so the old covenant would still be valid. God did not change. A covenant is a contract when the things agreed upon in that contract have been fulfilled then the contract is completed. God prophesied Jesus would fulfill that covenant. So God did not change, it was all in his arrangements. He even stated there would be a new covenant when the old one was fulfilled. To state that the physical nation of Israel is God’s people would be rejecting the new covenant and the one who sealed it Jesus. If we live by the old laws the ransom does not cover us because the new Israel is a spiritual nation and we must live by the spirit.

If we walk by flesh we cannot walk by spirit they will be in conflict. That will still keep us from being under the new covenant. Being a part of the covenant worshiping in spirit is a requirement. Jesus taught us how to worship in spirit so if we do our best to imitate him then we can learn to worship in spirit.

If we live by spirit we will receive its fruits. By those fruits we will show God it reveals who is obeying God and who is not. The most important of the fruits is love. The new covenant makes love a priority, and we must worship in spirit. God blesses us with the spirit but we have to ask for it.

We must imitate Jesus with acts of compassion, generosity, and kindness. There were times the bible said Jesus was exhausted and he still continued to help others. He had no home, one set of clothes but still put spiritual matters first. He never stopped showing empathy and compassion not matter how tired , abused or tortured he was. He was the perfect example to follow to learn how to truly love. Love requires we be patient and forgiving Jesus always was. Love doesn’t put it’s own interest first. Jesus never did. It does not become provoked. Jesus did not get angry and seek revenge. When Jesus was wronged he did not keep account of it and continually throw it in peoples face he put it in prayer to Jehovah and he remembered that we are all imperfect humans. Because of this Jesus was able to bare many peoples sufferings along with his own.

Love fulfills the law thus we would not be under the old laws. If love guides all we do then we are under the new covenant and the ransom that sealed that covenant which was when Jesus gave his life for man. The bible says God is love. Jesus stated he did what he saw his father doing when he was by his side in heaven. Jesus perfectly mirrored God so if we imitate Jesus we can learn to love as he did.

When we live by spirit we must prove it by working towards things that show we are living by spirit and not flesh. We must follow the teachings of Jesus and the new Covenant and exercise faith in him as our appointed king. We must prove our works. All those who learn to live by the spirit will be covered by the ransom. By treating all as Jesus did it works as a protection for us. Not only that but how do you know that you are not in the presence of an angel of Jehovah’s. How would you feel if you knew an angel of Jehovah had come to observe you and you didn’t know it?

It isn’t works of the law but works of faith that proves to Jehovah whether we are righteous or not. There will come a day when we will no longer be able to do works of faith so we need to seize the opportunity now before it is too late.

We exercise to build endurance. If we do not exercise our love and faith towards others how can we build the spiritual endurance and faith we need. How will others learn to do that if you do not set an example for them and follow Jesus example of selflessness and love. He also worked very hard to teach others how to live spiritually. To exercise faith we need to trust God’s word to guide us an not rely on our own understanding or put our faith in the world or things in the world which will be gone soon.

In doing the above mentioned things we keep ourselves in God’s love and become a new creation. This is not a one time thing, it is a daily thing, as we learn God’s word and apply it and let it guide us and obey it and put our faith in him each day we grow spiritually so are a new creation daily.

The old law of convenant was to teach what sin was. It did not give the benefit of the ransom sacrifice that the new covenant has. They were still enslaved by the sin which we know results in death. Those who followed the old covenant knew about the new one and put faith in what would come of the new covenant so they were still covered by the new covenant even though it had not come about yet. The laws also protected Gods people and kept them under God’s care. As long as they followed the laws they would have God’s protection and they would avoid making serious mistakes. So we could benefit from studying them and applying them.

Following Jesus footsteps we will not have to worry about breaking the old laws because he upheld them. Even though we are no longer slaves to the old covenant they still work to protect our relationship with Jehovah and to keep us from smearing his name so it is good to apply the jist of them in our lives. Some of the laws like abstaining from eating certain things was to guarantee that Abraham’s bloodline would not contract disease and it would continue so that the promise messiah would be fulfilled.

(Romans 8:5) For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those in accord with the spirit on the things of the spirit

(Hebrews 8:7-10) 7For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second; for he does find fault with the people when he says: “‘Look! There are days coming,’ says Jehovah, ‘and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; 9not according to the covenant that I made with their forefathers in [the] day of my taking hold of their hand to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant, so that I stopped caring for them,’ says Jehovah.” 10“‘For this is the covenant that I shall covenant with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people.

(Hebrews 7:18-22) 18Certainly, then, there occurs a setting aside of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and ineffectiveness. 19For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in besides of a better hope did, through which we are drawing near to God. 20Also, to the extent that it was not without a sworn oath, 21(for there are indeed men that have become priests without a sworn oath, but there is one with an oath sworn by the One who said respecting him: “Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret), ‘You are a priest forever,’”) 22to that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge of a better covenant.

(Colossians 2:13, 14) 13 Furthermore, though YOU were dead in YOUR trespasses and in the uncircumcised state of YOUR flesh, [God] made YOU alive together with him. He kindly forgave us all our trespasses 14and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us; and He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake.

(Galatians 5:16-18) 16But I say, Keep walking by spirit and YOU will carry out no fleshly desire at all. 17For the flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that the very things that YOU would like to do YOU do not do. 18Furthermore, if YOU are being led by spirit, YOU are not under law.

(Romans 8:12-16) 12So, then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh to live in accord with the flesh; 13for if YOU live in accord with the flesh YOU are sure to die; but if YOU put the practices of the body to death by the spirit, YOU will live. 14For all who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons. 15For YOU did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but YOU received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba, Father!” 16The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children..

(Galatians 5:22-24) 22On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires.

(1 Corinthians 13:13) 13Now, however, there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) 4Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(Romans 13:9, 10) .” 10Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore love is the law’s fulfillment.

(Galatians 6:1-5) 6 Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, YOU who have spiritual qualifications try to readjust such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted. 2Go on carrying the burdens of one another, and thus fulfill the law of the Christ. 3For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving his own mind. 4But let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person. 5For each one will carry his own load.

(Galatians 6:9, 10) 9So let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due season we shall reap if we do not tire out. 10Really, then, as long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to [us] in the faith.

(Galatians 5:22-24) 22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires..

(Galatians 3:26-29) 26YOU are all, in fact, sons of God through YOUR faith in Christ Jesus. 27For all of YOU who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for YOU are all one [person] in union with Christ Jesus. 29Moreover, if YOU belong to Christ, YOU are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.

(Hebrews 13:1-6) 13 Let YOUR brotherly love continue. 2Do not forget hospitality, for through it some, unknown to themselves, entertained angels.

(Galatians 3:24) Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith

(Galatians 2:16) knowing as we do that a man is declared righteous, not due to works of law, but only through faith toward Christ Jesus, even we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be declared righteous due to faith toward Christ, and not due to works of law, because due to works of law no flesh will be declared righteous.

(John 9:4) We must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no man can work.

(Hebrews 10:35, 36) 35Do not, therefore, throw away YOUR freeness of speech, which has a great reward to be paid it. 36For YOU have need of endurance, in order that, after YOU have done the will of God, YOU may receive the [fulfillment of the] promise.

(Romans 10:9, 10) 10For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.

(James 2:18-26) 18Nevertheless, a certain one will say: “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from the works, and I shall show you my faith by my works.” 19You believe there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder. 20But do you care to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is inactive? 21Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he had offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22You behold that [his] faith worked along with his works and by [his] works [his] faith was perfected, 23and the scripture was fulfilled which says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he came to be called “Jehovah’s friend.” 24YOU see that a man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone. 25In the same manner was not also Ra′hab the harlot declared righteous by works, after she had received the messengers hospitably and sent them out by another way? 26Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

(Jude 17-23) 17As for YOU, beloved ones, call to mind the sayings that have been previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18how they used to say to YOU: “In the last time there will be ridiculers, proceeding according to their own desires for ungodly things.” 19These are the ones that make separations, animalistic [men], not having spirituality. 20But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, 21keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. 22Also, continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; 23save [them] by snatching [them] out of the fire. But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh.

(Colossians 3:8-11) 8But now really put them all away from YOU, wrath, anger, badness, abusive speech, and obscene talk out of YOUR mouth. 9Do not be lying to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices, 10and clothe yourselves with the new [personality], which through accurate knowledge is being made new according to the image of the One who created it, 11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, foreigner, Scyth′i·an, slave, freeman, but Christ is all things and in all.

(Galatians 3:19-22) 19 Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest, until the offspring should arrive to whom the promise had been made; and it was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now there is no mediator when just one person is involved, but God is only one. 21 Is the Law, therefore, against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, righteousness would actually have been by means of law. 22 But the Scripture handed all things over to the custody of sin, so that the promise resulting from faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those exercising faith.

(Galatians 3:23-25) . . .. 24 So the Law became our guardian leading to Christ, so that we might be declared righteous through faith. 25 But now that the faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian. . .

(Hebrews 8:5, 6) . . .” 6 But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry because he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established on better promises.

If you believe the physical nation of Israel are God’s people you are rejecting Christ.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

Jesus stated he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. When that law of the covenant was fulfilled we were promised a new covenant. If we cling too tightly to the old covenant we could be blinded to the fact the old covenant was fulfilled by Jesus ransom sacrifice and fail to listen to Jesus and the new laws he gave us when he instated the new covenant. By listening to Jesus and putting our trust in him we experience a certain freedom. God lifts spiritual blinders off of us. Many think that the nation of Israel are God’s people but when that covenant was fulfilled a new nation of Israel was created. When we cling to the belief the physical nation of Israel are God’s people we are not accepting that there is a new nation of Israel with Jesus as our king and we become blinded on how to enter that kingdom which is through the narrow gate. Jesus is the narrow Gate.

Does this mean that God changed his mind. Certainly not it was prophesied that the messiah would come through Abraham’s seed and there would be a new everlasting covenant. Jesus fulfilled the covenant given to Abraham. We are now under the new covenant so the circumcision we now are required to do is circumcision of the heart by writing God’s word on it. If we continue to believe the physical nation of Israel are God’s people we are rejecting the new covenant and rejecting that Jesus has been set on the heavenly throne by his father and that he is the king of the new spiritual nation of Israel. Surely we would not want to reject Christ. God gave him full authority to deliver us when the time is near. When Jesus made the new Covenant he gave us many commands, some of them were from the old covenant like the ten commandments which were covered under the new covenant.

