Revelation Chapter 22 Discussion Page 6

Just because you are a christian dosent mean you will be saved. It is more complicated than that. First of all you need to have faith. Second, you need to humble yourself and be submissive to God. Third, you will need to pray for the Holy Spirit. Fourth you will need the Holy Spirit withstand every demon that is going to come against you.

You mean do partake of communion

Revelation 22:4 KJV says in their foreheads. What is the significance of "in" their foreheads instead of "on" their foreheads in other translations?

4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Susan, your question is difficult to answer as it would require us to judge another person, which only God can do. What I can say, is that anyone who is not a Christian according to Christ's Gospel is destined for Hell, a place of suffering & complete separation from God. See John 3:16: the word 'perish' there is 'an utter, permanent destruction'. We know that the spirit of man can never be destroyed - it will always live on; so this destruction will be the opposite to eternal life with God, & it is eternal death away from God, with the Devil.

So, such a person partaking of Communion is separated from God, destined for hell anyway. Unlike the person who is saved through faith in Jesus' death & resurrection, that person will one day be with God & so Communion is a special time to remember the Lord in His Sacrifice for us & what a great salvation He has given us.

But there are some who put on a 'Christian face' on Sundays, & live despicable lives the rest of the week. That is why the apostle Paul gave the warning in 1 Cor 11:29,30: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." To those that come to the Lord's Table (Communion) in an unworthy manner (i.e. living a double life of hypocrisy, harbouring unconfessed sin, or even expecting that they can receive some blessing by partaking of Communion), they do it unto "damnation" of their souls & may even experience physical ruin or 'sleep' (a euphemism for death).

If someone is not sure about their salvation, I strongly suggest that they don't partake of Communion & spend time in God's Word & Prayer, so that God may speak to them about their sin & lead them to repentance & salvation. Not knowing if you are saved can be a terrifying state to be in; when a person is truly born again of the Spirit, the Spirit confirms this clearly in the heart, leaving no doubts.

Exit Questions and go to the Community Area and click on steps to become a Christian. If you want to be sure...this the way we all had to go. Taking communion without being a Christian and not forgiving people who've hurt you, can heap condemnation on you.

Just follow the steps. This website actually has a brown box out on the entry page you can click on(today)

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If you feel compelled to take your first step towards God, you can do that right now wherever you are.

1. Acknowledge the Problem: We have all sinned, and that sin separates us from God

No matter how good you think you are, no matter how many good things you try to do, it is still not good enough to get into heaven; it can't be earned but is a gift.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:20-23

2. Discover the Solution: Jesus

The only way for God to bridge the gap between Himself and us is through His Son, Jesus Christ. His death was a substitute for us; He paid the penalty for our sins.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." I Peter 3:18

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Good day!! what were the occupations of jesus disciples and the reference scriptures for them please? thank you!! be safe!!! be calm!!! keep looking up!!!!

If you take communion and you're not sure if you're saved and truly believe will you go to hell

Indeed, brother Mishael: each part of Christ's Body, fitly joined together gives the strength to the Body, edifying itself unto love. We all need to offer help where we can & how much so, when a dear one seeking salvation will be in a raging battle for her soul. The enemy is not far with his mincing whispering words but the Spirit of the Lord is closer with His potent Holy Word. We do cover Barbara in prayer for Light & Salvation to be her assurance & joy.

Bless you for helping Barbara. I know you have much More knowledge than I of Roman Catholic Church. That's why the Body of Christ works well when we are together. It's a true blessing.

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C: Confess. Romans 10:9: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." You need to tell others about what God has done for you & in you. This is important in your bold stand for the Lord your Saviour that will help you to also talk to others about the Gospel.

You will need to find a good Bible believing Church near you & speak to the Elder or Pastor about your salvation, that in time you may be baptized in water (full immersion) & not a sprinkling that you received as a baby. My suggestion of a Baptist Church, Brethren Assembly, Church of Christ or Assemblies of God, generally will welcome you & provide a sound fundamental teaching from the Bible. Maybe there will be someone there (the Pastor will know) who also has been an RC in the past & now saved through Christ. That believer will certainly be able to guide you through some of your concerns. Also, you can always write here to get a brief explanation on those.

You asked about an easy version of the Bible to read: I like the King James version, but if the older English is not easy for you, then maybe the New King James or New American Standard versions will be easier. I know I've written a lot here, but just wanted to encourage you to truly seek the Lord with all your heart - He is at your heart's door knocking waiting to come in & fellowship with you as His very own. ( Rev 3:20). You're in my prayers to this end.

