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Summary: Prayer and fasting are useful to enter into a humble, obedient heart condition. But even if a consecrated Christian does have a holy heart condition, that does not mean God will exercise His power to answer that prayer. Discussion: God uses His loving, just, and wise power according to His will. Consider Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. Jesus, Himself, always obeyed God. Even the words which Jesus spoke were from God. Jesus stated, “…I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” – John 8:28 NKJV  Jesus was able to exercise the power of God because He only did the will of God. We need to study the Bible so that we learn how to pray.  It is not acceptable to ask for power, status, wealth, prosperity, health, or to win the lottery.  James 4:3 (ESV),  “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” For what may we pray? According to the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-14), we may ask for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on Earth. Pray for daily bread – but not for lavish feasts. We pray that God will keep us through temptation and deliver us from evil. We are to pray for forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. But Jesus also taught us to ask God to “forgive our sins as we forgive others.” And our whole relationship to God is through Jesus, therefore we pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13). Consecrated, spirit-begotten Christians may ask for more of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). They may ask for wisdom (James 1:5).  For strength to endure trials (Colossians 1:11).  For peace (Romans 14:19). For greater faith and trust (Luke 17:5). For help to develop the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:25).  For help to witness to others (Romans 10:15). As you can see, our requests should be about spiritual growth. None of these things are about displays of power, or the promotion of the natural man (Galatians 5:17). Prayer and fasting are not a formula to prompt God to exercise His power. Obedience results in answered prayer if we pray according to his will.

Yes, the Bible does teach there is a difference between being a friend of God or a son of God.  This distinction can be found in both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 41:8 (NIV), “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend…”  James 2:23 (ESV), “… ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’–and he was called a friend of God.” In the Old Testament, the closest relationship God had with a man or woman was as a friend of God. Even Moses was called a friend. Exodus 33:11, “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” In the Gospels, Jesus spoke to His followers as friends, but not as sons of God.  John 15:15 (NKJV), “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” In summary, some benefits of friendship with God are receiving a clearer understanding of God’s will, being led by God, being used by God to do His will. However, after Jesus died for our sins, people could be forgiven and thereby justified (made right) from God’s perspective. Jesus opened a new and living way. Hebrews 10:19-20 (ESV), “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh”. This narrow way (Matthew 7:14) is the call to follow only God’s will. When God accepts this consecration, the believer is begotten by the Holy Spirit as a new creature. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was first given to believers and it was then that they became sons of God as new creatures. What are the benefits of being a son of God? Presently, true Christians have peace, hope, joy, answered prayers, and guidance. They have the great privilege of communion with the supreme Creator as their personal father.  If faithful, these sons of God will be part of the little flock, the true Church of God, the Bride of Christ.  Revelation 17:14 (NKJV), “those who are with Him (Jesus) are called, chosen, and faithful.” (See also Revelation 2:10.)  They will be resurrected with the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:2) What will happen to God’s friends of old and to the majority of mankind?  Jesus died for all mankind and God loves everyone. In the resurrection, most people will learn to love righteousness and will conscrate their all to God. They will become perfect human sons (as was Adam, Luke 3:38).  God’s plan has always been to bless everyone during Christ’s reign on Earth. Genesis 12:3 (KJV), “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The Apostle Paul was not called to be one of the Twelve Apostles during Jesus’ earthly life. Thus, some doubted saying he was not an apostle (1 Corinthians 9:2). Others even accused Paul of preaching a different gospel. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Paul wrote, “…I am set for the defense of the gospel.” Philippians 1:17 (KJV) It was God Himself and Jesus who chose Paul to be an apostle. Galatians 1:1 (NLT), “…Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.” The story of Paul’s commission was recorded in Acts 9:3-5,7 (NIV) “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” A few days later, the Lord appeared to and instructed Ananias. “The Lord said, ‘Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. …ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.’  ‘But Lord,’ exclaimed Ananias, ‘I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!… But the Lord said, ‘Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.’…” Acts 9:11-13, 15 (NLT) According to the Law Covenant, two or three testimonies are required to verify the facts of an accusation. Deuteronomy 19:15 (NLT), “…The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”  Thus, the record of Jesus calling Paul is verified by the two accounts of Paul and Ananias. God gave Paul special visions to direct his apostolic ministry. 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4 (NLT),  “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know–only God knows. …that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” God gave Paul divine insights so that his letters and teachings would help develop the Church throughout several centuries. As an apostle of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14), Paul had the sobering responsibility to teach not only his contemporaries, but all Christians throughout the entire Gospel Age.