(Matthew 5:17-20) ¹⁷ “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ Truly I say to you that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one stroke of a letter to pass away from the Law until all things take place. ¹⁹ Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in relation to the Kingdom of the heavens. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in relation to the Kingdom of the heavens. ²⁰ For I say to you that if your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the Kingdom of the heavens.

(Ephesians 2:14-18) . . .. ¹⁵ By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, in order to make the two groups in union with himself into one new man and to make peace, ¹⁶ and to reconcile fully both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. ¹⁷ And he came and declared the good news of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near, ¹⁸ because through him we, both peoples, have free access to the Father by one spirit.

(2 Corinthians 3:13-18) . . .did when he would put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel might not gaze intently at the end of what was to be done away with. ¹⁴ But their minds were dulled. For to this present day, the same veil remains unlifted when the old covenant is read, because it is taken away only by means of Christ. ¹⁵ In fact, to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their hearts. ¹⁶ But when one turns to Jehovah, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now Jehovah is the Spirit, and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, exactly as it is done by Jehovah the Spirit.

(Galatians 6:12-16) ¹² All those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who try to compel you to get circumcised, doing so only to avoid being persecuted for the torture stake of the Christ. ¹³ For even those who are getting circumcised do not keep the Law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may have cause for boasting about your flesh. ¹⁴ But may I never boast, except in the torture stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been put to death with regard to me and I with regard to the world. ¹⁵ For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is. ¹⁶ As for all those who walk orderly by this rule of conduct, peace and mercy be upon them, yes, upon the Israel of God.

(2 Corinthians 5:16-19) ¹⁶ So from now on we know no man from a fleshly viewpoint. Even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, we certainly no longer know him in that way. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; look! new things have come into existence. ¹⁸ But all things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of the reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that God was by means of Christ reconciling a world to himself, not counting their offenses against them, and he entrusted to us the message of the reconciliation.

(1 Peter 2:10-12) . . .For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not been shown mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which wage war against you. ¹² Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, so that when they accuse you of being wrongdoers, they may be eyewitnesses of your fine works and, as a result, glorify God in the day of his inspection.

(Romans 9:25) It is as he says also in Ho·seʹa: “Those not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not loved, ‘beloved’;

(Acts 15:12-21) . . .many signs and wonders that God had done through them among the nations. ¹³ After they finished speaking, James replied: “Men, brothers, hear me. ¹⁴ Symʹe·on has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written: ¹⁶ ‘After these things I will return and raise up again the tent of David that is fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, ¹⁷ so that the men who remain may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name, says Jehovah, who is doing these things, ¹⁸ known from of old.’ 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. ²¹ For from ancient times Moses has had those who preach him in city after city, because he is read aloud in the synagogues on every sabbath.”

(Ephesians 2:11-18) ¹¹ Therefore, remember that at one time you, people of the nations by fleshly descent, were the ones called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision,” which is made in the flesh by human hands. ¹² At that time you were without Christ, alienated from the state of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise; you had no hope and were without God in the world. ¹³ But now in union with Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, the one who made the two groups one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. ¹⁵ By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, in order to make the two groups in union with himself into one new man and to make peace, ¹⁶ and to reconcile fully both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. ¹⁷ And he came and declared the good news of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near, ¹⁸ because through him we, both peoples, have free access to the Father by one spirit.

(Romans 2:25-29) ²⁵ Circumcision is, in fact, of benefit only if you practice law; but if you are a transgressor of law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶ If, therefore, an uncircumcised person keeps the righteous requirements of the Law, his uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision, will it not? ²⁷ And the physically uncircumcised person will, by carrying out the Law, judge you who are a transgressor of law despite having its written code and circumcision. ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people.

(Genesis 12:1-3) And Jehovah said to Aʹbram: “Go out from your land and away from your relatives and from the house of your father to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will become a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who calls down evil on you, and all the families of the ground will certainly be blessed by means of you.”

(Galatians 3:13-18) ¹³ Christ purchased us, releasing us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: “Accursed is every man hung upon a stake.” ¹⁴ This was so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the nations by means of Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised spirit through our faith. ¹⁵ Brothers, I speak using a human illustration: Once a covenant is validated, even if only by a man, no one annuls it or attaches additions to it. ¹⁶ Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “and to your descendants,” in the sense of many. Rather, it says, “and to your offspring,” in the sense of one, who is Christ. ¹⁷ Further, I say this: The Law, which came into being 430 years later, does not invalidate the covenant previously made by God, so as to abolish the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has kindly given it to Abraham through a promise.

(Matthew 1:17-23) ¹⁷ All the generations, then, from Abraham until David were 14 generations; from David until the deportation to Babylon, 14 generations; from the deportation to Babylon until the Christ, 14 generations. ¹⁸ But this is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. During the time his mother Mary was promised in marriage to Joseph, she was found to be pregnant by holy spirit before they were united. ¹⁹ However, because her husband Joseph was righteous and did not want to make her a public spectacle, he intended to divorce her secretly. ²⁰ But after he had thought these things over, look! Jehovah’s angel appeared to him in a dream, saying: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your wife Mary home, for what has been conceived in her is by holy spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All of this actually came about to fulfill what was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet, saying: ²³ “Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will name him Im·manʹu·el,” which means, when translated, “With Us Is God.”

(Matthew 7:13, 14) ¹³ “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; ¹⁴ whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it.

(John 10:7-11) ⁷ So Jesus said again: “Most truly I say to you, I am the door for the sheep. ⁸ All those who have come in place of me are thieves and plunderers; but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved, and that one will go in and out and find pasturage. ¹⁰ The thief does not come unless it is to steal and slay and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance. ¹¹ I am the fine shepherd; the fine shepherd surrenders his life in behalf of the sheep.

(Micah 5:2-4)  ² And you, O Bethʹle·hem Ephʹra·thah, The one too little to be among the thousands of Judah, From you will come out for me the one to be ruler in Israel, Whose origin is from ancient times, from the days of long ago.  ³ So he will give them up Until the time that she who is to give birth has given birth. And the rest of his brothers will return to the people of Israel.  ⁴ He will stand up and shepherd in the strength of Jehovah, In the superiority of the name of Jehovah his God. And they will dwell in security, For now his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.

(Luke 1:31-33) . . .. ³² This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, ³³ and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom.”

(Hebrews 1:8-14) ⁸ But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. ⁹ You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions.” ¹⁰ And: “At the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. ¹¹ They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out, ¹² and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.” ¹³ But about which of the angels has he ever said: “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet”? ¹⁴ Are they not all spirits for holy service, sent out to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation?

(Jeremiah 31:31-34) ³¹ “Look! The days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. ³² It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, ‘my covenant that they broke, although I was their true master,’ declares Jehovah.” ³³ “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Jehovah. “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.” ³⁴ “And they will no longer teach each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know Jehovah!’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them,” declares Jehovah. “For I will forgive their error, and I will no longer remember their sin.”

(Hebrews 13:20, 21) ²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, with the blood of an everlasting covenant, ²¹ equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us through Jesus Christ what is well-pleasing in his sight, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

What does it mean in the bible when it says to be no part of the world?

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.

Jesus mentioned being no part of the world. How can we be not part of the world when we live in the world and we are required to share bible truths with others? If we are no part of the world the bible warns we will be hated. So we should keep in mind does the world love us or does it hate us and exactly what does Jesus mean when he says the world. The closer we get to the end of this system the more we need to be careful and be not part of the world. Those who are part of the world will be destroyed. Certainly we would not want to be destroyed. We have to remember Jesus own people persecuted and killed him because he was telling them what they needed to hear and not what they wanted to hear. Many know the signs we are to look for indicating the end of this system. The bible even warned about us getting over confident that the time is a way off. Many would say these things have always been happening. Yes they have been , when Jesus was speaking of those things occurring he was referring to them occurring on a scale and level they had never occurred before. Earthquakes, famine, pestilence were all usually localized and rarely happened. Now things like this occur so much people barely take note. The bible tells us to stay awake or the day will suddenly be upon us and it will be too late to escape. For some this will be happy times because they will know redemption is near but for others it will be fearful times. For those who paid no note to the things and how they are occurring on a world wide scale like they never have before, by the time they realize they should have prepared it will be too late and God’s great day will be suddenly upon them.

Jesus gives us one clue to this when he was being questioned by Pilate and he answered “my Kingdom is no part of the world”. So if we choose to obey Christ as ruler rather then man we are working towards being no part of the world. We are also told those of the world would not worship in truth. Their hearts would not be complete towards God.

We were warned not to love the world or the things in the world because it and all in it are passing away. We are told those who do God’s will are the ones who will remain. So now I will discuss below what it means to be a part of the world from God’s viewpoint. Many are confused and do not know when to make their yes mean yes and their no mean no. There is no authority wiser or more powerful then God. By learning what he requires we clearly know when to make our yes mean yes and our no mean no.

(John 17:13-19) . . .. ¹⁴ I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. ¹⁵ “I do not request that you take them out of the world, but that you watch over them because of the wicked one. ¹⁶ They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And I am sanctifying myself in their behalf, so that they also may be sanctified by means of truth.

(John 15:18, 19) If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

(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.

(John 18:34-36) . . .” ³⁵ Pilate replied: “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What did you do?” ³⁶ Jesus answered: “My Kingdom is no part of this world. If my Kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from this source.”

(2 Timothy 3:12, 13) ¹² In fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted. ¹³ But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.

(2 Thessalonians 2:11) That is why God lets a deluding influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie,

(1 Timothy 4:1) 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 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 5:36, 37) . . .. 37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.

Those who have choosen to be no part of the world will be ridiculed, looked down on and they will even accuse themof losing their minds. The lines between what is right and what is wrong have become obscured but those who have written God’s word in their hearts clearly know right from wrong so will not participate on many of the things the world does. Because of that they will speak abusively of those who choose to obey God and they will even lie about them. This is why we must do our best to remain blameless so the things they falsely accuse us of they will be held accountable for. This is why Jesus told us when someone strikes us turn the other cheek. If we struck them back we would be no different then they are. We would be resorting to violence to solve our problems.

