The Temptation of Jesus

The Temptation of Jesus

The Temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4

1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

How Should We Welcome the Return of the Lord Jesus?

How Should We Welcome the Return of the Lord Jesus?

Nowadays, all the believers in the Lord are expecting the Lord Jesus’ second coming to bring man into the kingdom of heaven. Especially when people reading the scripture Acts 1:11, “Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.”, they think that the Lord left on a white cloud, so he will surely return on a white cloud. Thus most people just wait for the return of the Lord Jesus passively. But over more than two thousand years have passed, man still hasn’t seen the Savior coming with clouds. In recent years, whenever I see the disaster is greater and greater and the church becomes more and more desolate, I couldn’t help looking up to heaven and crying out to the Lord, “O Lord! Nowadays various signs of the last days have already been fulfilled, but why have we still not seen your return?” With the passage of time, I began to doubt: Is it truly after God’s heart that we wait for God’s coming so passively? Then how shall we welcome the return of the Lord?

Will the Lord Jesus Come Again in a Jewish Image?

Will the Lord Jesus Come Again in a Jewish Image?

In 1994, I accepted the gospel of the Lord Jesus. At that time, my third elder sister gave me a Bible, and we made an appointment to attend a meeting on Sunday. That day, as soon as I entered the church, a rectangular stereoscopic oil portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ came into my view: He bears the image of a Jew and wears a white robe, with long curly blond hair spilling over His shoulders, with blue eyes, a high nose, and a kindly face…. I was quite amazed and thought within: actually the God I believe in bears a Jewish image…. 

Have You Welcomed the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus?

Have You Welcomed the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus?

     Zhang Liang

Since I believed in the Lord, in order to welcome the Lord Jesus’ return and be raptured to the kingdom of heaven, I have been passionate, preaching the gospel, sustaining the weak brothers and sisters and so on. However, although many years passed, I didn’t see the Lord come to rapture us into the kingdom of heaven. Instead, the faith and love of brothers and sisters in the church were getting colder and colder. In 2002, I suddenly heard that the Lord has already come back to take true believers in Him into the kingdom of heaven. Right then, I had an immediate thought: It’s impossible. The Lord Jesus should come upon a cloud. Afterward, I inquired the brothers and sisters in varying churches about the news that the Lord has come back. They all shook their heads, saying, “That’s impossible. The Lord will come back with a cloud. We all haven’t seen it yet. So, He hasn’t come back.” So I was even more certain that the Lord should come back with a cloud. I could not accept it if the Lord has not come back on a cloud.

What’s the Meaning of “God Saw That It Was Good” in the Bible?

What’s the Meaning of “God Saw That It Was Good” in the Bible?

   Jianqiang

When I was in senior high school, I learned from my teacher that Bible was a great work of literature in the world. Later, I found this book to know clearly, with curiosity, what had been written within. The moment I opened it, I caught sight of Chapter I Genesis. Then I, without thinking, read God’s creation of six days hastily. I wondered: Why are the words so repetitive in this world masterpiece? The most obvious repetition is the word “God saw that it was good,” which was repeated five times; how can it be addressed as a masterwork in the world? I felt puzzled at it.

How Should We Welcome the Return of Jesus?

   How Should We Welcome the Return of Jesus?

I have been expecting the return of the Lord Jesus since I believed in Him. I believe that every true believer in the Lord longs for His return and even more hopes to hear His words. Then, how should we welcome the return of Jesus? In order to find the answer, I studied the Bible many times and asked many brothers and sisters for help. Someone said, “The Bible records that the Lord Jesus will return in the same way He went into heaven, returning on a white cloud. Those who truly believe in the Lord will be caught up to heaven to meet Him. We should wait patiently and have faith in the Lord.” Some said, “The pastors and elders in the church will know it first when Jesus returns. Nothing will go wrong if we follow them.” After hearing these words, I just held onto them. 

