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In the previous related article, we sought to answer a question we were asked, Did Jesus Abolish The Law? . In case you haven't read yet, please do it for better context. In the article we saw that Jesus did not abolish or canceled the law, instead He fulfilled its purpose, which according to Galatians 3:24, was to be a tutor and bring people to Christ . Once the law finished its course, it was set aside and a New Covenant was ratified, the covenant of Faith. As mentioned in the article also, the Law was not and is not bad, it simply worked to accomplish its purpose. Now, the question is: knowing that the Law is not bad and it was not canceled, are Christians supposed to still obey it? In our experiences, this is the real question many believers want answered when they begin to wonder or not the law was abolished. We have been there and asked ourselves the same question! it is our prayer that through this article God gives you clarity in Jesus. If the Law Is Not Bad, Should New Testament Believers Obey It Then? The straightforward answer to this question is: No! Not at all, not even a single command. Some people believe that the ceremonial laws, those pertaining to the service in the temple and the sacrifices, were the only laws canceled, but that the moral laws are still in effect. However, looking to the purpose of the law this seems contradicting. The law itself was not canceled, and not part of the was canceled or abolished either; again, Jesus Himself said it. The law had a purpose and it was accomplished, therefore, the law was set aside and not canceled, it became antiquated. Not a single commandment of the law is to be obeyed by new testament believers, hence we call it old. We are under the new covenant, thus, under the law of Christ and not under the law of Moses. However, we can learn, and only learn, from the essence of the Law, because it still reveals the Holy nature of God, but this must be done in the light of the New Testament, without ever submitting ourselves to the Law again, and we will explain why in the course of this article. Let's jump to it. The Law Foreshadowed Superior Spiritual Blessings As we have mentioned briefly in the previous article also, one of the purposes of the Law was to foreshadow superior spiritual blessings found in Christ. Thus, if we are in Christ, we have access to the superior-spiritual blessings themselves and not their shadows anymore, the veil is removed and we can see them clearly. If we have the superior blessings themselves, then the shadows are automatically rendered unnecessary. Why would we then, need again the lesser blessings? That would mark a regression and not a progression and render the work of Christ of no effect. The book of Hebrews put this way, "'And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;'" Hebrews 9:22-24. Notice the passage says, "the copies of the things in heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices." The system that came through the Law was a copy of the heavenly realities - superior blessings, therefore, God warned Moses saying, "'And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.'" Exodus 25:40. However, in Christ, we have access to the superior blessings themselves, not the copies like they had; therefore, if we focus on obeying only the righteous requirements of the new covenant, which is superior, automatically we fulfil the righteous requirements of the Law. Paul puts this way, "'There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.'" Romans 8:1-4 Notice the last verses, " For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.' ". In other words, the Law was impotent to redeem or transform us, but Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to redeem and transform us. In him get we access to a new law, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus", and if we walk on it, we fulfill the righteous requirement of the old testament law. Under this new covenant, we have access to the Holy Spirit, who leads us so we don't fulfill the lusts or the sinful desires of the flesh, and in so doing, we will fulfill the demands of justice or righteous requirements that the Law of Moses had, this is because, the bible says, "'For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”' (Galatians 5:14). Thus, if one loves his neighbor as himself, like the New testament commands, although is a commandment also given under the law (Leviticus 19:18), he is fulfilling the requirement of the law but not obeying the law itself and neither putting himself under its yoke. Do you see the difference? Again, obeying the requirements of the new covenant is enough for Christians; by doing so, they satisfy the law without obeying it. Now, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” refers only to the aspects of the law related to our relationship with our neighbors. However, the law had also requirements about our relationship with God Himself. Perhaps the best way to see this is by looking to the Ten Commandments first mentioned in Exodus 20:1-17. The first part comprised of the first 4 commandments, verses 1-11, pertains directly to our relationship with God, and the remaining 6 commandments comprise the second part and deals directly with our relationship with our neighbors, although it ultimately also affects our relationship with God. What is the point? The point is that with the above in mind, these 10 laws can be summed up in two great commandments. Jesus puts this way, "..., “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’'" Matthew 22:37-39. If you obey these two great commandments to the core, you then fulfill all the ten commandments because they resume the essence of the Law, and the prophets according to Jesus. He said, "'On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”' Matthew 22:40. In other words, "'The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”' Matthew 22:40 NLT. So, when new testament believers wonder whether or not they should obey the law, they show they never understood the new covenant, the character of God, the law itself and its purpose, or that they have been deceived by someone somewhere during their walk. If you have the latest iPhone why would you go back to the old? In theory the latest has all the feature of the old and much more, unless some old features were deemed unnecessary. Of course this is an imperfect analogy, considering the distraction that newer technologies can bring alongside better productivity. However, such is not the case of the new covenant. The truth is that the latest covenant of God has embedded on it the essence of the old, and obeying the demands of the new covenant in Christ leads us to obey the demands of the law, fulfilling its righteous requirements, which quite frankly are nothing compared to new. The requirements of the New covenant are stricter compared to the old. Consider the words of Jesus, "'“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.'" Matthew 5:21-22. What is easier the old, " you must no murder" or the new, "if you are even angry with someone [without a cause], you are subject to judgment" ? Certainly the new is. If you continue, you will see that Jesus makes other contrasts and in so doing He was removing the old and establishing the new covenant, founded on better promises (Hebrews 8:6) and with stricter requirements for righteousness. However, there is a couple caveats: The new covenant is transformation driven and not performance driven, under the new covenant, we have access to a new nature (John 1:12-13) not dominated by sin and access to the Holy Spirit who helps us subdue our old carnal nature. Thus, although the demands of the new are stricter, the amount of help we have to obey them are greater also. On the contrary, if we go back to the law, we are left helpless and incapable of even obey God and fulfil the Law. Under the law it is, "either you obey all or you obey none", James frames it as follows, "'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.'" (James 2:10). The law is not a pick-and-chose system. If one says that we should obey "some" laws relevant for us today, then we should go back sacrificing animals and etc. Paul warns us against the idea of going back to the law in his letter addressed to the church of the Galatians. A Warning Against The Old Heresy He said, "'Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.'" Galatians 3:1-5 NLT. Paul expressly said that for someone, meaning new testament believers, who understood the meaning of Christ's death and received the Holy Spirit by believing the message of the cross, to go back to the law, it is an evil spell; it does not happen only by means of someone simply deciding to do it but by means of being deceived by a corrupted preacher, like the Judaizers that came to the church of Galatia after they had been saved by the preaching of the cross. This is the only way that new testament believers go back the law, it's by deception. Do not go back to the law! You cannot obey it and you won't be able to do so, the new covenant is enough, "'Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33. You see, the attempt to get believers back to the law is not a new thing. Paul dealt a lot with this issue in several churches throughout his ministry, and it usually began with circumcision and soon the Judaizers demanded more and more. For instance in Acts 15:1-2 reads, "'And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.'" Notice that Paul and Barnabas didn't stay quiet, they disputed with those Judaizers, and so shall we do. Moreover, notice also, that the Church of Antioch determined that Paul and Barnabas should to go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, to ask about this question and settle this issue once and forever. Again, this is not a new issue, the claim, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." is the first major heresy the church had to deal with. In fact, this is the issue that led the church to have its first major council with Paul and Barnabas going to Jerusalem; who better than the apostles and elders of the early church to resolve this issue? No one but them. Thank God, they were still alive then and made a decree concerning this issue, as written: "'They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “ You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.'" Acts 15:23-29. Praise God! In short, the only thing coming from the law that believers are to observe, not as means to uphold the law or go back to it, but because they became requirements of the new covenant and are tied to the nature of God, are: "'[...] abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. [...]'" Acts 15:29. In another words, "'Do not eat any food that people have given to their idols . Do not eat anything that still has blood in it. If people have strangled [squeeze or constrict the neck, especially so as to cause death, of] an animal to kill it, do not eat its meat. Do not have sex with anyone that you are not married to. If you obey these rules, you will do well. Goodbye.’" Acts 15:29 EASY Bible 2024. The leaders of the early church said, " If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well." Acts 15:29b. These were the only requirements the apostles had for gentiles, they did not agree for a minute with the idea of being circumcised or obeying the law of Moses. They said, it would be "[...] a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?'" Acts 15:10b. For believers to obey the law is a yoke of bondage that neither the old testament figures nor the apostles were able to obey, so we won't either. Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 NKJV, "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." . Do not go back to the law. It had a purposed and it was accomplished in Christ. What is prescribed in the new testament or covenant is enough for us. In summary The law is not bad, therefore, it did not have to be abolished and Jesus did not abolish it, rather He fulfilled it and ushered a new covenant in His blood. Thus, the Law is outdated part of an old testament or covenant to which new testament or covenant believers are not liable or bound - you are only legally bound to contracts or covenants you signed or that affects you, I speak as a man! Although some people claim that the moral laws are still in effect, again, not a single command of the law is to be obeyed by new testament believer, including the moral laws - to obey them because the law says so or because they are found in the bible is to obey the law and placed upon ourselves a yoke that was already removed in Christ, and explained by no other than the leaders of the early church. Moreover, Paul warned us saying, "'Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— '" Galatians 3:3-5. Don't perfect yourself in the flesh by going back to the law. James says, "'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.'" (James 2:10). Thus, we can't simply choose to obey the moral laws, it's either all or none. Hence, the law is not for new testament saints. However, we can learn, and only learn, from the essence of the Law, because it still reveals the Holy nature of God, but this must be done in the light of the New Testament, without ever submitting ourselves to the Law again because, Paul also said, "'For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.'" Romans 8:3-4. As we walk in the Spirit and obey the new covenant, we satisfy the righteous requirement of law and enjoy fellowship with God, having no need to obey anything else. To be a perfect, complete or mature Christian is not to add upon ourselves the law, but rather to be a good new testament believer, obeying all that is prescribed in the new covenant only. May God bless you, may you be free from any yoke God did not place upon you, and run the race of faith unhindered for His glory. See you and stay tuned for the next article in this category: Law & Grace . Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

Recently, as I washed the dishes, I began to consider some of the horror movies I had watched growing up, and then started to think about horror movies in general. As I wondered, a central question came to mind, "why do people watch horror movies?" and what are the consequences of watching them. As I pondered these things, that's when I realized God was speaking. He went beyond and spoke specifically about the loss of innocence and distortions, which are the basis of strongholds. The bible says, " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," II Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV. The passages above are often used to remind us that in the spiritual warfare that we as believers are involved, the enemies are not only demons, satan, or people sent by them, but also strongholds, arguments, high things that exalt themselves above the knowledge of Christ, thoughts, and other things of mental nature, all of them can and are often empowered by demonic forces, but at the very minimum, they are empowered by the world around us. While these passage gives us this reminder and call us to fight not with carnal weapons but spiritual so we can pull down these strongholds, arguments, and thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of Christ, what is seldom mention is the origin of these strongholds, arguments, and thoughts. These 3 enemies as I will call them, don't come in the vacuum, they have origins in what we hear, see, read, or listen, and this leads us back to the initially remarks, and for the sake of this article, I will focus only on movies initially, particularly horror movies. Movies, Horror Movies While I can't give you the totality of the answer on why people watch horror movies, I can assure you ahead of time that sin and conformity to the world is core of why people watch them. I do not find a single benefit to such movies, neither a biblical basis for them; on the contrary, I can see a lot of consequences even in adults, let alone on kids. Hence, these movies, and tv shows with which we are bombarded every day, are the gate ways for the formation of strongholds, distortions, and the cause for the loss of innocence in many people. It's true that God made us with the capacity to imagine, idealize, and conceive things; human beings are creative, and it's a reflection of Our Creator, we have been made in His image. However, with the fall this capacity got distorted, hence we conceive some unrealistic things. But when Hollywood plays with our minds, it gets even worst; Our already damaged imagination, gets almost destroyed, our view of reality gets skewed and distorted, aligned with what we consume, and this is the major consequence of highly-wordily form of entertainment. We begin to have mutated thoughts - very far away from the helm of the normal. The dictionary defines Distortion as the alteration of a thing's original, natural, or true form, appearance, sound, or meaning. This is what happen when are subject to certain types of entertainment. Yes, some movies are pure fiction, and some even allow us to have a good time in family, but for the most parts, movies and entertainment in general are specifically crafted or engineered with scenes meant to get the "best" out of our emotions or reactions. Several researches show that although our brains use context clues to differentiate between reality and fiction, it has a very hard time sorting that out specially when we get lost in it, you can't tell the difference. I am sure you have gotten emotional after watching an emotional scene in a movie or had your heart pounding after watching an action movie, style Mission: Impossible. Movies, entertainment, arts have the capacity to touch us, the problem is when they are not edifying, which is the case of the types many people grew up consuming. Guard your innocence, and the innocence of your kids. Going back to horror movies, many people, particularly children or teens have a hard time staying in the dark or sleeping after watching such movies; worst, many get dominated by the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7) and experience non-stop nightmares. Be careful what you expose yourself and your children to. Be careful with the seeds you are sowing in your mind, your life, and your children's lives, these are the seeds that grow into strongholds, arguments, and thoughts that later on need to be fought. There is not a single advantage in playing scary games with kids, let alone submitting them to horror movies, even more so these days. Movies have gone very far, all types of movies, with rare exception of faith based and family movies - but even with those watch out as well. With regards to horror movies, there is even reported episodes of people manifesting demons or getting demonically possessed in movie theaters while watching these type of movies. Beware! Why would you watch it them, or let your kids watch it?! Beyond movies Now, what was said above about loosing our innocence and developing distorted view of reality by consuming horror movies, can be said of almost any type of material we consume. Again, we cannot let Hollywood play with our minds. But Hollywood is just one venue. Any form of material or interactions if not good can be used to form strongholds, arguments, and high thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. What books do you read, is it consistent with the truth? What conversations you entertain, are they consistent with the truth? What songs you listen to, are they consistent with the truth of God's word? Remember, the kid's song, "be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear and so on,..." Do you have the correct view on life, relationships, career, family, money, sex, and etc.,? Or you have lost your innocence and adopted distorted views? Are you holding strongly - strongholds - to false ideologies, concepts, and views. What has been running in your mind, are your thoughts consistent with God's words, or do you have arguments that seem to be stronger than God - exalting themselves above the knowledge of Him? All of Us are Broken All of us have in one way or another have strongholds, arguments, and thoughts that exalt or tend to exalt themselves above the knowledge of God, It takes careful examination to identify them, and God is able to help us! We ought to truly learn to discern our thoughts, enter a state of meditation in the midst of the day, and learn to fellowship with God, taking every single thought, not consistent with Him captive through prayer - you don't have to utter words, you can simply say in your mind: Lord I bring this thought to you, or thought I rebuke you, away from me. At the same time, if there is recurring patterns seek God to reveal their origins so you can deal with them from the root. Like, I mentioned in the beginning, some of the horror movies I watched led me to have mutated thoughts about reality. As a kid I remember, having a hard time staying in the dark, but I was not born that way, so something happened along the way - movies, conversations, and etc. Similarly, many kids get fearful to be in the dark supposing that a monster will show up, but there is no such thing as monsters. Of course, demons exist, but it's not what kids typically fear because very few kids know about demons. Usually, what they call monsters are mutated versions of something they saw or heard. But of course, satan takes advantages of such fears, and can be behind them; also, demons can masquerade themselves like monsters, crippling kids lives and empowering strongholds. Hence, we need to be careful how we walk, be vigilant, specially parents, and avoid opening doors to demonic spirits, by walking in obedience to God's Word. But again, something that was watch, heard, read or else, led to mutated thoughts, arguments, and eventually strongholds in the kid's minds. This is the process by which many people begin to create strongholds, arguments, and thoughts that they will often carry their whole life. The most common way they come in, it's not even through watching but hearing. Hearing people say negative things to us, specially, when these individuals are in position of authority over us. Words like, "you are dumb, you will not be anyone in life, you are ugly, you are this, that, and else...." Thins inconsistent with God's word, but many people grew up hearing and believed. These are the sayings that binds people when they begin to give in for not knowing better often or even how to fight back. These individuals then, somewhere along their lives, get saved, but are already bound, carrying lies, strongholds, arguments and thoughts for so long that the knowledge of God they receive becomes very little and impotent in comparison to the strongholds. But God is able, He is in the business of redeeming and restoring people, not throwing them away. It doesn't matter what you have been told or what you have been caring for life, it can be undone. Fight Back, God is Able God is able to restore you, restore your mind, cause you to have the proper view of things and be grounded in truth and alter your reality. The passages we began with says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," II Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV. Fight back, if you are in Christ, know that now you have access to superior weapons to fight back. These strongholds can be pulled down, you can cast down whatever arguments and high thing exalt themselves against the knowledge of God; you can take every thought into captivity. Picture yourself grabbing a serpent, the devil, by the head, and putting it into prison. That's exactly what you can do with your thoughts, until all come to the obedience of Christ. Every single fiery dart of the wicked one can be quenched by faith. The bible says, "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.'" Ephesians 6:16. But we ought to be sober and vigilant to be able to discern what is going on in our minds. The bible says, "'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.'" I Peter 5:8-9 Moreover, we ought to grow in the knowledge of God; get the knowledge of God bigger than these enemies. The bible says, "'For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.'" Hebrews 5:13-14. Maturity is the key to discern between good and evil, so we deal with the strongholds. Feed on His word, go deep, eat solid food, grow to the point of understanding the deep aspects of the faith; shift your outlook of life by seeing everything through the lenses of God’s word. The bible says, "'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'" Romans 12:2. Don't fashion your life after the mold of this age, don't take the shape of the world, don't be conformed to it, rather allow your mind to be renewed, changed by God's word and you will be transformed. Don't entertain anything inconsistent with God's word. Remember Adam and Eve, by entertaining the serpent, they have lost their innocence, developed a distorted view of reality and reaped death. Thus, watch out your entertainment, what are you entertain in your life? Learn to think about what you thinking, pay attention to it, don't just go through the motions. As you begin to swift your thoughts, God will even reveal how certain strongholds were formed in your mind, who sow such seeds, and etc. You can always ask God, and again He will reveal to you. Now, as you go about your day, fight the lies that try to cross your mind, like Jesus did to satan by saying, "it is written", (Luke 4:1-13). Hence, the importance of memorizing scriptures, and developing Christ affirming habits found in the spiritual disciplines (prayers, meditation, worship, fellowship, service, and etc.). In short, as believers we are in a spiritual warfare, and some of the enemies are strongholds, arguments, and thoughts which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Often these are backed up by demonic forces, visible by the fruit they bear in people's lives, but they originate from things we watch, hear, read, experience and etc., often at very early age and carried throughout our lives until we meet Christ. Hence, if you are a parent, you can protect your kids from future battles. Watch out what your kids watch, read, or hear, and be careful with the words you utter to them, and/or the things people say to them. Don't tolerate negative things. Guard their innocence. God is in the business of saving and redeeming people, and through sanctification, He is able to restore and delivery us from every stronghold, argument, and thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of Him. It will require a fight from us, but if we are in Christ, we have access to weapons that are strong in God, and through them, we can pull these enemies down, cast them down, and take them captive, following the example of Christ in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Watch out, don't give room to the formation of strongholds in your life anymore; rule out everything that is inconsistent with God's truth, specially the so-called entertainment these days. Fight back, and may God set you apart. 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"'But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ '" Philippians 3:7-8 Who is Jesus? ... Jesus is: "The great I AM..." Whoever abides in Him will know Him fully [Ref: John 8, 58, 1 Corinthians 13, 12] "Life-given Spirit..." Whoever believes in Him will have life, abundant life [Ref: 1 Corinthians 15, 45; John 10, 10] "The Son of God... " Whoever believes and receives Him becomes children of God [Ref: Rev 2, 18; John 1, 12] "The bread of life..." Whoever comes and believes in Him shall never hunger and thirst [Ref: John 6:35] "Our righteousness..." Whoever practices righteousness is born of Him [Ref: 1 Corinthians 1, 30; 1 John 2, 29] Jesus is: “The light of the world..." Whoever follows Him shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life [Ref: John 8:12] “The door of the sheep..." Whoever enters by Him will be saved and go in and out and find pasture [Ref: John 10:7-9] "He who is holy and is True..." Whoever is in Him must be holy as He is Holy [Ref: Rev 3, 7; 1 Peter 1, 16] "The firstborn from the dead..." Whoever believes in Him will be raised from the dead [Ref: Rev 1, 5; 1 Cor 15, 12-58] “The resurrection and the life..." Whoever believes in Him, though he may die, he shall live [Ref: John 11:25] Jesus is "He who has the key of David..." In Him, the descendants of Israel shall be justified and glorified [Ref: Rev 3, 7; Is 45, 25] "He who has the seven Spirits..." Whoever is in Him received of His fullness [Ref: Revelation 3, 1; John 1, 16] “The way, The truth, and The life..." Whoever wants to go to The Father must go through Him alone [Ref: John 14, 6] "The Ruler over the Kings of the earth..." Whoever overcomes and keep His words, will rule the nations [Rev 1, 5; 2, 25-26] "The Beginning of the creation of God..." Whoever is in Him is a new creation [Ref: Rev 3, 14; 2 Corinthians 5, 17] Jesus is: "He who has the sharp two-edged sword..." Whoever abides in Him has been freed by the truth" [Ref: Rev 2:12; John 8, 32] "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness..." Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame [Rev 3, 14; Romans 10, 11] "One like the Son of Man, who lived among us..." Whoever believes in Him has Him as great high priest who sympathizes with his weaknesses [Ref: Rev 1:13, John 1:12-14, Heb 4:14-16] "He who holds the seven stars in His right hand..." Whoever abides in Him is secured [Ref: Rev 2, 1; Psalm 18, 1-3] “The true vine and His Father is the vinedresser…" Whoever abides in Him bears much fruit [Ref: John 15:1-5] Jesus is “He who is and was and is to come, the Almighty...” Whoever believes in Him has the Blessed Hope alive [Ref: Rev 1, 8; 1 John 3, 2] "He who washed us from our sins in His own blood,..." Whoever believes in Him will be white as snow [Ref: Rev 1, 5; Is 1, 18] “The good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep..." Whoever is His sheep is known by Him [Ref: John 10, 11-14] "The propitiation for our sins… and for the whole world" Whoever believes in Him will be forgiven [Ref: 1 John 2, 2] "The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,...” Whoever is faithful will have a crown of life [Ref: Rev 1, 8; 2, 10] Jesus is: "The First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life..." Whoever abides in Him resurrects first [Ref: Rev 2:1,8; 20, 6] "He who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands..." In Him the church is secured [Ref: Rev 2:1; Colossians 1, 18] "He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens...” Whoever abides in Him is protected [Ref: Rev 3,7] "He ... clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God...." He who is in Him has overcome the judgment of the nations [Ref: Rev 19:13-16, Matthew 25:31-46] He who "... has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.'..." Whoever believes in Him lives forever in His eternal Kingdom [Ref: Rev 19:13, Rev 21:7] Jesus is the Child born unto us, the Son given unto us, who has the government upon His shoulder, whose name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace . Jesus is The Christ, our peace , who have broken down the middle wall of separation , thus reconciling us to God. Whoever believes in Him has peace with God and abides forever [Ref: Isaiah 9:6, Eph 2:14-16, Rom 5:1] Jesus is He who said, '“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”' and "“Surely I am coming quickly." and to whom we say as John said, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” [Ref: Rev 22:12-13, 20] Contemplate Him, Behold His Majesty, Give unto Him the glory due to His name, Worship Him in the beauty of holiness! And May you count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus The Lord. Now, ... Who do you say Jesus is? And ... Who is Jesus for you? [Ref: Psalm 29:2, Philippians 3:8, Matthew 16:13-16]. All Hail King Jesus! Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

“'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.'”  Matthew 28:19-20 When Jesus gave the commandment above, although He addressed the disciples then, He didn’t speak to them only but He was speaking to all of those, from all ages, who would come to believe in Him also. The goal was for those who were already disciples to make disciples, and those disciples to make other disciples, and so on and so forth; thus, in doing so, this command was applicable to all disciples. Some may still argue that the great commission was for the disciples then only, but it cannot be true. If such were the case Christianity would never spread as it did because the apostles and disciples then died eventually and the commission would have died with them. However, such was not the case because the commandment was meant for all believers. Thus, the answer is Yes: Evangelism is for all believers; every believer is called to evangelize. Even, Jesus Himself evangelized. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, was the One who began to evangelize, preaching the good news, after He came out of the wilderness, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ”'  Moreover, Luke 4:18 says, “'“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;'”   Although prior to Jesus, John the baptism was already preaching and calling people to repentance, he was only doing it to prepare the way for Jesus, preaching the kingdom, and not the fullness of the gospel. The bible says,  “'In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord ; Make His paths straight.’ ”'  Matthew 3:1-3. We see John the baptist preaching, but he did not announce the fullness of the good news. Paul later on said, “'[...], “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”'  Acts 19:4. John only prepared a people for Jesus, he call them to look forward, Jesus Christ is the first evangelist on earth. Nevertheless, even Christ Himself called people to look forward for a periord of time, until He died and was raised up. Today, we have the fullness of the gospel message, Jesus has been glorified already by The Father (John 17:1-5) and is sitting at His right hand. Praise God! Still, other people could argue saying, evangelism is not for everyone but only for a select few whom Jesus called as evangelists. The answer is: Not really! It’s true that Jesus chose some specifically as evangelists but their role is not to do all the evangelism themselves but equip others to evangelize as well, and the same is applicable to the remaining 4 of the 5 ministerial offices established by Jesus. Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV says, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,". Yes, a called evangelist will have a different grace compared to the average believer when it comes to evangelism, and some of the major distinctive are the level of experience/maturity, impact/effectiveness and greater occurrence of signs and wonders. For instance, we see this in the life of Philip who is the only individual specifically labeled as "Evangelist" in the bible (Acts 21:8). Others had, the evangelistica calling, did the work of an evangelist, but held also other offices, for instance all the 12 Apostles, Paul, Barnabas, Apollo, and etc. Back to Philip, The Evangelist. We can see the sheer impact of Philip’s evangelism and conclude that indeed he was an evangelist. God did amazing things through the hands of Philip and he led several people to Christ. The bible says, “ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.'”  