We are warned that friendship with the world is enmity with God. So we cannot be friends with the world and friends with God. By loving the things in the world and devoting our time to things of the world and neglecting spiritual things which should be our first priority we are putting a divide between ourselves and God. The bible warns us we cannot slave for two masters. We are told we must purify our hearts and our minds. In order to do this we have to read God’s word and let it guide all we do.

We are warned not to be unevenly yoked by those who are part of the world. Those who do will not do God’s will or will not except him as the one true God we should not let ourselves be yoked to them. In other worlds we should not be friends with those of the world. They could draw us away from God. This has happened many times in the bible. King Solomon was one example where this occurred he took in concubines from the nations and they eventually got him to start worshiping their false gods. We are told we must love Jehovah God with our whole hearts and whole soul. How can we do this if we are torn between the world and the Heavenly Kingdom? This is why we are told to seek the things above first. We are warned the whole word lies in the power of the wicked one. So we could easily be drawn away from spiritual things and start focusing mainly on material or worldly things. It is not wrong to have material possessions or to have wealth unless it takes precedence over spiritual things. There may be someone we care about but if they reject God and reject God’s guidance then they could draw us away from spiritual things no matter how nice they may seem. Some may put hobbies over spiritual things, some may put life desires over spiritual things. These are subtle things that could slowly influence us and draw us away from God. Things are rapidly winding down so now more then ever we need to put spiritual things first. This does not mean we neglect responsibly. It means we should be content with what we have and focus on spiritual matters first and we have certain life responsibilities that must be addressed. Especially family matters.

I will discuss other things that could make us a part of the world below.

(1 Peter 4:1-4) 4 Since Christ suffered in the flesh, you too arm yourselves with the same mental disposition; because the person who has suffered in the flesh has desisted from sins, ² so that he may live the remainder of his time in the flesh, no more for the desires of men, but for God’s will. ³ For the time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have done the will of the nations when you carried on in acts of brazen conduct, unbridled passions, overdrinking, wild parties, drinking bouts, and lawless idolatries. ⁴ They are puzzled that you do not continue running with them in the same decadent course of debauchery, so they speak abusively of you. . .

(1 Peter 3:16-20) ¹⁶ Maintain a good conscience, so that in whatever way you are spoken against, those who speak against you may be put to shame because of your good conduct as followers of Christ. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer because you are doing good, if it is God’s will to allow it, than because you are doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ died once for all time for sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. ¹⁹ And in this state he went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who had formerly been disobedient when God was patiently waiting in Noah’s day, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water.

(Titus 2:6-10) ⁶ Likewise, keep on urging the younger men to be sound in mind, ⁷ showing yourself to be an example of fine works in every way. Teach (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.what is pure with all seriousness, ⁸ using wholesome speech that cannot be criticized, so that those who oppose may be put to shame, having nothing negative to say about us. ⁹ Let slaves be in subjection to their owners in all things, trying to please them, not talking back, ¹⁰ not stealing from them, but showing complete trustworthiness, so that in every way they may adorn the teaching of our Savior, God. . .

(James 4:4) Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God.

(Matthew 6:24) “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.

(James 4:4-8) ⁴ Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that for no reason the scripture says: “The spirit that has taken up residence within us keeps enviously longing”? ⁶ However, the undeserved kindness that He gives is greater. So it says: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.” ⁷ Therefore, subject yourselves to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones.

(Matthew 22:35-40) . . .: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets. . .

(Colossians 3:1, 2) 3 If, however, you were raised up with the Christ, go on seeking the things above, where the Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on the earth.

(1 John 5:19-21) 19 we know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one. 20 But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us insight so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Man started putting faith in ourselves instead of God in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided they did not need God to guide and teach them. Their disobedience was because they believed a lie Satan had told them, that they would be just like God. Well we have had thousands of years to prove that lie to be wrong. Man has tried every form of government and violence, disease, world disasters, hatred and wars are only getting worse. We have had two world wars that resulted in many deaths. Disease and chronic illness is getting worse and worse. Man is only making things worse. It has been thoroughly proven we cannot do it without God. Man could never end death because life comes from God. He seated Jesus on the thrown and since Jesus defeated death he is not king over that also and has the authority to give those life God has chosen to be deserving of life. We need to put our faith in the heavenly kingdom and not human rulers to solve mans problems. Jesus knew that no human government would be able to solve man’s problems and that it would take the Heavenly Kingdom to straighten all this mess out. This is why when he was tempted by Satan and offered all the kingdoms of the earth by Satan he did not accept . He was aware that humans can be easily deceived. They are imperfect and make errors. Jesus was well aware that no human government would be able to solve mans problems. Also only God has the wisdom and power to put an end to all the corruption and suffering. Jesus chose to wait until he was seated on the heavenly thrown by God. God made Jesus king, he died obedient to God and is now sitting on the throne. God has given him full authority and the knowledge and power to put an end to the corruption and suffering. So we should be focused on things above and not the things on earth because man will never solve mans problems, we are imperfect, easily corrupted. We die so even if we do many good things the next person to come along would most likely undo them. Even though Jesus new he would be king he still respected the authority figures and obeyed the laws but he did not put his faith in the kingdoms and rulers on earth. We are in a time where many will appear as angels of light. The only ones we can fully trust is Jesus and Jehovah God. We cannot even rely on our own understanding because we are only human. We lack the foresight and wisdom that Jesus and God have. The apostles followed Jesus example in obedience and respect for secular authorities. The authorities do keep some organization and prevent certain things from getting to bad. They provide services like police officers and fire departments.

What are some of the identifying marks of those who choose to be no part of the world?

(John 6:14, 15) . . .” ¹⁵ Then Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain all alone. . .

(Luke 20:19-26) ¹⁹ The scribes and the chief priests then sought to get their hands on him in that very hour, but they feared the people, for they realized that he told this illustration with them in mind. ²⁰ And after observing him closely, they sent men whom they had secretly hired to pretend that they were righteous in order to catch him in his speech, so as to turn him over to the government and to the authority of the governor. ²¹ And they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, we know you speak and teach correctly and show no partiality, but you teach the way of God in line with truth: ²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ²³ But he detected their cunning and said to them: ²⁴ “Show me a de·narʹi·us. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They said: “Caesar’s.” ²⁵ He said to them: “By all means, then, pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar but God’s things to God.” ²⁶ Well, they were not able to trap him in his speech before the people, but amazed at his answer, they became silent.

(Matthew 4:8-11) ⁸ Again the Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to him: “All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” ¹¹ Then the Devil left him, and look! angels came and began to minister to him.

(Ecclesiastes 8:9) ⁹ All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm. . .

(Micah 7:2-5)  ² The loyal one has perished from the earth; Among men there is no one upright. All of them lie in ambush for bloodshed. Each hunts his own brother with a dragnet.  ³ Their hands are expert at doing what is bad; The prince is making demands, The judge asks for a reward, The prominent one makes known his desires, And they work it out together.  ⁴ Their best one is like thorns, Their most upright one is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen and of your reckoning will come. Now they will panic.  ⁵ Do not put faith in your companion Or trust a close friend. Guard what you say to the one who lies in your embrace.

(Jeremiah 9:3, 4)  ³ They bend their tongue like a bow; Falsehood, not faithfulness, prevails in the land. “They advance from evil to evil, And they pay no attention to me,” declares Jehovah.  ⁴ “Everyone, be on guard against your neighbor, And do not trust even your brother. For every brother is a betrayer, And every neighbor is a slanderer.

(Romans 13:1-4) 13 Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. ² Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves. ³ For those rulers are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you want to be free of fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; ⁴ for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear, for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword. It is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath against the one practicing what is bad.

(Titus 3:1-3) 3 Continue reminding them to be in subjection and to be obedient to governments and authorities, to be ready for every good work, ² to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men. ³ For we too were once senseless, disobedient, led astray, being slaves to various desires and pleasures, carrying on in badness and envy, detestable, hating one another.

One of the identifying marks of those who are no part of the world is they would have a deep love for one anther. They would have such deep love they would even love their enemies and would not harm them. Anyone who can love those who love them but it takes getting to know God and try your best imitate Jesus and the love he displayed. He was the perfect image of God because he had imitated what he had seen God do.

The bible stated God’s people would learn war no more. Jesus made it very clear we were not to fight when he told someone to put their sword away when they pulled the sword out to protect him. His death had to occur because a perfect man sinned which brought death on all mankind. Jesus died sinless which means he defeated Satan and is now sitting on the thrown waiting for the command to redeem those God has called to him. Being no part of the world requires we do not get involved in the wars and fighting that is rampant now. Since the Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom our war is a spiritual one fought with spiritual weapons and armor. Mans rule is about to end and the Heavenly Kingdom will rule over the earth forever.

Next we should consider how we worship. Do we worship as the world does or do we fellow in Jesus and the apostles footsteps and worship as they worshiped? We were warned in the last days there would be many false teachers and teaching of demons. During the end of this system Satan and the demons would be cast out of heaven and have great anger knowing they had very little time left.

(1 John 3:9-12) . . .. ¹⁰ The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Whoever does not practice righteousness does not originate with God, nor does the one who does not love his brother. ¹¹ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; ¹² not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. And for what reason did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked, but those of his brother were righteous. . .

(John 13:34, 35) ³⁴ I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.. . .

(Romans 13:8) ⁸ Do not owe anything to anyone except to love one another; for whoever loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. . .

(1 John 4:7-10) ⁷ Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him. ¹⁰ The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.

(Matthew 5:43-48) ⁴³ “You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? ⁴⁸ You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

(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. . .

(John 12:49, 50) ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken of my own initiative, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment means everlasting life. So whatever I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me. . .

(Isaiah 2:4)  ⁴ He will render judgment among the nations And set matters straight respecting many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Nor will they learn war anymore. . .

(Matthew 26:52-54) ⁵² Then Jesus said to him: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than 12 legions of angels? ⁵⁴ In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must take place this way?”