Inspiration From Two Flower Baskets

Inspiration From Two Flower Baskets

   Xu Fan

There was a popular story in the time of Solomon, which goes like this: Once, King Solomon received two baskets of rare flowers from the envoy of a neighboring kingdom. These two baskets of flowers were extremely alike in their leaves and petals. The envoy said to King Solomon, “Your Majesty, of these two baskets of flowers, one is that of genuine flowers and the other artificial ones. Sire, your wisdom is famous all over the world, and all the people in my country admire you. Your Majesty, please differentiate for us the basket of genuine flowers from that of artificial ones, and the people in my country will surely celebrate your inexhaustible wisdom.”

    I Have Seen Through the Religious Pastors

    Meng’ai    Malaysia

When my husband passed away, I sank into extreme grief. In addition, I had to raise our kids alone. So my life was really hard then. However, the Lord had never left me alone but pulled me through with the help of my brothers and sisters. To repay the Lord’s love, I began to spend and sacrifice for Him in the church. Throughout these more than 30 years since then, I had experienced both the prosperity and the desolation of the church. Originally, in the church there was the work of the Holy Spirit. The believers felt enjoyment and received edification after hearing the pastors’ sermons, loved each other like a family, and preached the gospel and testified to the Lord with one heart and mind. Later, their faith and love gradually grew cold somehow. The number of the people attending meetings was decreasing. Most of the serving people were perfunctory in their duty, and the pastors’ preachings had no new light, almost all of which were platitudes, thus providing no benefit or help for the believers. Though being the servants of the Lord, we all watched the pastors’ expressions and then acted accordingly, which was actually not serving God but doing things diligently before people to please them. I knew such service didn’t fulfill God’s will, yet I could do nothing. I often felt painful about it.

 The Will of the Lord Jesus Behind His Crucifixion

  Erba

One day, I watched a short film titled “Mission—The Lord Jesus’ Love.” When I saw the Lord Jesus suffering the beating-up from soldiers, carrying the cross on His back and walking step by step difficultly to the place of crucifixion in order to save the whole mankind, my tears flowed freely. Because every whip left a bleeding mark on the Lord Jesus, and the road to Golgotha was paved with the Lord’s precious blood. From this, I saw God’s love for man is really so deep and great! Who else except the Creator has such deep love for man? While being moved by the love of the Lord, I had a question in my heart: In spite of such great humiliation and physical pain and torments, the Lord Jesus still walked on the way to His crucifixion. What was His will behind the crucifixion besides saving the whole mankind?

Experience of a 19-Year-Old Girl—Finding the Way to Be Free From Sin

Experience of a 19-Year-Old Girl—Finding the Way to Be Free From Sin

Maru    the Philippines

I am Maru from the Philippines and my whole family are all Christians. I began to believe in the Lord from childhood and used to go to church to listen to messages regularly every week. The pastors often explained us James 4:4, “know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Though acquainted with this verse, I lived a life the same as the unbelievers’. Every day my heart was fully occupied with learning tasks and various kinds of activities in school. When staying with my classmates, I always followed them to absent myself from school to go to the shopping mall, and pursue worldly trends and keep up with fads. Thus, I had no ample time to read the Bible or pray to God and had no place for God in my heart at all. Every time when hearing the pastor’s preaching, I would wish to change myself, yet my life remained the same afterward.

 Take a Firm Stance in Welcoming the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

 Xiewen

In our daily life, we often see that when faced with something, the ambivalent people are obsessed with right and wrong and torn between two possibilities without taking a firm stance, and afterward, they will be very bothered and regret what they have done. Today, in the important matter of welcoming the second coming of Jesus Christ, many believers also hesitate at the crossroads, following the herd without taking a firm stance. If this goes on, what then will be the consequences? Let’s read a story:

Can We Meet the Return of the Lord by Following Blindly?

Can We Meet the Return of the Lord by Following Blindly?

One day, I read a small story: An old man and a kid led a donkey to a fair. At first, the kid rode the donkey, while the old man walked. Then, passers-by saw them and said the kid was naive and that he should let the old man ride the donkey. So the kid dismounted and let the old man ride it. Later on, they encountered a person who said the old man was too selfish to ride the donkey alone. Thus they rode it together. After a while, some people met them and commented that they were cruel for they would exhaust the donkey. For this reason, they got off it and walked the donkey. Again, another passing person said they were silly for they didn’t ride the available donkey. They did not know whom they should listen to. Finally, they pushed the donkey into a well and had nothing left.

