The Lies of Sneaky Snake

The Lies of
Sneaky Snake
Book 1



Preface

The book you are holding is NOT a novel. It is NOT fiction. It is a reference tool for those seeking the truth and for those who know the truth but need easy access to answers when questioned by seekers. It is ideally suited for those counseling respondents at rallies, revivals, crusades, etc.
The name Sneaky Snake was used because Satan first revealed himself in Genesis as a serpent. After Satan had introduced sin into the world God cursed him as told in Genesis 1:14, So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life”.

All scripture references used in this book are taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.


Dedication

This book is dedicated to all who are seeking truth and have the courage to find out for their selves what is true and what is false about Christianity. It is also intended as a tool for believers who obediently reach out to those seeking the truth. My prayer is that this book will be a valuable tool to both seekers and believers.


Acknowledgements

I wish to thank my pastor, Joe Coffey for his great contribution to this book. I thank my wife for her patience during the assembly of this material. Numerous others have given me moral support and very constructive criticism over the past four years that this has been in progress, I thank them. Most of all I thank my Lord for awakening me in the wee hours of the morning over and over again until I realized that I was supposed to do this. He gave me the name for the book and how it was to be put together. Praise Him!!





Contents

Preface. 1
For You! 4
Seekers. 4
Believers. 5
Chapter 1. 7
Is The Bible True?. 7
Explanation. 7
IS THE BIBLE TRUE?. 8
Prophecies for Jesus life. 13
YOUR DECISION ABOUT THE BIBLE. 14
Chapter 2. 16
SALVATION IS A MYTH.. 16
THE LIE. 16
THE TRUTH.. 16
JESUS and SALVATION.. 16
JESUS’ QUALIFICATIONS. 18
ATONEMENT, SACRIFICE, FORGIVENESS. 18
RESURRECTION, CHRIST RISEN.. 19
NATURAL BODIES, SPIRITUAL BODIES. 20
CHRIST DIED FOR YOU.. 21
GIFT OF GOD.. 22
WITNESSES TO CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.. 22
FAITH.. 23
RECONCILIATION.. 24
SCOFFING AT JESUS’ SACRIFICE, A WARNING.. 24
DARKNESS TO HOLINESS. 25
YOUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT SUFFICIENT. 26
JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT SALVATION.. 26
JESUS’ PROMISE. 28
GOD’S FOOLISHNESS, MAN’S WISDOM?. 28
THOSE WHO DIED BEFORE CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.. 30
ENCOURAGEMENT. 30
TODAY. 31
EXCLUSIVELY JESUS. 32
VERSES THAT DESCRIBE JESUS. 33
YOUR DECISION ABOUT SALVATION.. 35
Chapter 3. 36
RESURRECTION IS BUNK. 36
THE LIE. 36
THE TRUTH.. 36
JESUS FORETOLD.. 37
JESUS FORETELLS. 38
JESUS’ AUTHORITY. 39
MORE THAN 500 EYEWITNESSES. 39
CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED – HE LIVES. 40
NEW BIRTH THROUGH CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.. 41
AFTER THE 40 DAYS. 43
ANOTHER EYEWITNESS. 43
MORE WITNESSES. 44
MORE SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE. 45
YOUR DECISION ABOUT RESURRECTION.. 47
Chapter 4. 48
JESUS, JUST ANOTHER MAN.. 48
THE LIE. 48
THE TRUTH.. 48
What did God the Father say about Jesus?. 48
JESUS’ BIRTH.. 48
JESUS’ BAPTISM... 50
JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR DOORWAY TO GOD’S BLESSINGS. 50
What did the angels say about Jesus?. 53
ABOUT JESUS BIRTH.. 53
THEY TELL OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION.. 53
ANGELS SPEAK OF JESUS ASCENSION.. 54
What did Jesus say about Himself?. 55
JESUS’ CLAIM... 55
HE SAYS; 57
Who Others Say Jesus Is. 58
THEY SAY HE IS: 66
YOUR DECISION ABOUT JESUS. 67
Chapter 5. 68
WORSHIP IS A WASTE. 68
THE LIE. 68
THE TRUTH.. 68
Here is your opportunity to approach God with a prayer asking for salvation. 73
Epilogue. 74




For You!
This book was put together with you in mind. It was written for you whether you are a believer in Jesus or someone who is seeking Bible truths to questions concerning Salvation, Resurrection, Jesus Christ or the Worship of God.
Because of what Sneaky Snake did in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve sinned against God. Because sin was introduced into the world at that time, everyone born since then is a sinner.
That is why Jesus is so important to you. Please read on.

Seekers
Have you ever thought salvation isn’t real or had questions about what salvation is?
Many have the same reaction to salvation as you do. In the book of John, Jesus said;

John 3:6,7;

6. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

This book will point out the scripture verses that will answer your questions about Salvation, being “Born Again”, as well as the validity of the Bible, questions about resurrection, whether Jesus was who the Bible says he is, and more. You should not go through life without this knowledge.
The devil, “Sneaky Snake”, is always looking for ways to distract you (and all of us) from God and His blessings.
He does this by telling lies. He is the “Father of Lies”. The lies he tells are usually subtle and many times appear to be, but are not quite, true. If that doesn’t work, he uses your desire for possessions, power or pleasure to accomplish his goal. Once he lures you into sin, his chances are quite good for keeping you there. It becomes exceedingly difficult to give up what begins as innocent thought, but turns into action and ends up being a sinful habit in your life. Often sin is difficult to recognize. It is easy to dismiss sinful actions as “human nature” or “acceptable social behavior” or a multitude of other “things” tolerated or even encouraged in today’s world. But in truth, you will only be able to recognize sin if you have a solid standard for comparison. If you are not aware of God’s standards, you may not be able to recognize the sin in your life. But the bottom line on sin is that all have sinned and continue to sin and therefore we all need salvation. We are not qualified to enter Heaven without the help of Jesus.
Sin is what stands between you and a righteous God. Man was originally created to live an eternal life, a life in constant fellowship with God. When sin was introduced by “Sneaky Snake” in the Garden of Eden, eternal life for the physical body was lost. Therefore, the body you now inhabit will die and no longer be of use to you. But your spirit and soul will still live on, your conscious awareness and thought will continue forever. Whether you believe it or not, it will happen. So your choice is either an eternity without God (Hell) or eternal life in His presence (Heaven). Either way you will live forever, in Hell or in Heaven. It is your choice, a choice that is only available to you during this life. By choosing not to believe in God and salvation through Jesus Christ, you have automatically chosen eternity in Hell.
Imagine being in a place where there is nothing good, evil is the only thing that exists. That’s why the bible describes Hell as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Luke 13:28).
I am writing this book because of God’s love for you. God doesn’t want you to go to Hell (Matthew 18:14), therefore He gives you a choice, the one choice that nobody can make for you. As you read through this book you will encounter opportunities to make a choice for God. Please choose wisely.