Acts 8:5-8. However, ultimately a major part of the evangelist office is equipping others to do evangelism, "equipping of the saints for the work of ministry,". We thank God because today, there are many evangelists focusin on actually equipping the saints, rather than doing all the evangelism. The equipping of the saints from all 5-fold ministers is what brings growth and unity in the body of Christ. Again, the bible says, “'And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.'”  Ephesians 4:11-16 Once normal believers are equipped they are the ones who go about doing the work of ministry beyond the four walls of the church, even if it takes persecution. The bible says, “'Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered  throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles . And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. '”  Acts 8:1-4. Notice that the Apostles in spite of the persecution, stayed in Jerusalem, but the rest of the believers, normal/average believer I’d say, were scattered throughout Judea, Samaria and other regions, and they were the ones who spread the gospel outside of the Jewish limits for the first time. Moreover, the bible says, “'Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. '”  Acts 11:19-21. Again these were normal believers, like us, not apostles, yet they did evangelize. Just like they did, we are called to do wherever we find ourselves at. In short, evangelism is for all, for every sing born again believer. The rapid advancement of the Kingdom depends on our participation because from the beginning of the ages, God willed to create us to partner with Him in carryout His desires, and it's not different with evangelism. God promised to be with us as we step out in faith (Matthew 28:20b), and He even promised to perform signs and wonders to confirm the preaching of normal believers, not just evangelists or apostles. Mark 16:17-18 says, “'And these signs will follow those who believe : In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”' . Let's trust God promises. Let's seek to be equipped to evangelize. Let's do the work of an evangelist in season and out of season as we see the day approaching ( 2 Timothy 4:1-4). Let's remain faithful to this cause until the end. God bless you!! Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:14‭-‬15 NKJV. These are the words with which Jesus initiated His public ministry. Jesus began by calling people to repentance and to believe the gospel, good news. This wasn't only His initial remarks, but also the core of His mission on earth. The bible says, "When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17 NKJV. Jesus spent about 3.5 years working hard by the grace of God to accomplish His mission and He indeed accomplished it. The bible declares, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." John 19:30 NKJV.  Thanks be to God because of His life and sacrifice, today we can be reconciled to God! However, as far the salvation of the lost, the mission was not over, and Jesus knew it. Before dying, Jesus had prepared His disciples to carry on the mission, and even after He rose from the dead, He appeared to the disciples for 40 days and gave them further instructions (Acts 1:1-3); He opened their eyes to comprehend the scriptures and understand that He was the Messiah who had been promised. Then prior to His return to heaven, He gave a final instruction to the disciples saying, "[...] , “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” . Mark 16:15-16. However, Matthew 28:18-20 narrates this final instruction as follow, “'And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.'”   The verses above became known throughout church history as the great commission, and the reason being is because it was larger in scope compared to the lesser commission first given by Jesus in Matthew 10 and Luke 10. While the lesser affected only the disciples then and the local Jewish community, " 'These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'" (Matthew 10:5-6), t he great commission affected the disciples then present and all the disciples throughout all ages, its scope is all the nations, and it is the very final command from Jesus, "standing orders". Therefore, it came to be known as "great commission". Let's zoom in and observe 4 main aspects about the great commission:  “ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Meaning, whatever He was commissioning His disciples to do was on a legal basis; in another words, they were authorized to do make disciples and it was and is still legal. Neither satan, demons, or men have the legal power or authority to stop or hinder this commission of Jesus. Believers operations to spread the gospel are legitimatized by Jesus Himself. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,” . On the basis of Jesus' authority we are entitled and empowered to go. Jesus who has all authority says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” not just some but all nations. The gospel came first to the Jews but didn’t stop there. Jesus said it was supposed to be from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, until the uttermost parts of the earth- meaning, the gospel is for people from all nations, tribes, and tongues, He purchased us all (Revelation 5:9). “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;”   With these words, Jesus now tells us how to make disciples; it’s a two fold process: i. You baptize them and ii. You teach them all things Jesus taught so they can observe or obey them not just know. Here we have a definition of a disciple. “It’s one who is saved, baptized, and taught to obey the commands of Jesus”. It’s not one who simply goes to church. “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.'”  In so saying Jesus assures us that as we go about taking care of this business we are not alone, and we are not indeed, He is with us. Mark 16:20 says, “'And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.'”  Glories be to God. As we go out, Jesus goes, He works actively with us, and confirms the Word, His Word we with signs and wonders by His Spirit, for the repentance of unbelievers and the display of God’s kindness toward them (Mark 6:34). The apostles then took up on this mission and turned the world upside down. Many believers throughout church history took on this mission and gave their lives to the preaching of the gospel, and every believer in every era is called to do the same in obedience to our Lord. Evangelism is indispensable for the power of the gospel to be manifested. Paul said, "'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”' Romans 10:14-15 It’s true that these days, people can have access to the gospel in so many different ways, specially through the internet, and many have been saved by simply coming across an “unintentional” youtube video or a gospel tract, but yet it still required someone to do something on the other side: make the video, print the material, or else. You can be the someone on the other side, you can do something. Evangelism is needed, and you can make a difference. Jesus said, “lo, I am with you all the days of your life.”  Hallelujah. You will not be alone, God can equip you, call upon Him and lay your life at His altar and be used for His glory. Jesus spoke of the readiness of the fields in John 4:35, "they are already white for harvest", He said. Many people are seeking, hungering and thirsting for truth, specially young people, not only in America but around the world, and it seems like God made and is making it very evident for us since the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. Saints, this is warfare, but what the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. In addition to the conservative and patriotic message Charlie shared, the preaching of faith he did is being sought after by hundreds of thousands. Many people have been awaken to the reality of evil with Charlie's murder, and they are looking for answers beyond the conventional's, and you can be used by God to meet them at the point of their needs. May we be inspired by Charlie's preaching of and discussion about faith in unconventional spaces with the younger generation. God opened the eyes of people, and we need to take the opportunity to meet them with the life changing message of the gospel, the power of God for salvation of anyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Jesus said, "'And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” 'John 4:36-38. We can join the labor of Charlie and labor of many men and women who have been sowing seeds for years in the hearts of people here in America and around the world. Again, we cannot do this work by ourselves, according to our intellect and/or abilities, we need help, and we can count on help, Jesus will work with us: it's not by power nor by mighty, but by the Spirit of God. For this reason, Jesus Himself told the apostles, " '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.”'  Luke 24:49. Same is applicable to us, Jesus wants to help you and me, anoint us with the Holy Spirit and send us to advance the Kingdom in His name or character - preaching the gospel, teaching the word, healing the sick, and casting out demons to deliver the oppressed (Matthew 4:23) . Let's believe it, grow on it, be available, and get the job done. May you and I carry out the great commission forward, may we start where we with what we know and trust God for increase, and may we always be assured that Jesus is with us as we go about doing His business. God bless you! Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

"'Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”'" I Samuel 7:12 It's been a year since the launch of Knowing-God 🎉. Just like Samuel said, we can also say, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." It's been a year of seeking God for what happens in this ministry, a year of prayer, a year of writing, a year of sharing, a year of publishing, a year of reflecting, and a year of receiving for the coming seasons. Praise God for His faithfulness 🙏. Thus far, The Lord has helped us with vision, revelation, direction, passion, grace, and everything else, for "without Him we could or can do nothing." Knowing-God is a practical teaching ministry, a portal for evangelism, and a space for discipleship, with the goal of seeing unbelievers saved and believers with their biblical questions answered, growing in faith and love for God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. We want to see the kingdom of God advance and we will continue to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God to people of every nation, tribe, and language, in obedience to Christ our Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit 🙏. You are part of what The Lord is doing. Thank you for being part of this ministry, thank you for being part of the Knowing-God Family. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, interactions, and for sharing 👏. May you continue praying for us and walking alongside us, being part of this story that is still unfolding. We await with great anticipation all that the Lord will continue to do in this ministry, in our lives, and in the lives of all those He brings. We long to share everything the Lord places in our hearts according to His will, and we long to see you truly knowing and progressing in knowing God. Thus far, the Lord has helped us, and we will continue to cling to Him more and more, for the seasons to come and for whatever is necessary 🙏🎊. Ebenezer, we return to give glory to God and thank you all for walking with us. May God bless you. 🙏 In Christ, Helder & Rebeca Alexandre Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

It's written, "'So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He, ’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. '" Luke 21:7-11 The past weeks were one of the most intense in recent history, both for the world and the middle east as a whole. We saw the war between Israel and Iran breaking out and intensifying day after day, following Israel first strikes on Iran on Friday June 13th, 2025 in what they called operation "Rising Lion" with the goal of dismantling Iran nuclear program and then their ballistic missiles' reserves. Beyond the magnitude of the war itself due to the destruction imposed on either side, it was the threat of a wider regional war, the parties involved and the parties that could get involved. Although ultimately it was only the US that got involved and struck Iran nuclear sites with the one-and-only bunker buster bombs, China and Russia didn't get involved as many were predicting. As of now, with the "forceful" ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump to end what he called the 12-days war. It seems that, in spite of the distrust, both parties agreed to it. However, explosions were seen in Israel in the first hours of the ceasefire, in what Israel called a breaking of the ceasefire by Iran and vowed to retaliate forcefully, yet with calls from President Trump, Israel ultimately refrained from retaliating as they first said they would, and rather conducted simply some strikes to take Iran's radar systems and other miliary facilities. As it stands, it has been more than a week, and both sides are holding on to the ceasefire and claiming victory. Many, including me, can see that both sides were looking ultimately to bring an end to the conflict, although Israel showed no signs of stopping until they damaged Iran significantly and eliminate all the threats permanently, but that wouldn't come without major cost. The Iron dome was tested to its limits and bridged several times by Iran's barrage of missiles. Israel saw the headquarters of Mossad being struck, and several damaged evaluated around half a trillion dollar being imposed upon Tel Aviv and the Port city of Haifa. On the other hand, Iran's capital was also majorly destroyed, some of the major signs of the the strength of the Iranian government were destroyed and several senior military personnel were killed, including 10 nuclear scientists. Israel claims to have destroyed half of Iran's missile launchers and most of their ballistic missile storage facilities, which Prime Minister Netanyahu consider a great threat to Israel along with Iran's nuclear program. Wars involving Israel are at the very least always suspected of being prophetic and at best they always are, and with this conflict was not different. Some wondered whether or not, this was the War of Gog and Magog prophesied in Ezekiel 38, which involves Persian, current Iran; others simply kept things on a high level and remembered the words of Jesus, "'And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.'" Matthew 24:6. Indeed, this war as with many others fulfilled this sign Jesus gave us. In fact, the last 5 years have been one of the most intense years with regard to wars and rumors of war: Israel-Iran war, a war still ongoing between Ukraine and Russia, Pakistan making nuclear threats to India, and the possibility of China attacking Taiwan, and etc. These past years are loaded. However, as we see these things take place, Jesus said, we are to, "...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”' Luke 21:28. Jesus said these wars and rumors of war will happen but it's not yet the end. He said, "'But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”' Luke 21:9. The Israel-Iran war left many wondering whether the end was near. Certainly we got closer, but thank God a ceasefire was brokered. For now Iran, Israel, and the middle east are clam but as many say, it doesn't mean they are at peace. Iran's fundamentals Islam's beliefs prevents them from being at peace with Israel. Moreover, the fundamental issue of humanity, sin, prevents from being at peace with each other if not for Christ. Surely, the world will not see peace or lasting peace until it is brought about by the Prince of Peace, Jesus Himself (Isaiah 9:6). While the intensification of wars, rumors of wars and other signs tell us the proximity of the end of the ages, yet there are other major events that must take place before the end comes. Such events include the peace for a week as prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:27), the appearance of the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), the falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3), the great tribulation (Matthew 24:15-28). However, eminent to it all is the rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This is one thing that people were wondering if it was it as the war happened. Of course, no one knows the exact day or hour as Jesus said (Matthew 24:36); it can happen at any time, and the more signs come to pass, the closer we get to that day. But that day will not come to pass until the gospel of the kingdom is preached to every nation (Matthew 24:14) and when God Himself says the time is now. Yet, we ought to be ready, we don't seem to be very far! Had the end come, we would be experiencing eternal life in its fullness, but since it didn't, we can say like Paul said, "'[...] to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.'" Philippians 1:24. We can still do more for the advancement of the kingdom while the end doesn't come and while we are in this flesh. During the war many prayed for the peace in Jerusalem, and indeed we are to do it (Psalm 122:6), but, we are to also remember the words of Paul in Romans 10:1, "'Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.'" . This is a prayer we ought to make often for Israel while the Lord tarries! For the time being, Like Paul, My prayer for Israel is that they be saved. Israel is still predominately not Messianic Jewish. While Christians often go to Israel for theological trips, evangelism in that land still faces many challenges. moreover, Israel has been involved in many conflicts in past years, which makes even more challenging. Of course God is in control, and He has already developed a plan for them at the end of the ages, the remnant will be saved, but we need to pray and put effort toward it. Likewise, my prayer for Iran is that this nation be saved, that the remnants and elects from Iran will be saved, that a government that will grant Jesus the fruit of His laborious work ( Isaiah 53:11) will emerge in that land, God willing because He is certainly able to move things under this hostile government and He has been doing it. As for us believers, while we have regained our focus, it's time to press in even more, advance the kingdom, and take heed of 3 major exhortation Jesus gave concerning our attitude toward the end times: 1. Be focus. Jesus said, "'Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. " Matthew 24:42. It's not time to be distracted again and allow yourself to live life "as normal"; the end is near indeed, so be focus and watchful. 2. Be faithful. Jesus said, "'“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.'" Matthew 24:45-46. While we have time serve the Lord with all your strength and capacity, advance the kingdom, preach the gospel don't waste time pursuing things with no eternal value. Last but not least, 3. Be filled. Jesus said, "'“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.'" Matthew 25:1-5. A key component of the last days is being filled with the Spirit, not running out of oil. It will be impossible for us to be focus and watchful as well serve the Lord faithfully in these last days if we are not filled with the Spirit of God. We are to hunger and thirsty after God all the more and seek Him intensely while we can; all that God calls us to do is never to be done by mighty or by power, but only by His Spirit. As the world shifts its focus from the Israel-Iran war and as you do as well, take heed that you don't loose sight of the return of the Lord and remember this final exhortations from Jesus. Our Lord can come at any time, and may He finds us ready like the five wise virgins. God bless you. In Christ Knowing-God Family Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