How Should We Regard the Bible?

 How Should We Regard the Bible?

Every brother and sister in the Lord emphasizes reading the Bible and regards it highly. Moreover, the Bible is a book of great authority and it holds an important position in people’s heart. Many people think that one must read the Bible when believing in God, reading the Bible is synonymous with believing in God, and no one can go against the words of the Bible and depart from the Bible, or else they are not believers of God.

The Lord Jesus Gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Why Did the Lord Approve of Peter’s Faith?

The Lord Jesus Gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Why Did the Lord Approve of Peter’s Faith?

 Zhang Jin

In Matthew 16:18-19 the Lord Jesus said: “And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Whenever I read these two verses, I would think: Why did the Lord Jesus give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven? Since the Lord Jesus bestowed upon Peter such great authority, it means that the Lord Jesus approved of Peter’s faith and that Peter was a person after God’s heart. But I couldn’t understand why the Lord commended Peter since he had denied knowing the Lord three times before His crucifixion. I was very perplexed.

Do You Know Why the Lord Jesus Did Not Keep the Sabbath?

Do You Know Why the Lord Jesus Did Not Keep the Sabbath?

 Liu Jing

Previously, when I saw the scriptures recorded in the Bible, “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day” (Matthew 12:1-2), I thought to myself: Why did the Lord Jesus lead His disciples to the outdoors on the Sabbath although He clearly knew the Pharisees kept the laws and rules? Wouldn’t it be easy for the Pharisees to get a handle and attack and judge Him? Then why did the Lord Jesus do like this? These questions had been preying on my mind.

Bible Verses about the Lord’s Return

The following Bible Verses are about the way of the Lord’s Return.

Luke 12:40

Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not.

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Luke 17:24-25

For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

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Matthew 25:6

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him.

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Revelation 16:15

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

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Revelation 1:7

Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

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Mark 13:32

But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

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John 20:29

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

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Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Are There Any Errors in the Bible?

Are There Any Errors in the Bible?

Xiaojing

I began to read the Bible since I believed in the Lord. From the Bible, I knew a lot of work that God had done before, such as Jehovah God’s creating the heavens and earth and all things, destroying the world with a flood, and burning Sodom, the Lord Jesus’ healing the sick and casting out the demons, feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, and so on. Through reading the Bible, I was convinced that the Lord Jesus is the one true God who created the heavens and earth and all things. Since then, the Bible became the basis of my belief in God. I believed that all the words in the Bible were the words of God, that the Bible was a heavenly book, a holy book, and was sacred, containing no inaccuracies or errors, and that the writings of any great men could not compare with it. So reading the Bible became an essential part of my everyday life, and I did it day after day and year after year. One day, I accidentally discovered in the Bible some verses that give different accounts of the same thing. I was shocked: No! How could this be? How could there be discrepancies in the records of the Bible? Isn’t the Bible given by inspiration of God? It entirely comes from God! How could there be discrepancies in it? I thought my eyes must have been mistaken, so I read them again carefully. After reading, I found that the records are indeed different. I became confused. Later, I found the accounts of more matters inconsistent or contradictory in the Bible. The following are some examples.

Everyone Has a Bill That He Does not Have to Pay

Everyone Has a Bill That He Does not Have to Pay

Liang Zhi

Thoughts Provoked by the Story of the Bills

There was once a boy named Tom who presented his mother with a bill.

The bill says, “The sum Mom owes Tom is as follows:

Mom should pay Tom $5 for helping mop the floor; $10 for buying mom daily necessities; $15 for babysitting my younger sister; and $20 for being a good boy. That comes to $50. Your son, Tom.”

What Is the Lord Jesus’ Intention to Explain the Scriptures and Eat Bread After His Resurrection?

It is recorded in the Bible, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:30–32). “And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the middle of them, and said to them, Peace be to you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have you here any meat?And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them” (Luke 24:36–43).