(2 Corinthians 10:2-6) . . .. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage warfare according to what we are in the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. ⁵ For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ; ⁶ and we are prepared to inflict punishment for every disobedience, as soon as your own obedience is complete.

(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.

(Daniel 2:44) ⁴⁴ “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever. . .

(2 Corinthians 4:3-5) ³ If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴ among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. ⁵ For we are preaching, not about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

(2 Corinthians 11:14) And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light.

(Revelation 12:9) So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

Those who are not part of the world would follow Jesus example and be a light to the world , teaching them about God and Jesus and the hope the future promises gives. Just as Jesus stood out in his faith and worship so would those who were no part of the world. Being no part of the world means we do our best to remain blameless in the sight of God. We should also watch who we associate with. We should especially be careful of those who claim to love God and obey Christ but do things they ought not do. Just as in times past the unrighteous will be judged. Many during the apostles times were using idols or images in their worship. They instructed their disciples to stop touching the unclean things and get out from among them. Even religious leaders can stumble us if we do not pay attention. Jesus warned listeners to do as the pharisees said but not to do as they do. The pharisees were about show and would seek the glory of men ,power and wealth instead of glorifying God. They had a lot of authority and because people feared being thrown out of the synagogue they would not even acknowledge Jesus. God’s own son was tempted by many of these things and he rejected them. He chose faith, obedience and loyalty to God over desires and things of the world. He also gave God glory and did not seek mans approval or seek to glorify himself. (Luke 4:5-12). So if we are taking a stand for the truth we should not fear any persecution that may result and that could mean friends , family and even those who we worship with could reject us. We should fear what would result if we did not take our stand for true worship. We are setting an example of courage and faith that could lead others to accept worship that is true in God’s eyes.

What are the identifying marks of those who are part of the world?

(John 12:36) While you have the light, exercise faith in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said these things and went off and hid from them.

(Philippians 2:14-16) ¹⁴ Keep doing all things free from murmuring and arguments, ¹⁵ so that you may come to be blameless and innocent, children of God without a blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as illuminators in the world, ¹⁶ keeping a tight grip on the word of life. . . .

(1 Peter 2:12) Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, so that when they accuse you of being wrongdoers, they may be eyewitnesses of your fine works and, as a result, glorify God in the day of his inspection.

(1 Corinthians 5:9-13) ⁹ In my letter I wrote you to stop keeping company with sexually immoral people, ¹⁰ not meaning entirely with the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people or extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. ¹² For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, ¹³ while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked person from among yourselves.. . .

(2 Peter 2:4-10) ⁴ Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus, putting them in chains of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. ⁵ And he did not refrain from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a flood upon a world of ungodly people. ⁶ And by reducing the cities of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah to ashes, he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly people of things to come. ⁷ And he rescued righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed by the brazen conduct of the lawless people— ⁸ for day after day that righteous man was tormenting his righteous soul over the lawless deeds that he saw and heard while dwelling among them. ⁹ So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment, ¹⁰ especially those who seek to defile the flesh of others and who despise authority.. . .

(2 Corinthians 6:15-18) . . .? 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.”

(John 12:41-43) . . .. ⁴² All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but they would not acknowledge him because of the Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the glory of men even more than the glory of God. . .

(Mark 12:37-40) . . .And the large crowd was listening to him with pleasure. ³⁸ And in his teaching he went on to say: “Beware of the scribes who want to walk around in robes and want greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹ and front seats in the synagogues and the most prominent places at evening meals. ⁴⁰ They devour the houses of the widows, and for show they make long prayers. These will receive a more severe judgment.”

Those trying to be no part of the world would listen to Jesus words because they came from his father. They would also love and have faith in Jesus. The closer we get to the end of this system the clearer it will be who is a part of the world and who is not. Those who are no part of the world will not be involved in wars or this political system but would focus on the Heavenly Kingdom and obedience to Jesus who is our king and is now seated on the throne. Those who are no part of the world would repent and stop being a part of this wicked system. They would be forgiving as God and Jesus are forgiving. They would not hold grudges or resentment towards others. They would be peaceable as much as possible. They would not only desire peace they would pursue it. They would not gossip, be contentious, they would not tell lies and would try to be as honest as possible. They would treat everyone with kindness and love including their enemies. They would know their beliefs and have no doubt about what they believe. They would not be full of anger or hostility. They would not have wild parties or get involved in immoral sexual acts. They would show the fruits of the spirit. They would not have big egos and would not stir up competition with others. They would not put their faith in material things or wealth even if they have wealth. They would not be guided by fear but would let God guide all they do. They would respect the gift of life and do all they could to remain healthy and take care of their bodies and minds. They will not let the world mold their thinking but they will let God’s word guide them. The world in contrast would view spiritual things as something foolish.

This is why we are warned to get out from among the unbelievers because their lack of faith could slowly erode away at us until we start putting our faith in ourselves, the world or even human governments instead of the Heavenly Kingdom.

The rewards for remaining steadfast in our faith and trust in God and his son Jesus Christ will be rewarded. Now because we are given peace from the hope of the future promises that the Heavenly Kingdom will bring about and later when those promises are fulfilled and death is done away with and the new system is here when there will be no more suffering or sadness. No more wars, no more death , no more hatred or violence. No one will go hungry. The original purpose for the earth will be fulfilled and the earth will never be ruined again all those ruining the earth will be done away with. Loved ones lost in death will be resurrected and if we are no part of the world we may see them again. I know things are getting very difficult and even frustrating but just a little while longer and the new system will be here.

As things come to a conclusion we need to remain focused on the things above and not on worldly things below. This system is passing away and all the wealth and precious metals and material things will be gone soon to make way for the new system. If we are focused on things of the world we may fall out of favor with God. Jesus warned where our treasure is that is where our heart will be. If we let anxieties of this system which will be gone soon to overwhelm us or we focus more on pursuing material things it could choke the word of God out. God is the giver of life, so we should fear him over all other things including death. If we remain faithful and loyal to God not even death can separate us from the love of Jehovah and our king Jesus.

How do we know we are in the final minutes of this system of things?

(John 8:42-47) ⁴² Jesus said to them: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I have not come of my own initiative, but that One sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot listen to my word. ⁴⁴ You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie. ⁴⁵ Because I, on the other hand, tell you the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Who of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it that you do not believe me? ⁴⁷ The one who is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.””no part of the world”

(Ephesians 2:1-7) 2 Furthermore, God made you alive, though you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. ³ Yes, among them we all at one time conducted ourselves in harmony with the desires of our flesh, carrying out the will of the flesh and of our thoughts, and we were naturally children of wrath just as the rest. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses—by undeserved kindness you have been saved. ⁶ Moreover, he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming systems of things he might demonstrate the surpassing riches of his undeserved kindness in his graciousness toward us in union with Christ Jesus.

(Matthew 6:9-15) ⁹ “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. ¹⁰ Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our bread for this day; ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’ ¹⁴ “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵ whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive “no part of the world”your trespasses.

(Psalm 15:1-5) 15 O Jehovah, who may be a guest in your tent? Who may reside in your holy mountain?  ² The one who is walking faultlessly, Practicing what is right And speaking the truth in his heart.  ³ He does not slander with his tongue, He does nothing bad to his neighbor, And he does not defame his friends.  ⁴ He rejects anyone who is contemptible, But he honors those fearing Jehovah. He does not go back on his promise, even when it is bad for him.  ⁵ He does not lend his money on interest, And he does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

(Romans 12:17-21) ¹⁷ Return evil for evil to no one. Take into consideration what is fine from the viewpoint of all men. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men. ¹⁹ Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: “‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says Jehovah.” ²⁰ But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.

(Galatians 5:19-21) ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are plainly seen, and they are sexual immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, ²⁰ idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divi”no part of the world”sions, sects, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these. I am forewarning you about these things, the same way I already warned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

(Galatians 5:22-26) ²² On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³ mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we are living by spirit, let us also go on walking orderly by spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one”no part of the world” another, envying one another.

(1 Timothy 6:17-19) ¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in the present system of things not to be arrogant, and to place their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly provides us with all the things we enjoy. ¹⁸ Tell them to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be generous, ready to share, ¹⁹ safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, so that they may get a firm hold on the real life.

(2 Timothy 1:7, 8) ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of soundness of mind. ⁸ So do not become ashamed either of the witness about our Lord or of me, a prisoner for his sake, but take your part in suffering adversity for the good news by relying on the power of God.

(Romans 12:1, 2) 12 Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason. ² And stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”no part of the world”

(1 Corinthians 2:14-16) ¹⁴ But a physical man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are”no part of the world” foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually. ¹⁵ However, the spiritual man examines all things, but he himself is not examined by any man. ¹⁶ For “who has”no part of the world” come to know the mind of Jehovah, so that he may instruct him?” But we do have the mind of Christ.

(Romans 3:13-18) ¹³ “Their throat is an open grave; they have deceived with their tongues.” “Venom of asps is behind their lips.” ¹⁴ “And their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood.” ¹⁶ “Ruin and misery are in their ways, ¹⁷ and they have not known the way of peace.” ¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

(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.”

(Psalm 37:29) ²⁹ The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it. . .

(Revelation 21:3, 4) 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.”

(Isaiah 11:5-10)  ⁵ Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, And faithfulness the belt of his hips.  ⁶ The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb, And with the young goat the leopard will lie down, And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together; And a little boy will lead them.  ⁷ The cow and the bear will feed together, And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the bull.  ⁸ The nursing child will play over the lair of a cobra, And a weaned child will put his hand over the den of a poisonous snake.  ⁹ They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰ In that day the root of Jesʹse will stand up as a signal for the peoples. To him the nations will turn for guidance, And his resting-place will become glorious.

(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.

(Micah 4:3, 4)  ³ He will render judgment among many peoples And set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away. They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Nor will they learn war anymore.  ⁴ They will sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one will make them afraid, For the mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken.

(Isaiah 11:9)  ⁹ They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea. . .

(Isaiah 45:18) ¹⁸ For this is what Jehovah says, The Creator of the heavens, the true God, The One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, Who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.

(John 5:28, 29) ²⁸ 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.