Peace and grace brethren! In this Q&A article, we will seek to answer the question above. Someone said to us, "I found it interesting that you said 'Jesus fulfilled the law' and didn't abolish it. Can you talk more about the Old Testament Law and how it was not abolished? I have doubts about the laws." Thanks for asking! This is a good question, one that many sincere believers have. We have asked this question to ourselves in different occasions. We came to realize that embedded in this question is usually another question, Should new testament believers obey The Law or The Old Testament Laws? Often the latter ends up being the real question when someone asks Law-related questions. Perhaps that's why you said, "I have doubts about the laws." In either case, by the grace of God, in this article, we will seek to answer both questions in a somewhat straightforward manner, so the article doesn't get as lengthy, and another detailed article directly addressing the question, "Should New Testament Believers Obey The Law" will follow. It's our prayer that God though these articles will establish your heart regarding this issue or lead you to learn more through other materials. Let's go to the question! Did Jesus abolish The Law? Jesus Himself gave a direct and precise answer to this question, and His answer was: NO! In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "'“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.'" The verb translated destroy carries the meaning of "abolish, cancel nullify, make void, and etc." The New Living Translation translated it in the following way, "'“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.'" Matthew 5:17. The phrase that we used that led you to ask the question was essentially a paraphrase of Jesus own words. Jesus didn't abolish the law but came to accomplish its purpose. But Jesus didn't stay there, his answer was broader. While we seek to understand only whether the law was abolished or not, we see that Jesus' answer included the prophets also. The Law refers to the set of laws that Moses received in the Mount Sinai and others that followed when the Israelites first enter their covenant with God. The Law also refers to the covenant itself and indicates the time period in which that covenant was in effect. Whereas, the Prophets refer to the writings of the Prophets according to Jewish tradition, which includes Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, plus all the known prophets from Isaiah to Malachi as we have in the new testament. Interestingly enough, all these prophets wrote during the time period when the covenant of the law was in effect, and spoke in figures about the coming of Jesus. Just like He did not abolish the Law, He didn't abolish what the Prophets said either. So, if He did not abolish, what happened then? On the latter part of Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "...I came to accomplish their purpose.'" Instead of abolishing it, Jesus fulfilled the law, He accomplished its purpose. He explains further in verse 18 of Matthew 5 saying, "'For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.'" Jot and tittle refers to the smallest characters in the Hebraic alphabet/writings. Jesus is saying that all that is written in the law and all that the prophets prophesied will be fulfilled, and not abolished. Jesus came to fulfill them, bring them to pass, bring them into existence, meaning accomplish their purpose. Perhaps its important for us to seek to comprehend the purpose of the law, so we can better understand what Jesus meant. The Law had several specifics purposes and one general purpose. The specifics are: 1) Expose our offenses or sins. It's written, "'Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,'" Romans 5:20. 2) Make us guilt before God. It's written, "'Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.'" Romans 3:19. 3) Grant us the knowledge of sin. it's written, "'Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.'" Romans 3:20. Moreover, "'What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.'" Romans 7:7-8. 4) Keep us until faith came. It's written, "But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed." Galatians 3:23. 5) Foreshadowing the future blessings in Christ. All the sacrifices, the feasts, the burning of incense, the ceremonies, and etc. had a prophetic nature, they were not the real things, they pointed to superior realities that would be fully revealed and available to us in Christ. It's written, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Hebrews 10:1. All these specific purposes converge to the general purpose of the Law which is: Bring us to Christ. It's written, "Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. " Galatians 3:21-25 NKJV. You see, the ultimate goal of the law was and is to lead us to Christ, and from Christ we get to the Father. The law was never meant to save us, that's why Romans 3:20 says "'Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.'"  Often when we read the old testament, we get astonished with the amount of laws and with the idea of having to keep all of them without failing a single one, otherwise, as James says we would be guilt of all of them; it's written, "'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.'" James 2:10. This is a serious demand and speaks of the holiness of God, He is Holy and those who approach Him must be Holy (Leviticus 10:2). The requirements of the law scares us, leads us to conclude that it's impossible to keep them without failing at least one. Yes, indeed it's impossible; therefore, by the law you can see that we cannot obey God, and thus we become guilty before Him, unless we receive mercy, which is only found in Christ. In other words, the law reveals our inability to obey God, leaves us desperate, screaming, "Lord, have mercy on us, we are sinners," and then God comes and says, "Yes, you are a sinner, that's what I wanted you to see, so you can receive grace gladly. By your own deeds or your attempts obey me by keeping the law, won't work, but I made Him, Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin, so you could be justified, saved, made righteous before my eyes." [Ref, 2 Corinthians 5:21]. Is The Law Bad Then? The Answer is: No, By no means! Paul argues this saying, "'What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.'" Romans 7:7-12 Here again, Paul reminds us that the law was not a mistake. The law is holy, the commandment holy and just and good; we were the problem, we did not have the capacity to obey it. Our inability to obey the law doesn't make it bad, rather it shows that we need help. For instance, in our society we have traffic laws right? Why we have them? So that people don't go about driving anyhow, endangering themselves and other people's lives. However, how many people break the traffic laws? Many! Out of these people, how many break the law repeatedly? Several! Does it mean that the laws are useless or bad? By no means, if not for the law things would be even worse. But what about those who repeatedly break the laws? They simply show that they need help and not more and more laws! Traffic laws help us knowing what to obey but they don't give us the ability to drive well or the capacity to obey; again, they simply give us something to obey. A defensive driving course on the contrary can help us by correcting our bad driving habits. Once, one corrects his poor driving habits or rather is "empowered" to obey the traffic laws and begins to drive safely, he can surely acknowledge that the problem was never the law, but their inability to obey it. Same is applicable to us with respect to the law. The law is good, it is an extension of God's own character, and it was given in part because of transgression to keep us in line (1 Timothy 1:8-11) while The Savior, Christ, was to come, and at the same time, show us that we are guilty and helpless sinners, needing God's mercy. So, the law is good, not bad; therefore, it didn't need to be canceled. The law was not a mistake in God's agenda, as if He had given it and then realized, 'They won't be able to obey it, let me give then grace', Not at all! God knew from the beginning that Israel and we would never be able to obey the law fully, yet He gave it to us so we could be led to Christ by the revelation of sin that the Law brings. Again, this was the purpose of the Law, therefore, when Christ came, the Law had done its job and no longer was needed. Therefore, instead of saying abolished, Jesus said fulfilled. An illustration would be, If you want to go to a certain destination, and to get there, you need to take a taxi. By the time you get to your destination through the taxi, you will not say, 'The taxi was abolished because it took me to my destination'. Instead, you would say, 'The taxi fulfilled its purpose by taking me to my destination, consequently, I do not need to take the taxi again; I am at my destination'". The taxi accomplished its purpose, instead of being canceled. The Law was the means, taxi, to lead us to Christ, our destination, and by the time we are in Him, Christ, we no longer need a taxi, the law; not because taking a taxi is bad but because we no longer need it - it's not useful for us anymore. Perhaps, you can begin to see the answer of the implied question: should new testament believers obey the law? The answer is: No, because they are already at their destination, Christ. However, we can learn, and only learn, from the essence of the Law, because it still reveals the Holy nature of God, but this must be done in the light of the New Testament, without ever submitting ourselves to the Law again. Conclusion Jesus did not abolish or canceled the law, instead He fulfilled its purpose. Once the law finished its course, it was set aside, not canceled, and a New Covenant was ratified. It's written, "'For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord , when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— [...] In that He says, “A new covenant ,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.'" Hebrews 8:7-8,13. The Law could not save or transform us, therefore, a new one had to be ratified. The priesthood was changed from Levitical to Christ's, therefore the laws also changed. It's written, "'Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.'" Hebrews 7:11-12. The Law could not save or transform us, not because the law was bad but because we are sinners who cannot obey God's law and salvation was never meant to come through the law but by Faith because 430 years prior to the law, God had already justified Abraham by faith and promised that in Abraham's seed, who is Christ, all the families of the earth would be saved, or justified by Faith like Abraham was. Thus, from the very beginning the law had a temporary nature; it would only be in effect until the seed of Abraham came to scene, and He did (John 1:14). It's written, "'Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise'" Galatians 3:15-18. This covenant of Faith is the new covenant, the one that Jesus ratified in His blood, under which new covenant believers are bound, therefore, they don't have to obey the demands of the old, but in obeying the new, they fulfill the old and are made righteous before God because of Christ. Hallelujah! Hope this article was helpful in answering your question. To help you further, we recommend that you read the books of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews as they provide valuable insights about the law and the new covenant, and stay tuned for the next article. May God bless you, may you continue in knowing Him, and may your love for Him grow more and more in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. In Christ Knowing-God Family Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe Knowing-God.com Love . Grace . Intimacy

In this series of articles we are expanding upon the truth that God can be known through the different means of revelation, which are: Natural Revelation, Specific Revelation, and Special Revelation. We have already seen that while natural revelation gives us some details of who God is based on the things He created, only the specific revelation, that is the bible gives us the specifics about Him. In another words, the bible is God's authorized "biography" on earth. On Part 3: Knowing God Through His Word , we have specifically learned about God's Acts and Attributes . The bible records the various acts of God. Our God acts on earth, He is actively involved in governing, and ruling in our affairs. God delivered, healed, blessed, judged, spoke to people, and etc. However, God ultimately acted by setting in motion the plan to redeem the whole world from sin and its consequences through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. However, God did not stop intervene in our affairs, He continues to do so and will continue until things are made new. Jesus said, " '[...], “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”' John 5:17. In addition, we have also learned about God's attributes which are characteristics or qualities of Him. The bible mentions many attributes of God and the sum of them all is who God is, not just one or two. While depending on the action of God one attribute may be more emphasized or evident, yet it doesn't contradict or minimize the others. God is equally all the attributes, even when He prefers to act on the basis of one over another. God said, " '[...]“ I AM WHO I AM.” [...]’ ” ' Exodus 3:14a. Many of these attributes are exclusive to God, and others He shared with us since we are made in His image. Refer to Part 3 for more details. In this article, we will proceed further on the subject of knowing God through His Word, and learn specifically about The names of God. ​Names in The Bible According to what the bible reveals, names are far beyond a mere label like it's in many cultures, simply to distinguish one person from another. Names in the bible speaks of one's origins, character, identity, destiny, and/or authority. Strong's says, "In ancient Near Eastern culture, names were often reflective of personal characteristics or life events." This is fact is true of most of biblical characters if you study their names. Adam means man, human, mankind, because he is the father of all mankind. His name is related to the Hebrew word, "'adamah" which means earth or ground, referring to his origin. Whereas, the name Eve is related to "live and/or breath", and was given to her by Adam because, " because she was the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20). Moses name is derived from the Hebrew "mashah", meaning "to draw out. because from the waters he was taken. Same can be said of many other biblical characters if we study their names. Let's go down through history and look at some biblical names more closely, starting with Jacob. In Genesis 27:36, Esau said the following concerning his brother Jacob, "'[...], “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” [....]”' Genesis 27:36. According to Strong's Hebrew concordance, the verb translated "supplanted" is the Hebrew verb "aqab" which primarily conveys the idea of supplanting or taking the place of another, often through deceptive or cunning means. Indeed Jacob took the place of his brother through deceptive or cunning means, even with his own father he acted deceptively (Genesis 27:35). Therefore, Esau said, "Is he not rightly name Jacob?" In another words Esau was saying that Jacob's name suit him very well. This is not mere consequence but who Jacob was until he later on meets God have his name [and character] changed by God, he goes from Jacob to Israel. Another example is of Nabal, a rich man yet of harsh and evil doings. 