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That's all you need is faith in Him - nothing else - no added good works to guarantee salvation. ( Titus 3:5: "Not by WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost"). And Ephesians 2:8,9 "For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast". If we add anything to faith for our salvation, then it's no longer of faith, but of works - & that is not God's salvation ( Romans 11:6).

So, we summarize knowing & receiving Salvation using our A B Cs:

A: Acknowledge. To understand & accept that Jesus is God's Son & that He came to give His Life for you & me on the Cross. This can only be done by Jesus, no one else. I know you will acknowledge this great Truth.

B: Believe. To repent of your sins, your old way of living, your old beliefs that were contrary to what the Bible teaches, & give all of that wrongdoing to Jesus to be put to death with His death. It is to say, "I'm sorry with all my heart Lord Jesus, for all my sin that I have done, so please forgive me & make me a new person & come in & fill me with your Holy Spirit Who makes me a child of God". But you must truly be convicted by the Spirit to cry for forgiveness. Just to say a prayer or repeat some words doesn't do anything - this is because we're talking about God changing your heart & giving His Spirit, not some contract. You may need to spend time talking to God about how you're feeling & start reading the Bible that will draw you to that point of being convicted of sin & able to truly repent from your heart & not your mind.

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The Bible says: that there is only "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" ( 1 Timothy 2:5; "If we confess our sins (to whom?), he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" ( 1 John 1:9).

The Eucharist bread & wine mystically changed to the actual Body & Blood of Christ so you partook of Christ each time at Mass. The wafer tasted like a wafer, but you were required to believe that a physical change in them took place because Jesus was being crucified afresh each time. The Bible says in Romans 6:9,10: "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth NO MORE; death hath NO MORE dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin ONCE: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God." The Eucharist (we call the Lord's Table) also has the bread & the wine but they are representative only of His broken Body & shed Blood for us at Calvary. If they were supposed to change into His actual Body, then His disciples should have rather eaten his flesh when they ate together in the Upper Room ( Luke 22:19,20). But they ate the bread & drank the wine instead, which were only emblems of His Body & Blood. So, the apostles & the Church (then & now) do not re-crucify Jesus each time but we remember His Death in this way as Jesus instructed.

I've only mentioned a few things that are important for you to know, but there is much more. The matter of not praying to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, or praying to the saints, or believing in purgatory, & many more RC teachings that are not in the Bible.

Yet, to answer your question: "how do I know if I'm saved?" Firstly, you need to know that Christ's salvation is only by having FAITH in what He did for you on the Cross: faith in His dying for your sins, taking your place; His Resurrection back to life showing that God accepted His Sacrifice; His Ascension back into Heaven & His intercessory work for you right now.

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Barbara, thank you for being bold enough to share what you did & even though it's not possible to deal with all your questions fully, we can touch on some of the basics that may cause you confusion. I do share the Word with Roman Catholics occasionally & so am aware of their ingrained beliefs accompanied with the fear that holds them bound to the Church. Also to state, the very fact that you're troubled by this very important matter now, tells me that God's Spirit is at work in you to give you His Salvation. All your past history with the RC Church was for a season & for a reason, so that you may come to this time now when you realize that "I must be sure of being forgiven, of being in God's family & of an eternity with Him in Heaven - I don't want to feel lost or rejected anymore".

Well, the good news is that the Bible has all the answers for each one of us. What you had learnt about the Deity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) is true: one God revealed to us in His three persons. If one part of God was missing, then He wouldn't be God & we would all be damned for our sins. Catholic teaching has evolved over time: at one time you were not allowed to read the Bible because you were told that you couldn't understand it & it was up to the priest to teach you from it. Now they allow you to read it for yourself. (See 2 Timothy 3:16).

You were told that it was only through the Church you could be saved; the Bible teaches that it is only through Jesus Christ we can be saved ( John 3:16: "whoever believes IN HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life". Acts 4:12:"for there is NONE OTHER NAME under Heaven, whereby we must be saved"). Once, you had to go to Confession, to a priest who acted as God's intermediary for you & you could then be absolved of your sins.

Don't be afraid to use this website for all of your needs. When you came into it and clicked on Questions: near it was a link to Become A Christian. You have so many questions; I think you will find them there.

I think God is calling you into a deeper relationship with Him. I know it's hard to switch to a different kind of church. More important is to combine it with a commitment to read the KJV Bible. Start in 1, 2, 3, John, in the back and read all the way through it. Underline 1 John 1:9. Jesus is who we confess our sins to. For me it was like an emergency room I had to go to a lot. Chris thinks the New King James Bible is easier to read.

