Satan is, indeed, a powerful enemy - but he is only a created being. He was made by our Creator - he out of light, we out of dirt/ earth/ clay. He is only created.

God knows our thoughts - in fact, this is an attribute (a characteristic) of God:

(Psalms 94:11 KJV) "The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity."

(Psalms 139:23-24 KJV) "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: {24} And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

In fact, this is one of the proofs that we have that Jesus Christ is eternal God: He knew the thoughts of those around Him:

(Matthew 9:3-6 KJV) "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. {4} And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? {5} For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? {6} But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."

(Matthew 12:24-26 KJV) "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. {25} And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: {26} And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?"

As God knows the thoughts of man, He alone is authorized to judge:

(Hebrews 10:30-31 KJV) "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. {31} It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

And as Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, all judgment is committed to Him:

(John 5:22-23 KJV) "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: {23} That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."

Now, on to Satan. Can he read the mind of man? Obviously, he couldn't read Jesus' earthly mind, when he tempted Him in the desert (Matthew 4). And Satan had Christ crucified, which was a stupid thing to do if he knew Jesus' purpose in coming to earth:

(John 14:30 KJV) "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me."

(1 Corinthians 2:7-8 KJV) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: {8} Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Satan can only go as far as God will allow him to go:

(Psalms 109:6-7 KJV) "Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. {7} When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin."

But Satan is a defeated foe:

(Matthew 25:41 KJV) "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

... who is still swinging after the bell has been rung. So Satan is created by the same Lord who created us, though out of different material ^{(see Isaiah 14:3-20)}. He cannot read thoughts - only God can do that. And further, he can only be in one place at a time, so he "roams" around:

(1 Peter 5:8 KJV) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Unlike God, who is everywhere.

If you have doubts, then those doubts are coming because you're human. It can't be a matter of salvation, for salvation is a free gift from God. The Scripture says that if you have believed in Jesus:

(Romans 10:9-11 KJV) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. {11} For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

(Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Then you are saved. All you have to do is believe. It couldn't be easier than that! But there's a problem with believing, and that is, as humans, we feel that we need to add a little something to it. Maybe do a good deed, get busy in the Church, give to charity, chant and meditate - something. Surely my salvation in Christ could not be as simple as just believing in Jesus. Listen, believer, and hear this well. Going to Church and giving to God are not bad things - but they cannot add to or take away from your salvation. That's a free gift from Christ! There's nothing we can do that's acceptable in God's eyes apart from Christ. As Isaiah said:

(Isaiah 64:6 KJV) "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness' are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

And the Apostle Paul reiterated:

(Romans 3:9-12 KJV) "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; {10} As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. {12} They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

So what can we do to earn our salvation, or retain it once we have received it? Nothing at all. We neither earn nor deserve that salvation, but believe that what Jesus did was sufficient for our salvation. As the writer of Hebrews says:

(Hebrews 12:2 KJV) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

You have doubts? Remember that Elijah, one of God's greatest Prophets, who called fire down from Heaven on all the cursed idolators - Elijah, when threatened by Jezebel, ran like a whipped dog and hid in a cave for fear of his life (1 Kings 19:1-14). Abraham, the father of Faith, when threatened by Abimelech King of Gerar, said of Sarah his wife "She's my sister". He gave in to doubt, and allowed his wife to be taken by another man, for fear of his life. Moses, the greatest Prophet who ever lived, who talked to God face to face, (Deuteronomy 34:10), allowed anger to cloud his view of God, and struck the Rock rather than speaking to it as God told Him to do (Numbers 20:10-12) ... and for that deed, lost the Promised Land. Many in the Household of Faith have had doubts ... King David numbered the people, Paul went to Jerusalem after being warned to stay away, Peter ordered circumcision of the Gentiles in order to placate the Jews ... doubts will come, dear believer. That's part of being human, and a large part of what Scripture records for us to see. In fact, I can barely trust a person who is so sure of their life that they never have doubts, or have never had them. People who have never had a doubt, they have been sheltered from the world around them. But, as was the case with Elijah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Paul, Peter, David .... the thousands who have come before us, when confronted with doubt, and corrected by God, they moved on to greatness from there. You need to focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. You need to focus on this Promise:

(John 10:25-30 KJV) "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. {26} But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. {27} My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. {29} My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. {30} I and my Father are one."

What greater promise could we be given? As His sheep, believing in Him, we know His voice. Many follow behind Him crying Lord, Lord, but never hear His Word ... and thus are not of the fold. And we become part of that fold by believing on Jesus Christ ... period.

