- - Eyes2Jesus - -

Welcome to Eyes2Jesus. Below, you’ll find some of the latest stuff written, or updated. In the left sidebar, are links to years of articles. They are stored here for you, ranging in topics from eschatology, to cleaning, and more. Directly below this paragraph is a video that I really hope you'll take the time to watch. This website is meant as a storehouse of information, in which I add to or update, from time to time. I hope the information here enriches your research, and blesses you greatly.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2 NIV 2011
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. -Eph. 6:12 NIV 2011
Home

Some Basics
How to be Born Again
Picking a Bible Version
Do Only Men Go To Heaven?
Power in the Blood Bible Study
Dates of Christ's Birth, Death, and Resurrection

Through The Bible
Isaiah
Daniel
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Revelation

Christian Ladies
A Day in the Life of Me
Do Only Men Go To Heaven?
Are Women Allowed to Preach, and are They Supposed to Submit to Men?
Head Covering
Is it Okay for Christian Women to Wear Pants?
Can Women Teach the Bible?
The Samaritan Woman Preacher
Women Preachers, Rise Up!
Scriptures for Women in the Ministry

Revealed Deceptions
Church Membership
Why There are Cults
Mystery Babylon Revealed
Torah vs. Grace

Are You a Sabbath Keeper?
The Revelation 4:1 Deception
Pre-Trib Rapture Deception
Vatican vs. God
Counterfeit Christianity
The Black Thread
Jehovah's Witnesses
More J.W.s at my Door
Scriptures for J.W.s
Homosexuality

Holiday Truths
The TRUTH About Romans 14 and Colossians 2
Demons and False Gods of the Holidays
Joining the Holy Guild Fellowship
"Saint" Patrick's Day
Independance Day?
Remembering Christ's Death
There is no "Good Friday"
The Ishtar Deception
Easter is Pagan
Don't be an April Fool
Halloween Truth
Election Day
Thanksgiving
The Bible Says When Jesus was Born
The Real Christmas Story
Christmas is not Christian
Scriptures About Christmas
The True Christmas Spirit
Happy New Year
Holidays and Romans 14

Eschatology
Angel and Trumpet
2 Thess. 2 Truth
The Rapture: Did You Know?
The Revelation 4:1 Deception
What About the Wrath of God?
Pre-Trib Rapture Deception
Revelation Revealed
And Took Them All Away
A Matthew 24 Parallel
The 7 Thunders
When is the Rapture, and When is the Second Coming?

Science
How God Created Everything
A Multiple Universe Paradox
Time and Our Perception of It
How Many Saved People are There?
The DNA of Angels
Neuroplasticity, Personality, and Epigenetics
Thoughts That Transcend Dimensions

More Bible Studies
YLT vs KJV
The Gender of God
Divisive Christians
Loving the Brethren
Compassion, or Hell Fire?
Corinthians Controversy
Can Women Teach the Bible?
Pastoral Authority?
Can You Lose Your Salvation?
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Faith and Works
The 'cations of Scripture
Putting the Sabbath to Rest
Simply Shunning
Children's Church
Legalism and Legalism
Tithes and Offerings
Watch What You Say/Write
Scriptural Prayer
War: Flesh vs. Mind
Oil and Lamps
Blurred Distinctions
Christian Pacifism?

Angels, Aliens, Demons, and More
The DNA of Angels
Demons Behind False Gods
The Nephilim and Rephaim
Are You Practicing Witchcraft?
Angels, Aliens, Pyramids, etc.
What Demons Are
Beings: Hollow Earth and Outer Space
Three Hells and Three Heavens
The Truth About Aliens
Dragons, Spaceships, Aliens

Home and Family
Cleaning Routines
Emergency Quick Clean
Messy House Rescue
Homemade Cleaning Solution
Planner University
Your Schedule
Sample Schedules
Children's Chores
Children Sitting Well in Church
What is the Trivium?
Homeschool Plan With Me
Simplicity and Survival

Health
Perimenopause and Menorrhagia
How to Lose Weight

Recipes
BREADS
Basic White Bread
Drop Biscuits
Almond Bread
Banana Bread
Persimmon Bread
Egg Bread
Unleavended Bread
BREAKFASTS
Chia Seed Pudding
Granola
Pancakes
Pancake Syrup
Breakfast Cake
Egg Casserole
Baked Oatmeal
Baked Custard
SUPPERS
Homemade Pizza
Pizza Casserole
Cheeseburger Casserole
Chicken and Dumplings
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Creamy Potato Soup
Black Bean Burgers
Tuna Patties
Cowboy Beans
Crock Pot Chili
Baked Chicken Breasts
Baked Swai Fish
OTHER
Jam
SPECIAL
Cranberry Cobbler
Russian Apple Pie






Which Bible Version Should You Read?

 This article will explore three main areas:

·        - Is the King James Bible the Best/Most Accurate?

·         -Translations That I Don’t Recommend, and Why

·        - Three Great Translations, and Choosing Which One(s) Work Best for You

Is The King James Bible the Best/Most Accurate?

I got saved at around 10pm, on November 18, 1995.  My friend led me to Christ at the kitchen table.  He told me to only read the King James Bible.  That was no problem for me, because the Bible I already had was a King James Bible.  I didn’t know there was any other kind. The only Bibles I had ever seen up to that point all said “King James” on the spine.