Believers
This book is for you followers of Christ needing a quick reference with answers to the lies people believe. You have been instructed by the Lord to go out into the world and spread the Good News of The Gospels and make disciples of people (Matthew 28:18-20). With the help of this book, you can readily find the scripture verses that relate to Salvation, Resurrection, Christ’s deity and more. The battle is intense and eternal life weighs in the balance. God bless you. My prayer is that you will see much fruit from your efforts.
You will encounter some sections of scriptures more than once as you read this book. Scripture is unique in that many times it holds more than one truth and therefore can be applied to prove more than one point. This is not to say that scripture can be translated to mean different things, only that there is more than one truth contained within individual verses of the bible. Therefore, you will see some of the same scriptures used in different chapters of this book.
As you read through this book, you may encounter scripture that you don’t fully understand or you may question the way in which it is used. If so, you should go to your bible and read the scripture in question along with the surrounding verses. Doing this should clear up any questions you have. If not, talk to your pastor or someone else who is grounded in God’s Word.





Chapter 1

Is The Bible True?

Mathematical, Historical, and Logical proof
of the Bible’s accuracy
(including: eyewitness accounts & prophecy)


Explanation

In order for the following chapters, proving the falsehood of lies by Sneaky Snake, to make sense and be believable it is necessary to determine that the Bible is true.
For this reason I have placed this chapter first, because it gives mathematical, historical, and logical proof of the Bible’s accuracy.
It would be irresponsible not to plan for the future, doubly so if you happen to be the one responsible for the future of your loved ones. Just as you recognize the value of having life insurance, I am praying that you will also see the greater value of having “eternal life assurance”. As you know, having life insurance is your way of providing for those who will survive you. You purchase life insurance to benefit those you love in the event of your death. Obtaining “eternal life assurance” will not only be a benefit to them, but will be a more direct benefit to you. Though you cannot make their choices for them, when you make the decision to assure your own eternal life, your loved ones are much more likely to want to have that same assurance for themselves.
These short, easy to read chapters are designed to bring to light the most important planning for the future that you will ever do, assuring eternal life for yourself. What you do with what you read in these chapters may be the deciding factor directly affecting the eternal destiny of yourself and your loved ones. Approach this with an open mind and a willing heart. The following Pastoral Message gives facts about the Bible that are inarguable. There is no other “religious” book that is as accurate, up to date, and prophetic as the Bible. Nothing in it has ever been proven to be false.
Your future is in the balance. Please read this with a serious and attentive outlook.
The following is from a message given by Pastor Joe Coffey of the Hudson Community Chapel in Hudson, Ohio. (www.hudsonchapel.org) This message was one segment of a four-part series entitled “Christianity: Fact or Fiction?” All four parts of the series are still available at the above website to download or listen to on your desktop.
The following information leaves no reasonable doubt of the validity of the Word of God as written in the Holy Bible. Both numerically and logically the truth of the Word is evident.
Since I counter the lies of “Sneaky Snake” with Bible Scripture, and realizing that you may not want to accept God’s Word as true, I have included Pastor Coffey’s message. Prayerfully, this will erase from your thoughts any doubt about the Bible’s validity.


