Edge Life Believer's Bible

Bible

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 22:12:20 GMT

Bible

Background

Some Christians or sincere doubters question the authority of the Bible. We all come to a place where we choose to accept the Bible by faith or reject it. Accepting the Bible as God's authority and that it is God truly inspired living document and to receive the power within only comes by faith should not be that difficult for anyone to do. Most of us don't understand how a watch functions, but we accept it. We don't understand television, but every week we watch it and accept it. We don't understand how the mobile cell phone functions, however, most people can't go through a day without looking at it, nevertheless, we accept it. Why is it so easy to accept all these man-made miracles and yet it is so difficult to accept the miracle of the Bible?

What is Our Authority for Believing the Bible?

The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

(Amplified Bible)

All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20-21

(Amplified Bible)

But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Jesus and the Apostles confirmed its authenticity, quoting it scores of times in their writings and ministries. For example...

John 17:5

(New King James Version)

And now, O Father, glorify Me (Jesus) together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Colossians 1:17

(New King James Version)

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Jesus is the Son of God

John 5:18

(New King James Version)

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 6:69

(New King James Version)

Peter confessed: "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

John 10:30

(New King James Version)

Jesus affirmed: "I and My Father are one."

Jesus was sinless, as only God can be

John 8:46

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus challengers His enemies: "Which one of you [has proof and] convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?"

1 Peter 2:21-22

(Amplified Bible)

Peter testified: "...For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps. He committed no sin, nor was deceit ever found in His mouth."

2 Corinthians 5:21

(Amplified Bible)

Paul stated: "He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]."

Jesus Forgives Sin, as only God can

Mark 2:7

(Amplified Bible)

The Scribes said: “Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?”

Matthew 9:6

(Amplified Bible)

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.]

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven].

John 8:11

(Amplified Bible)

She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]

1 Peter 2:24

(Amplified Bible)

He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.

Jesus Performed Miraculous Miracles

Matthew 8:9-13

(New King James Version)

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Luke 4:31-44

(New Living Translation)

Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.

Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil spirit—cried out, shouting, “Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.

Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region.

After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.

Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.

Luke 5:12-15

(New Living Translation)

In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.

John 4:43 - 5:16

(New Living Translation)

At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.

Luke 7:11-18

(New Living Translation)

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.

John 11:1-46

(New Living Translation)

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him.

Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Jesus fed the Hungry in John 6; Mark 8, etc.

Jesus Christ Became Man

John 1:14

(New King James Version & Amplified Bible)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).

Philippians 2:7-8

(Amplified Bible)

but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

John 1:14

(New King James Version)

His miraculous birth was prophesied 800 years before His coming.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Luke 1:30-31

(New King James Version)

The prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

Jesus Accomplished His Father's Works

One-fourth of the Gospels are dedicated to the fact of His death and Resurrection.

John 12:27

(New King James Version)

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross.

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

Isaiah 53:3-8

(New King James Version)

Isaiah (Between 740–680 BC) predicted the death of Jesus in great detail.

He was despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief;

And like One from whom men hide their faces

He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him.

But [in fact] He has borne our griefs,

And He has carried our sorrows and pains;

Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken,

Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him].

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing];

The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him,

And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

We have turned, each one, to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]

To fall on Him [instead of us].

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself];

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

After oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact

That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death]

For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due?

The meaning of the death of Jesus

Matthew 20:28

(Amplified Bible)

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”

Romans 3:24

(Amplified Bible)

and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

1 John 2:2

(Amplified Bible)

And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

1 John 4:10

(Amplified Bible)

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].

Man is the object of God's wrath because of rebellion and sin, but God took the initiative in satisfying His justice by sending His own Son to pay the price through His death.

*The wrath of God is a precise and controlled response to the belittling of his holiness.

Propitiation is the act of gaining or regaining the favour or goodwill of someone or something. Atonement, especially that of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:10

(Amplified Bible)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

(Amplified Bible)

But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

1 Peter 3:18

(New King James Version)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

2 Corinthians 5:21

(Amplified Bible)

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

1 Peter 2:24

(New King James Version)

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Hebrews 9:26

(New King James Version)

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hebrews 10:12

(Amplified Bible)

whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor],

Jesus was resurrected from the dead

John 20:1-10

(New King James Version)

Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

1 Corinthians 15:4

(New King James Version)

and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

The credibility of the Resurrection

Matthew 13:39-41

(New King James Version)

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

Luke 24:1-7

(Amplified Bible)

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared [to finish anointing the body]. And they found the [large, circular] stone rolled back from the tomb, but when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed and wondering about this, suddenly, two men in dazzling clothing stood near them; and as the women were terrified and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you looking for the living One among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise [from death to life].”