I read through the King James Bible several times, and then in 1999, I was watching a Christian television show, and a guest came on, and said that other Bible translations are corrupt, because they are missing verses.  I never paid attention to other Bibles, as I was still happily reading and re-reading in the same Bible I had when I got saved.

Then they put charts up on the screen, and this person claimed that translators of new versions are working for the devil, and removing important passages from the Bible.  On the chart, I saw verses from the KJV, and next to them, it showed parts or all of these verses missing from new translations.  I decided that I was okay, as I was already reading the KJV, and saw no reason to even look into the new translations.

Several years ago, the Lord lead me to the Young’s Literal Translation, and then a few years after that, He told me to start studying the Bible in the Greek, and go from there.

My life changed.

My gifting from the Holy Spirit of God is to teach and preach His Word to all people, of both genders, and all ages, but especially Christian adults who want to get deeper into the Word. Read the KJV, and it seems clear that women aren’t allowed to do that.  For years, I said “The Bible says that women aren’t allowed to be pastors.  If they were, I’d be one.” 

I am now an ordained minister.

What changed?  I studied the scriptures in the Greek.  There are many women pastors in the Bible, and Paul actually DEFENDS women preachers, but you don’t see this in the KJV.

What about the missing verses in the new Bible translations?  There aren’t any.  Many of these “missing verses” have been found to be absent in the older Bible manuscripts.  These passages were written into the margins as notes in later manuscripts, and some scribes mistakenly wrote those passages from the margins into the text. Many of the “missing verses” are actually repeats from other places in the Bible, where the scribe may have accidentally written it in there, because that’s how it was written earlier in the text.

If you are going to use “missing verses” as your smoking gun, then I’ve got news for you.  The KJV is missing words, passages, and full sentences.  Let’s take a look  at the Wycliff translation from 1382:

Wycliff

King James Version

2 Sameul 21:19
19 Also the third battle was in Gob against [the] Philistines; in which battle a man given of God, the son of a forest, and a(n) (em)broiderer, a man of Bethlehem, smote (the brother of) Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was as a beam of webs. (And the third battle against the Philistines was also at Gob; in which battle Elhanan, the son of Jair/the son of Jaareoregim, a man of Bethlehem, struck down the brother of Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.)

2 Sameul 21:19
19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

Psalm 14:3

3 All bowed away, (al)together they be made unprofitable; none is that doeth good, none is till to one (But they all have turned away, they all be made utterly unredeemable; there is no one who doeth good, no not one). The throat of them is an open sepulchre, they did guilefully with their tongues; the venom of snakes is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet be swift to shed out blood. Sorrow and cursedness is in the ways of them, and they knew not the way of peace; the dread of God is not before their eyes.

Psalm 14:3

3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

John 7:29
29 I know him, and if I say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar; but I know him, for of him I am, and he sent me.

John 7:29
29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

Acts 14:7
7 And they preached there the gospel, and all the multitude was moved together in the teaching of them. Paul and Barnabas dwelt at Lystra.

Acts 14:7
7 And there they preached the gospel.

Romans 4:23
23 And it is not written only for him, that it was areckoned [reckoned] to him to rightwiseness,

Romans 4:23
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

There are many more, but the above is enough of a sampling to show my point.

There are also words and phrases in modern versions which are missing in the KJV.  Such as:


New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

King James Version

John 1:18
18 No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

John 1:18
18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 14:14
14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

John 14:14
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Acts 4:25
25 it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:‘Why did the gentiles rage and the peoples imagine vain things?

Acts 4:25
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

Acts 16:7
7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;

Acts 16:7
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

 There are plenty more, but the above sampling suffices as an example.

As more and more older manuscripts have been found, we’ve been getting more accurate Bibles in the English. For example, the very old Dead Sea Scrolls corrected something that never made sense in the KJV, but now makes perfect sense:

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

King James Version

Deuteronomy 32:8
8 When the Most High apportioned the nations, when he divided humankind, he fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods;

Deuteronomy 32:8
8 When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

There were no “children of Israel” at the Tower of Babel.  They didn’t exist yet.  But “the gods” existed, as God’s Divine Council.  This makes other passages make sense, such as Daniel 10:13.

A massive inaccuracy with the King James Bible is that it is translated in patriarchal language, making women think they aren’t equal to men. (Complementarianism is a red herring.)

I therefore cannot recommend the KJV as an accurate translation for one to read or study from.

Translations that I Don’t Recommend, and Why

Unfortunately, many translations hide many Women of God in the Scriptures, either because they don’t translate certain words at all, or they change female names to male ones, even though the manuscripts have the female names.  These versions will also add words that are not in the original languages, which change the meaning of important doctrines.  We’ll take a look at some of this below, and will alternate in using some of the troublesome translations:

Troublesome Translations

Better Translations

Explanation

Genesis 1:27 ESV
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27 NRSVue
27 So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

The Hebrew word underlying the ESV “man,” and the NRSVue “humans” is 'āḏām, which is the Hebrew word for “human being.”  It doesn’t have a gender stipulation.

The Hebrew word underlying “him” in the KJV, and “them” in the NRSVue isn’t there.  There is no pronoun there.  Literally it says “in the image of God created male and female.”

The ESV, and other translations like it, creates a possible interpretation that women aren’t in the image of God.

Genesis 2:18 ESV
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Genesis 2:18 Darby

18 And Jehovah Elohim said, It is not good that Man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate, his like.

The Hebrew literally says “I will make a helper before him.”  If it were translated that way, instead of as “fit” like in the ESV, then perhaps more Christians would see the power of women.