IS THE BIBLE TRUE?
As presented by Pastor Joe Coffee

The reason for this message is two-fold:
1. There are people who think that in order to believe Christianity you need to put your brain on a shelf and have faith against all odds, against all evidence, like a child who believes in Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. From my perspective, nothing could be farther from the truth.
2. Secondly, every few years someone writes a book that becomes popular but undermines the Christian Faith. It really shakes people up. Jesus likened our faith to building a house—if the house has a firm foundation, it can withstand a storm. We want to use this message to strengthen our foundation so we all will know why we believe what we believe.
Here we look at this book, the Bible, and ask the question, “Is the Bible True?”
There is perhaps no more important question because, of course, if the Bible is true, then the Christian Faith is all true. If it’s not true, then none of Christian Faith is true.
By all accounts it is a remarkable book, one containing 66 separate books divided into two main categories, Old Testament and New Testament. The former, the agreement between God and mankind and the latter, the new agreement based on the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. Written over a period of 1,500 years, 40 authors, 3 languages—astounding unity and accuracy. A single theme runs from beginning to end: God’s Redemptive Plan for us. His irrepressible love. It contains history, poetry, ethics, medicine, practical wisdom, and the greatest story ever told.
The Bible claims to be inspired by God—the very words of God. In the Old Testament there are 2,600 references to this being the Word of God. The New Testament says this: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16,17. Revelation, the last book in the Bible, says the Word is complete; don’t add to it or take away from it.
But, the real question is this: IS IT TRUE?
I was playing golf not too long ago and was paired up with a guy who never went to church but was interested in God. I suggested that he read the Bible. He smiled a kind of sympathetic smile, the way I smile when someone gives me a healthy diet book. So I decided to help him out. I said, “Oh, you think the Bible probably isn’t true, don’t you? I mean it was written so long ago that it grew over time like the game of telephone.”
That’s a common objection to the Bible, and it’s understandable. It was written before the printing press, 20 centuries ago. How do we know that what we have is what was originally written?
Therefore, this is the first of two questions for this message. How do we know that what we have is what was originally written? I will approach this question as a historian.
There are three important questions when dealing with the authenticity of a piece of ancient literature:
1. How close to the event is the earliest copy?
2. How many manuscripts or copies do you have?
3. Do the copies vary much when compared to each other?
Let’s say this stage I’m standing on represents the event and each row going away from me in the sanctuary represents 100 years from the event. Let me give you some examples of other ancient writings so you have an understanding of the norm and then we will move on to the Bible.
Aristotle wrote around 340 B.C. The earliest copies in existence are dated 1100 A.D. That would be the fourteenth row from where I stand. We have 6 copies.
Caesar wrote The History of the Gallic Wars in 50 B.C. The earliest copy is 1000 A.D. Tenth row. We have 9 copies.
Homer wrote the Iliad in 800 B.C. The earliest copies are 200 A.D. and 300 A.D. Tenth and eleventh rows. We have nearly 650 copies.
The New Testament: The earliest parts of the New Testament begin showing up before the first row. By the second row we have all of Luke, all of John, 1 & 11 Peter, and Jude. By the end of the third row, we have the entire New Testament word for word. By the ninth row, we have 5,000 copies. By the twelfth row, 24,000 copies. There is less than one half of one percent variance in the copies.
Sir Frederick Kenyon of the British Museum said, “The interval between the dates of original composition and the earliest manuscripts becomes so small, it is in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the scriptures have come to us substantially as they were written has been removed.”
So, that’s one question answered. What we have is what was originally written, so the Bible didn’t come about like the game of telephone.
But the Big Question is: IS IT TRUE? How do we know that what was written actually happened? For that we need to begin to look at the evidence a little like a lawyer.
Usually there are three types of evidence in the area of legal/historical proof:
1. Oral testimony
2. Written testimony
3. Collateral evidence
Let’s look at the New Testament. What is the best kind of witness to have? Obviously, an eyewitness.
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4.
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16.
Now, one of the most interesting things about these eyewitnesses is that they were circulating stories about Christ among people who were alive during his lifetime. For instance, how many of you were alive during John F. Kennedy’s era? Let’s say I was starting a JFK cult. I began spreading stories of how he healed a bunch of people in Louisville or how he fed 5,000 people with a Happy Meal in Albuquerque. You would stand up and say, “Wait a minute; that didn’t happen.”
The disciples didn’t just say, “We saw this or we heard that.” They appealed to the knowledge of the rulers of the day concerning Jesus.
“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know,” Acts 2:22. “At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. ‘you are out of your mind, Paul!’ He shouted, ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’ ‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied, ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’,” Acts 26:24-28.
Now, what makes a compelling eyewitness? Several things:
Do other parts of his story check out? If I witnessed a hit and run and I’m testifying about it, and I say, “I was just stepping out of the theater. I had gone to the 9:10 showing of Finding Nemo, I was eating a box of Milk Duds… Now if all those details check out, it doesn’t mean I’m telling the truth, but it does make me more credible. If those details don’t check out, then my testimony is in trouble.
For years, critics have been trying to find inconsistencies in the testimony of biblical writers. In Luke 3:1, Luke says that Lysenius was Tetrarch of Abilene. Historians only knew of one Tetrarch named Lysenius, and he died in 36 B.C. but since then, archeologists have unearthed an inscription that reads, “Lysenius, the Tetrarch, 14-29 A.D.
In Acts 17, Luke refers to city officials as “politarchs.” Until recent years, nobody had heard of “politarchs” and thought the Bible was in error. However, archeologists in the last few years have found 35 inscriptions of “politarchs.”
One archeologist did a study on Luke and found that in Luke’s information on 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands, there is not a single mistake. In fact no archeological discovery has ever contradicted biblical evidence!
Another characteristic you would want in an eyewitness is someone who had nothing to gain by telling the truth. Out of the 11 disciples, 10 died violent deaths they could have avoided if they would only recant or change their story about Jesus. But they lived with him daily and knew who He was. They would rather die than lie about Jesus. I have always felt that, if I had absolute power, I could find out the truth from 10 people who were sticking with the same story. In 2,000 years there has not been a shred of evidence uncovered that any of the disciples wavered for even a moment concerning their testimony.
So, we can be confident that what we have was what was originally written. There is strong legal/historical evidence that what is written actually happened.
But if this really is the Word of God, we would expect it to show signs of being extraordinary. For instance, even though it was written over a period of 1,600 years, we would expect it to be ageless. Even though it was written during a particular time in history, we would expect it to be free from the erroneous beliefs of the time.
Let me give you an example: Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis through Deuteronomy and lived around 1500 B.C. That’s 3,500 years ago—pretty primitive. He was educated and raised in Egypt, an advanced culture. Archeologists have discovered a book dated 1552 B.C. called Papyrus Ebers, the most advanced medical book of the time. Here is an excerpt: “To prevent the hair from turning gray, anoint it with the blood of a black calf which has been boiled in oil, or with the fat of a rattlesnake…” To save victims bitten by poisonous snakes, physicians of that day gave them “magic water” to drink—water that had been poured over a special idol. To embedded splinters, they applied worms’ blood and asses’ dung.
That’s exactly what we would expect. But we find nothing like that in the first five books of the Bible. Instead we find shockingly advanced treatment.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.
We would also expect the Bible to work like an owner’s manual. I have an owner’s manual for my car written by the manufacturer. I assume because they made the car, they know how to keep my car healthy.
If this book is the Word of God, we could expect it to contain a simple moral code that if followed would produce a Utopian society.
The Ten Commandments are the foundation of every civilized country in the world. Moses came out of Egypt with upwards of 2 million people, went up on a mountain, and came down with ten rules to live by. What could be simpler?
Let’s take one rule. “Thou shall not commit adultery.” No sex outside the covenant of marriage. All sex within the marriage covenant is good; all sex outside the covenant is forbidden. Very simple. Now, many men and women say this shouldn’t be one of the top ten. But if this is the Word of God and society decided to follow this rule, we would expect it to have a positive impact. Let’s imagine what would happen if everyone followed this, the seventh commandment. No sexually transmitted diseases—40 diseases would disappear. No AIDS, fewer unwanted pregnancies, divorces would immediately drop, fewer single parent homes, no rape, no incest, no sexual abuse. Now, would that make our world better or worse?
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.
Finally, if the Bible is the Word of God, we would expect some strong supernatural overtones, expect it to speak accurately regarding the past but also regarding the future. The Bible is the only religious book containing detailed prophecies concerning future events. Here are a few that pertained to Jesus (all written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth):
Prophecies for Jesus life
· He would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14
· He would come some 483 years after 444 B.C. Daniel 9:24
· He will be of the seed of Abraham Genesis 12:1-3
· He will be of the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10
· He will be of the House of David. 2 Samuel 7:12
· He will have a ministry of miracles. Isaiah 35:5
· He will cleanse the temple. Malachi 3:1
· He will be crucified with thieves. Isaiah 53:12
· He will pray for his persecutors. Isaiah 53:12
· His side will be pierced. Zechariah 12:10
· He will be buried in a rich man’s tomb. Isaiah 53:9
· They will cast lots for his garments. Psalm 22:18
· He will die a humiliating death. Psalm 22 involving:
- Rejection by his own people. Isaiah 53:3
- Silence before his accusers. Isaiah 53:7
- Being mocked. Psalm 22:7
- Having his hands and feet pierced. Psalm 22

Peter Stone, mathematician, said that the chances of all those prophecies being fulfilled in one person are 1 in 150 million billion.
These are just some of the reasons I believe the Bible to be true.
A final reason is this. The Bible told me how I could make peace with God, and have a real relationship with him. It said if I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I tried it and it worked. It’s been the greatest thing in my life. “ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
I found it to be true, If you do not believe the Bible to be true, why not? What is your evidence? If it is true, why wait another day before you follow its instructions and begin a new life?
Pastor Joe Coffey

YOUR DECISION ABOUT THE BIBLE.
TRUE____FALSE____
Having read Pastor Coffey’s message, please read the other chapters in this book. In them, Bible scripture has been used to refute the lies that have circulated for centuries about Christianity and the proper relationship between you and your Creator and Savior.
It is my prayer that this book will lead you in the right direction for planning your future, your eternal future.
God’s Blessings to you.