John 20:11-13

(New King James Version)

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Luke 23:55-56

(New King James Version)

And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

John 20:1-2

(New King James Version)

John 20:11-18

(New King James Version)

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

John 20:3-9

(New King James Version)

The Results of His Jesus' Work

Jesus ascended to His Father.

Luke 24:49-53

(New King James Version)

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Acts 2:1-7

(New King James Version)

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Jesus is our eternal Mediator.

1 Timothy 2:5

(New King James Version)

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 John 2:1

(Amplified Bible)

My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action].

Jesus is our Saviour.

Matthew 1:21

(New King James Version)

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Acts 5:31

(New King James Version)

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus is the only Saviour.

Acts 4:12

(New King James Version)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the personal Saviour.

Romans 10:9-10

(Amplified Bible)

Because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

Jesus Complete and Finished Work

Jesus will return again to this earth.

Acts 1:9-11

(New King James Version)

John 14:1-6

(New King James Version)

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 1:9-11

(New King James Version)

Believers in Christ Jesus will be bodily resurrected to begin a new life.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

(Amplified Bible)

Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord! Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died].

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

(Amplified Bible)

Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed]. For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death]. And when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says, “Death is swallowed up in victory (vanquished forever). O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

Jesus will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords over His new creation.

2 Peter 3:10-13

(Amplified Bible)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God], [while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat! But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 22:3-5

(Amplified Bible)

There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]; they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.

Jesus

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 06:53:21 GMT

Jesus

Background

Jesus has been acclaimed as the greatest religious leader who ever lived, as being the most influential person to have lived on our planet, and as being unique to the degree that no one can be compared to Him.

However, considering Jesus - the Christ merely on the on the basis of an exemplary life and His superior moral teaching will not remove the stumbling blocks to Christianity raised by an unbelieving world. The real test of what one thinks of Him must revolve around who He claimed to be and what He accomplished during His brief mission to our planet. Our conclusion must be that there is no Christianity without Christ; all centres in Him.

The predominant theme of the Scriptures is the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He became a human being, died by crucifixion, and was buried. He rose again from the dead. He is the only, all-sufficient Saviour of the world. He will come again to this earth. Removing this from the Scriptures robs them of all coherent meaning and continuity.

Jesus is God

Deity (god, essential nature of a god, supreme being) is the ONLY explanation for all that He was and all that He did.

John 1:2-3

(New King James Version)

He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 17:5

(New King James Version)

And now, O Father, glorify Me (Jesus) together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Colossians 1:17

(New King James Version)

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Jesus is the Son of God

John 5:18

(New King James Version)

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 6:69

(New King James Version)

Peter confessed: "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

John 10:30

(New King James Version)

Jesus affirmed: "I and My Father are one."

Jesus was sinless, as only God can be

John 8:46

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus challengers His enemies: "Which one of you [has proof and] convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?"

1 Peter 2:21-22

(Amplified Bible)

2 Corinthians 5:21

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus Forgives Sin, as only God can

Mark 2:7

(Amplified Bible)

The Scribes said: “Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?”

Matthew 9:6

(Amplified Bible)

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.]

John 8:11

(Amplified Bible)

She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]

1 Peter 2:24

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus Performed Miraculous Miracles

Matthew 8:9-13

(New King James Version)

Luke 4:31-44

(New Living Translation)

Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.

But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.

Luke 5:12-15

(New Living Translation)

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.

John 4:43 - 5:16

(New Living Translation)

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.

Luke 7:11-18

(New Living Translation)

But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.

John 11:1-46

(New Living Translation)

But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Jesus fed the Hungry in John 6; Mark 8, etc.