 The word “helper” or “helpmate” is from the Hebrew word ʿēzer.  This word is mostly used of God in the Old Testament, such as in Exodus 18:4, where it says “The God of my father was my help ʿēzer and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

 As you see, the woman wasn’t created to serve the man.  She was created to go before him, and to help him in mighty ways, as God helps His people.

Psalm 68:11 KJV
11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Psalm 68:11 NIV 2011
11 The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng

The KJV obfuscates the fact that there were and are women proclaiming the Word of the Lord.

Romans 16:1 NASB 2020
I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea

Romans 16:1 NRSVue
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae

The Greek underlying the NASB “servant,” and the NRSVue “deacon” is diakonos, which is literally “deacon” in English.

The NASB 2020 and similar translations seem to be hiding the fact that Phoebe was a female deacon of a specific church body.  A deacon is a minister, in case you are wondering.

Romans 16:7 NASB 1995
7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Romans 16:7 CEB
7 Say hello to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners. They are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

This name is a Latin name, and it is the female name Junia.  Junias would be a male name in that spelling, but the Latin name Junias didn’t exist.  The NASB 1995 and similar translations literally changed the name of a prominent female apostle into a male name, changing the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 11:10 ESV
10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

1 Corinthians 11:10 NIV 2011
10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.

Notice that the NIV 2011 doesn’t have “a symbol of.”  That’s because that phrase is NOT in the original Greek!  That phrase is purely added, and it completely changes the meaning of the first 16 verses of 1 Corinthians 11.  “A symbol of” sounds like the woman is to wear a head covering as a symbol to show that she is under her husband’s authority (head means ‘source’ and not ‘authority,’ btw).  However, when you are true to what the Word of God actually says, and don’t ADD to it, we see that this verse sums up and concludes that the woman has authority over HER OWN HEAD. 

As for “because of the angels,” see 1 Corinthians 6:3. – Women, along with men, will judge angels.  The two verses after verse 10 emphasize that the head (source) of the woman is the same as the man’s – it is GOD.

1 Corinthians 11:10 actually teaches that Christian women have authority over themselves, but this is hidden, when the words “a symbol of” are added, and those words are not in the Greek.

Ephesians 5:22 CSB
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord

Ephesians 5:22 TLV
22 wives to your own husbands as to the Lord.

Notice the word “submit” is missing from the TLV.  This is because the most reliable manuscripts don’t say “submit” here.  This word is added. 

Verse 22 is supposed to go along with verse 21, where it teaches mutual submission.  In the marriage both partners submit to each other.  This is also taught in 1 Peter 3:7.

Colossians 4:15 KJV
15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Colossians 4:15 NIV 2011
15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house.

The KJV changed this woman’s name to a man’s name.  This Scripture is about a female pastor of her house church.

2 John 1 KJV
1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

2 John 1 YLT
1 The Elder to the choice Kyria, and to her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those having known the truth

The second letter of John was written to a woman who was a house church pastor named Kyria, which was a very common female name at that time.  Most English versions don’t show this.

There are literally hundreds of Scriptures I can show you, where women are hidden or removed from certain Bible translations.  The above was a mere minute sampling.  Versions that I’ve noticed remove women are: the King James Version, the New King James Version, the English Standard Version – probably the WORST – worse than the KJV, the Christian Standard Bible, The New American Standard Bible 1995 and 2020 and the older editions, the NIV 1984 and older editions, and many more.  The translations I just mentioned, and ones like them, I recommend you stay away from.  They are all translated with doctrinal slant towards certain denominations.

The above mentioned translations have also unfortunately lead to abuse within the church, specifically of mislead (or sometimes downright evil) patriarchal men, forcing women to do what they want – usually this is sexual in nature.  Women get raped or molested in the name of God, because of poor translations and bad men who use them to their advantage.  Below is a small sampling of two passages that are dangerous, when translated incorrectly. 

Trouble Passage

Explanation

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 ESV
“ the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” Verses 34-35

 

People will use this to say that women cannot have authority in the church, and nor can they have any at home, since if they want to learn something from the church, they have to ask their husbands at home.  Some predators have used these verses to violate women at church, then say that the woman is not allowed to speak out about it, because women are “not permitted to speak, but should be in submission.”

 

Paul quotes various people in 1 Corinthians.  He quotes the Corinthians themselves, and philosophers and poets, such as Menander.  1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is quoting Cato the Elder.  The people in Corinth thought that they had to follow this teaching from Cato, so Paul quotes it in these two verses, thus what “as the Law also says” refers to.  There is no “law” in the Bible that states this, so the ESV capitalizing “Law” here is misleading.  The law was a cultural one, not one in the Bible.

Paul responds to this quote from Cato the Elder by saying:

36” Did the word of God originate with you? Has it come only to you?”  CEB

 >Did God command that women be silent in the churches?  No.  A man did.<

37-38 "If anyone thinks that they are prophets or “spiritual people,” then let them recognize that what I’m writing to you is the Lord’s command. If someone doesn’t recognize this, they aren’t recognized."  CEB

>Paul is saying that what he is teaching is the word of God, but what they were saying from verses 34 and 35 are the words of just a man – probably Cato the Elder.<

39 “So then, brothers and sisters, use your ambition to try to get the gift of prophecy, but don’t prevent speaking in tongues.” CEB

>Both men are women are encouraged to speak in the church.  Paul is defending women speaking in the church, not condemning it.<

1 Timothy 2:12 NKJV
“And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” Verse 12

 

Predatorial men have taken this verse to women who think they are following the Bible, and show them that they (men) have authority over them (women).  The predator tells the woman that she has to do what he says, because he is in authority, and she is sinning if she doesn’t obey him.  He says she is not allowed to speak out, because she is supposed to be “in silence.”