Summary: True Christians receive the down payment or the promise of eternal life when God begets them with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:14.) The church’s immortal eternal life is realized in the resurrection. In the world’s resurrection during Christ’s earthly kingdom, the willing of mankind will learn to embrace God’s law of love. Their loyalty will be tested. Those faithful will rejoice with eternal human life, but they will still be mortal. Discussion: All of mankind are children of Adam and all are under the penalty of death. Romans 5:12, 18 (NKJV), “…through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men,…” Eternal life is a gift. (Romans 6:23) This gift is received in the resurrection. John 6:47, 51, 54 (ESV), “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life …  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” In the resurrection, the being (or soul) may be resurrected with a spirit body or a natural human body. The Apostle Paul wrote, “…what you sow (your character) is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain–perhaps wheat (true, faithful Christians) or some other grain. But God gives it (the being) a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body… There are also celestial (heavenly, spirit) bodies and terrestrial (earthly) bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” – 1 Corinthians 15:36-38, 40 (NKJV) The immortal or death-proof spirit body will be given to the Bride of Christ. This body will have eternal life within itself. (John 7:38)  Whereas, mortal (existence depending on air, water, food, etc.) eternal life will be granted to those of mankind who will learn to embrace God’s Law of Love during Christ’s reign on Earth. Jesus explained this Law in Luke 10:27 (NKJV), “… ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Thus, eternal life or life without end will be granted in the resurrection to those who love God supremely. For the church, the nature of the life will be spiritual and no longer capable of dying.  For the earthly, the life will continue forever, but they will be mortal. During Christ’s 1,000 year reign, mankind will need to develop a Christ-like character and prove their loyalty to God to maintain their gift of eternal life. But the Church class will receive the great reward of immortality (Romans 2:7, Revelation 2:10), because they were developed and proved faithful through the trials of this present evil world (Galatians 1:4).

When Jesus initiated the Memorial Supper of His death, it was to commemorate His sacrifice to redeem mankind. The cup was filled with wine and the wine represented the sacrifice of His life blood.  However, after the Memorial was established, Jesus said He would drink wine new in the kingdom. What was our Lord teaching? Jesus was resurrected as a divine, spirit being. He  certainly did not need to eat, drink, or sleep in heaven. First, our Lord was not referring to literal wine, but to something new pictured by the wine. In the Kingdom, it will be a cup of joy and celebration. Just as wine is used during earthly celebrations, this wine would symbolize a time of rejoicing. In Mark 14:25,  Jesus was talking to His apostles about their future rejoicing together in heaven. The wine will be a remembrance of the heroism of their faith under the most crucial tests and a rejoicing together in the victory of that faith. Additionally, Jesus and His church together may celebrate the joys, rights, and privileges of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) May we strive to be faithful so that we may be part of Jesus’s Bride and may drink the wine anew at the heavenly marriage feast. “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready…” Revelation 19:7 (ESV)

“8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalms 2:2-12 (NIV) These scriptural admonitions are directed to the rulers of the world when Christ returns to claim his inheritance. So far the world governments and the world leaders have not heeded this warning. Because of greed, selfishness, prejudice, and hatred they never will.  Therefore Christ will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessel. Since the fall of Adam, God has left mankind to govern themselves. However, God did make the Law Covenant with Israel (Amos 3:2) and instructed them how to govern justly. They were considered a holy nation, and had they obeyed the laws, they would have become a prosperous nation and would bless the whole world. (Exodus 19:6, Genesis 28:14) However, they were so disobedient that God removed their crown and the gentile king Nebuchadnezzar began ruling Israel.(Ezekiel 21:26-27, Daniel 2:38) God never made a covenant with any gentile nations and thus none ever received divine care nor instructions. (Yet they could have followed the Ten Commandments and followed the same righteous principles God gave to Israel.) Today’s governments are corrupted with greed, selfishness, prejudice, hatred, and all kinds of malice toward one another. Everywhere we see the influence of Satan making darkness appear as light and right appear as wrong. It seems the more enlightened mankind esteems themselves to be, the darker their path becomes. (Isaiah 60:2) The only remedy will be the fully established kingdom of Christ. Christ will rule the Earth in justice with the same principles outlined in the Law Covenant (Matthew 22:38-40). When Christ returns, He binds Satan and his evil influences (Revelation 20:1-3). He completes the Church as His governing body. Then He destroys the present religious, social, financial, and political orders (2 Peter 3:10-13).  He restores favor to Israel (Romans 11:25-26). Christ and the Church will reign until all enemies are put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). Until then the true follower of Christ is a stranger, a foreigner, and a pilgrim in this world. Jesus did not instruct Christians to try to reform the world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we should continue to pray “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