Jesus Christ Became Man

John 1:14

(New King James Version & Amplified Bible)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2:7-8

(Amplified Bible)

John 1:14

(New King James Version)

His miraculous birth was prophesied 800 years before His coming.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Luke 1:30-31

(New King James Version)

The prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

Jesus Accomplished His Father's Works

One-fourth of the Gospels are dedicated to the fact of His death and Resurrection.

John 12:27

(New King James Version)

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross.

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

Isaiah 53:3-8

(New King James Version)

Isaiah (Between 740–680 BC) predicted the death of Jesus in great detail.

He was despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief;

And like One from whom men hide their faces

He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him.

But [in fact] He has borne our griefs,

And He has carried our sorrows and pains;

Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken,

Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him].

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing];

The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him,

And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

We have turned, each one, to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]

To fall on Him [instead of us].

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself];

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

After oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact

That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death]

For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due?

The meaning of the death of Jesus

Matthew 20:28

(Amplified Bible)

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].”

Romans 3:24

(Amplified Bible)

1 John 2:2

(Amplified Bible)

1 John 4:10

(Amplified Bible)

Man is the object of God's wrath because of rebellion and sin, but God took the initiative in satisfying His justice by sending His own Son to pay the price through His death.

*The wrath of God is a precise and controlled response to the belittling of his holiness.

Propitiation is the act of gaining or regaining the favour or goodwill of someone or something. Atonement, especially that of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:10

(Amplified Bible)

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

(Amplified Bible)

1 Peter 3:18

(New King James Version)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

2 Corinthians 5:21

(Amplified Bible)

1 Peter 2:24

(New King James Version)

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Hebrews 9:26

(New King James Version)

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hebrews 10:12

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus was resurrected from the dead

John 20:1-10

(New King James Version)

1 Corinthians 15:4

(New King James Version)

and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

The credibility of the Resurrection

Matthew 13:39-41

(New King James Version)

Luke 24:1-7

(Amplified Bible)

John 20:11-13

(New King James Version)

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Luke 23:55-56

(New King James Version)

John 20:1-2

(New King James Version)

John 20:11-18

(New King James Version)

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

John 20:3-9

(New King James Version)

The Results of His Jesus' Work

Jesus ascended to His Father.

Luke 24:49-53

(New King James Version)

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Acts 2:1-7

(New King James Version)

Jesus is our eternal Mediator.

1 Timothy 2:5

(New King James Version)

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 John 2:1

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus is our Saviour.

Matthew 1:21

(New King James Version)

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Acts 5:31

(New King James Version)

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus is the only Saviour.

Acts 4:12

(New King James Version)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the personal Saviour.

Romans 10:9-10

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus Complete and Finished Work

Jesus will return again to this earth.

Acts 1:9-11

(New King James Version)

John 14:1-6

(New King James Version)

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 1:9-11

(New King James Version)

Believers in Christ Jesus will be bodily resurrected to begin a new life.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

(Amplified Bible)

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

(Amplified Bible)

Jesus will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords over His new creation.

2 Peter 3:10-13

(Amplified Bible)

Revelation 22:3-5

(Amplified Bible)

Adultery

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 23:56:39 GMT

Adultery

God's Word makes it clear that marriage is a commitment for life to that one individual.

Jesus said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:5 (NKJV)

Sexual unfaithfulness, however, on the part of both husband and wives, has become epidemic. Adultery is a sin, but it is also a symptom that all is not well in a marriage. .

Let's read more about God's opinion about adultery...

Adultery Is a Sin

Hebrews 13:4

(New Living Translation)

Give honour to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

(New King James Version)

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:18

(New Living Translation)

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

1 John 1:7-8

(New King James Version)

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Ephesians 1:7

(New Living Translation)

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Scripture

1 John 1:9

(Amplified Bible)

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

John 8:11

(Amplified Bible)

(Jesus speaking to the woman accused of adultery).

Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Hebrews 13:4

(Amplified Bible)

Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

1 Corinthians 7:3-4

(New Living Translation)

The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

Isaiah 1:16-18

(New Living Translation)

Wash yourselves and be clean!

Get your sins out of my sight.

Give up your evil ways.

Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows.

“Come now, let’s settle this,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

I will make them as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson,

I will make them as white as wool.

Homosexuality

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 08:19:12 GMT

Homosexuality

God doesn't love the homosexuals any less than He does anyone else. Such behaviour, however, is a departure from God's preferred plan for our lives and expressed order. When we violate Gods order (Gods way of doing things), we put ourselves in harms way.