(Colossians 3:1, 2) 3 If, however, you were raised up with the Christ, go on seeking the things above, where the Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on the earth.

(Matthew 6:19-21) 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.

(Matthew 13:21-23) . . .. ²² As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces, this one 100 times more, that one 60, the other 30.. . .

(James 4:13-17) ¹³ Come, now, you who say: “Today or tomorrow we will travel to this city and will spend a year there, and we will do business and make some profit,” ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears. ¹⁵ Instead, you should say: “If Jehovah wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But now you take pride in your arrogant boasting. All such boasting is wicked. ¹⁷ Therefore, if someone knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.

(Revelation 12:10, 11) I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! ¹¹ And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death.

(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.

As for the time of the conclusion of this system of things even Jesus does not know that. He will not know until his heavenly father gives him the command but he told us what to watch for. The disciples ask Jesus what the signs of his presence would be indicating when he has started the restoration work. As mentioned above Satan and the demons would be cast out of heaven and would have great anger knowing there is very little time left for them. They would have great anger so things would get much worse on earth. One of the things Jesus mentioned is false religion would be rampant and they would be claiming to do things in Jesus name. This resulted in many sects coming about. Many of the prophecies mentioned had been fulfilled on a minor scale but Jesus was referring to them happening on a grand scale like it has never occurred before. The bible warns us to stay awake in be in expectation of the end of this system of things. We should not get lax because it seems we have more time or because it seems God is not going to take action. This could make us overconfident and just as in Noah’s day many paid no note until the end was suddenly upon them it could be suddenly upon those who take no note and are more devoted to the world then to God. We can read about the signs to watch for in the book of Matthew chapter 24.

One of the signs that Jesus is now sitting on the thrown and starting to take actions is there would be wars and reports of wars. In 1914 the world experienced it’s first world war. War had never happened on a world wide scale like this. Wars are now rampant world wide and occurring in many nations. We have since had two world wars.

Food shortages were prophesied. There are many who are starving world wide. Even in some of the wealthiest nations there are people dying from starvation. The food shortages are from greed. Millions have died from starvation world wide just in the last few decades. The sad part of all of this is many nations are trying to figure out how to deal with the food wastage while thousands are dying in those very nations from starvation.

Another sign we were to look for is the occurrence of earthquakes would happen more frequently. Earthquakes occur so frequently now when it is mentioned on the news most barely notice. Earthquakes have become so frequent we accept it as a part of life now. Structures man has built and modern mining techniques have contributed to this occurring. Studies have shown that dams built near fault lines cause more frequent earthquakes in the areas the dams are built. Fracking a method of extracting oil and gas from shale layers has been shown to increase the occurrence of earthquakes.

False religion would result in people who are deceitful and would betray one another. Those ones would hate those who are restoring true worship and trying to warn others and turn them back to true and pure worship from God’s viewpoint. This false worship would result in hate being rampant. These people would have the appearance of Godly devotion but would prove false to it’s power. They would appear to have Godly devotion but the fruits they would produce would be people who put pursuit of money over spiritual matters, they would be prideful, they would not be open to agreement and would be argumentative, many would put pursuit of wordly things over spiritual. Love would grow cold and hate would be rampant. If you watch the news the divide between those who have money and those who do not is growing larger and larger. They glorify the ones who devoted their lives to pursing wealth and even look to them for answers to the worlds problems instead of turning to God and his word. There are many groups set up that are supposedly trying to get rid of the hatred but these groups frequently commit acts of violence. Rioting occurs frequently around the world now.

Pestilence would become rampant. Chronic illness is so rampant now days that people have come to accept it as a part of life. Diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious disease have become so rampant that many have come immune to the fact these things use to be rare. Infectious diseases are occurring on a world wide scale now and in times past they would occur specific areas but not on a world wide scale like they occur now. Many of these things are occurring because people put love of the wealth, the world and themselves over the love of God and Jesus.

Another prophecy would occur and this is that much of the corruption and sin would be revealed and exposed.

There are also many good things that would occur at this time.

(Matthew 24:36-44) ³⁶ “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. ³⁸ For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given insects marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, ³⁹ and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken along and the other abandoned. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken along and the other abandoned. ⁴² Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.

(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.

(Mark 13:34-37) . . .. ³⁵ Keep on the watch, therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether late in the day or at midnight or before dawn or early in the morning, ³⁶ in order that when he comes suddenly, he does not find you sleeping. ³⁷ But what I say to you, I say to all: Keep on the watch.”

(Habakkuk 2:3)  ³ For the vision is yet for its appointed time, And it is rushing toward its end, and it will not lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it! For it will without fail come true. It will not be late!

(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping. . .

(2 Timothy 3:1-7) 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. ⁶ From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, ⁷ always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

(Luke 21:10, 11) ¹⁰ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs.

(Ephesians 5:6-14) ⁶ Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore, do not be sharers with them; ⁸ for you were once darkness, but you are now light in connection with the Lord. Go on walking as children of light, ⁹ for the fruitage of the light consists of every sort of goodness and righteousness and truth. ¹⁰ Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; ¹¹ and stop sharing in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness; rather, expose them for what they are. ¹² For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. ¹³ Now all the things that are being exposed are made evident by the light, for everything that is being made evident is light. ¹⁴ Therefore, it is said: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and the Christ will shine upon you.”

Many good things will occur during these last days. Knowledge of the one true God Jehovah and his only begotten son Jesus would become abundant. The prophesies had not been fulfilled at the time they were written but when it was the time of the last days knowledge of those scriptures and the prophesies they contained would become abundant. The wicked would still be blind and not understand but those God is calling to him would have the meaning of God’s word revealed to them.

The good news of the Heavenly Kingdom would be preached in all the earth. This would give many hope and they can have faith that the suffering, violence and many other bad things are going to end very soon. This would result in many world wide returning to true worship and become united in faith.

Those choosing to be not part of the world will be betrayed by many, even by their own families very soon. When this starts to occur it means redemption is near. These things are also a sign that all those who do not obey God will be destroyed soon and cause no harm again. Just as the wicked were destroyed in Noah’s day very soon the whole world will be judged again and those who are seeking God and have been called by him will survive into the new system and there will be no more suffering or sadness. This is why Jesus said when we see these things occur to raise ourselves up it means redemption is near. God will protect his sheep as he has in the past. Now more then ever we need to continue meeting together. For those who humbled themselves and tried their best to obey God this is exciting times because redemption is near but for others this will be a fearful time. They will be indecisive and it could cost them their lives if they continue to try and balance a life of being a part of the world and being no part of the world. We have to keep in mind that it will be just as it was in Noah’s day. (Matthew 24:37-39) ³⁷ For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. ³⁸ For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, ³⁹ and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

So if we are indecisive, now more then ever we need to try our best to be no part of the world. Better times are very very near.

Those who choose to be no part of the world would be so united in their worship that they would speak with one voice and have one mind. There would not be sects or divisions among them. Their worship would be pure in the sight of Jehovah and not man. So it is very important to learn what God truly requires because we have been warned false religion would prevail in our times. Jesus said the gate is narrow and few would make it. Things are rapidly winding down so now more then ever we need to worship in a way that is acceptable to God. Many will walk through the great tribulation that is about to occur.

The bible tells us only a remnant of Israel would remain and the rest would be made of other people. Who are these people and were would they come from?

God had told Abraham his seed would bless all the nations. Jesus ransom sacrificed fulfilled that promise and opened the door for those of the nations to be grafted into the nation of Israel and with the new covenant Jesus made people of the nations could also be a part of the Israel of God if they would be no part of the world. Those choosing to be no part of the world would be from all ends of the earth and from many nations world wide.

(Daniel 12:4) ⁴ “As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant. . .

(Daniel 8:17) So he came near to where I was standing, but when he came I was so terrified that I fell facedown. He said to me: “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.

(Daniel 12:9) Then he said: “Go, Daniel, because the words are to be kept secret and sealed up until the time ofbible a people not my people the end

(Daniel 12:9, 10) ⁹ Then he said: “Go, Daniel, because the words are to be kept secret and sealed up until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will cleanse themselves and whiten themselves and will be refvoiceined. And the wicked ones will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand; but those having insight will understand.

(Matthew 24:14) 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.

(Revelation 7:9, 10) ⁹ After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

(Isaiah 2:2)  ² In the final part of the days, The mountain of the house of Jehovah Will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, And it will be raised up above the hills, And to it all the nations will stream. . .

(2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) ⁶ This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you. ⁷ But you who suffer tribulation will be given relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels ⁸ in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance on those who dobible grafted in not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, ¹⁰ at the time when he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder among all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among you.

(2 Peter 3:5-10) ⁵ For they deliberately ignore this fact, that long ago there were heavens and an earthbible grafted in standingbible grafted in firmly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; ⁶ and that by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was flooded with water. ⁷ But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist are reserved for fire and are being kept until the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly people. ⁸ However, do not let this escape your notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. ¹⁰ But Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be exposed.

(Luke 21:16-19) ¹⁶ Moreover, you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ¹⁷ and you will be hated by all people because of my name. ¹⁸ But not even a hair of your heads will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will preserve your lives.

(Luke 21:28) ²⁸ But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”

(Hebrews 10:23-25) . . .. ²⁴ And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, ²⁵ not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near. . .bible a people not my people

(James 4:7-10) ⁷ Therefore, subject yourselves to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones. ⁹ Give way to misery and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into despair. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt you.

(2 Peter 3:13) ¹³ But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.

(1 Peter 3:8, 9) ⁸ Finally, all of you have unity of mind, fellow feeling, brotherly affection, tender compassion, and humility. ⁹ Do not pay back injury for injury or insult for insult. Instead, repay with a blessing, for you were called to this course, so that you might inherit a blessing.voice

(Philippians 2:1-4) 2 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any spiritual fellowship, if any tender affection and compassion, ² make my joy full by being of the same mind and having the same love, being completely united, having the one thought in mind. ³ Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility consider others superior to you, ⁴ as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.

(1 Corinthians 1:10) ¹⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you should all speak in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you may be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.