The tradition that the Roman Catholic Church is the true church established by Jesus Christ is based on the following scripture, which we will need to examine in order to come to the correct conclusion. Mat 16:15-19  (GNB)”What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”  (16)  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  (17)  “Good for you, Simon son of John!” answered Jesus. “For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven.  (18)  And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.  (19)  I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Jesus says, “on this rock foundation I will build my church”. So we have to ask ourselves what is the “rock foundation”. Is it Peter? Is it Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah? It makes a huge difference. God gave Jesus 12 Apostles. We know that John was Jesus’ favorite. We also know that Jesus had three favorites: Peter, James and John.  We find out later that the Apostle Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul is the one who started the Roman congregations as well as many in Asia Minor.  Not Peter. We know there are 12 Apostles to the Lamb. In Revelation 12 the woman (who is the church, the Bride of Christ) has 12 stars (the 12 Apostles). The New Jerusalem had 12 foundations,  the names of the 12 Apostles. Rev 21:14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Twelve is a very important number with God. Israel was made up of 12s as well. Revelation was written sixty years after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension and still there only the twelve apostles, no more no less. There is no transference of apostleship, no apostolic succession. To single out one Apostle as the most important, in my estimation would take away from the singleness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the foundation of the Church. So we have to go back to the questions. Is Peter the Foundation or is it Jesus as the Messiah? We cannot build a doctrine around one scripture. We are told in God’s Law that it is by two or three witnesses is a thing established. So we must find other scriptures. Heb 12:2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 1Co 3:11  For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid. Isa 28:16  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Act 4:10-12  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  (11)  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Eph 2:20-22  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  (22)  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph 4:10-12  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  (11)  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  (12)  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 1Co 12:27-29  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.  (28)  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  (29)  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? When I think about the scriptures I just posted, one thing sticks out very strikingly—Jesus is the foundation—the rock which the church is built on and next is the 12 Apostles, not just one.  So if that is the case with these scriptures, certainly Jesus’ words must harmonize with the rest of the Word. Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The name Peter which Jesus gave to him, means rock. Strong’s G4074 Πέτρος   Petros   pet’-ros. Apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle: – Peter, rock. Compare G2786. So he says, “That thou art Petros (a piece of rock), and upon this Petra (mass of rock) I will build my church. G4073 Πέτρα  petra   pet’-ra. Feminine of the same as G4074; a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively): – rock. It is interesting that Jesus doesn’t use the same word that is translated Rock. He made a difference. I think that is an important difference. Jesus is the massive rock. Rom_9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 1Co_10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink:

God is orderly and wise. He knows the best time to act for the greatest good of His creation. The scriptures describe different times and seasons in His plan, and they are reasonable when we see what transpired during them. In the beginning of our race, Adam and Eve were given a simple test of obedience. God said to Adam, “Of every tree of the garden, thou may freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16, 17) Our first parents failed this simple test. But the slow process of learning the difference between good and evil began for them, as well as for the human family. A parallel we can draw when God gave such a simple test is in raising children. When a child is very young, parents make their rules simple and understandable. More complicated rules would be impossible for young children to obey. God followed the same principle with Adam and Eve. They were both inexperienced and did not fully understand the consequences of disobedience. Giving them all the laws of Moses would have been overwhelming. The Law given to Moses was far more than the Ten Commandments. He was given hundreds of laws that God expected Israel to follow. Israel started as a family when first brought to Egypt by Joseph. They initially prospered. But, in time, a new Pharaoh arose who made the Israelites his slaves. He was a hard, oppressive taskmaster. At the right time God raised up Moses to be their deliverer. He wanted them to become a nation and a nation cannot function without rules and laws. Adam and Eve were to learn good and evil through their personal disobediences. They did not need laws meant to govern a nation. Those laws structured their method of government, it gave them the tabernacle sacrifices which maintained their relationship with God and provided many other features. To give all of this to Adam and Eve would have been premature and unnecessary. Another reason the Law was given to Israel, and not sooner, was because they were descendants of Abraham. God made a promise to Abraham after he obeyed God and offered his son as a sacrifice. Such faith was rewarded with a special promise to bless all the families of the earth through his posterity. God said, “…Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  (Genesis 22:16-18) Unlike Adam and Eve, Abraham had great faith. As a result, he and Israel will be used in God’s kingdom to bless all the families of the earth. That’s the same kingdom Jesus taught us to pray for. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). God’s plan is headed for that kingdom and our education in good and evil began the journey for all of us.