1 Samuel 25 tells us the story that one day David sent men to him with the following word, "'And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”' I Samuel 25:6-8 Nabal on the other hand, repaid the goodness of David and his men with evil by saying, "[...] “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”' I Samuel 25:10-11. David was displeased with Nabal's answer and was ready to destroy him with his household. To make long story short, Abigail finds out, and she run to meet David and his men with food, and she said, "'Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.'" I Samuel 25:25. Notice what Abigai said, "... For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name and folly is with him..." As we can see also in the case of Nabal, his name reflected his character. His name meant "foolish" and he acted foolishly. Thus, names in the bible are of great significance to get insights about the bearer of the name. However, as a last example, let's now look at the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The name Jesus, is the Greek name Iēsoús , which is a transliteration from The Hebrew name Yehoshua"/Jehoshua  and it means "Yahweh is salvation." Indeed Jesus is the Savior of the world, and this name is totally suitable to Him. When announcing His birth, the angel told Joseph, "'And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus , for He will save His people from their sins.” ' Matthew 1:21 Many more examples we could have considered but these three should suffice to understand that names are means to have insights about one's character, identity, destiny and circumstances of birth, and etc. Conversely, to speak on one's name means to speak on that person's character or authority, it's to have that person's backing to the extent that his authority goes. i.e., to speak in the name of Jesus is much more than placing "in Jesus name" at the end of a prayer line or s scriptural commands. Back to the main point. If such is the case of the names of men, what about the name's of God?! Regarding the names of God, this biblical truth finds its perfect application since He is the source of all things and first to name things. When the bible reveals a name of God, it is essentially giving us insight on His nature and character, which is then reflected on His actions. Thus, knowing the names of God is a mean to know more about God Himself. This is the point of knowing the names, and this is what we are after in this article. God Reveals His Names Throughout the bible God refers to Himself through various names, and in many occasions names are given to Him by people based upon the things God did or the revelation they had of Him. Let's look at a situation when God revealed some of His names to us. The story is found in the book of Exodus when God met with Moses. The Lord appeared to Him and was persuading Him to go to Egypt before Pharaoh and deliver Israel from bondage, but Moses was hesitant to go. He considered himself to be a nobody to go before Pharaoh; however, God assured Moses that He would be with him; however, Moses was still hesitant. The bible says, "'Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”' Exodus 3:13. After Moses uttered these words, God then revealed His Self-existent nature and supremacy through two unique names. The bible says, "'And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ ' Exodus 3:14-15. "I AM WHO I AM" is the Hebraic phrase "’eh·yeh ’ă·šer ’eh·yeh" word for word. "’eh·yeh" is a verb in Hebrew and means, "To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen." Thus when God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM", he was revealing His eternal, transcendent, always-being, and self-existing nature. God IS WHO HE IS, He always IS and always WILL BE. Then continued by telling Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM [ ’eh·yeh] has sent me to you.’ ” Yes, God again referred to Himself as "’eh·yeh", but it's only when we go to verses 15 that God reveals His name to Moses. It's written, "'Moreover God [Elohim] said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘ The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever , and this is My memorial to all generations .’'" (Exodus 3:15). The word translated Lord is in this particular verse is the Hebrew word, "YHVH (or YHWH)" , this is the true, proper, and personal name of God, hence, he told Moses, "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’'". This is how God was to be distinguished from other god's among His people and among other people. The word translated God in the verse above is the Hebraic term, "Elohim", which is also one of the names of God. It's a plural word most specifically used in the Hebrew scriptures to refer to The One and True God. However, the term was also generic and was used to refer to other deities, angels, or human authorities. Elohim is indeed just like the word god is a generic word in English, and the distinction comes only when capital G is used, then God refers to the One and true God. However, YHVH (or YHWH) is unique; every time this is used it refers only and exclusively only to One and True God, the God of Israel. This is His name forever. YHVH (or YHWH), known as tetragrammaton, God's special and unique 4-letters name . In English the name YHVH is commonly translated as YAHWEH or JEHOVAH; however, in most English bibles, even the name YAHWEH from the original is instead translated LORD all caps or simply Lord. Some writers point out that translators do so for various reasons including keeping scriptures familiar to readers. Since for many years people have been using scriptural translations that don't use YAHWEH, translators continue not to YAHWEH to keep the scriptures "familiar" to people and sell their work of translation or bible versions (1) . Other writers also point out that another reason why many translators do not use the proper name of God, YAHWEH, and instead use LORD or Lord is because of a tradition that began in ancient Israel. The Jews over the years created many laws called Fence Laws, in addition to the laws given by Moses, as a way to keep them from breaking the actual laws of Moses. Thus, these laws as the name suggest were a fence for them. One of the fences they put up was against using the proper name of God because they considered it too sacred to be uttered by humans, and if used wrong, God '“[...] will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.'" (Exodus 20:7). Although no one really knows how to properly pronounce the true original name YHVH, they created this hybrid name, or a visual code made of the consonants of the name YHVH and the vows from the name ADONAI, which is another name of God and means, Master, someone with power and authority, one who rules. This is name is commonly translated as Lord only in most English bibles. Some differentiate YHVH from ADONAI by translating YHVH as LORD all caps, while others don't they simply use Lord for both. So, their goal was not to cause readers to say the hybrid name, instead it was just a hint for them to say ADONAI while still knowing that YHVH is the proper name there (2) . With the above in mind, the use of the personal name of God was lost even in the Hebrew scriptures, and instead, the artificial name was popularized. Christians unintentionally or unknowingly inherited this man-made tradition. By the time Christians started their work of translation, they began already from Hebrew scriptures that had this hybrid name, causing the personal name of God to be further lost. It's from this hybrid name that we get the name YAHWEH or JEHOVAH which contains vows, YHVH doesn't. In spite of all the man-caused issues, glories be to God, He made a way for us to be aware of His proper name. Later on in Exodus 6, God reveals another name of His to us when He said, "'I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.'" Exodus 6:3. The name God Almighty is the Hebrew name, "El SHADDAI", which speaks of God's ultimate power over all. Again, the name translated Lord is the Hebrew name "ADONAI", as we have already alluded to. However, in revealing His nature and character through names, God didn't stop here, He continued then in Exodus 15:26 by calling Himself, "YAHWEH-RAPHA", that is The Lord who heals us. Exodus 15:26 says, "'and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”' . Glories to God! You can see that God Himself reveals some of His names to us. The names aforementioned are only a snapshot of the names He revealed to us, and to know them all is to be invited to meditate and study the whole scriptures. However, as we stated earlier some names of God if not most were given to Him by people based upon the revelation they got of Him. Let's now proceed by looking closely at a remarkable event when God was named by a man. God's Revelation to Abraham In Genesis 22 the bible narrates for us the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. God appeared to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his son to Him. It's written,  "'Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”'  Genesis 22:2. The following verses reveal to us that Abraham in the very next day, early in the morning, prepared everything and made his way to a mountain in the land of Mariah. Abraham arranged the altar for the sacrifice, and the bible says, "'But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”' Genesis 22:7. Abraham replied to him saying, "'[...] “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.'"  Genesis 22:8. Many suggest that in that very moment Abraham went beyond in time and saw the day that God provided for Himself, His spotless Lamb, Jesus as atonement for the sins of the whole world because in John 8:56 Jesus said, "'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”' Back to the story. Abraham comforted Isaac and proceeded to sacrifice him as God had asked. The bible says, "'And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”' Genesis 22:10-14. Of course God never wanted Isaac to be sacrificed, human sacrifice is abomination for God (Deuteronomy 12:31) because He made men in His image. God wanted to test the faith of Abraham only. Abraham was approved, God saw that he feared Him, and therefore, He would bring to pass the promise He made to Abraham. Verses 15-18 says, "'Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord , because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”'. Praise God for His faithfulness. One of the main points is that when Abraham saw that God intervened for Isaac and instead provided a ham, Abraham rejoiced, and the bible says, " Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”' Notice Abraham called that the name of the place not the name of God, although in saying, Yah-way-ji-reh, He also gave a name to God. Among His people, God became known as "The Lord Will Provide" or "The Lord Provider", Our God who provides, commonly pronounced in Hebrew, "YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]" or in English, "JEHOVAH-JIREH". We know that God indeed is a provider, from Genesis to revelation God is constantly providing for all His creation, and He ultimately provided Christ for the whole world. Knowing that God is "Yahweh-Jireh", we can interact with Him on the basis of it and be confident that He provides for all our needs. David said, "'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.'" Psalms 23:1-3. Praise God. However, JEHOVAH-JIREH is just one of the many names of God that people gave in order to capture the revelation they had of Him. The Names of God The bible in several passages presents us with many more names of God, many of which are better captured when we look up a concordance or a translation that preserves the names in the original language, and etc. As a summary, below it is given some of the names of God found in the bible: (3). EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains. ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah. Being plural, Elohim which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1). EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God’s ultimate power over all. ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles. YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3). YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities. YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17. YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy. YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him. YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic word for “God” signifying that He is the Lord who is God. YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “The Lord is my shepherd [Yahweh-Rohi]; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, ESV). YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4). YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do. EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship. EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all. EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2). EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). THEOS [theh'-os]: It is one of the names by which the one true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, is called in the New Testament. It is used to denote the divine nature and attributes of God, including His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. "Theos" can also refer to false gods or deities in a polytheistic context, but in the Christian Scriptures, it predominantly signifies the God of Israel, the Father of Jesus Christ. Its Hebrew equivalent are Elohim, El, and YHWH. KURIOS [koo'-ree-os] : It is another name by which God is called in the New Testament. "kurios" is used to denote someone who possesses authority, control, or power. It is often translated as "Lord" and is used to refer to God, Jesus Christ, and sometimes human masters. The term signifies respect, reverence, and acknowledgment of authority. In the context of Jesus, it underscores His divine nature and authority as the Son of God. Its Hebrew equivalent are ADONAI and YHWH. Implications of Knowing The list above is not exhaustive but a starter; there are many more names of God in the bible. As mentioned in the first section of this article, in biblical thought name means character, authority, origin, and in the case of God nature. Thus, having learned about the names of God, you should know Him better. like we have been emphasizing throughout this series of articles, knowing God is far beyond a simple mental knowledge or awareness, but it is intimately knowing, spiritually and truthfully worshipping, and strongly, soulfully, and wholeheartedly loving Him (Jn 4:24, 17:3; Mt 22:37-40). The implications of knowing God is that it compels us to trust and to love Him; we get to know that He is and inevitably relate and approach Him with faith. It's written, " " 'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.'"  