Chapter 2

SALVATION IS A MYTH

A Lie By
Sneaky Snake
“The Father of All Lies”

a.k.a. The Serpent, Satan, The Devil, Lucifer, etc.,


THE LIE

Sneaky Snake says, “Salvation is a myth. When you die, it’s over, lights out. Only a fool would pursue ‘salvation’”.
Hisssssssss, S. Snake

So many people believe this lie and there is no basis for it aside from Satan’s desire to deny us eternity with God. Don’t believe this most deadly of lies from the “Father of All Lies”.


THE TRUTH

JESUS and SALVATION
The apostle John testifies to the fact that salvation (eternal life), comes through Jesus and that Jesus is God. He then tells you that Jesus’ purpose for coming into the world was to offer salvation to sinners. What a comfort that is, for all of us are sinners. You will not receive his salvation unless you believe on him.

1 Timothy 1:15,16
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

We are all sinners, so He is talking to all of us. The “those” highlighted in vs.16 above refers to anyone, including you who believes and receives Jesus into his/her life.


Salvation is only as far away as your reaching out in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, confessing your sin, asking forgiveness and inviting him into your life.

Acts 2:21; 4:12
2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Access to salvation is not exclusive to any one particular person or persons (vs.2:21) but is available to everyone. What is exclusive is how we must be saved. That is only possible through Jesus Christ (vs.4:12). See the following;

1 John 5:11,12,20
11. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
20. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

God has given you eternal life (vs.11). This eternal life is in God’s Son, Jesus (also vs.11). Jesus is the true God (vs.20). This may sound confusing, but God consists of a Trinity or three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Three persons equaling one God, each person of the Trinity being fully God.


JESUS’ QUALIFICATIONS
In the verses that follow, Jesus is referred to as the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God. God himself speaks of Jesus as his Son and instructs the angels to worship him. Only God is worthy of worship. Only God is perfect, qualifying Him to be the only sacrifice good enough to permanently atone for our sins.

Hebrews 1:3,4
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of His being, making Him God (vs.3). He also provided “purification for sins” the penalty for all sin (vs.3).

ATONEMENT, SACRIFICE, FORGIVENESS
The apostle John lived with Jesus and knew him well. In the scriptures that follow he tells you that you are purified by the blood of Jesus and he is the atoning sacrifice for your sins. All sin has to be atoned for, and God has provided for atonement for your sins through the shed blood of Jesus. Being sinless, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all time. All that is required, once you are saved, is to confess your sins and he will forgive you. He has already paid the price for your sin.

1 John 1:5-9, 2:2a
5. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
6. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2a. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins

It is the blood of Jesus that was shed as the perfect sacrifice in order for your sins to be atoned for (vs.7 & vs. 2a). Vs. 9 tells you of Jesus’ faithfulness to forgive you of your sins if you only confess them to Him.


RESURRECTION, CHRIST RISEN
In 1 Corinthians Paul presents the case for Christ’s resurrection and the meaning of it.

1 Corinthians 15:12-22
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Because Christ has risen from the dead, it is established that He has power over death and therefore you can also be risen from the dead (vs.20). Adam, in Genesis of the Old Testament introduced sin into the world by being disobedient to God, which led to a death sentence for all humanity. Jesus Christ, in Matthew of the New Testament came into the world as a perfect sacrifice to atone for sin, once and for all, so that all who accept His sacrifice for their sin, will have Eternal Life (vs.22).

The Apostle Peter, who for three years lived virtually every day in fellowship with Jesus prior to His crucifixion, wrote the following in 1 Peter, so that you may know the truth.

1 PETER 1:3
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

God’s mercy is great because of His Son, Jesus Christ (vs.3 above).



NATURAL BODIES, SPIRITUAL BODIES
In 1 Corinthians Paul answers questions about how our bodies will be different when resurrected.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44,57,58
42. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
43. it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44. it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
57. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul tells you that you will no longer be perishable, or dishonored, or weak but will become imperishable, and live in glory, and have new strength. Your body will be spirit instead of physical (vss.42,43,44). There is so much to look forward to.


CHRIST DIED FOR YOU
The following verses in 1 Thessalonians tell you that Jesus died for you and it’s through his sacrifice that you receive salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:9,10
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

He died for you so that you might receive salvation (vss.9,10)



GIFT OF GOD
Jesus not only died for you, but was raised to life for you (resurrected), and it is this gift of God that gives you the opportunity for eternal life through Christ Jesus.

Romans 4:25, 5:21, 6:23
4:25. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
5:21. so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected to life so that you might be justified (vs.4:25). This was done so that you could have eternal life through your Lord, Jesus Christ (vs.5:21). There is no way that you can earn this privilege, it is a gift from God because of His love for you (vs.6:23).


WITNESSES TO CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
Paul presents to you facts surrounding the death and burial of Jesus, and his resurrection, which was witnessed by over 500 people as recorded in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:2-7
2. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

The above six scripture verses are full of facts and proof that Christ was resurrected from the grave (vs.4). He was seen by not only His disciples but by more than five hundred witnesses (vss.5,6,7). His death and resurrection, which is the Gospel Message, is your ticket to salvation (vss.2,3).


FAITH
As Paul tells you in the following verses, you can do nothing to earn salvation. It is a gift from God that you have only to accept in faith (trust), believing on Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8,9; 3:11,12; Galatians 2:16b
2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
3:11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Gal. 2:16b a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

You cannot be saved by your works (vs.Eph.2:9 above) but through your faith in Jesus (vss.Eph.2:8,3:12,Gal.2:16b above) you will be saved.

11 Corinthians 5:7
7. We live by faith, not by sight.

The apostle Paul tells you that you must believe by faith, not by seeing proof with your eyes. God wants you to accept what he offers by trusting what his Word says, not by signs and miracles. Even people who saw his signs and miracles sometimes didn’t believe that he was who he professed to be


RECONCILIATION
Through our faith in Christ, we are reconciled to God, without blemish. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus and we become the righteousness of God through Him.