(Romans 9:25-27) ²⁵ It is as he says also in Ho·seʹa: “Those not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not loved, ‘beloved’; ²⁶ and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” ²⁷ Moreover, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Although the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

(Acts 15:12-21) ¹² At that the entire group became silent, and they began to listen to Barʹna·bas and Paul relate the many signs and wonders that God had done through them among the nations. ¹³ After they finished speaking, James replied: “Men, brothers, hear me. ¹⁴ Symʹe·on has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written: ¹⁶ ‘After these things I will return and raise up again the tent of David that is fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, ¹⁷ so that the men who remain may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name, says Jehovah, who is doing these things, ¹⁸ known from of old.’ 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. ²¹ For from ancient times Moses has had those who preach him in city after city, because he is read aloud in the synagogues on every sabbath.”

(Amos 9:11, 12) ¹¹ ‘In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, I will repair the breaches, And I will restore its ruins; I will rebuild it as in the days of long ago, ¹² So that they may take possession of what is remaining of Eʹdom, And all the nations on whom my name has been called,’ declares Jehovah, who is doing this.

(Romans 11:13-23) ¹³ Now I speak to you who are people of the nations. Seeing that I am an apostle to the nations, I glorify my ministry ¹⁴ to see if I may in some way incite my own people to jealousy and save some from among them. ¹⁵ For if their being cast away means reconciliation for the world, what will the acceptance of them mean but life from the dead? ¹⁶ Further, if the part of the dough taken as firstfruits is holy, the entire batch is also holy; and if the root is holy, the branches are also. ¹⁷ However, if some of the branches were broken off and you, although being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the richness of the olive’s root, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches. If, though, you are arrogant toward them, remember that you do not bear the root, but the root bears you. ¹⁹ You will say, then: “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ That is true! For their lack of faith, they were broken off, but you are standing by faith. Do not be haughty, but be in fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² Consider, therefore, God’s kindness and severity. There is severity toward those who fell, but toward you there is God’s kindness, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise, you too will be lopped off. ²³ And they also, if they do not remain in their lack of faith, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them back in.

(Ezekiel 37:26-28) ²⁶ “‘“And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an eternal covenant with them. I will establish them and make them many and place my sanctuary among them forever. ²⁷ My tent will be with them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. ²⁸ And the nations will have to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying Israel when my sanctuary is in their midst forever.. . .

(Isaiah 43:3-7)  ³ For I am Jehovah your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, E·thi·oʹpi·a and Seʹba in exchange for you.  ⁴ For you became precious in my eyes, You were honored, and I have loved you. So I will give people in place of you And nations in exchange for your life.  ⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east And gather you together from the west.  ⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth,  ⁷ Everyone who is called by my name And whom I created for my own glory, Whom I have formed and made.’

(Revelation 7:9-17) ⁹ After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, ¹² saying: “Amen! Let the praise and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” ¹³ In response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” ¹⁴ So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ That is why they are before the throne of God, and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. ¹⁶ They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat, ¹⁷ because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”

(Zephaniah 3:8-10)  ⁸ ‘So keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Until the day when I rise up to take plunder, For my judicial decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them my indignation, all my burning anger; For by the fire of my zeal the whole earth will be consumed.  ⁹ For then I will change the language of the peoples to a pure language, So that all of them may call on the name of Jehovah, To serve him shoulder to shoulder.’ ¹⁰ From the region of the rivers of E·thi·oʹpi·a, Those entreating me, the daughter of my scattered ones, will bring a gift to me.

A great tribulation is about to occur we need to prepare.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not every good at editing.

We are in the time of judgment. Things are rapidly winding down. God has warned us what to look for so we could prepare. God also built up his peoples faith and courage in times past before judgment started. I am going to cover in this blog post how God prepared people and how he also prepared them to receive the the promises he had given them. Those who choose to oppose the beast and refuse to get the mark will be seen as vulnerable just as God’s people were seen in times past. God always protected and saved them no matter how powerful the enemy seemed. God has saved his people and protected them in the past and he will again when the whole world is judged. There is nothing that is secret to him so we have to patiently wait as things are exposed. We are told many will doubt we are in the last days so we have to expect that many will have hardened hearts and will not believe the warnings even with all the signs occurring around them they will be blind to the truth. The bible warns many will choose to believe the lie. So just as in times past we will be criticized by others including our own family and friends for sounding the warning. We have to be patient Jesus is going to expose the truth even now we see the corruption being exposed in world wide governments and religion world wide.

(Exodus 15:8-10)  ⁸ By a breath from your nostrils waters massed together; They stood still, holding back the floods; The surging waters congealed in the heart of the sea.  ⁹ The enemy said: ‘I will pursue! I will overtake! I will divide spoil until I am satisfied! I will draw my sword! My hand will subdue them!’ ¹⁰ You blew with your breath, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in majestic waters.

(Ezekiel 38:10-12) ¹⁰ “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘In that day thoughts will come into your heart, and you will devise an evil plan. ¹¹ You will say: “I will invade the land of unprotected settlements. I will come against those living in security, without disturbance, all of them living in settlements unprotected by walls, bars, or gates.” ¹² It will be to take much spoil and plunder, to attack the devastated places that are now inhabited and a people regathered from the nations, who are accumulating wealth and property, those who are living in the center of the earth.

(1 Corinthians 4:5) ⁵ Therefore, do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes. He will bring the secret things of darkness to light and make known the intentions of the hearts, and then each one will receive his praise from God.

(2 Peter 3:2-4) . . .. ³ First of all know this, that in the last days ridiculers will come with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires ⁴ and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as they were from creation’s beginning.”

(Matthew 24:48-51) ⁴⁸ “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ ⁴⁹ and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, ⁵¹ and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.

One of the requirements God has is his people had to worship in truth. They could not have any other gods. As a matter of fact in times past God’s people were known by his name Jehovah, which means one who brings about or causes to happen. In times past those who opposed true worship learned to fear Jehovah’s name because he protect and those who worshiped him in truth and called on his name. When Jesus was restoring true worship he made God’s name known. Many bibles have removed God’s name and have taken it from the bible. How can they know what god is the one true God if they do not know his name. God is a general term and not a name. Even the bible stated there were many God’s but only one true God. If there was someone who promised to protect you but you did not know his name or anything about him would you really trust that person? If people do not know the name of the one true God or do not know anything about him could they fully put trust in him?

(Exodus 23:27-33) ²⁷ “I will send the fear of me ahead of you, and I will throw into confusion all the people you encounter, and I will cause all your enemies to flee from you in defeat. ²⁸ I will send the feeling of dejection ahead of you, and it will drive the Hiʹvites, the Caʹnaan·ites, and the Hitʹtites out from before you. ²⁹ I will not drive them out from before you in one year, so that the land does not become desolate and the wild animals of the field multiply against you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. ³¹ “I will set your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Phi·lisʹtines and from the wilderness to the River; for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out from before you. ³² You must not make a covenant with them or their gods. ³³ They should not dwell in your land, so that they may not cause you to sin against me. If you should serve their gods, it would surely become a snare to you.”

(Malachi 1:11) ¹¹ “For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations. In every place sacrifices will be made to smoke, and offerings will be made to my name, as a pure gift; because my name will be great among the nations,” says Jehovah of armies.

(Deuteronomy 28:9, 10) . . .. ¹⁰ All the peoples of the earth will have to see that Jehovah’s name has been called upon you, and they will be afraid of you.

(John 17:25, 26) . . .. ²⁶ I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them. . .

We will be asked to leave many things behind. Abraham was very wealthy and he had to leave all this behind. Noah when he entered the ark knew he would be leaving everything behind and never see it again. Many knew they would not see the future promises but they still had faith that God would fulfill what he had promised. Just as Noah survived the flood many who God has found worthy will survive when God’s great day arrives and the fire of his rage consumes the earth.

(Hebrews 11:7-16) ⁷ By faith Noah, after receiving divine warning of things not yet seen, showed godly fear and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; and through this faith he condemned the world, and he became an heir of the righteousness that results from faith. ⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, although not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the very same promise. ¹⁰ For he was awaiting the city having real foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith also Sarah received power to conceive offspring, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who made the promise. ¹² For this reason, from one man who was as good as dead, there were born children, as many as the stars of heaven in number and as innumerable as the sands by the seaside. ¹³ In faith all of these died, although they did not receive the fulfillment of the promises; but they saw them from a distance and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land. ¹⁴ For those who speak in such a way make it evident that they are earnestly seeking a place of their own. ¹⁵ And yet, if they had kept remembering the place from which they had departed, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they are reaching out for a better place, that is, one belonging to heaven. Therefore, God is not ashamed of them, to be called on as their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

(Hebrews 11:32-38) ³² And what more will I say? For time will fail me if I go on to relate about Gidʹe·on, Baʹrak, Samson, Jephʹthah, David, as well as Samuel and the other prophets. ³³ Through faith they defeated kingdoms, brought about righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from a weak state were made powerful, became mighty in war, routed invading armies. ³⁵ Women received their dead by resurrection, but other men were tortured because they would not accept release by some ransom, in order that they might attain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Yes, others received their trial by mockings and scourgings, indeed, more than that, by chains and prisons. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were tried, they were sawn in two, they were slaughtered by the sword, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, while they were in need, in tribulation, mistreated; ³⁸ and the world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and mountains and caves and dens of the earth.

(Zephaniah 1:18-2:3) ¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them in the day of Jehovah’s fury; For by the fire of his zeal the whole earth will be consumed, Because he will make an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.” 2 Gather together, yes, gather yourselves, O nation that feels no shame.  ² Before the decree takes effect, Before the day passes by like chaff, Before the burning anger of Jehovah comes upon you, Before the day of Jehovah’s anger comes upon you,  ³ Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, Who observe his righteous decrees. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you will be concealed on the day of Jehovah’s anger.