Hebrews 11:6. Praises be to God! God is everlasting (He is EL-OLAM), sees you and your circumstances (He is El ROI), cares for you and for all you care about (He is YAHWEH-ROHI), provides for all your needs (He is YAHWEH-JIREH), changes your circumstances (He is EL SHADDAI), commands His hosts on your behalf (He is YAHWEH-SABAOTH), sanctifies you (He is YAHWEH-M'KADDESH), keeps you in peace (He is YAHWEH-SHALOM), delivers you from sicknesses and diseases (YAHWEH-RAPHA), commands your life and order your steps (He is ADONAI), ..., God is (He is YHVH). The more we know the names of God, the more we can know His character, and the greater will be our faith on Him and our love for Him. This is the point of knowing the names of God. A Word of Caution The point of knowing the names of God is not necessarily to bring up a specific name in prayer depending on our need; we can do it if we have the understanding of the name, but bear in mind that Jesus didn't do it and neither the apostles. The point is not to lead us to become proud for knowing the true name of God either, like Jehovah Witnesses tend to do when they give an exaggerated emphasis on the name JEHOVAH, which as we have already discussed above is not even the true name of God, it's a hybrid or artificial name created by man. Certainly, we appreciate the story behind it and take it as a pronounceable approximation of the true name which is YHVH or YHWH. So, these are not the points. The point is relationship by understanding the revelation of God behind the names. God is an infinite being, knowing Him is an eternal task (John 17:3); thus, to make an infinite task possible, He revealed Himself through certain means such us names and figures, which we will see in the next article, aside from the direct descriptions of His attributes which we have already seen in the previous article. Thus, the names were meant to capture a revelation of God or crystalize an understanding people had about Him; hence, understanding the character or attributes of God through the names is more important than repeating the names over and over again if we have no understanding. For instance, Abraham who called God Jehovah-Jireh, never once in scripture is shown calling God such in prayer when he wanted provision. We don't see him doing it at all after the experience he had with Isaac. however, we can be confident that the revelation behind the name was always alive in Abraham's heart as he waited upon the Lord to fulfill His promises or provide again. Thus, if someone goes to prayer calling God "Jehovah-Jireh", he does no wrong, but if he supposes that by doing so provision will come more rapidly, he is certainly not walking in the steps of Abraham. If you do call God "Jehovah-Jireh" while praying or praising, you do nothing wrong, after all, it is His name. By all means to do it, we often do it and will continue to do so; however, if you call Him "Jehovah-Jireh" with understanding, knowing what it means, bringing to mind and to God's remembrance all He said about provision, and how He would be glorified through that provision, you do much better (1 John 5:14-15, Isaiah 43:26). Jesus, Our Lord, when teaching on provision didn't say call God "Jehovah-Jireh", rather he taught us to, again, understand the character and nature of God through a figure of a "Father". He said, "'Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?'" Matthew 6:26. What was said above about the use of "Jehovah-Jireh" in prayer or praise is applicable to using any other name of God in any other spiritual discipline. If we say the names in prayer, meditation, proclamation, praise or else we do well, but if we don't understand God through them, we can mentioned them all day long in Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or else and nothing will happen. The apostles when teaching the gentiles did not make a law that they should call God by Hebraic names. They themselves, despite being Jews, in their writings addressed to gentiles, referred to God by Greek names such as Theos and Kurios, and led the people to know, understand, and trust The God behind these names. Again, the goal of knowing the names of God is far beyond proving our soundness of Hebrew or Greek, or show that we have some sort of "esoteric" knowledge, no! The goal is knowing God Himself and grow in our relationship with Him. Glories be to God for making things so simple and accessible for people in all nations! Thus, to call God simply God in English is not a sin neither a disrespect as long we regard God highly in our hearts, know truly who He is: His majesty, transcendency, authority, supremacy ... , in another words, understand the revelation behind each name of God. If you do so, my brother and my sister, you will see signs, wonders, and interventions on earth as simple as calling God God may seem. With the above said by all means, sing the names of God, praise Him with and through them, bring them up in prayer, proclaim them, speak them out, meditate on them, preach them, and etc., but in all things do so with understanding and God will be glorified. Of course just knowing the names themselves is a good thing and a good start, but don't stop there, seek to understand them and put your trust in God. David said, "''And those who know Your name [character, identity, reputation] will put their trust in You; For You, Lord , have not forsaken those who seek You.'"  Psalms 9:10. God is accessible to all who call upon Him with a sincere heart and understand his reputation or character, no matter the language or location. A Personal Revelation This God whose names we are studying, The God of Israel, YHVH, who aforetime revealed His personal name to us, became further accessible by revealing Himself to us in a personal manner. This same God has came down from heaven, manifested Himself in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus said, "[...] “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”" . Today, we can not only know the personal name of the One and True God, our maker, but also know Him personally through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! It's written, "'And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.'" I Timothy 3:16. Praises be to God! May you know God more through His names, may you know Him more and more personally through Christ, and may your love for Him grow more and more in all wisdom and spiritual understanding in Jesus name. God bless you. Like - Comment - Share - Subscribe References: (1) "Why is YHWH, the name of the God, replaced by a title, "the LORD", ..." hermeneutics.stackexchange.com (2) "God's Name has Changed? (Learn It's Interesting Biblical Story," Bibleproject.com (3) "What are the different names of God, and what do they mean?" www.gotquestions.org

"'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11 The verse above is often quoted, especially to comfort and assure people of God’s faithfulness in the midst of difficulties. Truly, this verse serves this purpose since God Himself said it to comfort and confirm His care and faithfulness to Israel, His people. However, the truth is that sometimes we do not receive the fullness of the comfort found in this verse because we do not understand the historical context in which it was written, nor the biblical context in which the verse is inserted. The verse above, as comforting as it is, was spoken when Israel was in Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah 29:1-2 says, "'Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.).'" God had prophesied long before through the mouth of prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 39), and then through the mouth of Jeremiah himself (Jeremiah 1:13-19) that Israel would be taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar as a result of their disobedience, and so it happened. Most of the people were taken away, but Jeremiah and a minority remained in Jerusalem. However, the prophet Jeremiah still maintained contact with those who were taken captive. As we have seen in the verses above, this chapter 29 of the book records one of the letters that Jeremiah sent to his fellow Israelites in exile. It is written, "'The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,'" Jeremiah 29:3 Despite being in exile, the people lived in anticipation of returning to Jerusalem; they were ready to see the end of their captivity. This expectation was fueled on one hand because they knew that God is merciful, compassionate, and that his anger does not last forever. As it is written, "'And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord , the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”' Exodus 34:6-7 On the other hand, this expectation was also fueled by them listening to false prophets who prophesied what they wanted to hear, instead of listening to the true prophets that God sent. Yes, God would judge them for a time, but that time belonged to God and not to them, because, “God knew the thoughts that He had for them.” However, the people, once again, would not listen; they wanted to hurry things up and get out of captivity. Yes, the situation they found themselves in seemed contrary to the thoughts that God said He had for them, yet He was in control. Jeremiah begins the letter by saying, “'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. '" Jeremiah 29:4-7. Imagine how the people felt when they read the opening words of this letter! How would you feel? They longed to get out of captivity, but God told them, "Build houses and dwell in them." They longed to return to the land flowing with milk and honey, referring to how fertile the soil was, but God said, "Plant gardens and eat their fruit" in the land of captivity. Since many of them were no longer able to marry in Jerusalem, they at least dreamed that their sons and daughters would marry and be given in marriage in Jerusalem, but God said, "Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished." Because they had been taken captive, they certainly wished Babylon harm, wanting another empire to come, take over Babylon, and let them return to Jerusalem, but God says that they should not think that way, on the contrary, "And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.'" Imagine receiving a letter like that, contrary to all your dreams, and even apparently contrary to all the promises of God Himself had made. God had said long before that He would take them to the promised land, fulfilling the words He had spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet they were in exile. Imagine! In similar circumstances, many of us would say that Jeremiah is a false prophet, that he was prophesying wrongly, that he was against them, and in fact many of them thought so; therefore, they mistreated Jeremiah and ignored his words, preferring to listen to others who at least "comforted" them, but with false comforts. Thus, God himself warned them through Jeremiah saying, "'For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord .'" Jeremiah 29:8-9 Like the people of Israel, sometimes when we are in the midst of difficulties, we become anxious and ready to see the difficulties pass; We refuse to listen to those who speak sincere words just because their words go against what we want, and instead we listen to those who always speak and dream according to what we want. But God says, "I have not sent them, they prophesy falsely," be careful, do not be deceived! This does not mean that in the midst of difficulties God's message will always be that we must endure them, certainly not! Sometimes God himself sends deliverance, just as he had done countless times for the people. We need to have Discernment. Have Discernment Psalm 50:15 says, "'Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.'" God is saying that in times of difficulty, trouble or distress we can call upon Him in prayer and He will deliver us, and we will exalt or glorify Him with thanksgiving. Again, God's will is not always for us to endure or go through tribulation, sometimes it is for us to be free from it. God is the one who knows the thoughts He has for us, good plans and not evil, so in the midst of any and every situation we must always seek to understand His will, to access His thoughts. Remember Jesus in Gethesemane, He said, "[...], “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”' Matthew 26:42 If God's will is for deliverance, let us trust Him for deliverance; if it is for the ability to endure, we must likewise trust God for that. In any and every situation our attitude should always be like Mary's, "'Then [...] “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” [...]'" Luke 1:38. This does not mean that we remain passive in the face of the situation, but rather that once we are sure of His will, we submit to God's will and act based on it to obtain the end that God desires. Submission to God is generally not easy, our flesh fights, and the enemy tries to stop us, but it will always be the best for us. Jeremiah continued the letter by saying, “'For thus says the Lord : After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.'" Jeremiah 29:10. God had a set time limit of 70 years before He would visit the people and bring them out of captivity. This is certainly not what the people wanted to hear, but 70 years was the time God had set for His purpose. So God commanded them to build houses, marry, give in marriage, and seek the peace of the city they were in, for they still had many years ahead of them. Certainty, they didn't take it with easy, but it was the will of God. Although good, perfect and acceptable (Romans 12:2), His will often challenges us. Although unexpected, Jeremiah’s message was still filled with hope. God reaffirmed His love and faithfulness to them by saying, "'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord , and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord , and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.'" Jeremiah 29:11-14 God seldom does things overnight, and often this is a problem for us. Of course, He can do it overnight, and in fact, He has given us several proofs of this in His word. For instance, If God created the heavens and the earth overnight, even though the concept of night and day did not even exist, what is it that He created? can't do it?! This doesn't mean that whenever we notice a delay in certain things we should just fold our arms and simply conclude that God doesn't want to do it quickly, certainly not! Sometimes we should check our level of faith and obedience, or if we are fighting hard enough to achieve the promise. For example, it is written in 1 Timothy 1:18, “'This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,'". Paul was exhorting Timothy to fight or battle based on the promises, and not simply rejoice because he received promises. Which leads us to see that just because God spoke does not mean that things will happen immediately; we are at war, we need to fight the good fight to see God's will done. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “'And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.'" Matthew 11:12. It is not merit, it is effort. For example, this prophecy of 70 years that God gave through Jeremiah had expired in the days of the prophet Daniel, but they still did not return to Jerusalem automatically. When Daniel realized that the prophecy had already expired, he did not say that God is a liar; he only began to lament. Instead, he began to humble himself before God and pray, asking God for understanding. As a result of Daniel’s actions, today we have one of the greatest revelations of what happens in the heavenly realms when we pray and fast. The Bible says, "'Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”' Daniel 10:12-14 In short, you see that each situation is different and it is up to us to obtain the necessary discernment to know what situation we are going through! That is why God commonly makes us go through processes to mature us before fulfilling certain promises. Perhaps you have heard that between the promise and the purpose there is always a purpose, let me tell you that it is true. God can make promises to us, but there will always be a level of maturity, faith, submission, discernment and knowledge necessary to enter into the purpose depending upon it. That is why God Himself most often establishes a process to ensure that in practice we will mature, submit, etc., if we have not already done so. Unfortunately, we are sometimes tempted to pray for deliverance while we are going through the process; we are tempted to create shortcuts, to shorten phases within the process due to the difficulties they present or because the processes do not seem to fit within the promise that God made. Israel certainly felt this way until they heard the words of Jeremiah. The truth is that some phases within the process can make us question whether we are really still in God's will or not. Several brothers in the Bible went through situations that led them to question whether they were still in God's will too, or perhaps situations that compelled them to give up. Imagine Joseph being sold, after two great dreams, indicating that he would occupy a prominent position; David being pursued for many years by Saul to be killed before assuming the position of king for which he had already being anointed; Zechariah and Elizabeth being barren for a many many years before finally conceiving John the Baptist, who came to be the one who prepared the way for Christ; or imagine our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who worked as a carpenter for 30 years before presenting Himself as Christ, the son of the Living God, although He knew who He was. If you look at all these stories and many other biblical stories, you will notice that some parts of the process they went through sometimes seemed far from the purpose, but God was still in control, and they were exactly where God wanted them to be. Despite everything, we must always rest assured that God is intentional in what He does and that nothing gets out of His control, even if it doesn't seem like it. "Only He knows the plans He has for us, plans of good and not evil." We need to understand that each phase and stage of God's processes are crucial. Even though it may not make sense to us at times, there is a purpose in all of God's processes. The problem is that we are limited beings, and most of the time we only contemplate a fraction of the purpose, and not the whole of it, but God sees the whole. Acting on the strength of our flesh, dropping from the process, or creating shortcuts during the process can give rise to Ishmaels and other unwanted fruits. Remember, trying to get rid of parts of the process also leads us to abort parts of the purpose. Trust in God; He is sovereign and cares about you (Luke 1:37; 1 Peter 5:7). May the Lord give you grace to endure and flow in His processes, and to know how to wait on Him for the fulfillment of each promise. If you are in a process, God is transforming you to fulfill His plans. As clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in the hands of the Lord (Jeremiah 18:6). Be patient and trust in Him because for each process that God allows us to go through, there is a purpose. Remember, God is on your side, His plans are always good, even if we do not understand them. Whether it is a relationship, marriage, work, health, sanctification, ministry, studies, children, or even seeing Our Lord and Savior Jesus face to face on that day, and etc., do not lose heart, do not be discourage, endure the process. God knows what is best for us, that is why He said, "'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord , thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11 May God bless you.

