While He was
still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers
were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47Someone said
to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing
outside seeking to speak to You.” But Jesus answered the
one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who
are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His
disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For
whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My
brother and sister and mother.”
(Matt
12:46-50)
While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the
crowd raised her voice and said to Him,
“Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You
nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those
who
hear the word of God and observe it.”
(Luke 11:27-28)
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as
some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing
for any to perish but
for all to come to repentance."
(2 Peter 3:9)
"Come now, and
let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are
as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)
"The natural
person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them
because they are spiritually discerned." (1
Corinthians 2:14)
"O LORD, You have
brought up my soul from Sheol;
You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit."
(Psalms 30:3)
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who
comes to God must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of
those
who seek Him."
(Heb. 11:6)
"All that
the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I
will
certainly not cast out."
(John 6:37)
"For whoever
is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, the Son of Man
will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His
Father with the holy angels."
(Mark 8:38)
"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son
of God does not have the life."
(1 John 5:12)
"He
who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not
gather with Me scatters."
(Matt 12:30)
"The wicked in his proud countenance does
not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts."
(Psalms 10:4)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness,
because that which is known about God is evident within them;
for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of
the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have
been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made,
so that they
are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they
did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile
in their speculations,
and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be
wise, they became fools,"
(Romans 1:18-22)
"You
adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is
hostility toward God?
Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God."
(James 4:4)
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I
say to you,
unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
(John 3:3)
"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted
and become
like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."
(Matt. 18:3)
"The *law of the LORD is perfect, **converting the soul: the
testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
(Psalms 19:7)
**The word "converting" also could be translated "reviving,"
"restoring," or "transforming."
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His *law he meditates day and night."
(Psalms 1)
*
"Law" above, in Hebrew, refers to Holy
Scripture; the Bible. So... "Blessed (e.g. 'O, how
happy') is the
person that meditates on Scripture day and night."
"Call to
Me and
I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things
that you have not known." (Jeremiah 33:3)
"They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing
they cast lots."
(Psalm
22:18) ------
written 1,000 years before the birth of Christ
"Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this
he will also reap. For the one who sows to his
own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one
who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal
life."
(Gal: 7-8)
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants
for You, O God."
-
(Psalms 41:2)
"He who
conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who
confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."
(Proverbs 28:13)
“For behold, the
day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and
every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will
set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave
them neither root nor branch.” 2 “But for you who fear My name,
the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings;
and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under
the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says
the LORD of hosts.
(Malachi 4:1-3)
How Tradition Says the Apostles Died
"The men that crashed jet planes into the World
Trade Centers believed they were dying for something 'true'. They died for
a lie, but nevertheless, they did it because they thought it was true.
That is understandable. What wouldn't make sense though, is if the
Apostles of Jesus died for what they knew to be a 'lie', which was seeing Jesus
after he was raised from the dead. Therefore, one must consider these
deaths and ponder, is Jesus alive and reigning today, and coming back, as He
said He would? Yes, He is. The Kingdom of God is at hand. The
question is, are we ready to stand before Him? Have we been born again?"
-jz
"He is not a
fool who gives what he
cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot, Martyred Missionary
Apostle
Where died
When died
Manner of Death
Peter
(Simon Peter, Bible writer)
Rome, Italy (Nero)
54-68AD
Homicide: crucified head down, at his own request
Andrew
(son of a John & brother of Peter - Matthew 4:18)
Edessa, Greece
?AD
Homicide: severely scourged & tied by ropes on x-shaped cross
where he hung 2 days to expire
James, (son of Zebedee & Salome and elder bro. of John - not bro. of Jesus - the Bible writer)
Jerusalem, Israel (Herod)
44 AD (the 1st martyred)
Homicide: beheaded with sword; Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2
John, (son of Zebedee and bro. of James; Bible writer)
Ephesus, Turkey or Turkish Isle of Patmos
98 AD
thrown in boiling oil but unharmed;
died of Natural causes
in Ephesus
Philip of Bethsaida
Hieropolis, Syria
Homicide: crucified
Bartholomew
(Nathaniel)
India or Armenia
Homicide: beaten/flayed, and crucified head down
Thomas
(Didymus)
Edessa, Greece
Homicide: lanced by idolatrous priests &
burned up in an oven
Matthew
(Levi;, of Capernaum the Bible writer)
Nadabah, Ethiopia
about 60AD
Homicide: axed to death with a halberd
James
(son of Alphaeus; Bible writer, half bro. of Jesus)
Jerusalem, Israel
AD66
Homicide: thrown down from the Temple tower & not
dead so clubbed to death with a fullers club at age 94
Jude (Thaddaeus...Judas Lebbaeus, half bro. of Jesus)
Edessa, Greece
AD72
Homicide: crucified
Simon the Zealot (the Canaanite)
Brittainnia, Europe
Homicide: crucified
Judas Iscariot
Jerusalem, Israel
Suicide: by hanging Matt. 27:5
Matthias (the 11 remaining Apostles chose him to replace Judas)