Watch! Only by Listening to God’s Word Will We Not Be Abandoned

Watch! Only by Listening to God’s Word Will We Not Be Abandoned

     Xunqiu

    The Lord Jesus said, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come” (Matthew 24:40-42). In the past, every time I read these verses, I would think: When will these verses be fulfilled? When exactly will the Lord come back? Who will be taken? Who will be left? Am I the left one? The more I thought about it, the more I felt afraid and worried. In the fear and worry, I didn’t dare to leave the church.

Have You Welcomed the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus?

Have You Welcomed the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus?

Zhang Liang

    Since I believed in the Lord, in order to welcome the Lord Jesus’ return and be raptured to the kingdom of heaven, I have been passionate, preaching the gospel, sustaining the weak brothers and sisters and so on. However, although many years passed, I didn’t see the Lord come to rapture us into the kingdom of heaven. Instead, the faith and love of brothers and sisters in the church were getting colder and colder. 

How Will Prophecies About the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the Bible Come True?

How Will Prophecies About the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the Bible Come True?

Each genuine follower of the Lord Jesus is expecting Him to come back soon so that his wish for years could be realized. And he can receive the Lord’s promise and enjoy His blessings. Especially in the end-time, our heart of longing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ becomes more eager. It is written in Acts 1:11, “this same Jesus … shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” And it says in John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Therefore, the brothers and sisters firmly believe that the Lord Jesus will come again. Then, in what manner will the Lord Jesus come? Will He really come on a cloud as we imagine? Will the prophecies be fulfilled in the same way as we think? In what manner should we welcome His return? This is a question that each of us who follow the Lord Jesus must consider seriously. If we are careless, we’ll probably lose His salvation.

Mystery of Job’s Trials

Mystery of Job’s Trials

Baixue

Every brother and sister in the Lord who knows the Scriptures very well is familiar with Job’s trials. In Scripture it is written about him: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Then, on account of two accusations against Job Satan made before God, the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only on himself put not forth your hand” (Job 1:12). “And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; but save his life” (Job 2:6).

Going to Heaven or Hell Sometimes Hinges on the Decision Made in a Moment!

Going to Heaven or Hell Sometimes Hinges on the Decision Made in a Moment!

Zhao Yang

Once there was a warrior who asked an old man about the difference between heaven and hell. The old man glanced at him, and instead of answering directly, he said very seriously, “You’re a warrior, but no one will hire you, because you’re ugly and stupid.”

The warrior felt insulted and flew into a rage. He drew his sword and cut at the old man. However, the old man stood quite still and said calmly, “The gate of hell is opened now.”

Hearing this, the warrior suddenly came to his senses. He immediately tossed his sword to the ground and apologized to the old man humbly.

The old man smiled and said, “The gate of heaven is opened.”

Is the Lord Jesus the Son of God or God Himself?

Is the Lord Jesus the Son of God or God Himself?

Question: The Bible clearly states that the Lord Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and we believers all acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is Christ, the Son of God. Yet you’ve testified that the incarnate Christ is the appearance of God, is God Himself. That the Lord Jesus is God Himself and Almighty God is also God Himself, this is quite mysterious to us and differs from our previous understanding. So is the incarnate Christ God Himself or God’s Son? Both situations seem reasonable to us, and both accord with the Bible. So which understanding is correct?

What Kind of People Does God Commend?

What Kind of People Does God Commend?

He Ling

The Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). From these words of the Lord Jesus, we know that only those who do the will of the Father in heaven shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. We also see that many people have prophesied and cast out devils in the Lord’s name and have had such great faith in the Lord that they have spent for Him, suffered hardships for His sake, and spread His name by bearingtestimony for Him, but the Lord will convict them by saying, “depart from me, you that work iniquity!” Why is this so? Then, what kind of people are the ones who do the will of the Father in heaven?

The Difference Between Worship of God and of Idols

The Difference Between Worship of God and of Idols

Now, a statement circulating online says that putting illustrations of the Lord Jesus on the Internet or sharing them with brothers and sisters is worshiping idols, not worshiping God. Does it conform to the truth? How can we tell the difference between worshiping God and worshiping idols?

Do You Know the Deeper Meanings of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection?

Do You Know the Deeper Meanings of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection?

Miaoxiao

In Scripture it is written about the Lord Jesus’ resurrection: “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear not you: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.