We have seen in Part 2: Knowing God Through His Word - Specific Revelation that while Natural revelation gives us some details of who God is based on the things created, Specific Revelation, The Bible gives us the specifics about Him, it defines God to the extent He revealed Himself on it. The bible contains the various characteristics and descriptions of God: His attributes, His names, His actions, His will, and etc., and the sum of all them leads us to know Him, to have the correct view of God based on what He revealed about Himself, and not based on what we want or think He is. Thus, The bible is a vehicle designed to conduct us to the knowledge of God, and not just have a mental knowledge of the bible itself. In this article, we will expand on what the bible has to reveal to us about God, and specifically learn about His acts and His attributes. The Acts of God Our God acts, He is constantly involved in the world, and the bible is full of the acts of God. By studying them, we can know God. we have already learned in Part 1: Knowing about God Through Creation that the very first act of God was to created the world, the heavens and the earth in the beginning as recorded in Genesis 1:1-2, it says, " 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.'" Then, He continued acting by giving form or beautifying the earth. Afterwards, He created a garden where He placed the first man and woman, and continued acting by visiting them, instructing them, and etc. Adam and Even then sinned against God, and He acted by punishing them and letting them face the consequences of their actions, since God had warned them of it. It’s written, " 'Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”' Genesis 2:15-17 The first man and woman sinned, and God acted by sending them away from the garden of Eden, and the purpose was actually to protect them. The bible says, "'Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.'" Genesis 3:22-24. As you can see from the passage above, the goal of taking them out of the garden was so that they would not eat also of the tree of life and live forever, but with a fallen nature, meaning man would be irredeemable, unable to be saved or reconciled to God. This would be the total ruin of the human race, However, God acted to protect them by sending them away. Prior from doing so, God had already revealed His plan of redeeming them in Christ when in Genesis 3:15 He said, "'And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”'" Genesis 3:15. Jesus is the seed of the women that bruised the head of satan, the serpent, on the cross when He died but rose again on the third day for our justification. By sending Christ, God acted providing the perfect sacrifice for the salvation of every and any person who believes. It's written, "'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.'" John 3:16-17. God is love, and love does not seek His own interests but the good of others, hence, He gave us Jesus when we were dead in our sins and trespasses, meaning when we were at our worst, when we most needed. However, it didn't finish there because God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ continued to act on earth. God did so many might works through the hands of Jesus: Raised the dead, fed thousands of people, delivered the oppressed, healed the sick, preached the gospel to the poor and etc., God's included the greatest miracle of all which is raising Christ from the dead, He did it (Romans 10:9). Peter resumed it all by saying, "'“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— '" Acts 2:22 The bible is full of the mighty acts of God and all was written so we can know God and take comfort on them because our God reigns supreme and is present in our lives as seen through His acts. The bible is a record of the works of God, whether done directly or through agents like human beings. Our God is almighty, there is none like Him. In several occasions the bible even shows the mighty works God did to show His superiority against other gods. For instance, when Moses was sent to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, he performed the initial sign of turning the rod of Aaron into a serpent, "But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments."  (Exodus 7:11). These worshippers of false gods were able to replicate that sign and the next two with their evil practices of enchantment, but when it came to the forth sign, they could not keep up and recognized that the God of Heaven and Earth (Joshua 2:11) was involved. It's written, "Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said."  (Exodus 8:18-19). Through what God did by the hand of Moses in the forth sign, the magicians came to know that the Hand of the One and True God was on the situation. Another episode when God was distinguished from other gods happened when Elijah called fire down from heaven. It's written, "And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord ; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. [...] Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord ; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”  I Kings 18:21-22,24. The story ends with the prophets of Baal ashamed and killed because Baal did not bring fire down only the One and True God, possessor of Heaven and Earth (Genesis 14:19). These acts of God and many more are recorded in the bible, so we can know Him. ​​The acts of God are not limited to the old testament, in the new testament God is closer to His people and acts through them by His Spirit because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God acts by comforting His people, delivering them, answering their prayers, doing miracles, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed and etc. For instance, Acts 12:5-11 describes an episode in which God acted to delivered Peter from prison in response to the prayers of His people. It says, "'Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. [...] And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”'   These are just few of the many mighty acts of God recorded in the bible, both in the old as well the new testament, and by knowing them we get to know more about God. Our God acts, He rules the world, in spite of the fall of man, He is sovereign. God did not abandon the world, He rules over everything, including satan by limiting his influence in the world. God rules in the affairs of man, He acts mightily. It's written, "'But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?”' Psalms 115:2-3. Moreover, It's also written in Daniel 4:17, "'‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’'" . God acts and through His mighty acts we can know Him, the bible is archive containing them. "God shows Himself in what He does. In creating the world, God showed His power, wisdom, beauty, goodness, and creativity. After creating the first men and women, God spoke and walked with them and even searched for them right after they sinned against Him, which shows that God is relational, personal, trustworthy and attentive. God demonstrated His holiness, wrath, and justice when He cursed the human rebellion in the garden and when he judged the sinners through a flood in the days of Noah. God also shows His grace and mercy when established a covenant with Noah and Abraham. In sending His Son to live and die for humanity, God showed incredible love and compassion. Whenever God acts we always see a demonstration of His character." (1) . The attributes of God (2) According to dictionary.com, the word attribute means "quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc.," Thus, when we refer to the attributes of God we mean the qualities or characteristics of Him, and by knowing them, we get to know more about God. The bible mentions many attributes of God and the sum of them is who God is, not just one or two. Many of these attributes are exclusive to God, and others are shared with humans since they have been made in God's image. Knowing the attributes of God is regarded as one of the fundamental ways of knowing God, since through them we understand His actions of God, His will, names, and etc. Let's examine these two groups of attributes more specifically: Exclusive Attributes of God God is Omnipresent:  He is present in all places at the same time. God sees all that we do and all that happens (Psalms 139:7-12, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Act 17:27-28). God is Omniscient:  He knows all things. He knows not only our actions but also our very thoughts (Psalms 139:1-4, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Kings 8:39, Psalm 44:21, Jeremiah 17:9-10). God is Omnipotent:  He is all powerful and has all authority over all things and creatures (Jeremiah 32:17, Psalm 147:13-18, Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37) God is Transcendent:  He is different and independent of His creation (Exodus 24:9, 1 Kings 8:27, Isaiah 6:1-3, 40:12-26, Acts 17:24-25) God is Eternal: He is from eternity to eternity (Psalm 90:1-2, 102:12, Isaiah 57:12) God is Immutable:  He is constant, His being, attributes, perfection, and eternal plans do not change (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:26-28, Isaiah 41:4, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 1:11-12); although His temporary plans for human race might change depending upon their behavior (Numbers 14:1-20, 2 Kings 20:2-6, Luke 18:1-8) God is Perfect and Holy:  He is absolutely separated, hollowed, in a class all by Himself, exempt from sin and perfectly just (Leviticus 11:44-45, Psalm 85:13, Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:15-16). God is Triune or Trinity:  He is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:21, 1 Cor 8:5-6, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5) manifested in three persons, : Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2). Shared or Moral Attributes of God When God created men in His image He communicated these attributes to them. They exist in them in a degree much lower than God's, although they can grow as one sanctifies himself after the new birth. However, these attributes are the very essence of God hence exist in Him in a far superior degree compared to men. God is Good:  He takes care of His creation, specially those who seek Him (Psalm 25:8, 106:1, Mark 10:18). God is Love:  He cares for the whole world, made of sinners and believers, unconditionally (1 John 4:8, John 3:16, Roman 5:8, Matthew 5:43-48) God is Merciful : He does not treat us as we deserve due to our sins, but He is ready to forgive us in Christ if we repent (Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 4:31, 2 Chronicles 30:9, Psalm 103:8) God is Compassionate:  He feels and understands our suffering and is ever ready to help us (2 Kings 13:23, Psalm 86:15, 111:4). God is Patient and Slow to anger:  He gives us time to repent and relents before He expresses His wrath or judgment (Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18, Romans 2:4, 1 Timothy 1:16, Genesis 2:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9). God is The Truth:  He is absolutely authentic, trustworthy, reliable and truthful in all He says and does, hence His worthy is calledthe truth also (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 31:5, Isaiah 65:16, John 3:33, John 14:17, 1 John 5:6, John 14:6, John 17:17). God is Faithful:  He will always carry out what He says or promises, including His judgments (Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 7:9, Isaiah 49:7, Lamentations 3:23, Hebrews 6:4-8, 10:23). God is Just:  He is the moral standard of the universe, is righteous, without sin in all His doings (Nehemiah 9:33, Deuteronomy 9:14, Romans 3:5-6, 21-22, Ezra 9:15, Psalm 145:17). These are just some of the attributes of God, and as we read the bible we have the chance to encounter them all. God is all of them. These attributes are not simply qualities God displays neither things He does, though His acts are always consistent with His attributes, God is these attributes. However, to define God solely based on one of these attributes or to overemphasize one of them is to hold a wrong view of God. He is equally all of them, and they do not conflict with each other. God is just and love. He is merciful and Holy, and etc. Though God may act in a way that one of these attributes will be in more evidence for a time, yet His action will not negate the others. For instance, The act of Christ dying on the cross was both a demonstration of God's judgement on sin, love and mercy on us, so we could be reconciled to Him, and etc. God is all of these attributes. The correct view of God is achieved when we equally hold each one of them and see God as such. He said to Moses, "[...], “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’'"' Exodus 3:14. Praise God. He IS WHO HE IS. The Implications of Knowing Having learned about the Acts and the Attributes of God, you should know Him better, but it does not end there. By knowing God better, you should likewise be able to relate to Him better. Again, Knowing God is far beyond simply mental awareness but it is intimately knowing, passionately relating, spiritually and truthfully worshipping, and loving Him with all your heart, soul, and strength (Mt 22:37-40). It's learning to interact with Him on the basis of the knowledge we acquire of Him. The end goal of the knowledge of God is relationship and love, and by knowing His acts and attributes you can relate with Him better. For instance, let's examine one implication of knowing the acts of God and how it better our relationship with Him. Knowing that God acts in our affairs, gives us great confidence in God, in prayer, in life and leads us to worship Him for His mighty works. If we read something God did in the bible we can trust Him for similar thing, or even for things we never seen in the bible but as long it is consistent with His attributes. You see? The more you learn and meditate on the acts of God, the more you know and trust Him, the more confidently you pray and live. And seeing the interventions of God in your life naturally brings praise out of your lips. David said, "'Praise the Lord ! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!'" Psalms 150:1-2 Concerning the attributes of God same thing. The more you learn about them, the more you know God, the more confident you can be in Him, and the more you begin to worship Him for Who He is. For instance, you know that God is love and that love cares, hence, when it comes to your needs He will always provide because He cares for you, and not only you but even those who do not live for Him. On the other hand, since love is a shared attribute of God, the more we learn about it, the more we are compelled to act as God thus. Jesus said, "'“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.'" Matthew 5:43-45. Can you see it. Moreover, if we take the fact that God is perfect, we can have confidence that if God does something is always perfect, lacking imperfection even if we don't understand it. In addition, if we take His faithfulness into account, we can rest assured that if God promises something, He will always do it, He is can be trusted, He is faithful. it's written, "'Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”' Hebrews 13:5-6. God will never leave, forsaken, or abandon us. We can only rest in this promise if we know He is faithful. Of course His faithfulness is not seen only in the "good" promises He makes to us, but also when the promises to judge evil and evil doers, we know He will do it. Ultimately evil does not win because God has promised to eliminate all evil and all evil doers if they don't repent. It's written, "'Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.'" Revelation 20:11-15 Lastly, let us consider the implications of knowing that God is Holy. As we have seen earlier, it means that God is separated, exclusive, exempted from sin and perfectly just. Hence, we cannot approach or walk before God anyhow, but on His terms. For instance, The book of Leviticus was written to to instruct the Israelites and their priestly mediators about their access to God through atoning blood and the divine patterns of holy living that they had to have as God's chosen people. However, in Leviticus 10 the bible shows that one day the sons of Aaron the High priest did not follow the patterns of God and the Lord judged them. It's written, "'Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord , which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord . And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.'" Leviticus 10:1-3. God is Holy and we need to regard Him as such, and therefore, approach Him on His terms, not ours, otherwise we will face the consequences. This leads us to fear God, and indeed He must be feared. This is a healthy fear, It's the beginning of wisdom, compels us to worship God, and leads us life eternal. "'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.'" Proverbs 1:7. David said, "'Give unto the Lord , O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.'" Psalms 29:1-2 God is to be feared. With all you know now about God, you can see that the last thing you want is upset Him! Psalm 2:11-12 says, "'Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.'". The holiness of God has many practical implications on how we approach God and how we conduct ourselves. 1 Peter 1:15-19 says, "'but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.'" I Peter 1:15-19 In short, these are just few of the implications of knowing the acts and attributes of God, and the list is almost endless. Hope you got the message! This is our God. While natural revelation does it job by pointing us to Him, specific revelation helps us to know Him for who He is. Through HIs Word, The Bible, we can learn about God's mighty acts and attributes and consequently relate to Him. May you search the scriptures diligently and obtain the knowledge of God, "'And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.'" Philippians 1:9-11 God bless you. Grace and peace. References: (1) SBB (Ed.). (2018). The Character of God. In NAA Study Bible  (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 2407–2408). Brazilian Bible Society. (2) CPAD (Ed.). (1195). The Attributes of God. In Pentecostal Study Bible, aka Fire Bible, Brazilian Edition (1st ed., Vol. 1, pp. 915-917). Donald C. Stamps, J. Wesley Adams.

"because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, " Romans 1:19-20 In the section about the Knowledge of GOD , we saw that God desires all men know Him and that such knowledge becomes the motive of boasting of all men. Again, through Prophet Jeremiah, God said, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord , exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord ." Jeremiah 9:23-24. This is the will of God, and it flows out of His love for each one of us, His creatures made in His image and likeness. However, whether we know Him or not, it does not add or remove anything from God, but it certainly robs us from the privilege of knowing Him and from having life, eternal life. God desires to be known and thanks be to Him because He has made a way for us to know Him. The base scripture taken from Romans 1 says that "what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them." The writer of Romans is saying that if there is anything to be known about God it is only possible, available, or manifested to us because God has shown it, He disclosed to us. In another terms, we can only know God to the extent He reveals Himself to us. This is true because if God is God no one can pressure Him to make Himself known, neither someone can go up and visit Him in His dwelling place because God lives in a place of "unapproachable light," (1 Timothy 6:16). The truth is that what we can know about God is only possible to the degree God chooses to reveals to us. Fortunately, God has not only manifested the desire to be known, He has also provided human beings with means to know Him or means of revelation. These means are Creation and His inspired Word, The Bible. Theologically these means are also called "General or Natural Revelation" and "Specific Revelation"; However, in the last days, God granted us a Special Revelation, a more excellent way of knowing Him. Creation - Natural Revelation All creation bears witness of their creator. The bible says "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." Psalms 19:1. The word translated Glory is the Hebrew word kabowd , and its meaning in relation to God according to Strong's concordance is, "honour, reverence, glory, as due to one or ascribed to Him." Thus, the Psalmist was saying, the heavens announce the honour due to God while the expanse or the heavens' surroundings proclaims the work God did by His hand. The Psalmist elsewhere said, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?" Psalms 8:3-4. The Psalmist contemplated the heavens, the work of God's hand and was left in owe of Him to the point that he wondered, who is man that you think of him; in other words, God you being so Majestic and Powerful, having created this marvelous things in the universe, why you bother thinking about man, or why you desire for him to know you! Again, it's because God loves us, we are the work of His hand, the chief of all His creation, He put His image and likeness on us, He cares for us! The point is that the Psalmist arrived to this contrast and reverenced God by beholding God's creation. Through observation of the things created, including human beings themselves, men is always left with owe and closer to His creator. Since the recorded history of our civilization we have never seen things come into existence without someone actively and intentional bring that into being. The things that we so enjoy all have been planned, fashioned, built or manufactured by someone. Therefore, it is even inconceivable in our minds to entertain the idea that natural things that surround us just came into existence through unguided, mindless, evolutionary processes - such possibility defies the laws of logic and the simplest observations we can make on everyday life on how things come into existence. The device you so hold on your had that allows you to receive communication without being connected to any cable, aka wireless, was projected by someone even if by the time it gets to your hand you don't even have to know anything about the engineer who did so, and frankly we don't, yet you know someone envisioned, design, engineered and manufactured it. So did the heavens, the earth, and everything that exist - even if we don't know anything about the Creator, we know He exists. Nature makes a declaration about God's existence. Although things are not perfect anymore due to the fall of men and creation itself is subject to the consequences of sin, yet it's still intriguing how everything on earth is so delicately cured to sustain life when compared to others planets. For instance, the distance of our planet to the sun and the moon is just perfect to grant us the kind of climate, seasons, and atmosphere we so enjoy on earth. Even looking to the universe as whole we can see that everything follow certain order and everything serves a purpose. By simply observation, we know that order and purpose do not appear until deliberate steps are taken; meaning, someone or something with a specific purpose in mind had to do it. The law of inertia, the first law of physics states, "every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force," (NASA.gov). Change of state requires the action of an external force. In the beginning, God specifically designed the universe and everything in it with order and purpose and placed them under laws. That the universe is controlled by laws is so telling that even scientists were able to describe and postulate them. Jeremiah 5:22, "Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord . ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it." Had there not been laws governing the universe, randomness and chaos would be the norm, and our planet would be unpredictable and uninhabitable. The tools of scientific discovery as we know today would be ineffective. No wonder many who pioneered the scientific endeavor, the study and formulation of the laws of the universe were devoted believers. People such as Johannes Kepler, Robert Boyle, Blaise Pascal and others believed that the order in our universe were evidence of God's existence. God exist and creation bears witness of it. Through creation we can know about God, His attributes can be seen on it. He who created the heavens and the earth and established such laws has to be powerful, transcendent, wise, creative, sovereign, and much more. By simply observing the things created we get closer to the knowledge of God. One day, Jesus Himself called His disciples to observe creation in order to teach them about God's care so they could know God more and better. He said, '“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?'" Matthew 6:25-30 Notice Jesus told them, "Look at the birds of the air [...]" and "consider the lilies of the field [...]." The point was since God took care of the birds, the lilies and every other creatures, would He not likewise take care of men since they God's special creation, the crown of them all? (Psalm 8:3-9). Yes, He would and He does. Therefore, we should not be anxious about our needs rather trust our creator with them. Do you see it friend? We can learn a great deal about God by examining His creation. It bears witness about Him. "because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1, 19-20. Moreover, Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge." Again, the Psalmist said, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. O Lord , our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!" Psalms 8:3-9. Natural revelation helps us to know about God or acknowledge His existence; however, by itself, natural revelation is not enough for us to know Him. While one can have an idea of who The God who created the universe and everything in it ought to be, i.e., powerful, transcendent, omnipresent, loving, and etc., he will not ultimately know who He is. There are so many claims about who God is and so many gods out there, even gods made by human imagination and hands. At least, one can see that the God who is able to create the heavens, the earth, and everything in it cannot be made of wood, silver or gold and produced in a shop by man (Acts 17:29). He cannot; otherwise, the man who made him would be his god. This is a contradiction, and Isaiah calls it the foolishness of idolatry. It's written, "The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint. The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand. And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?" Isaiah 44:12-19 Natural revelation does its job by revealing the glory of God, making a statement about God to all men, and getting anyone who sees closer to the knowledge of God irrespective of who they are or where they had been born. Only a fool can says there is no God. The bible says, "'The fool has said in his heart, “ There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.'" Psalms 14:1. Although what may be known about God is manifested to all men because creation bears witness some people can still choose to deny or suppress the truth about God, but it's not due to lack of evidence rather it's because their unrighteous deeds will come to light, yet God will hold no guilt man innocent, even if they live in denial of the truth. Romans 1:18-23 "'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Professing to be wise, they became fools,'" In short, natural or general revelation is the first mean God chose to reveal Himself. It's available to all men, it's God's ways of getting the knowledge of Him out for all. As "a painting alludes to a painter, a building to a builder, and a writing to a writer" (Ray Comfort), so creation bears witness of God in conjunction with the law God wrote in the hearts of every men - the universal sense of right and wrong or our conscience. Natural revelation, along with the heart-written law causes all man to be without excuse on the day of judgment. it's written, "'For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.'" Romans 2:12-16. Although not complete for one to truly know who God is, natural revelation does it job by providing every men with evidence of their Creator and hindering us from idolatry in our pursuit of God, so that all men will be without excuse on the day of judgment. Natural revelation does it job but calls for special revelation, The Word of God. Though the attributes of God can be clearly seen and understood through the things created, it's when coupled with special revelation that the whole picture is seen and His identity known. Even from all that is written above, you can see that most of the claims about nature or God are followed by bible verses to make it complete. Natural revelation needs to be placed along side the specific revelation for the full picture to be seen, for us to begin to truly know who is. While natural revelation tells you there is God, specific revelation tells you who He is. When Paul was talking to a group of people who has accustomed to see the natural manifestations of God, though they attributed to their Roman gods, he initially made use of natural revelation, yet did not leave them only with it. Paul then specifically revealed God. It's written, "[...]“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:15-17. It's When natural revelation is combined with special revelation that one can truly know and understand The One and True God. Praises be to God, "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.'" Psalms 19:1-6 May God bless you, and may you know Him more and more.