Right now my phone is going dead and I will have to write back tomorrow evening, since I am child sitting a frisky 7Yr old grandson tomorrow. I'm going to copy something after this that will help you explore and navigate this website for studying purposes. God hold this child under your wings and keep her safe from all enemies: in Jesus Name.

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If you don't understand something; enter this website and use the SEARCH box. Type in a few words from the verse you want explained. Hit the New Testament only button; if that is where your scripture is.

Tap on the verse and it should turn yellow. Scroll downward till you see the COMMENTARY box. Open it and read what elder Scholars have commented on that scripture.

Really good Bible Study helps!

If the search engine can't find your scripture you'll see another BOX to take you directly to Google. I find a LOT of verses that way.

There's some really good links on the opening page to go to to learn new scripture or explanation.

Scroll to the red area and click or tap on: become a Christian. You can do this. You can ask Chris to help you. He knows what you're going through.

Until tomorrow. Be at peace. Mishael

Hi, only today I heard a Wedding message that was from Revelation 22. The Gospel message, the glory of the Bible because of the hope provided, is reiterated in the last verses of Revelation. The message is to "Come". The reason to come is a reconciled peace in one's soul with God through his son Jesus. There is no other way to answer this message than to simply come and hear and believe by faith that the blood of the Lamb can cover you. Then the Spirit and the Bride can teach you enough that repentance within your life can come to pass. A new creature will be made if one follows through with a true repentance. Then the peace of God that drew you to "Come" will enter your soul and provide grace and peace to finish this part of eternity in the flesh. The wonderful part of this message is to come as you are and there are no exceptions on who may answer this message, it is for everyone while time remains. God bless our meditations and hope and bravery.

My question is not regarding Revelation 22, just the Bible or Religion in general.

I was raised Catholic, went through all like Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony and attended Church on Sundays and other Religious days, But I do not ever remember reading a Bible. As a matter of fact, I don't think I ever really looked at a Bible, except for the Missles we had, till I was an adult. Also I sort of left the Catholic Church after a time. I started questioning things as a teen, and then later after a while just left it. I was always taught that it was a sin for Catholics to go to others churches, and I never understood that. But now I am hearing/learning/?? that I am not saved? If that is so, How do you know that I am not saved? Who says so and how do I get saved if I am not? Who will save me? What version of the Bible is the best for a beginner to start with??? And if I feel the need to talk to someone about this subject, who would that be?? I cannot talk to anyone I know, because the emotions flow out thru tears and I have a hard time with that. Sometimes, as old as I am I just feel like a lost soul. I KNOW that I am NOT a Satanist, but I am a sinner according to the 10 Commandments and I think I have always believed in God. Except for a time, when I thought Aliens might have hand a hand in our origins. But I sense that God or his spirit, or goodness has always been with me, even more so recently, though I could not for the life of me understand why. If you have any answers for me that would be awesome. I am open to it. Thanks and God Bless.

This is a good bible to read and understand

He who is without sin, cast the first stone.

We are all imperfect and unworthy. It is through the blood that was shed for the atonement of our sins (which is the breaking of HIS commandments, statues and ordinances which WERE and ARE given to us as guidelines) that we may seek redemption. The New Testament (written by the apostles and St. Paul )DOES NOT CANCEL OUT that which is written in the TORAH or PROPHETS.

In our present state of "unholiness" we can only pray that our LORD helps us and gives us the strength to avoid temptations. Probably impossible because there are so many "things" that surrounds and fulfils our earthly life, that is why there is repentance and forgiveness.

Yoke not yourself with unbelievers and pray, pray, PRAY for we will be judged according to our works, but we are all HIS children and through HIS SON our MESSIAH, HE is merciful.

May the LORD bless you and keep you safe.

Jesus never cancelled the 10 commandments. He upheld them. He died for us because we can not truly obey the commandments without failing. That does not mean that then sinning is to be ok. Never. Romans 6:1. "What then, shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!

Ruben,

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of GOD.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Get on your face before Him! Persevere in this way, and YOU WILL HAVE VICTORY OVER THIS. I pray for you! Much LOVE in JESUS!

