Wednesdays in the Word 1 John 4:1-10

1 John 4:1-10

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Wednesdays in the Word - 1 John 3:1-10

1 John 3:1-10

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Wednesdays in the Word - 1 John 2:18-29

1 John 2:18-29

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

What Can Worldliness do to a Christian?

1. Worldliness Destroys Christian Joy.

If sin wasn't pleasurable, people wouldn't sin. But all the Devil's apples have worms. Remember the pleasures of sin are only for a season. The results of sin will come back to haunt you. What does a Christian lose when he backslides and becomes worldly? He loses the joy of his salvation.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.—Psalm 51:12-13.

2. Worldliness is a Fog.

Worldliness is a spiritual fog that hides the presence and will of God. You will start to pray, and your prayers won't get through the ceiling. You will start to sing, but all the spirit is taken out of the song.

When your heart is out of tune with God, worldly fog hides his presence and his will for your life. When everyone else is praising God, you won't have praise to offer. 

3. Worldliness will put a damper on your zeal for the Lord.

the first thing that happens to a backsliding Christian is that he cools off. He loses his zeal. He starts missing services. He starts withholding tithes and offerings. His prayer life is interrupted. His burden to see the lost get saved is gone. He starts to find fault and criticizes and blames others for everything. 

4. A Worldy Person has his Peace Destroyed.

Peace is the absence of conflict, the absence of war. In peace there is a calmness, a serenity, a contentedness. God calls it "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

5. Worldliness Will Tarnish the Christian Testimony.

If you engage in the things of the world, you will have no witness for Christ. Have you ever been around a Christian who so glowed that you knew he was a Christian?

Love the Lord with all your heart. Love the Lord with all your strength. Don't just go through the motions by pretending to love God while loving the enemy of God—the world.

Twelve Symbols in the Bible

Twelve symbols are chosen in the Word of God to represent its uses and the range and scope of its application to all our needs. We class them under seven divisions:

1. The mirror - to show us ourselves as we are and may be.—James 1:25

2. The laver - to wash away our sin and defilement.—Ephesians 5:26

3. The lamp and light - to guide us in the right way.—Psalm 119:105

4. The mild, bread, strong meat, and honey - affording sustenance and satisfaction to the believer at all stages of spiritual development.—Hebrews 5:12-14; Psalm 19:10

5. the fine gold - to enrich us with heavenly treasure.—Psalm 19:10

6. The fire, hammer, and sword - to be used in the work and warfare of life.—Jeremiah 23:29; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17

7. The seed - to beget souls in God's image and to plant harvest fields for God.—James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 13

The Anvil and the Hammer

Last eve I paused beside a blacksmith's door

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,

"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"

"Just one," said he; and then with a twinkling eye,

"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, I thought, the anvil of God's Word

For ages skeptic blows have beaten upon;

Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.

—John Clifford

Just How Important is Faith?

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."—Romans 5:1

1. We are saved by faith. (Eph. 2:8,9; Gal. 3:26; Acts 16:30,31)

2. We are justified by faith. (Rom. 3:26-28; 5:1; Gal. 2:16)

3. We are accounted righteous by faith. (Rom. 4:2-8)

4. We are sanctified by faith. (Acts 15:9; 26:18)

5. We live the Christian life by faith. (Rom. 1:17; II Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20)

6. We are overcomers by faith. (I John 5:2-4)

7. We are heirs by faith. (Rom. 4:13-16)

Why We Believe Christians Shouldn't Drink Alcohol

The Bible Provides the Bedrock on Which Our Position is Built.

While we appreciate the information published by the Post and the Inquirer—abnd as grateful as we are for the study produced by the Centers for Disease Control—that is not the primary reason we have preached with a fervent advocacy against drinking alcohol.

We have built our case and taken our cue from the Holy Scriptures, our precious Bible which is the Word of God. Here are some of the scriptural warnings that should teach us and guide us.

Deception and Mockery

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."—Proverbs 20:1.

Wine is often the gateway to the stronger stuff. It is supposedly a harmless amount of alcohol, but it routinely starts people down the trail to tragedy. And this verse tells us why. It is a mocker and a deceiver! Very simply, it lures you in with false promises and then laughs at you once you're hooked.

Bad News in the Bottle

"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."—Proverbs 23:29-30

So if you're looking for trouble, just look into a bottle or can where alcohol awaits you. Woe. Contention. Sorrow. Babbling. Wounds without cause. Redness of eyes. That's what you may expect when you give yourself to alcohol.