11 Corinthians 5:17-19,21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You become a new creation through Christ (vs.17) when you accept His gift of eternal life. God reconciles you to Himself through Christ (vss.18,19). At that time He gives you the ministry/message of reconciliation to reach out to others with (vss.18,19). As a result of your reconciliation with God you become the righteousness of God (vs.21)


SCOFFING AT JESUS’ SACRIFICE, A WARNING
Acts below explains what happens if you scoff at God’s Word, but also explains to you what happens when you believe God’s Word.


Acts 10:43,13:39,41&16:29-31
10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
13:39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
41 "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"
16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

Take Heed! There is a warning in vs.13:41 that scoffers will wonder and perish. The remainder of the above verses are very positive, pointing to salvation.


DARKNESS TO HOLINESS
In Colossians below, you are told you can be rescued from darkness and brought into the Kingdom of the Son of God.

Colossians 1:13,14,21,22
1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

If you have accepted His gift of salvation, then He has rescued you and brought you into His Kingdom through His death. You are holy in His sight (vss.1:13,22).


YOUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT SUFFICIENT
In Romans Paul tells you that the Ten Commandments and other laws of the Old Testament were not able to save men because no man can live up to all the laws all the time. Therefore all are sinners. Because you are a sinner, your sin must be atoned for with a sacrifice acceptable to God. The only offering good enough to be a permanent sacrifice for sin is the blood of a perfect, sinless sacrifice. Jesus was the only one who fit the requirements. He gave himself as a perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of all who call on him to be their Lord. His sacrifice for your sins is good forever. It atones for your sins in the past, the present and in the future. You are only required to confess your sin, ask for forgiveness and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

Romans 8:3,10:9,13
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

If you begin to keep the Ten Commandments flawlessly from this point forward, you will still fall short of eternal life with God because of what is recorded in (vs.8:3). However, if you confess you sin to Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (vss.10:9,13).


JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT SALVATION
Jesus is the one and only way to everlasting life. He tells you here who he is and what the truth is concerning your salvation. Jesus’ words are shown in red.


John 3: 3, 5-7, 14-18, 35; 5:24-30
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one."

In the above passages, Jesus tells you how to be born again and the consequences of not doing as He says. He also tells you God’s reason for sending Him to die on the cross (vs.3:16). And finally in verse 5:30 He affirms that He and God the Father are equal.


JESUS’ PROMISE
Salvation can be no more clearly stated than by Jesus’ own words in the following verses.

John 14:1-7
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

Jesus demands your trust/faith (vs.7:1). In return, He promises you a place prepared by Him in Heaven (vs.7:2). He also promises to come back and take you there to live with Him (vs.7:3).

GOD’S FOOLISHNESS, MAN’S WISDOM?
The Apostle Paul, who had been a persecutor of Christians and was converted to be one of the strongest advocates for Jesus, tells you that God’s foolishness is stronger than man’s wisdom. The prideful, supposedly wise people who consider themselves to have wisdom beyond others, are too short sighted to see God’s wisdom. They prefer to think that their logic and knowledge precludes the existence of a living God and Jesus our Savior. Below in 1 Corinthians Paul addresses this.



1 Corinthians 1:17-31
17. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
20. Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21. For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
23. but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24. but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength
26. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are,
29. so that no one may boast before him.
30. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness,
31. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Paul is saying that he was sent to preach the truth about Christ, with the words chosen by God, not as man would have done (vs.17). Therefore, to those who are not saved, which may or may not include you, God’s Word sounds like foolishness. But to those who are saved, prayerfully you, God’s Word is the power of God (vs.18). Paul quotes Isa.29:14 in the Old Testament to illustrate God’s lack of respect for man’s “wisdom and intellect” (vs.19). Many over the years have demanded “miracles” as a proof of God’s existence. Some look for deep “philosophical wisdom” to explain how what God’s Word teaches can possible be true (vss.22,23). God is only interested in those who are willing to accept Him on faith, without the “proof” many look for (vss.24-31). The miracles have been done and documented and to date, everything prophesized in the Bible has come to pass as predicted when predicted.




THOSE WHO DIED BEFORE CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
If you have had a question about what happened to the people who died before Christ, here is your answer. They are not overlooked or forgotten. God is a loving and fair God.

John 5:28-29
28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.


ENCOURAGEMENT
These are some very encouraging words from the apostle Paul telling you that you are among those called to belong to Jesus.

Romans 1:4-6
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Through His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ , the Son of God, is your Lord. By faith in Him, you are one called to belong to Jesus Christ (vss.4-6).


TODAY
God’s spirit calls to you to become one of his children, today. When you hear his calling, you are encouraged to respond, but Satan will do all he can to harden your hearts against taking action.

Hebrews 3:13-15; 4:7
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness;
14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
4:7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

Do not turn your back on encouragement. Believers are anxious to encourage you to say “yes” to Jesus today, before your heart becomes hardened by sin’s deceitfulness which is the work of Satan (vss.3:13,15; 4:7).




EXCLUSIVELY JESUS
What makes Jesus the only one who can bring you salvation? The answer is in 1 Timothy, 1 John, and Acts.

1 Timothy 3:16
16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

1 John 1:1-3
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:3-5,23,24; 3:12-15; 10:40-42
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

10:40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

VERSES THAT DESCRIBE JESUS
There are many statements in the above verses that describe who Jesus is and what He has done. I have put these in a list format to simplify and also bring out the documented evidence for His life and resurrection;
1 Tim. 3:16
Vs.3:16
- A mystery of godliness. (God’s wisdom, which confounds man’s wisdom)
- Christ appeared in a body.
- He was vindicated by the Spirit.
- He was seen by angels.
- He was preached among the nations.
- He was believed on in the world.
- He was taken up in glory.
1 John 1:1-3
Vss.1:1-3
- Christ was from the beginning.
- Which they had heard.
- Which they had seen with their own eyes.
- Which they had touched with their own hands.
- They testify that He lived, and they had seen Him.
- They proclaim to you the eternal life (Jesus) who was with God the Father appeared to them.
- They proclaim that they have seen and heard Him.
- They proclaim that they are believers.
Acts 1:3-5, 23,24
Vss.1:3-5
- After His suffering and death He showed Himself.
- He gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.
- He remained with them for forty days.
- He spoke about the kingdom of God.
- He spoke and ate with them. Dead people don’t do either.
- He ordered them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come and to baptize them. This same Spirit is available to you, as a believer he will indwell you.
Vss 23 & 24 – these verses occurred first but were recorded after the previous three verses.
- He was handed over to the authorities to be crucified on the cross.
- God raised Him from the dead.
- It was impossible for death to hold Him.
- Vs.3:15 He was killed and raised from the dead which was witnessed by many.