 

Patriarchal churches will run to this verse, and say that it teaches that women are under the authority of men, and are not allowed to be pastors or leaders.

This is NOT what this verse says in the Greek!  The ISV is much closer to the Greek.  It says:

12 “Moreover, in the area of teaching, I am not allowing a woman to instigate conflict toward a man. Instead, she is to remain calm.” ISV

>This verse is about how the women were going from house to house, teaching Artemis worship (1 Tim. 5) and they are also misleading their own husbands, as Eve mislead Adam – thus the verses that follow verse 12.  This verse is specifically about the wives who were new to Christianity not trying to draw their husbands away from Christianity.  This was a local problem in Ephesus – not in all churches.<

Three Great Translations, and How to Choose What’s Best For You

There are many great translations I can recommend, such as the International Standard Version, however the ISV (ISV 2.0) and many of these great versions are either not available in print form, or are very hard to find or get.   Therefore I’m going to recommend three translations that are superb, and fairly easy to get in print form, especially off of ChristianBook.com, or Amazon.com.

1)      Common English Bible - CEB.  This Bible is GREAT.  It is almost 100% gender accurate.  If you are looking for an easy to understand Bible, that converts measurements and distances into English equivalents, and instead of using formal churchy language, uses common words at about the reading level of a standard newspaper, then the CEB may be for you.

However, if you would like to have some more accurate terms, such as Deacon, instead of Servant, and Overseer instead of Supervisor, then you may want to try one of the other below translations.

2)      New International Version, 2011 edition – NIV 2011.  The 1984 NIV is horrible, but the 2011 edition is surprisingly great.  The NIV 2011 does a great job in more properly translating 1 Corinthians 11:10 and 1 Timothy 2:12, but it is only about 75% gender accurate.  Also, if you want to dive deep into things more about the sprit realm, such as the Divine Council, Sheol/Hades, and Shades, then you’ll want to try the next translation…

3)      New Revised Standard Version updated edition – NRSVue.  The NRSVue is a new translation, which first came out in electronic format in 2021, then began coming out in print in 2022/2023.  There are new study Bibles and more NRSVue Bibles coming out, or soon to come out.  According to Zondervan:

“With revisions based on new textual evidence, historical insights, and linguistic precision, the NRSVue delivers a translation of Scripture based on meticulous care for accuracy and readability.”

The NRSVue is a literal translation, and wonderfully done.  It is more academic than the CEB and the NIV2011, but it’s also the most accurate.

NOTE: Only the Common English Bible of the above three translations properly translates gender accurateness in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.  Most Bible translations add the pronoun “he” and related in these chapters, in regards to church leaders, but there are NO masculine pronouns in those passages in the Greek.  The CEB stays true to the Greek, and doesn’t add to the word of God, by adding “he” where it isn’t in the Greek.

Hopefully one of the above translations has gotten your attention, and you are interested.  If you’re like me, you’ll use all three.  I love all of them, but I think my favorite is the NRSVue.


A Documentary

Do Only Men go to Heaven?


Great Study Bibles I Highly Recommend


The CEB Woman's Bible


The CEB Wesley Study Bible


The CEB Study Bible


NRSV Baylor Annotated Study Bible


NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

(Get the NIV, if you can't get the NRSV one. I have both.)


NIV Study Bible Fully Revised Edition

(Only the Fully Revised Edition is good. Older editions are not that great.)


The Gender of God

"So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  -Genesis 1:27 NRSVue

People will say that either God is male, or non-gendered.  Yet, right in the same breath as saying that God created humans in His image, it immediately then states 'male AND female.'

The tetragrammaton of YHWH - Yahweh, is God's name. It means "self existent One."  However, it is also two names put together - Yah, and Weh.  Yah is feminine, and Weh is masculine.  While God is usually (not always) referred to in male pronouns in the Bible, we also see the short form of His name in the Old Testament - Yah or Jah, and that's feminine.

God's name is both feminine and masculine.  We also see God figured in the Bible as a mother, caring for her children.

The Holy Spirit of God in the Hebrew is rûaḥ, which is a feminine noun.  In the Greek, it is pneuma, which is a neuter noun.  We see the Holy Spirit sometimes referred to with the 'he' pronoun, yet in the Hebrew, spirit is feminine, and in the Greek, it is neuter.

Jesus is the Word of God in flesh form.  Jesus was clearly male, with his Y chromosome created by God.  The Bible teaches that Jesus created everything:

"because by him {Jesus} were created all things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities: all things have been created by him and for him."  -Colossians 1:16 Darby

How did Jesus create all things?  We see in the Creation Account, that "God said," and then it was.  God spoke things into existence, yet Jesus created things.  How does this work?  This works, because Jesus is the Word of God born into a flesh body.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  -John 1:1 NRSVue

What kind of Word of God was Jesus?  "Word" above is from the Greek logos, which means a word of reason.  Logos is related to our English word Logic, and it is related to the word Wisdom.  In Proverbs, especially chapter 8, we see it talks of Wisdom as if it was and is a sentient person, and Wisdom is spoken of with female pronouns.