So how did God prepare those who put faith in him? He first restored true and pure worship. Then he prepared their hearts by having them take in and apply his word so it would guide all they do. Those who delivered the messages and were helping to restore true worship often times were not viewed favorably even by their own people. They often times had to go into hiding , even Jesus sometimes had to do this. Jesus and many of the past prophets did not tell the people what they wanted to hear they told them what they needed to hear. So that we do not get misled or become hardened in our hearts we need to know our bibles well so that we cannot be misled. When you read your bibles there are many examples where they had more love for the false teachers who tickled their ears then for those delivering the truth and trying to teach people what God required. Just as the anger always came to a head and they would attack and try to kill those restoring true worship this will occur again on a world wide scale. Many of us will have to flee or go into hiding. We must do our best to desperate ourselves from false worship so we do not suffer the same fate they will suffer. So we must figuratively write his word on our hearts so it will guide all we do. When we do not understand something we must look into it deeper so we do not get misled. We know the destruction is going to come quickly at a time no one expects so we must be prepared just as Noah and others in times past prepared.

(1 Kings 18:3-6) ³ Meanwhile, Aʹhab called O·ba·diʹah, who was over the household. (Now O·ba·diʹah greatly feared Jehovah, ⁴ and when Jezʹe·bel was doing away with Jehovah’s prophets, O·ba·diʹah took 100 prophets and hid them 50 to a cave, and he supplied them with bread and water.) ⁵ Aʹhab then said to O·ba·diʹah: “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive and not have all our animals die.” ⁶ So they divided between themselves the land they were going to pass through. Aʹhab went alone by one way, and O·ba·diʹah went alone by another way.

(1 Kings 19:9-18) ⁹ There he entered a cave and spent the night; and look! Jehovah’s word came to him, telling him: “What are you doing here, E·liʹjah?” ¹⁰ To this he said: “I have been absolutely zealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I am the only one left. Now they are seeking to take my life away.” ¹¹ But He said: “Go out and stand on the mountain before Jehovah.” And look! Jehovah was passing by, and a great and strong wind was splitting mountains and breaking crags before Jehovah, but Jehovah was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, there was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a calm, low voice. ¹³ As soon as E·liʹjah heard it, he wrapped his face in his official garment and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice asked him: “What are you doing here, E·liʹjah?” ¹⁴ To this he said: “I have been absolutely zealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I am the only one left. Now they are seeking to take my life away.” ¹⁵ Jehovah said to him: “Return, and go to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazʹa·el as king over Syria. ¹⁶ And you should anoint Jeʹhu the grandson of Nimʹshi as king over Israel, and you should anoint E·liʹsha the son of Shaʹphat from Aʹbel-me·hoʹlah as prophet to take your place. ¹⁷ Anyone escaping from Hazʹa·el’s sword, Jeʹhu will put to death; and anyone escaping from Jeʹhu’s sword, E·liʹsha will put to death. ¹⁸ And I still have left 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees have not bent down to Baʹal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

(2 Timothy 3:15-17) . . .. ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

(2 Peter 1:19-2:3) . . .. ²⁰ For you know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. ²¹ For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were moved by holy spirit. 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(James 4:4) Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God.

(Revelation 18:4) And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.

(1 Corinthians 10:21, 22) ²¹ You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of “the table of Jehovah” and the table of demons. ²² Or ‘are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy’? We are not stronger than he is, are we?

(Jeremiah 16:11-13) ¹¹ You must reply to them, ‘“Because your forefathers abandoned me,” declares Jehovah, “and they kept following other gods and serving them and bowing down to them. But me they abandoned, and my law they did not keep. ¹² And you have behaved far worse than your forefathers, and each one of you follows the stubbornness of his wicked heart instead of obeying me. ¹³ So I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your forefathers have known, and there you will have to serve other gods day and night, because I will show you no favor.”’

(Revelation 16:8-11) ⁸ The fourth one poured out his bowl on the sun, and to the sun it was granted to scorch the people with fire. ⁹ And the people were scorched by the great heat, but they blasphemed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give glory to him. ¹⁰ The fifth one poured out his bowl on the throne of the wild beast. And its kingdom became darkened, and they began to gnaw their tongues because of their pain, ¹¹ but they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their ulcers, and they did not repent of their works.

(Revelation 16:15, 16) ¹⁵ “Look! I am coming as a thief. Happy is the one who stays awake and keeps his outer garments, so that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness.” ¹⁶ And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Armageddon. . .

(Revelation 19:19-21) ¹⁹ And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army. ²⁰ And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who worship its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. ²¹ But the rest were killed off with the long sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the one seated on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

In times past God would have Israel read his statutes over and over so they would remember them and live them so it would guide and protect them. When you read God’s word a part of your life it prevents the world from robbing you of your identity and give us much more confidence and faith in God. Almost no matter what we endure we can remain happy. So it is very important to set aside time for studying the bible daily and meditating on it. We must be cautious of those who do not want to read the full world of God because it can reveal the intention of the heart so some may react violently when they are faced with the truth. Things are rapidly winding down and very soon we will be told to stop sharing the bible truths. We are not to just believe the bible but we are to meditate on what we have read and research the things we have heard to make sure they are true.

(James 1:22-25) ²² However, become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, and he goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he is. ²⁵ But the one who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and continues in it has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; and he will be happy in what he does. . .

(Matthew 7:24-27) ²⁴ “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”

(Hebrews 4:12, 13) ¹² For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And there is not a creation that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account. . .

(Joshua 1:7-9) . . .Do not deviate from it either to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go. ⁸ This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and strong. Do not be struck with terror or fear, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go. . .

(Acts 17:10, 11) . . .. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·niʹca, for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Some of the final prophecies marking the last days have been fulfilled. Only a few have not and that is for the harlot , the beast and it’s allies to establish one government world wide and to buy sell or trade they will try to force people to bow down to the beast instead of God. They will require people to put their faith in a human government instead of God. The beast will offer false hope. Then the beast will turn on the harlot which is false worship and destroy her. The beast is the disgusting thing that Jesus mentioned that we are to be aware of . It is the final act of rebellion against God. It started in the Garden of Eden when Satan convinced Adam and Eve they did not need God to rule over them and guide them. It will come to a climax when man tries to replace God on a world wide scale. Once the beast destroys false religion Satan and his people will become angry and try to destroy those who are worshiping God in truth and then the beast and people world wide would turn on true worship. The bible warns us we will need to flee at this time. Jesus warned some will not even have time to grab their coats we may have to flee so suddenly. The bible does not say if you experience persecution. When you worship it truth it says you will experience persecution. Some may experience it sooner then others. You see these supposed teachers of God’s word that the world is very fond of. They get paid a lot of money. These ones are very famous. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing and they will turn on the sheep when the tribulation starts. The world is found of what belongs to it and we know the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. Jesus only had the clothes on his back. He did not charge in order to teach. As a matter of fact he stated you received God’s word free you give it free. The apostles worked when they were in service to try and relieve the burden on the congregations they were visiting. Those who follow Jesus examples will be willing to give their lives for their sheep. Jesus referred to ones like that as white washed tombs.

(Matthew 24:15-22) ¹⁵ “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), ¹⁶ then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, ¹⁸ and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. ¹⁹ Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! ²⁰ Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; ²¹ for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. ²² In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.

(Luke 21:20-24) ²⁰ “However, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. ²¹ Then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains, let those in the midst of her leave, and let those in the countryside not enter into her, ²² because these are days for meting out justice in order that all the things written may be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! For there will be great distress on the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled. . .

(2 Timothy 3:12, 13) ¹² In fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted. ¹³ But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.

(Matthew 16:24) Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and keep following me.

(John 15:20) Keep in mind the word I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have observed my word, they will also observe

(John 15:17-23) ¹⁷ “These things I command you, that you love one another. ¹⁸ If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. ²⁰ Keep in mind the word I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have observed my word, they will also observe yours. ²¹ But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know the One who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me also hates my Father.

(John 10:12-15) ¹² The hired man, who is not a shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them— ¹³ because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the fine shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I surrender my life in behalf of the sheep.

(Matthew 10:6-8) . . .. ⁷ As you go, preach, saying: ‘The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’ ⁸ Cure the sick, raise up the dead, make lepers clean, expel demons. You received free, give free.

(Acts 8:18-24) ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the spirit was given through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying: “Give me this authority also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive holy spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the free gift of God with money. ²¹ You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not straight in the sight of God. ²² So repent of this badness of yours, and supplicate Jehovah that, if possible, the wicked intention of your heart may be forgiven you; ²³ for I see you are a bitter poison and a slave of unrighteousness.” ²⁴ In answer Simon said to them: “Make supplication for me to Jehovah that none of the things you have said may come upon me.”

(John 10:13-15) . . .. ¹⁴ I am the fine shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I surrender my life in behalf of the sheep.

(John 15:13) No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends.

(1 John 3:16) By this we have come to know love, because that one surrendered his life for us, and we are under obligation to surrender our lives for our brothers.

(1 Timothy 4:1, 2) 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.

(2 Peter 2:3) ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(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. . .

(Matthew 23:27-31) ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of every sort of uncleanness. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the graves of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous ones, ³⁰ and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have shared with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ Therefore, you are testifying against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

(2 Timothy 2:2-5) . . .. ³ As a fine soldier of Christ Jesus, take your part in suffering adversity. ⁴ No man serving as a soldier involves himself in the commercial businesses of life, in order to gain the approval of the one who enrolled him as a soldier. ⁵ And even in the games, anyone who competes is not crowned unless he has competed according to the rules.

We have to build our faith now. A time is coming when indecisiveness could cost us our lives. By building our knowledge of God, by learning to rely on him and to seek him out often in prayer we build our faith. Many are indecisive and are like waves on the ocean whichever way the wind blows this is the way they will go. By knowing what God requires and worshiping him in truth we know when to make our yes mean yes and our no mean no which will protect us and get us through what is about to occur. By studying Gods word. Praying to him and working towards our payers we are building our faith. The bible tells us anything done without faith is a sin. So we must have faith in God’s word, faith in the future promises. We must have faith that he has seated Jesus on the heavenly thrown and is about to give Jesus the command to set matters straight. Right now God may tolerate our serving two masters but the time for indecisiveness will end and if we are serving two masters and not serving God wholehearted it could cost us our life. The bible does not say if we experience tribulation and persecution it says when we experience it. Some may experience them sooner then others but we all will experience it. We can find comfort in Gods word knowing Jesus is going to set matters straight and many will walk through the great tribulation. Just as in times past when God judged a nation his people had to flee or go into hiding to escape the judgment we to will have to flee or go into hiding. When it is time to flee to delay would show a lack of faith and we have covered how doing anything without faith is a sin. We have to trust God with our whole soul, and our whole minds.