SIN is anything that keeps you self-centred and away from God.

It is written, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

Not one of us is without sin - from the simplest lie to murder - it's all sin. We tend to rate sin, but God doesn't. Therefore, no man has the right to judge, only God. Sin is a sin and is all the same to God.

However, God wants the best for all people. He doesn't want you to struggle and become ill or hurt - mentally or physically. That's why the guidelines are established by God, called the moral law they are here to protect you.

Let's read more about God's opinion about homosexuality...

Understanding Sin

Romans 5:19-21

(New Living Translation)

Because one person (Adam) disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person (Jesus) obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant . So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:16,17

(New King James Version)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

1 John 1:7-8

(New King James Version)

1 John 4:10

(New Living Translation)

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Ephesians 1:7

(New Living Translation)

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Romans 6:6

(New King James Version)

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

A Proper Sexual Relationship

Genesis 2:24

(New King James Version)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 9:7

(New King James Version)

And as for you, be fruitful and multiply;

Bring forth abundantly in the earth

And multiply in it.

Psalm 127:3

(Amplified Bible)

Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb a reward.

1 Corinthians 7:3-4

(New Living Translation)

Forgiveness

1 John 1:9

(New King James Version)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 55:7

(New Living Translation)

Let the wicked change their ways

and banish the very thought of doing wrong.

Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.

Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

Psalm 103:3-4

(New Living Translation)

He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

He redeems me from death

and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

1 Corinthians 6:11

(Amplified Bible)

And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].

Homosexuality Is Sin

Romans 1:24-27

(New Living Translation)

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

1 Timothy 1:10-11

(New Living Translation)

The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Homosexuality Will Be Judged By God

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

(New Living Translation)

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. (also read Genesis 18 and 19)

Romans 1:16

(New Living Translation)

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believe...

Luke 4:18-19

(New Living Translation)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free,

and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

John 1:12

(Amplified Bible)

But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name.

Temptation Can Be Overcome

1 Corinthians 10:13

(Amplified Bible)

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

Hebrews 2:18

(Amplified Bible)

Because He (Jesus) Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering.

Hebrews 4:14-16

(New Living Translation)

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

A Renewed Mind

Romans 12:1-2

(New Living Translation)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Ephesians 4:22-24

(Amplified Bible)

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

2 Corinthians 10:5

(New Living Translation)

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Isaiah 26:3-4

(Amplified Bible)

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character],

Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].

Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner],

For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].

Abortion

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:43:34 GMT

Abortion

The embryo growing inside a woman's body is more than just another part of her. It has a separate existence. It's another life! God places the highest value on all human life, including yours. Each and every life is sacred and of inestimable worth to God, who values us all so much we were all made in His own image.

Genesis 1:26,27

Then God said, “ Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness ]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”

There is no way around what the Bible says. Abortion is wrong because the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Deuteronomy 5:17, KJV). It is wrong because every fetus has the potential to grow up into a fully functioning person and ultimately accountable before God.

Psalm 139:16 (NLT)

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

The Wonder of Life

Psalm 139:13-15

For You formed my innermost parts;

You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was being formed in secret,

And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 127:3 (NKJV)

Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb a reward.

God's Goodness

Romans 8:28 (AMP)

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

John 3:17 (NLT)

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.

Forgiveness

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 55:7 (NLT)

Let the wicked change their ways

and banish the very thought of doing wrong.

Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.

Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

Psalm 103:3-4 (NLT)

He forgives all my sins

and heals all my diseases.

He redeems me from death

and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

Courage and Strength

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 42:11 (NLT)

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

What God Thinks

grow@edgezonemedia.com (Eric Edge) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:43:34 GMT

How to get the most out of the What God Thinks.

What God Thinks

In recent times there seems to be more confusion and doubt amongst Christians than ever before and it shouldn't be this way. As a result, the Edge Life Ministries team has come to the conclusion to do something about it and that birthed "What God Thinks".

What is "What God Thinks" about?

It's a growing blog of responses concerning common situations and issues we all face from God's Word.

The Eternal Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:30

What God Thinks?

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4

Jesus said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:47

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Proverbs 30:5

More below...

More to come
Yo.