"Does not wisdom call
    and understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries out..."  Proverbs 8:1-3 NRSVue

"“And now, my children, listen to me:
    happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
34 Happy is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
    and obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but those who miss me injure themselves;
    all who hate me love death.”"  -Proverbs 8:32-36  NRSVue

"I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  -Jesus - John 10:9-10 NRSVue

Before Jesus was put into a male human body, he was Lady Wisdom.

God the Father - Yahweh - both male and female.  God the Spirit - both feminine and neuter noun.  God the son, born in the flesh as male, but before then was Wisdom which was and is female.

Is God male?  Yes.
Is God female? Yes.


 

Ephesians 4:11-12
He {Christ} himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.  NRSVue

We see that the above is equal to both genders. There is no gender stipulation, stating that certain functions are only for men, and certain are only for women. Therefore, just like men, women too can be "pastors and teachers."  This is all part of the body of Christ, and building up the body of Christ.  Do you have male arms, and female legs?  Are your eyes male, and your ears female?  There is no gender when it comes to the parts of the body, nor of the body parts of Christ.  We each are given what God grants us, as our function in the body of Christ, and for the body of Christ. It doesn't matter which gender we are, as both men and women get called by God to be "pastors and teachers," etc.


Scriptures About Women in the Ministry

 

1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15
A wife should learn quietly with complete submission. 12 I don’t allow a wife to teach or to control her husband. Instead, she should be a quiet listener. 13 Adam was formed first, and then Eve. 14 Adam wasn’t deceived, but rather his wife became the one who stepped over the line because she was completely deceived. 15 But a wife will be brought safely through childbirth, if they both continue in faith, love, and holiness, together with self-control.  -CEB

 1) Some Bible versions will say 'woman' and 'man' in the above passage, but it's supposed to be 'wife' and 'husband,' as this is speaking to the marriage relationship.

2) Where it says the wife is to learn quietly, that doesn't mean silently.  "Quietly" is from the Greek word hēsychia which means 'peace,' 'calm,' 'a quiet spirit.'  It does not mean verbal silence. 

3) Notice it's saying the wife is to LEARN.  That was a radical statement when it was written, as women in the Ephesian culture were generally not allowed to sit under teachings of rabbis or other spiritual teachers.

4) The Ephesian women didn't know much about Yahweh, but they knew of and worshipped Artemis/Diana/Aphrodite/Ashtoreth/Ishtar/Isis/Easter (all the same goddess; different names.  This is the same goddess that is worshipped in Wicca).  These women and wives went around teaching Artemis worship, which was a false teaching.

5) Verse 12 tells us that just as Eve taught a false teaching to Adam (eating the forbidden fruit) the Ephesian wives were not to teach their husbands goddess worship, as was happening all over Ephesus at that time.  That's why it says the wife is not to "teach or control her husband."  It's in reference to false teachings, which is a main theme in the whole book of 1 Timothy.  The wife is to learn Christianity, and put away Wicca/Artemis goddess worship.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:31-40
For you can all prophesy in turn and in an environment where all present can be instructed, encouraged, and strengthened. 32The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33For God is the God of harmony, not confusion, as is the pattern in all the churches of God’s holy believers
.34The women should be respectfully silent during the evaluation of prophecy in the meetings. They are not allowed to interrupt, but are to be in a support role, as in fact the law teaches. 35If they want to inquire about something, let them ask their husbands when they get home, for a woman embarrasses herself when she constantly interrupts the church meeting. 36Do you actually think that you were the starting point for the Word of God going forth? Were you the only ones it was sent to? I don’t think so! 37If anyone considers himself to be a prophet or a spiritual person, let him discern that what I’m writing to you carries the Lord’s authority. 38And if anyone continues not to recognize this, he should not be recognized!39So, beloved friends, with all this in mind, be passionate to prophesy and don’t forbid anyone from speaking in tongues, 40doing all things in a beautiful and orderly way.  -TPT

 1) Notice in the above verse 31 that ALL Christians in the church are allowed to prophesy, but just to do it one by one, in an orderly fashion.  'For ye are all able,' clearly indicates that both men and women can prophesy in the church, out loud.

2)  It is questionable if verses 34 and 35 were in the original manuscripts of the Bible, since these two verses appear after verse 33 in some manuscripts, but after verse 40 in other manuscripts, indicating the possibility that verses 34 and 35 may have been added by an early copyist.

3) This chapter teaches that both men and women are to be quiet when someone else is prophesying, but then verses 34 and 35 specifically emphasize that the women/wives stay quiet during the evaluating of prophecy, because Corinthian women were not educated.  They'd keep interrupting the service with basic questions that the men (who were educated) already knew.  This was disruptive.  Therefore, the wives were to keep their elementary questions for when they get home, to ask their husbands.

 4) Verse 39 is to both genders, stating that both men and women should have the desire to prophesy, and also not to forbid any Christian, male or female, from speaking in tongues during the proper time in the church service.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.  -NIV 2011

The above manifestations of the Spirit are to both genders.  This means women, just like men, can prophesy, give a message of knowledge, etc.

Romans 12:4-8
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  -NIV 2011

We see that the above is equally to both genders.  Therefore, just like men, women too can 'prophesy,' 'teach,' and 'lead.'

1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-28
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.  -NIV 2011

Here we see that both genders can be prophets and teachers, etc. in the church.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  -NIV 2011

1) In the main chapter that lists gifts and ministrations given to Christians by God, it doesn't state that certain gifts are only for men, or certain gifts are only for women.  As we saw in earlier Scriptures, these gifts and ministrations are offered "to each."  ALL Christians are baptized into the Body of Christ via the Holy Spirit, and ALL Christians can therefore exercise any of the gifts of the Spirit that God wills to give them.