Christ our Savior teaches we who are of His family to love our enemies:

(Luke 6:27-36 KJV) "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. {29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. {30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. {31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. {32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. {33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. {34} And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. {35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. {36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

Though, I must hasten to say, our Savior was quite specific in teaching that He was and is the ONLY WAY to the One True God:

(John 14:6 KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Because of this so called intolerant statement by our Lord, many who are unbelievers have stated that conservative, orthodox Christianity is equal in every respect to Islam. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

Islam makes it very plain, in their holy book (the Qur'an {Koran}), which is nothing like the Christian Bible, that infidels are NOT to be treated with love. In the Qur'an (Koran) 4:89 (Section entitled Women) we read:

"They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allâh (to Mohammed SAW). But if they turn back (from Islâm), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them."

In the Qur'an (Koran) 3:85 (Section entitled The Imrans) we read:

"He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and in the world to come he will be one of the lost."

Islam, like Christianity, claims that it is the only way to God. But, unlike Christianity, Islam teaches that you should kill those who abandon its precepts. This is similar to the heretical teaching of Mormonism in its early phase. Follow Islam, change your mind, earn death.

In the Qur'an (Koran) 5:17 (Section entitled The Table) we read:

"Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allâh is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary). Say (O Mohammed ): "Who then has the least power against Allâh, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?" And to Allâh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allâh is Able to do all things."

Islam is not only dissimilar to Christianity, but it specifically teaches against the cardinal doctrines of our faith. So those who promote a "can't we all just get along" mentality are ignorant of the facts. Islam claims to be the only way to God. Christianity claims to be the only way to God. There is no fence sitting allowed!

In the Qur'an (Koran) 5:73 (Section entitled The Table) we read:

"Surely, disbelievers are those who said: "Allâh is the third of the three (in a Trinity)." But there is no ilâh (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilâh (God -Allâh). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them."

Though there are groups within Christianity that do not teach the Trinity of God (such as the Modalists, or "Oneness Pentecostals), the bulk of Christendom teaches this doctrine - and it can be proved Scripturally. Islam does not believe that God is Triune.

In the Qur'an (Koran) 3:64 (Section called The Imrans) we read:

"Say (O Mohammed ): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims."

And in the Qur'an (Koran) 9:30-31 (Section entitled Repentance) we read:

"[YUSUFALI TRANSLATION] The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)."

So Islam, far from being the tolerant and loving faith that I keep hearing it is, is a faith that not only claims it is the only way to God, but also curses other religions and commends those who kill these "heretics". What a far cry from Christianity, which teaches:

(John 3:16-18 KJV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {17} For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. {18} He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

God does not want the damnation of the unbeliever, but cared so much for you and I that He gave up His Son to the most horrible of deaths - so that we might have life. Christ rose again on the third day, but Mohammed's bones lie still in a grave. Many saw Christ resurrected, and gave their lives to follow Him. None have seen the "Prophet" Mohammed resurrected Christianity teaches love above all else, Islam killing the infidels if you cannot convert them.

Either Islam is right, or Christianity is right. But both faiths cannot be right. As for me and my house, we will follow Jesus ... I hope you do, too!

"Crowns" in the Scripture are the rewards that we as believers will receive when we get to Heaven. The crowns mentioned in Scripture are:

The Crown for the mature Believer is the Crown of Life:

(James 1:12 KJV) "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

(Revelation 2:10 KJV) "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

The Crown of Happiness is for spreading the happiness of God in your life to others:

(Philippians 4:1 KJV) "Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved."

(1 Thessalonians 2:19 KJV) "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"

The Crown of Righteousness is received by the believer who fulfills God's plan in his life:

(2 Timothy 4:7-8 KJV) "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: {8} Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

The Crown of Glory is received by the believer who glorified God in his life:

(1 Peter 5:4 KJV) "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

Why are these rewards called "crowns" (Greek "stephanos")? In ancient times "crowns" were used as special headgear to emphasize that an individual was in a special position of authority (such as a king or a head of state), or to show that someone had won, by their efforts, a sporting event. The woven laurels that were placed on the winning runner's head in a race was called "stephanos", a "crown". In this life, the world and all those who love it run a race to earn temporal crowns (riches, fame, etc.). These "crowns" will fade away and rot. However, the Christian runs his or her race in this life to win an eternal crown.