In the book of Exodus, we read about how the Israelite people became slaves in Egypt. Egypt’s leader was Pharaoh, a cruel and stubborn man. God had chosen Moses to lead the people out of Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. But Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people go. The Bible records a pattern between Moses and Pharaoh: Moses would warn that God would send a plague – something that would cause trouble or distress – if Pharaoh didn’t let the people go. All of the plagues could have been avoided had Pharaoh listened to Moses, God’s representative, and freed the Israelites from slavery. In the first plague, the water in the land became blood. The fish died and the water smelled bad. The Bible says there was blood throughout the land and the Egyptians could not drink from the Nile River or wash in it. (see Exodus 7:21) The second plague was frogs. Frogs are pretty neat, but THIS many were really annoying – they were everywhere, even inside houses! The third plague was lice, although some translations say gnats or sand flies. Such insects bite victims and feed on their blood…not a pleasant thought! The fourth plague was thick swarms of flies throughout Egypt. Imagine going outside and having that many buzzing all around you. For the fifth plague, the cattle belonging to the Egyptians became diseased and died. Like today, the people depended on livestock for food and other things, so this plague was a real hardship. The sixth plague brought boils – painful sores – on the animals’ and people’s bodies. For the seventh plague, hail rained down from the sky upon all of the Egyptians. Hail is like large pieces of frozen rain. Through Moses, God said that any person or animal left outside would die under the hail. The eighth plague brought locusts, an insect that always seems to be hungry. They ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit on the trees. There were so many that the ground looked black. The ninth plague was three days of thick darkness. Imagine nighttime ALL the time. Since the Egyptians couldn’t see anything, it was hard to go anywhere. The tenth plague was the most serious of all – the firstborn of each Egyptian household died – both human and livestock. Exodus (12:30, CEV) says, “In every Egyptian home, someone was dead.” So, what were the Ten Plagues of Egypt? A series of ten devastating and difficult consequences due to Pharaoh refusing to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

When Jesus was here on earth, he was a perfect man and a master teacher. The people loved to hear him speak because he taught the pure word of God with knowledge and authority. (see Matthew 7:29) Jesus was an example of complete respect and obedience to God – one we should try to copy. He never took credit for himself, but instead always gave the glory and honor to God. In Matthew, he told the people, “…let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16, NLT) How can WE give glory to God? We can be thankful for what he has provided, recognizing His mercy and generosity. And, when we do good deeds, we can give all the credit to God, for giving us the time, talent and ability to do them! Jesus also taught us to love God and our neighbor. Our “neighbor” means everyone around us! In Mark, he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30, 31, NIV) How can WE show love for our neighbor? We can share toys or snacks with classmates, or look for ways to be helpful to our parents and teachers. Jesus also gave us a hard instruction to follow: to love our enemies. (see Matthew 5:44) It’s easy to love those who are kind to us, but much harder to love those who are unkind. How can WE love our enemies? We can still be nice to those who are not so nice to us. We should never try to “get even” or harm those who hurt us. Jesus preached exciting news about God’s coming kingdom, (see Mark 1:15), which will bring blessings to all of humankind. The miracles Jesus and his disciples performed – like healing the sick and raising the dead – gives us a preview of what this kingdom will be like! How can WE prepare for God’s kingdom? We can do our best to live godly lives, being unselfish, forgiving, and compassionate – like Jesus! And of course, we can tell others about God’s plan to bless all of humankind. As part of this coming kingdom, Jesus also taught about the future resurrection, when all who are in their graves will be awakened back to life with an opportunity to live forever. (see John 5:28) How can WE bless others with this information? We can comfort someone whose loved one has passed away by sharing this good news! Let’s give them a reassuring scripture about what God will do, such as, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4, NLT) So, what did Jesus teach? Many wonderful things, but here are just a few: to respect, obey and love God, and to love “our neighbor” and our enemies. He also taught about God’s future kingdom and the resurrection!