GALATIANS 3:27-28
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  -NIV 2011

1) These verses parallel 1 Corinthians 12:13.  Through the Spirit of God, ALL Christians are baptized in Christ, and therefore are offered the same ministrations, such as prophesying, teaching, giving a word of knowledge, etc.

2) In case anyone is confused with the term "to each" that we saw in some of our earlier 1 Corinthians 12 verses, the above verse 28 makes it clear that "nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  "To each" means no matter the social status, no matter the genetic heritage, and no matter the gender - the ministrations of the Spirit are given to ALL Christians.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:3
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.  -NIV 2011

1) Symbolic "head" in the Corinth culture at that time didn't mean authority.  It meant source, such as the head of a river, or Rosh Hashanah, which means "head of the year," to be understood as the source/beginning of a new year. 

2) The above is in source or origin order of human appearance on earth.  First, Adam (man) whose source (head - origin) was Christ, second, woman (Eve), whose source/origin (head - beginning) was Adam, and then Christ in human form, whose source (head - origin) is God.

3) Head as source is used synomynously in this chapter also with the terms 'glory/reflection' in verse 7, and 'come from' in verse 8.

4) Symbolic "head" in the New Testament always means source, origin, or beginning of, including also in Ephesians chapter five.

5) The Passion Translation properly translates symbolic 'head' as 'source' in 1 Corinthians 11:3 as thus:
"But I want you to understand that Christ is the source of every human alive, and Adam was the source of Eve, and God is the source of the Messiah."

1 CORINTHIANS 11:10
 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.   -NIV 2011

1) The woman has "authority over her own head," for the reason of her coming from man - Adam, but as verse 12 points out, since then, all men have come from women, via childbirth.  Therefore the source (head) of men is women, as well.

2) The woman also has "authority over her own head," because she, right along the side of men, will judge angels, as per 1 Corinthians 6:3.

3) The head covering is the woman's acknowledging that SHE has authority over her own physical head AKA herself.

ACTS 2:17-18
“‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.  -NIV 2011

1) God says He will pour his Spirit on both men and women to prophesy.  Verse 17 - "and daughters will prophesy," and verse 18 - "my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy."

LUKE 2:36-38
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.  -NIV 2011

1) Anna was a prophet, as we see in verse 36.

2) Anna was also a teacher, teaching anyone, of either gender - anyone who would listen, as we see in verse 38 - "and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem"

ROMANS 16:1-2
And I commend you to Phebe our sister -- being a minister of the church that is in Cenchrea --2 that you may receive her in the Lord, as does become saints, and may assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you -- for she also became a leader of many, and of myself.  -Revised YLT

1) As we see in verse 1, Phebe was a minister of the church in Cenchrea.  "Minister" above is from the Greek word diakonos, which is the exact same word for minister/deacon in 1 Timothy 3, where it gives the qualifications for the office of minister/deacon in the church:

Ministers -- in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre"  -1 Timothy 3:8

2) This is showing us that women can be preachers and ministers of churches. In fact, the first time a minister of a church is mentioned by name in the Bible, it's a woman - Phebe.

3) In verse 2 we see that Paul is telling the church in Rome to "receive her in the Lord."  It is likely that  Phebe was entrusted by Paul the Apostle to deliver the Epistle to the Romans to the church in Rome.  Traditionally, the one who carried the letter to the church also taught the letter, via reading it out loud, explaining it, and answering questions.

4) Also in verse 2 we see that Paul is instructing the church in Rome to "assist" Phebe "in whatever matter she may have need of you."  This seems to indicate that if she needs anything for the church she is the minister of back in Cenchrea, the church in Rome should help. 

5) Verse 2 also says that Phebe was a leader of many, and even of Paul the Apostle himself.  The Greek word underlying "leader" is prostatis, which is the feminine noun version of the verb proistēmi, which means to lead, or to rule.  We see proistēmi in such verses as the following:

"his own house leading (proistēmi) well, having children in subjection with all gravity"  -1 Timothy 3:4

Phebe was a female minister of the church in Cenchrea, and was also a leader, including of Paul himself.

1 TIMOTHY 3:11
In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.  -NIV 2011

1) In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 we see the listed requirements for a minister/deacon.  Verse 11 is specifically to female ministers/deacons, where it is reminding them to also be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but to be temperate and trustworthy in everything.

NOTE: Any Bible translation that has the pronoun "he" or related in 1 Timothy 3 is adding something that is not there.  There are no male pronouns in the Greek of 1 Timothy 3. The CEB Bible properly translates this chapter.

ROMANS 16:3
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.  -NIV 2011

1) Priscilla is a woman, and Paul calls her a fellow co-workder in Christ Jesus.

2) Traditionally in those times, the more prominent person was mentioned first.  When it's mentioning ministry work, teaching, and church, the Bible lists Priscilla's name before her husband's.  When it's referring to their tent making occupation, the Bible lists Aquila first - Priscilla's husband.  What does this tell us?  This tells us that Aquila was more prominent in tent making, but Priscilla was more prominent in teaching the Word of God to others.

ROMANS 16:7
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.  -NIV 2011

1) Junia is a female Roman name, named after the goddess Juno.

2) Junia is mentioned by Paul as having been in prison with him, and as an apostle that is outstanding.