(1 Corinthians 9:24-27 KJV) "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. {25} And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. {26} I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: {27} But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

The unbeliever strives after his or her "crown", recognition and reward in this life, through his or her own power. The believer strives after his or her eternal crown, not through our own power, but through the power of our Savior Jesus Christ and the blessed Holy Spirit. The unbeliever stands back and feels pride at the crown that is won, for he earned it. We as believers, however, MUST look at our crowns as products of God's Grace through Christ - and we will ultimately throw those crowns at the feet of the One who truly deserved them, Jesus Christ:

(Revelation 4:10-11 KJV) "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, {11} Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

In the beginning we sought godhood in the Garden. Adam and Eve, our parents, allowed pride to lead them to fall. Satan allowed pride, seeking to "be like God"

(Isaiah 14:14-15 KJV) "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. {15} Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

grabbing for a crown that was not his. In the end, every knee shall bow before the One True King, Jesus Christ:

(Philippians 2:10-11 KJV) "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

On that great day, only One will wear a crown who deserves it. We will throw our crowns at His feet in recognition of this. And those who rejected Christ, they can keep their earthly crowns - though they will carry them into the Lake of Fire with them - for all eternity.

God Bless!

Hi : I have noticed that many pastors and leaders when giving an invitation to Christ say you need to "ask Jesus into your heart". Is there a danger in this ? Salvation is a free gift and Jesus doesn't want to come in to our dirty hearts. So He changes our heart when we believe. Nowhere in scripture do I find you need to ask Jesus in to our hearts. The Spirit draws us - He is doing all the work in reveling Christ to me. When I hear this phrase I can come away with the idea that I did something for my salvation when in fact God did it all for me. Thank you.

Hello in Christ!

I suppose it's a manner of semantics, though I do agree that many religious leaders use terms and phrases without fully considering their Scriptural context. The Bible teaches us that the "heart" is the THINKING and BELIEVING part of man. Many will point to their breast and say, "Invite Jesus into your heart", but the human heart, that organ in the chest, is no more than a pump that keeps the blood flowing. You can even, with the miracles of modern medicine, transplant someone else's heart into your chest WITHOUT changing your personality or soul. You see, the Bible uses "heart", the Greek KARDIA, to refer to the thinking part of our soul. We MUST BELIEVE in our HEART that God raised Jesus from the dead in order to be saved. The heart is where we MUST believe in Jesus to be saved:

(Romans 10:8-10 KJV) "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; {9} That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

The KARDIA, heart, also stores our experiences in life - and our heart cannot perceive the full majesty of what Christ did for us on the Cross - nor can it fully comprehend the splendors of eternal life in Heaven:

(1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV) "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

With the KARDIA, the heart, we make determinations and judgments: we behave or misbehave sexually, we sin against God or against others in our periphery, we do what we do based on what we determine to do in our heart:

(1 Corinthians 7:37 KJV) "Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well."

(Ephesians 6:5-6 KJV) "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; {6} Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;"

The Spirit of God works with us who are believers, members of the Body of Christ, and slowly forms in us the character of Christ by molding our hearts as we study His Word. We are all in a state of growth, Progressive Sanctification, and this state changes us. We are not what we were before salvation, for Christ paid for us and sent the Spirit to indwell us at the moment of our belief. We are not what we were even yesterday, for God the Spirit works in us "to will and to do of His good pleasure", creating in us "workmen that need not be ashamed". And we are not what we will ultimately be, when we stand before Christ our Savior, completely cleansed from all corruption, in that coming time of glory in yonder Heaven.

(2 Corinthians 3:3 KJV) "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart."

Salvation is a free gift, and there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it. But as to inviting Jesus into a dirty heart - that is nothing to Jesus our Savior. He bore all the sins that you and I would ever do on the Cross, such torturous and horrible things that, in the final moments of that hellish experience He cried out, "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" We are certainly not sinless at the point of salvation (see 1 John 1.8-10, and compare this with Romans 7:19-25). We are brought into a state where our sins are forgiven, but sinless - no, do not deceive yourself. The sins were and are paid for, and credited to our account. Every sin and ordinance we broke or would ever break were and are nailed to the Cross of Christ:

(Colossians 2:13-14 KJV) "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

splattered with His pure blood, paid for, marked "paid in full" for people who deserved none of it. Such a payment, my mind can barely comprehend it, for who am I to have such a love applied to my life? Perhaps this is why many preachers use the phrase, "Invite Jesus into your heart", for the phrase itself denotes an intimacy between our Lord and the fallen. If they mean by that phrase "Hear His call, recognize His payment, and clasp that payment to yourself as a drowning man would a life preserver", then I think they have followed the intent of the Scripture. I suspect they mean it in this way and if so then the use of KARDIA, heart, in Scripture has no quarrel with them. Even Jesus spoke lyrically of standing at the door of a believer's life, waiting for them to repent and return to fellowship with Him.