(James 1:5-8) . . .. ⁶ But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. ⁷ In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; ⁸ he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.

(Isaiah 55:6, 7)  ⁶ Search for Jehovah while he may be found. Call to him while he is near.  ⁷ Let the wicked man leave his way And the evil man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, To our God, for he will forgive in a large way.

(Romans 14:22, 23) . . .. ²³ But if he has doubts, he is already condemned if he eats, because he does not eat based on faith. Indeed, everything that is not based on faith is sin.

(Matthew 6:24-32) 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. ²⁵ “On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your lives as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? ²⁶ Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? ²⁷ Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? ²⁸ Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; ²⁹ but I tell you that not even Solʹo·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. ³⁰ Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? ³¹ So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ ³² For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

(James 1:2-4) ² Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, ³ knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything.

(Luke 10:25-28) ²⁵ Now look! a man versed in the Law stood up to test him and said: “Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit everlasting life?” ²⁶ He said to him: “What is written in the Law? How do you read?” ²⁷ In answer he said: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁸ He said to him: “You answered correctly; keep doing this and you will get life.. . .

(Matthew 24:20-22) ²⁰ Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; ²¹ for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. ²² In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short. . .

(Daniel 12:1) 12 “During that time Miʹcha·el will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people. And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, everyone who is found written down in the book. . .

(Revelation 7:13-17) ¹³ In response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” ¹⁴ So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ That is why they are before the throne of God, and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. ¹⁶ They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat, ¹⁷ because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”

(Jeremiah 25:31-33) ³¹ ‘A noise will resound to the ends of the earth, For Jehovah has a controversy with the nations. He will personally pass judgment on all humans. And he will put the wicked to the sword,’ declares Jehovah. ³² This is what Jehovah of armies says: ‘Look! A calamity is spreading from nation to nation, And a great tempest will be unleashed from the remotest parts of the earth. ³³ “‘And those slain by Jehovah in that day will be from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth. They will not be mourned, nor will they be gathered up or buried. They will become like manure on the surface of the ground.’

So how can we identify true worship? We were warned the great apostasy would exist for a while before true worship was restored. Jesus also stated the gate to life is narrow and few would take it indicating most would not worship in truth. The great apostasy has been revealed by those teaching how to worship in truth and giving hope in the future promises the heavenly kingdom will bring. As a matter of fact the preaching of the heavenly kingdom throughout the whole earth is one of the final prophecies. This world wide work has been done in every nations from door to door. This witnessing work would expose the great apostasy and expose false worship. The bible said we would know them by their fruits and just as the pharisees talked a good talk and appeared to be righteous on the outside their hearts were far removed from God and they put undo burdens on people with their traditions of man. They lacked humility to serve others. Jesus set the example of how a real servant of God would behave when he washed the disciples feet which is something a servant would have done. We are warned that destructive sects would arise many there would be many led astray by false teaching and it is why there are so many different religious sects now days. We know we are in the last days because there would be signs of world wide distress. It is this witnessing work that will help to defeat Satan. He accuses just as he did Job saying that people only obey God not because they love and trust him but because he blesses them. So when we endure hardships and still love and trust God we are proving Satan to be the liar that he is.

(Matthew 7:13-20) ¹³ “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; ¹⁴ whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it. ¹⁵ “Be on the watch for the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-5) ³ Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. ⁴ He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(John 13:2-11) . . .. ³ So Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he came from God and was going to God, ⁴ got up from the evening meal and laid aside his outer garments. And taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. ⁵ After that he put water into a basin and started to wash the feet of the disciples and to dry them off with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him: “Lord, are you washing my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him: “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things.” ⁸ Peter said to him: “You will certainly never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him: “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him: “Lord, wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head.” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him: “Whoever has bathed does not need to have more than his feet washed, but is completely clean. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew the man who was betraying him. This is why he said: “Not all of you are clean.”

(Isaiah 43:10) ¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and have faith in me And understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none.

(Matthew 24:14) 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.

(Revelation 12:10-12) . . .“Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! ¹¹ And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. ¹² On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time.. . .

So lets cover some more aspects to true worship. For example what are some things God required in the past? In the past they were to use no images in their worship of heaven above or earth below. We are to worship in spirit. God requires exclusive devotion. We are told not to learn the customs of the nations which can be a form of idolatry. Often times these customs involve materialism as expressions of love or involve giving honor to mythical characters instead of God. God requires exclusive devotion.

The nation of Israel would become a spiritual nation in fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham that his seed would bless all the families of the ground. Jesus fulfilled this and other covenants which opened the door for those who were not a part of Israel to become a part of the spiritual nation that the new covenant Jesus made had brought about. Jesus told the pharisees the nation would be taken from them and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. So this nation would be given to those restoring true worship. The nation of Israel had God’s perfect laws to guide them and they still failed miserably which demonstrated that the heavenly kingdom under Jesus rule in the heavenly kingdom is the only thing that can restore true worship and fix all the things man has done. The pharisees new of the bible prophecy but resisted Jesus because it meant they would need to change and accept the changes that were going to be made as Jesus fulfilled the old covenants and instituted the prophesied new covenant. Jesus gave us an example of what this true worship would look like but as shown earlier after the last of the apostles died the great apostasy would exist for a while then true worship would be restored.

(Matthew 4:10) Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.

(Exodus 34:13-16) . . .. ¹⁴ You must not bow down to another god, for Jehovah is known for requiring exclusive devotion. Yes, he is a God who requires exclusive devotion. ¹⁵ Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, because when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, someone will invite you and you will eat from his sacrifice. ¹⁶ Then you will surely take some of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to prostitute themselves to their gods.

(Deuteronomy 5:8-10) ⁸ “‘You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. ⁹ You must not bow down to them nor be led to serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me, ¹⁰ but showing loyal love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

1 John 5:19-21 ²⁰ But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us insight so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting. ²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

(Jeremiah 10:1-4) 10 Hear the word that Jehovah has spoken against you, O house of Israel. ² This is what Jehovah says: “Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Because the nations are terrified by them.  ³ For the customs of the peoples are a delusion. It is just a tree of the forest that is cut down, Worked by the hands of the craftsman with his tool.  ⁴ They adorn it with silver and gold And fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not fall over.

(Genesis 12:1-3) 12 And Jehovah said to Aʹbram: “Go out from your land and away from your relatives and from the house of your father to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will become a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who calls down evil on you, and all the families of the ground will certainly be blessed by means of you.. . .

(Galatians 3:7-14) ⁷ Surely you know that it is those who adhere to faith who are sons of Abraham. ⁸ Now the scripture, foreseeing that God would declare people of the nations righteous through faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: “By means of you all the nations will be blessed.” ⁹ So those who adhere to faith are being blessed together with Abraham, who had faith. ¹⁰ All those who depend on works of law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not remain in all the things written in the scroll of the Law by doing them.” ¹¹ Moreover, it is evident that by law no one is declared righteous with God, because “the righteous one will live by reason of faith.” ¹² Now the Law is not based on faith. Rather, “anyone who does these things will live by means of them.” ¹³ Christ purchased us, releasing us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: “Accursed is every man hung upon a stake.” ¹⁴ This was so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the nations by means of Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised spirit through our faith.

(Matthew 21:43, 44) ⁴³ This is why I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits. ⁴⁴ Also, the person falling on this stone will be shattered. As for anyone on whom it falls, it will crush him.”

(1 Peter 2:8-10) . . .. ⁹ But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies” of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not been shown mercy, but now you have received mercy.

(Hosea 2:23) ²³ I will sow her like seed for myself in the earth, And I will show mercy to her who was not shown mercy; I will say to those not my people: “You are my people,” And they will say: “You are my God.. . .

(Galatians 3:26-29) ²⁶ You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. ²⁹ Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise.

(Romans 10:11-15) ¹¹ For the scripture says: “No one who rests his faith on him will be disappointed.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. There is the same Lord over all, who is rich toward all those calling on him. ¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” ¹⁴ However, how will they call on him if they have not put faith in him? How, in turn, will they put faith in him about whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? ¹⁵ How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent out? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who declare good news of good things!”

So what would this spiritual Israel be called? Where would they come from? The bible teaches us that these people would be from throughout the whole earth. We get a clue also in the scriptures when God states he will take a people out of the nations for his name. This nation of Israel would be a people who once were not God’s people but the ransom sacrifice opened the door for people from all nations of the world to worship the one true God. Just as God’s people were called by his name in the post and known for using his name so would those who returned to worshiping in truth.

(Hosea 2:23) I will sow her like seed for myself in the earth, And I will show mercy to her who was not shown mercy; I will say to those not my people: “You are my people,” And they will say: “You are my God.”’”

(Romans 9:25, 26) ²⁵ It is as he says also in Ho·seʹa: “Those not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not loved, ‘beloved’; ²⁶ and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

(Amos 9:9-12)  ⁹ ‘For look! I am giving the command, And I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, Just as one shakes a sieve, And not a pebble falls to the ground. ¹⁰ They will die by the sword, all the sinners of my people, Those who are saying, “The calamity will not come near us or reach us.”’ ¹¹ ‘In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, I will repair the breaches, And I will restore its ruins; I will rebuild it as in the days of long ago, ¹² So that they may take possession of what is remaining of Eʹdom, And all the nations on whom my name has been called,’ declares Jehovah, who is doing this.

(Acts 15:12-21) . . .. ¹³ After they finished speaking, James replied: “Men, brothers, hear me. ¹⁴ Symʹe·on has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written: ¹⁶ ‘After these things I will return and raise up again the tent of David that is fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, ¹⁷ so that the men who remain may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name, says Jehovah, who is doing these things, ¹⁸ known from of old.’ 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. ²¹ For from ancient times Moses has had those who preach him in city after city, because he is read aloud in the synagogues on every sabbath.”

(Isaiah 43:5-7) ⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east And gather you together from the west.  ⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth,  ⁷ Everyone who is called by my name And whom I created for my own glory, Whom I have formed and made.’

(Revelation 3:12, 13) ¹² “‘The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. ¹³ Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’