3) Junia is likely the same person as Joanna, who was married to Chusa, a manager of King Herod's.  Joanna was a disciple of Jesus, and followed Him.  Chusa likely divorced Joanna because she followed Christ, and then she probably re-married a Christian man by the name of Andronicus, and since they went to Rome, she went by the Roman variation of Joanna, which is Junia.  Junia is a female apostle.

PHILIPPIANS 4:2-3
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.  -NIV 2011

1) Here Paul tells us of two women, named Euodia and Syntyche, and that these women worked directly with him, in spreading the Gospel.

ACTS 9:36
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.  -NIV 2011

1) There are several female disciples mentioned in the Bible.  Here we see Tabitha being mentioned as a disciple.

JOHN 4:39 
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  -NIV 2011

1) In John chapter 4, we first see that Jesus purposely went to Samaria, even though in those days the Jews and the Samaritans were in a feud, and didn't have any dealings with one another.

2) Then, Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman, which surprised her, because Jews generally didn't speak to Samaritans.

3) We also see in chapter 4 that the disciples were shocked that Jesus was speaking to a woman

4) And then we see that this Samaritan woman goes into the Samaritan city of Sychar, and preaches Christ to the people of the city, and a whole bunch of them came out to the well to seek Christ.

5) Here was a woman preacher, leading people to Christ. 

1 TIMOTHY 5:16-17
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the
church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.  -NIV 2011

1) 1 Timothy 5:2-18 is about how to take care of Christian widows.  They are divided into four classes: those who are under the age of 60 - they are told to remarry; those who are over 60 and have family to take care of them - their family is supposed to take care of them; those who are over 60 and have no family - the church is supposed to take care of them; and those who are over 60 and were pastors/teaching elders/presbyters - their family if applicable, or the the church if there is no family, is supposed to give those widows double honor.

2) The above didn't suddenly change genders mid-topic.  It is still referring to old, widowed women. The above is talking about how the widows who were pastors should be taken care of with "double honor."

PSALM 68:11
The Lord gave the word;

    great was the company of women who proclaimed it:  -MEV

1) The above is talking about female evangelists. 

NUMBERS 6:2
Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite  -NIV 2011

1) The vow of the Nazirite was open to both men and women.

2 KINGS 22:14-15
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me...  -NIV 2011

1) The male priest and other men went to Huldah, a female prophet, to get a word from the Lord, and she prophesied to these men what the Lord had her say.

1 CHRONICLES 7:24
His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.  -NIV 2011

1) A woman named Sheerah built Beth Horon the lower and upper, and also Uzzen Sheerah, which is named after her.

JUDGES 4:4
Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. -NIV 2011

1) Deborah, a married woman, was the leader of Israel.  At that time, there were no kings. The leaders of Israel were a succession of Judges that God chose.  One of the judges/leaders of Israel was a woman.  God chose a WOMAN to be a leader of Israel, because in God/Christ, there is not male and female (Gal. 5:28).

JUDGES 4:21-22
But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast
asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.  -NIV 2011

1) There are women warriors as well, such a Jael.

2 JOHN 1:1
The Elder to the choice Kyria, and to her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those having known the truth  -YLT

1) This is a New Testament epistle written to a woman.

2) Some translations don't give us this woman's name - Kyria, but instead just say "lady."  In the Greek, Kyria is kyria, which is a feminine noun.  Kyria means lady.  Kyria was a common Greek name, seen in many Greek writings.

Titus 2:3-4
that the elder women in like manner be in deportment as becoming those who have to say to sacred things, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is right; 4 that they may admonish the young women to be attached to [their] husbands, to be attached to [their] children, 5 discreet, chaste, diligent in home work, good, subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be evil spoken of.  -Darby

1) The word "elder" above, is from the Greek presbytis, which is the feminine noun version of the Greek word presbyterosPresbyteros is Greek for Presbyter, or elder.  It is used in Titus chapter 1, where it says Timothy is to "establish elders in each city," in verse 5. The King James says to 'ordain elders.'  Therefore, the above can be taken as instructing female church elders that were ordained by Timothy.

2) In the Bible, church elders and overseers (pastors) are used interchangeably, such as we see in verses 5-7 of Titus chapter one.

3) We see that the female elders are to act accordingly as women who "have to say to sacred things," and that they are to be "teachers of what is right."  In the above verse 4, we see that it doesn't say the elder women are to teach the young women, but rather to admonish them.  "Teachers" in verse three is from the Greek word didaskalos, which literally means a master or teacher.  The Greek for "admonish" in verse 4 is NOT teach.  It is sōphronizō, which means to discipline, correct, or admonish.

4) We see in the above verses that elder women (possibly ordained pastors) are to "have to say to sacred things," and to be "teachers of what is right."

2 Kings 4:8+
One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal.  -NRSVue

1) In 2 Kings chapters 4 and 8, we read of the Shunemite woman, and her dealings with the prophet Elisha.  Chapter 4 mentions her husband, alive and well, who was often out working in the fields.  This woman took the initiative, and was the one to reach out to Elisha on several occasions, and her husband did not.  Therefore, Elisha always directed his dealings with her, and not with her husband.  This demonstrates that a man of God and a woman of God can have dealings, without the woman having to go through her husband, if he is not part of those dealings.

1 Corinthians 1:11
My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  -NIV 2011

At that time, churches were in houses, and it was the householders who pastored the house churches.  The above indicates the strong possibility that Chloe was a church pastor, and further, she may have been the pastor of the main church of Corinth at the time of the First Corinthians letter. 