(Revelation 3:19-20 KJV) "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. {20} Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

I hope this helps, dear Brother. Stay in the Word, study the Word, and grow!

God bless!

An unbeliever posed the following question. He said, "If Jesus is God, how come He doesn't know when He's coming back?"

I know it is because Jesus is God and Man (hypostatic union), but I really need help in formulating a Scripture-based response that will get him hungry to know the Lord. Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Hello in Christ!

It's great to hear from you, dear Sister. Let me say that I suspect that you will not be able to answer the unbeliever's question to his or her satisfaction. If this individual is an unbeliever, then they are spiritually unable to understand spiritual truths:

(1 Corinthians 2:14-15 KJV) "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. {15} But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."

I have, over these some 25 years of service to Jesus, sadly discovered this to be the truth. After arguing points of doctrine till I was blue in the face with unbelievers I found out that, no matter how the truth was presented, they would not hear that Word. That is why I think our Lord kept it very simple. When we witness, we use the basics of Scripture: all people are fallen in sin, all are destined for eternal damnation, we cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior, Jesus Christ is that Savior. Studies here provide a witnessing tool that you can use or modify for use when talking with unbelievers:

http://www.bibleteacher.org/witness.htm

When we go beyond that point we discover that the natural (sukikos, soulish, unsaved) man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God - and we just wear ourselves out in the process.

But all that aside, let me answer your question in a way that you and I can understand, being children of the King. A brief outline of Scripture shows that Jesus, as a member of the Trinity of God, is God:

-God In Three Persons Is A Compound Unity, As Illustrated By The Hebrew Yachid: Deu 6.4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord Our God Is One Yachid Lord: "
-There Is No Saviour But God: Isa 43.10-11
-Jesus Is Our Saviour, And Therefore God: Mat 1.20-21; Phil 3.20-21
-God Alone Indwells His People: Zech 2.8-11
-The Holy Spirit Indwells The Church, And Is Therefore God: 1 Co 3.16
-The Holy Spirit Is Called God: Ac 5.3-4
-Jehovah Is Called The Alpha And Omega: Rev 21.4-7
-Jesus Is Also The Alpha And Omega, And Is God: Rev 22.12-16
-Jehovah God Is Self Existent: Exo 3.13-14
-Jesus Is Self Existent, And Is God: Jo 8.56-58
-All Three Members Of The Trinity Of God Are Co-Equal: 2 Co 13.14
-Christ Makes Intercession For Believers To The Father: He 7.25
-The Holy Spirit Also Makes Intercession For Believers To The Father: Ro 8.26-27
-The Trinity Created The Earth And Populated It: Gen 1.26-27
-When Man Created The Tower Of Babel, The Trinity Discouraged This Evil: Gen 11.5-8
-Here All Three Persons Of The Trinity Are Clearly Illustrated: Isa 48.12-16

Now, since Jesus is God, then how is it that the Father alone knows when He will return?

(Mark 13:32 KJV) "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."

The answer, of course, lies in the Trinity of God and the hypostatic union of Christ. Within the Trinity, each Member has their own function, working together in Love toward One Another. The Father directs, the Son saves, the Spirit indwells. Neither Person of the Trinity fights nor causes friction with the other Person - they work together in harmony. Jesus said of judgment:

(John 5:22 KJV) "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

That He alone will judge the world. And Who better, since He sat in the place of suffering and damnation for us all on the Cross? Those who reject Him will be judged by Him before the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:1-15), and will see eternal damnation for their failure. Those who accept Him as Savior shall not see condemnation, but shall their works judged for reward at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Is the Father "less God" because He does not judge, but the Son judges? No, the Trinity is functioning within their proper roles. When Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, lied to the Lord about their donation, Peter said:

(Acts 5:3-4 KJV) "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

He made it plain that the two lied unto GOD THE HOLY GHOST, not God the Father nor God the Son. Why? Because the Holy Spirit as a Person of the Trinity interfaces with and indwells man. When they lied in Church, they lied to God the Holy Spirit - not to the Son nor the Father.