You have now seen enough evidence that salvation is true and that it is only available through Jesus. It is time to decide if you accept the facts that prove the lie to be false.

YOUR DECISION ABOUT SALVATION
TRUE____ FALSE____

Romans 10:9,10
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

There is an important opportunity on page 80.
Please check it out.



Chapter 3


RESURRECTION IS BUNK

This lie presented to you by
Sneaky Snake
“The Father of All Lies”

a.k.a. The Serpent, Satan, The Devil, Lucifer, etc.




THE LIE

“Resurrection from death is bunk. Christ was dead, that was it, no second chance, no ‘miracles’. With all that was done to Him, nobody could have walked away.”
Hisssssssss, S. Snake

THE TRUTH

Satan’s desire is to deny you eternal life with God. Don’t believe this most deadly of lies from the “Father of All Lies”.
The scriptures that follow will help you see the truth.







JESUS FORETOLD
In Isaiah, chapter 53, Jesus’ life is prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. This was approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus. The details given in the prophesy leave no doubt that Jesus is the one being foretold. Everything occurred as told by Isaiah.

Isaiah 53:1-12
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

EVERYTHING underlined in these twelve verses of Isaiah came true in Jesus and yet it was written hundreds of years prior to His birth. You cannot read it and deny that this is the Jesus who is God and who died for your transgressions unless you simply refuse to admit the truth.


JESUS FORETELLS
In the following verses Jesus foretells his own resurrection.

John 2:18-22
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"
21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

The temple Jesus speaks of is His body (vs.19). The Bible refers to each believer’s body as a temple because when you become a believer the Holy Spirit resides in your body (vs.21). The disciples didn’t immediately understand what Jesus was referring to until He had risen from the dead (vs.22).



JESUS’ AUTHORITY
Jesus testifies of His obedience to God the Father and the power He was given on earth.

John 10:17-18
17. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
18. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

Jesus did not die by chance or because He couldn’t stop His crucifixion. He voluntarily submitted to death on the cross (the perfect sacrifice for your sins) and also raised Himself from the dead (to demonstrate His power over death that you may also be resurrected by His power) in order to be your savior (vss.17,18).


MORE THAN 500 EYEWITNESSES
The apostle Paul wrote much of the scripture in the New Testament in the form of letters to various churches that he was instrumental in planting and/or in helping to grow in their faith. Paul had been a Pharisee and probably the most vigorous prosecutor of Christians. He was confronted by the Lord one day and as a result became more zealous for the Christian faith than he had been against it. He was instrumental in planting and supporting early churches and was given the ministry of spreading the word to the gentiles. See the book of Acts, chapter 9 for the story of the conversion of an enemy of Christ (Saul) into a defender of Christ (Paul).
In the following verses from 1 Corinthians Paul shows you how, because of Christ’s resurrection, you are able to have salvation. You also see in these verses that there were many witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:2-7
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

One or two witnesses are all that are required to prove something in court, yet there were more than 500 witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and you still doubt? Is it doubt or just refusal to accept the facts? These are important questions for you to ask. It’s time to confront and accept the truth.


CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED – HE LIVES
Here in 1 Corinthians Paul continues to argue the folly of not believing in resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:12-22
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Christ has been raised from death, but many do not believe that He has (vss.12,20). In the verses between vs.12 and vs.20 you see Paul’s reasoning concerning those who doubt Christ’s resurrection. All born of Adam’s lineage, which includes you, will perish without God, but all who also are reborn through Christ will live eternally with God (vs.22).


NEW BIRTH THROUGH CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
The apostle Peter spent approximately three years living with Jesus and the other disciples while Jesus was performing his earthly ministry. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter wrote the following;

1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

It’s God’s great mercy that makes a new birth possible for you. And that only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (vs.3). Upon accepting His mercy, you become one of His children, and you are included in an inheritance from your father, God. (vs.4). Your inheritance is being kept in heaven for you until the coming of the salvation. (vss.4,5).

The apostle Paul also refers to Christ’s resurrection in his first letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 3:16
16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Jesus was resurrected (vs.16).


The book of Acts, believed to have been written by Luke, tells you in the following verses that Christ was witnessed to be alive over a period of forty days, this, after having been crucified and buried. Furthermore, He ate with those who testify to his presence.

Acts 1:3,4; 3:15; 10:40,41
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
10:40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Jesus made sure there were many convincing proofs that He was indeed alive (vs.1:3). He ate and drank with them after he was resurrected (vss.1:4, 10:41). The author of Acts tells you in vs.10:40 that God raised Him from the dead and Peter tells you in vs.3:15 that God raised Him from the dead.


AFTER THE 40 DAYS
The book of Acts continues by telling you of Christ’s ascension into Heaven and the promise that He will return.

Acts 1:9-11; 3:21-23
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
3:21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.
23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'

After the forty day period during which he was seen by more than 500 witnesses, some of whom He dined and drank with, He was taken up into the clouds in front of more witnesses (vs.9). You have a promise from the Holy Scriptures that Jesus will return (vs.11). Jesus will remain in heaven until it becomes time for God to restore everything (vs.3:21).


ANOTHER EYEWITNESS
The following verses tell you that the disciples were careful to choose a replacement for Judas, who betrayed Jesus. They had to choose someone who was an eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection. This was important because anyone having witnessed the resurrection would have no hesitation to tell what they had seen.




Acts 1:21,22
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."

To replace Judas Iscariot they needed someone who had been near Jesus’ ministry and had witnessed His resurrection because anyone who had been a witness to His resurrection would never deny it (vs.22).


MORE WITNESSES
In Acts chapter two, the apostle Peter addresses the men of Israel. Because Peter was a witness to Christ’s resurrection, he speaks to them with authority.

Acts 2:22-24,31,32
22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

God proved to them the validity of Jesus by the miracles, wonders and signs He performed in their presence (vs.22). These same witnesses were involved in the crucifixion of Jesus. They witnessed His death (vs.23). But God raised Him from the dead to prove that it was impossible for death to keep a hold on Him (vs.24). Peter reminded them that they were all witnesses to these facts (vs.32).


MORE SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE

Acts 4:10,12
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Acts 4:33
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Acts 13:28-31.
29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead,
31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

Acts 17:31
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Ephesians 1:20
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Philippians 3:10,11
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 1:4
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:4,5
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Romans 8:34b
34b Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Matthew 27:52,53
52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Matthew 22:30
30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

So much evidence exists for believing in the resurrection of Jesus that you cannot deny it. If you still deny it after reading the accounts of the witnesses, it isn’t from lack of evidence. Now is the time to accept the facts.