Colossians 4:15
Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.  -NIV 2011

A church in Nympha's house indicates another possible female pastor.  Nympa is female, and a household church was being held in HER house.  Householders of house churches were usually the pastors of said churches.


Build Your Foundation on the Rock of Salvation

"It’s like a person building a house by digging deep and laying the foundation on bedrock. When the flood came, the rising water smashed against that house, but the water couldn’t shake the house because it was well built. 49 But those who don’t put into practice what they hear are like a person who built a house without a foundation. The floodwater smashed against it and it collapsed instantly. It was completely destroyed." -Luke 6:48-49 CEB

"The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock! Let my God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high!" -2 Samuel 22:47 CEB

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:32 CEB

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

The terms "Christian" and "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" have been thrown around so much, that for many people, they have lost their original savor. What is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it going to church? Is it being a "good person?" Is it via doing certain rituals, or following certain traditions? No, it is so much simpler than that.

Jesus says:

"Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me." -Revelation 3:20 CEB

Let Jesus into your heart and life. Put your faith and trust in Him, and in Him alone.

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth? He came to pay for our sins. Have you ever broken any of the Ten Commandments? Did you know that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that just looking at someone with lust in your heart is the same thing as committing adultery in your heart?

Many people will say I'm a good person. Sure, I've stolen a few paper clips in my time, and I've told some lies, but I've never killed anyone, so I'm good enough for heaven. Don't be so sure. Have you ever felt hatred toward someone? If so, then you are guilty of committing murder in your heart:

"Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them." -1 John 3:15 CEB

If you have stolen, lied, lusted after someone, hated someone, loved someone or something more than God, etc., then you have broken at least 5 of the Ten Commandments. Do you really think you'd make it to heaven? Not according to God's Word:

"Don’t you know that people who are unjust won’t inherit God’s kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won’t inherit God’s kingdom." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 CEB

But there is good news:

"That is what some of you used to be! But you were washed clean, you were made holy to God, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." -1 Corinthians 6:11 CEB

We are all sinners:

"All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory" -Romans 3:23 CEB

Even Mary, the woman chosen by God to be a vessel that would carry Jesus in her womb, was a sinner, and in need of a Savior:

"In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior." - Mary said this in Luke 1:47 (CEB). Only sinners need a Savior, and Mary also accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior.

We are all imperfect, fallible sinners:

"This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1 John 1:5-8 CEB

The blood of Jesus Christ is what cleanses us from all sins. Jesus came to this earth to die to pay for our sins. You see, Leviticus tells us that 'the life is in the blood,' and that it takes spilt blood to atone for sin.

When we choose to truly believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and to live our lives for Christ, then Christ's spilt blood cleanses us from our sins:

"Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool." -Isaiah 1:18 CEB

Jesus tells us this:

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son." - Jesus said this, in John 3:16-18 (CEB)

Paul gives us a simple "step by step process" on how to be saved:

"Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation. The scripture says, All who have faith in him won’t be put to shame." -Romans 10:9-11 CEB

Jesus is our one and only mediator:

"There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus" -1 Timothy 2:5 CEB

Jesus is our High Priest:

"Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin." -Hebrews 4:14-15 CEB

We are to follow the Lord and the Bible, not traditions of people:

"Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you?" -Matthew 15:3 CEB

Jesus is God:

"Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory." -1 Timothy 3:16 CEB

If Jesus isn't the Lord of your life, then I hope that you will let Him into your heart and life this very moment.

"But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8 CEB

Have you built your foundation on the Rock of Salvation?

Jesus is the way. If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart and life, then let Him know. Pray to the Lord, telling Him that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the death penalty for your sins. Tell this to God in your own words, from your heart.

"The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23 CEB

Believe, and Receive:

"You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ." -Ephesians 1:13 CEB

When you believe on Jesus Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. You are sealed as a child of God.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior, and you believe that Jesus died on the cross in your place, to pay the death penalty for your sins, and that Christ rose from the dead three days later, and you are ready to let Him lead your life, and you will live for Him, then you are saved, and born again.

You are now a saved Child of God, with the Holy Spirit living within you. Dedicate your life to the Lord, and live for Him. Please get a Bible (I suggest the Common English Bible - CEB) and turn to the Gospel of John. That is the fourth book in the New Testament. If you don't have a Bible, then you can read it for free, online - here.

After you've read the Gospel of John, go on to read Acts, and then Romans. These three books will bring you through the Gospel, the early church, and basic Christian doctrine. After you've read these three, then turn to the beginning of the New Testament, and read it all the way through. After that, read both the Old and New Testaments.

You should also follow the Lord and get baptized in water. A Believer's Baptism doesn't save you. Only faith in Christ saves you. A Believer's Baptism is an outward showing of your salvation. It symbolizes you being born again. When you are lowered under the water, it shows you dying to your old self, and when you are raised up out of the water, it symbolizes you being born again, as a new creature in Christ. This is called a Believer's Baptism, because, according to the Bible, a person is supposed to get baptized after they have believed on Christ. Anyone who was "baptized" before having faith in Christ just got wet - nothing more. You don't need to find a church to get baptized in. Any born again Christian can baptize you in any acceptable body of water - even a public swimming pool.

Find a good, local church congregation to attend. Search in your area for a Nazarene church, Foursquare church, or non-denominational Full-Gospel church.

Immerse yourself in the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to you. It is also your Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

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