Back to Jesus. When He walked this earth, He walked it in "hypostatic union":

http://www.bibleteacher.org/Dm026_1.htm
http://www.bibleteacher.org/Dm026_2.htm
http://www.bibleteacher.org/Dm026_3.htm
http://www.bibleteacher.org/Dm100_1.htm
http://www.bibleteacher.org/Dm066b.htm

A short definition of this theological term is that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. When He said, "I don't know when I'll return, the Father alone knows", He was reflecting both the truths that (1) in His humanity, which was predominant while He walked this earth as the Lamb of God, He was unaware as to when the Father would direct Him to return to earth in the prophetic future, and (2) as God the Son, He was willing to allow the Father to do His job in the Trinity without "second guessing" Him. The Trinity works together, each Person doing what He is supposed to do, based on His righteousness without end. In humanity we would be constantly fighting for the upper hand - in the Godhead, sinless and pure, this is unheard of.

Let me know how the witness goes, dear Sister. You are in my prayers, and in my heart.

I love your doctrinal statement and agree wholeheartedly with it. Question - why do so few Christian women want to study about the Bible?. I'm not deeply into theology per se, but I love hearing about the background, context, linguistic translations that make the Bible more clear. Is there a study on the background of prophetic books such as Isaiah that go verse by verse so I can understand which prophecies are fulfilled and which are not. For instance, the prophecy about "Behold a virgin shall concieve and bear a son and shall call... ect. It goes on to say that " before the shild shall know to choose the evil and reject the good, the land that thou fearest shall be forsaken of both her kings" How can that be a sign to King Ahab, when Christ was born so many years after he died? I've puzzed about that one for years.

(Isaiah 7:14-17 KJV) "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. {15} Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. {16} For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. {17} The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria."

This passage has been debated by theologians for some time, so you are not alone. If it was a prophecy having significance only to Ahaz, and Jesus was not born until long after Ahaz passed away, then how could this prophecy be referring to Jesus?

First, the prophecy MUST be referring to Jesus' birth. The word "virgin" is the Hebrew 'ALMAH (Strong's 5959), and there is no clear use of 'ALMAH in the Old Testament for a married woman. The word is used for a woman who has not been with a man, a virgin - thus the passage could not refer to any woman in Isaiah's periphery (the queen nor Isaiah's wife) - for they were not virgins. Further, when the Angel of God announces Christ's birth to Joseph:

(Matthew 1:20-23 KJV) "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. {21} And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. {22} Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, {23} Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

He quotes this same prophecy. Obviously the child born of a virgin was a sign, reiterated by God's messenger to Joseph, a Godly Orthodox Jew, who would have well known the prophecy of the Messiah.

The answer is quite simple, really. The prophecy was given to the House of David (Ahaz, as a sitting King, was head of that House), not simply to Ahaz. The "you" in verse 14 is PLURAL, not singular - down here in the South we would have used "y'all" or "you all" (smile). This is not uncommon with the prophecies of God, both near and far, in the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 28:

(Ezekiel 28:12-15 KJV) "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. {13} Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. {14} Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. {15} Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

Ezekiel launches into a prophecy against the King of Tyre but, as you read the context, you see that the prophecy looks BACKWARD to the fall of Lucifer, the anointed cherub that guarded the Throne of God. He was in charge of all the holy angels (the stones of fire) and, because of pride, fell from Heaven. This prophecy has to refer to Lucifer, not the King of Tyre, for it says things about the character that could only refer to Satan - the cherub that covereth - was perfect - was in Eden - etc. Why launch into a prophecy (or vision, if you will) about Lucifer in the midst of a Heavenly Warning against Tyre? Probably because both situations are similar. The King of Tyre achieved greatness because of God's Grace, and is falling away to destruction because of pride. Lucifer achieved greatness because of God's Grace, and fell away because of pride.

Back to our main verse. The prophecy that God gave to Ahaz was not given to him personally, but to the entire House of David which he represented. The House of David, based in Jerusalem, should have, from the moment of that prophecy, looked for the coming Messiah. The immediate message to Ahaz was to relax - God was not through with His people Israel. The all Sovereign and all Knowing God has all things in hand, and rebukes the King's lack of faith in Him. Ahaz was courting Assyria as a protector, but Ahaz was playing with fire. If Ahaz (the House of David) would leave Assyria alone and trust in God fully as Savior then He will save Ahaz and present Israel, just like He will one day send the Messiah to save all of Israel. But Ahaz wouldn't listen. He kept playing around with Assyria until Assyria - the very power he was courting - devastates Judah.