Ruben, here's a technique that's a bit different than the other really good suggestions offered. If you can imagine your life as a pizza, and each slice represents a different aspect of your life. One slice is work, another is church, another slice is family, and another slice might be recreation....and so on. When a slice or a part of that slice is missing, there's a hole. And, we being our human selves try to fill that hole. Often we do it with quick fixes that aren't lasting and negative. The key is to find a long term positive to fill that missing slice. I honestly don't care if you have same sex attraction, but is that new? Is there a void, maybe intimacy or love or a connectedness that is missing. I feel lust, not love. I fall in "Love" with every pretty girl I see. My opinion all humans want to love and be loved. We seek love from fellow people. WE really need to seek God's love. It's harder sometimes, because it's not the BLAM in your face love that we sometimes get from people. Don't get me wrong, it certainly can be. But, it's different. So, think about is something missing? Is it sexual lust, that is looking to fill a void? I never think bars or clubs are the best places to meet long-term partners. That's why their dark and alcohol is involved. Online dating seems to be about hook ups. Use your other areas of life to help you as you come to terms and learn coping strategies to help you. If, this is what you want. You may slip, but keep coming back to God and coming back to scripture. People in the faith community seem to quickly condemn people who have same sex attraction. That's you and your relationship with God, not them and you. Use the SMART method of goal setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-line (does it have a time restriction). Is your goal to be celibate those things? Meet like-minded people in healthy environments. I pray for God to open doors for people go through and close doors He doesn't want us in. God Loves You.

It's nothing. Thought it might be someone from a church I went to 35 years ago. Reliving early street ministry days

what do you mean Z

Will follow after the spirit. For every person in the world there are sins that tempt. The key is to follow after the spirit. When the lust of sin comes knocking at the door don't answer it. Watch a good movie, listen to Christian radio, listen to some nice Christian music like the Gaithers, Larnelle Harris, Big Daddy Weaver, and Keith Green has some wonderful music from his era. Call a good friend or a prayer line. The key is to follow Christ because he is the resurrection and the life. He is the hope of Resurrection.this means eternal life in a beautiful paradise with mountains and trees and streams and animals and the presence of precious believers do out history. It's well worth the sacrifice I've seen this not healthy for you anyways.

I have been reading 1st Corinthians 15. Paul's exclamation of the Resurrection she's beautiful.

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"Can celibacy work?" Celibacy is an acceptable state to be in (whether called or compelled to be in) & it is a demonstration to the Lord & yourself that you are serious about what you are going through. But celibacy alone will be a struggle if done in your own strength. Your whole attitude is to be close to the Lord through the study of His Word, in prayer (especially when the temptations come), in meeting with other Christians who understand your situation & able to support & counsel you, are all essential in gaining victory. You should never feel alone & isolated in being celibate, but to rejoice that your struggles against the flesh are for the Lord & His Glory & that He is mindful of what you're going through. The apostle Paul prayed earnestly that the Lord would remove the 'thorn in his flesh' (possibly an optical problem), but the Lord was quiet over the matter. You can read about it in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; the key thought here is: that "His Grace (for the infirmity) is given in sufficient measure; & His Strength (to you) is made perfect in (your) weakness". Ruben, you can really prove the Lord in a mighty, special way as you leave your desires completely with Him & trust Him for the strength to persevere & overcome.

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Ruben, I really sense your frustration & helplessness. I am a heterosexual so I hope someone else who is going through the same conflicts can respond as well, though I thought to pen a few lines to you.

I understand from your plea, that you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have homosexual tendencies but trying to live as Christ wants you to. I confess that I'm ignorant how these 'other lifestyles' arise, except to discern that our fallen nature has played havoc with how we are, the way we think, & the things we do. You know the Scriptures about the way God views this type of lifestyle, but what He does see is that you recognize His view on this issue & that only through desire for a new life & abstinence from that which is wrong, is what you too are sensing.

As I mentioned, we often have 'thorns in the flesh', simply because we are human, imperfect, & with sinful flesh. Some may have a physically deformity or with lower mental capacity or carrying emotional pain from a young age. Yours affects your need for love & companionship which is a very strong compulsion. In my case, I was born with colour blindness (to some degree), & though this generally hasn't affected me in my daily life, it destroyed my sole ambition for a career as an airline pilot. I struggled with this 'loss' for many years & wondered why the Lord allowed this to be my lot. As a Christian, I realize that there is always a purpose in our lives; for me, it could have meant an air accident which could have brought disastrous results, but I could see that all things happen for a reason. I never ever settled into any career that I could enjoy, but content to be in Christ.

Your struggle is different I know but the same principles apply. If Satan tries to get me in a weak area of my life, I should expect his attack there, I must withstand him, I must cleave to Christ & I must press on in faith. It will never be an easy road to tread, but you must resist Satan at every instance. (page 2).

The other person may not know they are dragging spiritual bondage behind them: like an unclean spirit. (It's scripture)

I'm celibate. If mr. unclean shows up,

Put on praise music You love and read some chapters. Don't be alone with them till you know their story.

Anyone else dealing with same sex attraction and trying to live a Celibate life have any tips? Can this lifestyle really work? Is it really the best choice for my situation?

Does your last name begin with Z ?