YOUR DECISION ABOUT RESURRECTION
TRUE____ FALSE____.


Romans 10:9,10
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

There is an opportunity on page 80.
Please check it out.



Chapter 4

JESUS, JUST ANOTHER MAN

This lie presented to you by
Sneaky Snake
“The Father of all Lies”
a.k.a. The Serpent, Satan, The Devil, Lucifer, etc.


THE LIE

Sneaky Snake says, “You are smarter than to believe that Jesus was “God”. God, if there is a “God”, isn’t going to show up as a baby. You know in your heart that it’s a fabrication, more than likely started as an easy way to take money from fools.”
Hisssssssss, S. Snake

THE TRUTH

The following scriptures will help you see the lies in the above statement.
What did God the Father say about Jesus?

JESUS’ BIRTH
The following verses are a testimony from God concerning the identity of Jesus Christ.
Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, tells of the events leading to His birth. As he explains, Mary, Jesus’ mother, was engaged to Joseph and still a virgin. He also gives an account of the Angel of the Lord appearing to Mary and Joseph to explain what was to happen. He even told them what to name Him.
As is evident by these verses, God the Father orchestrated everything connected with the birth of Jesus.


Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Before Joseph and Mary had any sexual relations, she was found to be pregnant. She was still a virgin (vs,18). She became pregnant through the God the Holy Spirit (vs.18). An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and explained how Mary had become pregnant (vs.20). The angel also told him that the child was a son and what to name him (vs.23). Mary gave birth to a son and Joseph named him Jesus as instructed by the angel (vs.25).


JESUS’ BAPTISM
In the following verses written by Matthew, he tells of Jesus’ baptism, and the statement by God the Father of his love for Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism, God the Father expresses his pleasure with Jesus his Son.
(Direct quotes from God)

Matthew 3:16,17
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

At the moment Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon Him (vs.16). Then God’s voice was heard from heaven (vs.17).


JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR DOORWAY TO GOD’S BLESSINGS
Your spiritual blessings can come only through Christ. God will not bless you until you establish a personal relationship, based on faith, with his Son Jesus Christ. These next verses point this out.

Ephesians 1:3,6,7
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

It is through your relationship with Christ that God the Father blesses you (vs.3). He freely gives His glorious grace to you through the One He loves, namely Jesus Christ (vs.6). That is why you may receive God’s greatest grace, salvation, which God gives through the blood of Jesus because of your relationship with Christ (vs.7).


Ephesians 1:20-22
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

God the father raised Christ from the dead (resurrection) and seated Him at His right hand (vs.20), which was the place of highest authority to rule over all and put everything under His feet and appointed Him head over the church (vss.21,22).

Hebrews 1:3-13
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father " ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
7 In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire."
8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."
10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."
13 To which of the angels did God ever say, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?"

God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ) are exactly the same in glory and being (vs.3). He is superior to the angels, in being and name (vs.4). God the Father refers to His Son, Jesus as God and Lord and credits Him with the creation of everything (vss.8,9,10). Jesus will remain the same and live forever (vs12).

He was conceived of the Holy Spirit Matt. 1:18,20
He was named by the Holy Spirit 1:21
He was the fulfillment of prophesies from the Old Testament 1:23
He was baptized and God’s Son 3:16, 17; Heb. 1:5
He is worshipped by the angels Heb. 1:6
He is our Lord and the holder of every spiritual blessing Eph. 1:3
He is all powerful 1:21, 22
He is God 1:8, 9
He is anointed with the oil of joy 1:9
He is the Creator 1:10
He is unchanging and eternal 1:12







What did the angels say about Jesus?

ABOUT JESUS BIRTH
Joseph was visited by an angel of the Lord and told of the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy and what to name the child.

Matthew 1:20,21
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."


THEY TELL OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION
On the third day after His crucifixion Jesus arose from death and left the tomb as He had said He would in John 2:19.
Matthew 28:2-7
2. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
4. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
7. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”


ANGELS SPEAK OF JESUS ASCENSION
In the book of Acts, Jesus’ ascension into heaven is detailed. A visitation from angels is again recorded, this time to tell that Christ had gone to be with God the Father and would return for his church.

Acts 1:9-11; 3:21
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
3:21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

After Jesus had been resurrected from the dead and had spent 40 days with over 500 people, he was taken up into heaven (vs.9). As the people were looking up into the sky where Jesus had gone, two angels appeared with them (vs.10). They told them that Jesus would return when God had restored everything (vss.1:11, 3:21).


He was conceived of the Holy Spirit Matt. 1:20
He would be named Jesus 1:21
He would be the Savior of His people 1:21
He was resurrected Matt. 28:6, 7
He ascended and will return for His people Acts. 1:9, 11; 3:21




What did Jesus say about Himself?

JESUS’ CLAIM
In the following verses, Jesus tells you in his own words (red letters) who He is. He is clearly stating that He is the Savior and that He is God.

John 2:18-21
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"
21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.


John 10:25-30
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one."

John 4:25-26; 6:47-48; 8:12,24
25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
48 I am the bread of life.
8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."


John 5:21; 11:14,15,23-26
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
11:14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

He is the perfect sacrifice that atones for your sin, once and for all time. His life was not taken, He gave it up when the time was perfect to do so.

John 10:17-18
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."




John 17:1-5
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.


HE SAYS;
My body is a Temple John 2:19, 21
I am the Miracle Worker 10:25
I am the Giver of Eternal Life 5:21; 10:28; 17:2
I am God 10:30; 17:3
I am Messiah 4:26
I am the Bread of Life 6:48
I am the Light of the World 8:12
I am the Light of Life 8:12
I am the Resurrection and the Life 11:25
I hold Supreme Authority over life and death 10:18; 17:2
I am the Glory of God 17:1, 5
I am the Way and the Truth and the Life 14:6




Who Others Say Jesus Is

If you have read the section above, you have seen who God says Jesus is, who the angels say Jesus is and who Jesus says He is. Now we will look at who others say Jesus is.

Romans 1:1-6
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God--
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David,
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.


Christ was the atonement for sin. He was the final atonement for all sin past, present and future in your life, if you accept what He did for you and turn your life over to His Lordship. As you can see in the following scriptures, all who knew Him and lived with Him acknowledge that He is the Savior and is God.

1 Corinthians 15:2-7
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

John 6:68,69
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

1 Corinthians 15:19-22
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.




1 Peter 1:3
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:18,19,23, John 1:1-3,14,18
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
14 The Word became flesh (Jesus) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only (Jesus), who is at the Father's side, has made him known.