...start the series at the beginning here!

Does It Agree With the Bible? #Questionable Things

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."—II Peter 1:20

This verse doesn't mean that one cannot sit down in private and read and study the Bible. It simply means that one passage of Scripture is not to be isolated and interpreted without considering all that the Bible has to say on the same subject.

A good rule to follow is: never use an obscure passage to contradict several clear passages. 

When the honest, sincere Christian is faced with the decision regarding whether a thing is right or wrong, he  should ask...

Are You Willing to do What's Right? #Questionable Things

We often receive letters from honest, sincere Christians wanting to know if a certain thing is right or wrong. Sometimes, there is no verse in the Bible that gives a clear answer to these questions, but we must remember two things regarding the Bible.

1. The Bible was written for all people of all ages. Therefore, everything could not be spelled out in detail. For instance, if there was a verse in the Bible that states, "Thou shalt not smoke Camel (cigarettes)," those old rabbis would have had a difficult time interpreting the passage.

2. The Bible is a condensed Book. John 21:25 states "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." So, had everything Jesus did been written in books, no one would ever find time to read them all.

The Bible is not a revelation of what God knows, but a revelation of what God wants men to know. Since the Bible does not give detailed answers to every question the believer will ever face, then what does he do regarding things not spelled out in the Scriptures?  While the Bible does not give all the specific details regarding what a Christian should and should not do, it does give guidelines by which every honest Christian can make the right decision regarding questionable things. In this series, we will share eleven guidelines that will help the believer in deciding whether a thing is right or wrong.

We are the servants and God is the Master. It's not the servant's duty to guess what the Master wants; it's only his duty to obey once the Master makes His will clear. When the believer doesn't know whether a certain matter is right or wrong, he should decide firmly and clearly that he will do God's will even if it goes against his wishes.

We must have the attitude, Lord, I don't know whether this is right or wrong; but if You will let me know for sure, I will do right regardless of what others say or what my preferences are.

The person who wants God's very best for his life and will do what is right can know God's will regarding questionable things. If you're not willing to do the right thing once you know it, then the rest of the guidelines to follow will be useless.

Test Your Knowledge!

Bible Trivia

Welcome to Bible Trivia! Test your knowledge of the Bible. All answers can be found in the King James Bible using the reference listed.

1. God commendeth his love toward us...Christ died_____us. Rom.5

with
for


2. For it is written, vengeance is mine; I will ____. Rom. 12

repay
pay


3. I am with you alway, even unto the end of the____. Matt. 28

world
times


4. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old is the ___head. Prov. 20

bald
grey


5. The last book of the Old Testament is ____.

Malachi
Zechariah


6. Create in me a clean ___ O God. Psalm 51

spirit
heart


7. Is anything too hard for the ___? Gen. 18

angels
LORD


8. They that ___in tears shall ____ in joy. Psalm 126

sow, reap
plant, reap


9. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous ___. Psalm 37

forsaken
quit


10. I the LORD ___the heart. Jeremiah 17

try
search

More Enemies Than Friends

The Lord knew what He was doing when He gave us the
Word of God. Despised, rejected, abused misused burned, slaughtered, whittled to pieces—yet it still lives.
The divinity of the Book is seen in the fact that its
opposition and enemies have been unable to destroy it.
The Bible is the most despised book
in the world and has more enemies
than friends.
—Lester Roloff

eBook Sales Now Through Christmas!

Lots of new stuff going on behind the scenes here at the Sword and we're excited to share some of it with our loyal readers. 

 What better way to show our gratitude than with a Christmas sale? 

But instead of just one sale, let's have 12, shall we? 

Now through Christmas day, we will be offering one eBook at the special price of...

Today's Special eBook:

Order in the Court

About the Book:

Throughout God's Creation, we see design, beauty and order. The psalmist tells us His Creation 'declares the glory of God.' 

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God's plan for Christians is to live lives of order. Here is a book filled with helpful hints on how to be better organized in almost every area of your life—starting with your spiritual life, because when your heart is right, it is likely the head will follow.

Beginning today, you can bring a biblical control to your life. Step by step, this book will show you how to glorify God and create order in the court.Sneak Preview of our

99¢ eBooks Coming Soon:

Heaven's Hymnbook: Volume 1 - 12/24/15

Mountain-Moving Faith - 12/25/15