(Matthew 1:21 KJV) "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

You would think that Israel would have learned to wait on God. But Israel, like us, was impatient and foolish. In fact, Israel is a good illustration of each one of us who believe who get impatient of waiting on God, and who seek our own solutions to our own problems. That would be a good sermon, I think (smile).

God Bless you, and thanks for writing. In Jesus our Lord you are loved.

I am in a Bible Class and studying "the Penteteuch". Three things came up that give me a little discomfort. First, there was a discussion of who Cain married to produce children, his mother or sister. Can you give me some insight on this?

Any answer I give to this question could be only speculation, not truth. Whom did Cain marry? I have no idea, as Scripture does not reveal this in any way, nor does it consider the matter important. I would suppose sister, though there is no evidence one way or the other to support this absolutely other than a guess. I would quote the following verse to your Bible Class the next time an impossibly engineered question like this comes up (For instance: "If God is Almighty, can He create a rock that He could not lift - and if not, is He still Almighty?"):

(Titus 3:8-9 KJV) "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. {9} But AVOID FOOLISH QUESTIONS, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."

(Genesis 6:2-5 KJV) "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. {3} And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. {4} There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. {5} And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

The "sons of God" took wives of the daughters of men, and bore fantastic offspring. Following this event God saw fit to destroy the earth with flood. It is not reasonable that God would destroy the earth because of simple polygamy (Solomon had over a thousand mates at the same time) - but He would destroy the earth if Satan and the fallen angels sought to pollute the line of Christ. Satan caused man's fall in the Garden, and from the time of the promise of the Redeemer Satan and the fallen ones sought to pollute the ancestral line by which Messiah would present Himself on the earth. What better way to pollute it than to cause women to become pregnant with hybrid children? Though the Bible says that angels do not marry man:

(Matthew 22:30 KJV) "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

This refers to angels - sons of God - who are obedient to the Father's Will. The fallen angels of Genesis 6, "sons of God", are neither obedient nor willing to follow Him, but only Satan.

There are other passages where "sons of God" clearly refer to angelic hosts:

(Job 1:6 KJV) "Now there was a day when the SONS OF GOD CAME TO PRESENT THEMSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND SATAN came also among them."

(Job 2:1 KJV) "Again there was a day when the SONS OF GOD CAME TO PRESENT THEMSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND SATAN came also among them to present himself before the LORD."

The sons of God presented themselves before God. These were clearly angels, for this is prior to the saving Cross of Christ. We who accept Christ as Saviour are made sons of God (John 1:12), but this passage predates the Cross (see also Romans 8:14; 8:19; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1-2). Further, in this passage:

(Job 38:4-7 KJV) "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. {5} Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? {6} Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; {7} When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

The "sons of God" are depicted as being present at the creation of the universe, certainly prior to the creation of mankind. So there are times when the Old Testament usage of the phrase "sons of God" clearly refers to the angels whom our Lord created - and the normative New Testament usage of "sons of God" refers to those who have accepted Christ as Savior. Show this to your teacher so that he will grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hagar was, in one sense, Abraham's wife, though his original wife Sarah - out of faithlessness - pushed him into her arms so she might have a baby. The word "wife" is used of both Sarah and Hagar in the following passage:

(Genesis 16:3-6 KJV) "And Sarai Abram's WIFE took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND ABRAM TO BE HIS WIFE. {4} And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. {5} And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. {6} But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face."

And is the Hebrew ISHSHAH, a generic term meaning, among other things, "female, companion, wife, or woman" (see Strong's 802). Hagar was Abraham's wife in the sense that Sarah made her sleep with Abraham, but she had no rights as a wife would have. You see, Hagar was an Egyptian slave under Sarah's control, and she had to do as she was told. God had promised Sarah that she would have a child, but as time passed Sarah started to doubt the Lord's ability. So Sarah ordered Hagar in to be with Abraham, and Abraham, weak kneed and foolish, had marital relations with her to produce the child Ishmael. After having this child, which was legally Abraham's, Sarah grew jealous of Hagar and had her thrown out of the camp along with her son. Though Sarah and Abraham both acted faithlessly, dishonorably, stupidly, God blessed Ishmael - and he became the father of the Arabic peoples. (see also Galatians 4:28-31).

So was Hagar Abraham's wife? Well, sort of, as much as a slave can be - kind of a disposable wife, as much as the term sickens me. Read this study:

http://www.bibleteacher.org/meyer_5.html#CHAPTERTWELVE

for a more exhaustive review of Abraham and Hagar.