1 Peter 2:4-7
4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,"


1 Peter 3:18
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

1 Thessalonians 5:9,10
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

1 Timothy 3:16
16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

1 John 1:1-4; 4:7-16
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4 We write this to make our joy complete.
4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

1 John 1:7-9
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 5:11,12,20
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

2 Timothy 3:15
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Acts 3:14,15; 10:40-42
3:14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
10:40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 2:21; 4:8-12
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!
9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed,
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11 He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."


Acts 18:28; 28:24-28
18:28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
28:24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 "'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
27 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
28 "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"

Colossians 1:15-20
15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 2:2, 3, 10
2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Hebrews 13:8; 3:13-15; 4:7
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.


Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.


John 1:29,34,36
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"


John 11:28
28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you."


Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


Romans 5:1
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,




Colossians 3;15
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

THEY SAY HE IS:
A Descendant of David Rom. 1:3
The Son of God 1:4
1 John 4:15
John 1:34
Our Lord 1:4
Phil. 2:11
Our Sacrifice for sin 1 Cor. 15:3
The Resurrection 15:4; 19:21
The Word of Eternal Life John 6:68
The Holy One of God 6:69
The First Fruits of Those Fallen Asleep 1 Cor. 15:20
A Lamb without Blemish or Defect 1 Pet. 1:19
The Enduring Word of God 1:23
The Word of God John1:1
The Creator of All Things 1:3
The Man, Jesus 1:14
Full of Grace and Truth 1:14
God the One and Only 1:14
The Living Stone 1 Pet. 2:4
Acts 4:11
The Chosen and Precious Cornerstone 2:6, 7
The Final Righteous Sacrifice 3:18
Our Salvation 1 Thess. 5:9
2 Tim. 3:15
Acts 4:12, 28:28
Taken Up in Glory 1 Tim. 3:16
From the Beginning 1 John 1:1
The Word of Life 1:1
The Eternal Life 1:2; 5:11, 20
The One and Only Son of God 4:9
The Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins 4:10
Our Purification 1:7, 9
Faithful and Just 1:8
The Holy and Righteous One Acts 3:14
The Author of Life 3:15
The Judge of the Living and the Dead 10:42
Our Healer Acts 4:10
The Christ 18:28
The Image of the Invisible God Col. 1:15
The Sustainer of All Things 1:17
The Mystery of God 2:2
The Holder of all Wisdom and Knowledge 2:3
The Head over every Power and Authority 2:10
Forever the Same Heb. 13:8
A Great High Priest 4:14
The Lamb of God John 1:29, 36
The Teacher 11:28
Our Peace with God Rom. 5:1
Col. 3:15

YOUR DECISION ABOUT JESUS.
Jesus is everything described above, True____ False____.


There is an opportunity on page 80.
Please check it out.



Chapter 5

WORSHIP IS A WASTE

Another in a series of lies by
Sneaky Snake
“The Father of all Lies”
a.k.a. The Serpent, Satan, The Devil, Lucifer, etc.



THE LIE

If you feel a need to worship, make it something real. Serve a master that will give you everything your heart desires. Something you can touch and use to your advantage, such as money. Religion tells you to worship something invisible that doesn’t exist so they can take the only things that are really important, your time, your money, and your abilities. Only the weak fall into that trap. Someone of your caliber is too astute to be tricked into believing that sort of thing.
Hisssssssss, S. Snake


THE TRUTH

The following verses will give you more than adequate reason to worship the one and only True God and to understand why He alone is worthy of our worship.

1 Corinthians 1:18-21, 3:18-20
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";
20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."

As stated in the above scripture verses, God’s wisdom is so much above man’s wisdom and His intellect so much above man’s that He scoffs at man’s attempts to be wiser and smarter than He is. He deserves our praise and worship for these reasons.


Until you invite Jesus into your life, you will not be able to grasp a true understanding of the following scriptures. When you invite him in, you will receive the Holy Spirit, who will reside within you forever. Read on.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

As a believer you receive the Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to understand God and His gift to us. Our wisdom comes from Him.


Doing anything for God is a form of worship.

1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

When we do our best in anything to honor God, we are worshipping Him.

Participating in Holy Communion is an act of worship. Jesus says that taking the bread and cup are in remembrance of Him.

1 Corinthians 11:26
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.


Faith and love for God are worship. God seeks your trust (faith) and rewards you with eternal life.

1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

God allows us to suffer trials (vs. 6) so that our faith (trust in Him) will be proven resulting in praise, glory and honor (worship) to Him (vs.7).


The following verses were written for believers, but it shows non-believers why believers worship their Lord. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for them and they recognize it. Please read through all of them and see what a sacrifice He made for you.

1 Peter 1:18-23
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 Timothy 1:14-16
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

1 Timothy 2:1-8
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.
7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

1 Timothy 3:16
16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

1 John 1:1-3,5:11,12,20
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

For all the above underlined reasons and innumerable more we believers cannot help but praise and worship the One and Only God, The Creator, The Sustainer of All Things, The Author of Love and Life, The Just One, The Perfect One, The Holiest of the holy, The Beginning and The End, The Eternal One, The All Knowing One, The Ever Present One, The Holder of All Knowledge, Our Father, Our Lord, Our Friend, The Love of our lives, The I Am (there is no other), The Resurrection, The Truth and so many others that we will only become aware of as we study Him and learn from Him in Eternity. He alone is worthy of our praise and worship.


3:18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Phil. 3:18
but,
9 if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9,13



Here is your opportunity to approach God with a prayer asking for salvation.

God looks at you and sees your heart. “Accepting Jesus as your Savior” must come from your heart or you will have a false sense of security. When God looks upon your heart, He has to see the righteousness of Christ and the only way that can happen is if you have accepted what Christ did for you on the cross. His sacrifice for your sin makes it possible for God to see righteousness in you. If you feel the Lord drawing you to become a follower of Jesus Christ, right now is the time to settle your relationship with Him. It can be done with a simple prayer of confession, and acceptance of his Lordship and what He did for you on the cross.

Bow your head right now and pray this prayer to God;
Lord Jesus, I come before you at this time to confess that I have sinned against you and to ask for your forgiveness. Lord I know in my heart that only you are God and I ask you to be the Lord of my life. I want to serve you. Thank You, Lord.
It’s in Jesus’ name that I pray, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer with faith to believe what you said, Heaven is now rejoicing. Be bold in proclaiming what you have done. You are now “Born Again”. Praise God. Bless you, you are now a fellow believer. It is now very important that you get into fellowship with other believers, read and study your bible.



Epilogue
You have been given every opportunity to decide to invite Jesus into your life. What is your decision?