1-- Pfhl 220-- Christianity In The Last Days

Preparation for Heavenly Living Correspondence School http://www.geocities.com/bibleloverbill

PFHL Course 220-- Christianity in the Last Days (by Bill Stevenson) Directions: Write the answers to the questions that are related with the chosen important Scripture passages. This assignment is worth 3 units, so write at least 4 quality pages (single spaced lines and no redundancies). Direct and Implied Commandments to True Christians Found in Contexts Mentioning Christ’s Second Coming Note:

One day in 1981 when I was working at Accelerated Christian Education in Texas, my best staff friend suddenly quit his job in a strange way. He raised his Bible and shouted, “Come out from among them” misapplying the second part of the 2 Corinthians 6 teaching. He did the same thing in the Lab School playground and walked 3 miles home. Martin and I felt that we were so close to helping Mark be content and thankful for his situation (unexpected child, job assignment, and debts), so we were especially bothered by the event. I frequently asked God “Why?” for the next two weeks and the Holy Spirit led me in creating the below Bible study. At first, I was only concerned in finding appropriate verses about proper Christian behavior to possibly help Mark and members of the ACE staff. I did it in the phrase format system I learned to do in the Fall of 1978 in a special job I was blessed with I tried to put the verses in a logical order. In September 1987 and in February 1998, I did the inductive teaching technique of bolding and underlining. On February 7, 2001, I decided to insert questions to make this study easier and indicate my deep concerns about what is happening especially in our churches currently.

What does the term “Last Days” mean? What does the word “commandment” as used in the Bible mean to you? What are the main purposes of the commandments of God the Father and Jesus Christ? What is a “true Christian”? 1.) “Now the just shall live by faith. But if anyone shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him or her." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” [Hebrews 10:38 & 39] What is being “just”? (Give 7 specific examples.) What is “living by faith”? (Give 7 specific examples.) What does “shrinking back” mean? (A verse that indicates such is the condoning of other sinners indicated in Romans 1:32. Verse 17 is the same as the first verse above and verses 18 through 31 states what types of people God has given-up on and will be destroyed. It specifically says those not living by faith in God.) Give 3 specific examples of not shrinking back.

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How serious is the Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:58, and Proverbs 3:5-6 Christian commitment? Who and what help true Christians? How can you “believe to the saving of the soul”? What should your purpose and ambition for living be? [Be very specific in your answers. 2.) “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to unGodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope— the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” [Titus 2:11-14] Why should the special grace of God help us to say “No” to unGodliness and worldly passions? Why should remembering God’s grace and blessings in our lives help us “to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives”? How does believing in the “glorious appearing” Second Coming of Jesus Christ help individuals be patient with what is happening in our world? (Be specific in your answer. Give examples of types of statements and actions that you have a hard time tolerating or being patient with.) In your own words, write about what Jesus Christ really did by temporally giving up wonderful Heaven to come to Earth in human form in poverty. How is the Savior now purifying “for Himself a people that are His very own”? (John 14-17) How are you being purified? How and why are you “eager to do what is good”? (Be specific in your answer.) 3.) “Nevertheless, in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new Heaven and a new Earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.” [2 Peter 3:13 &14] Where did God promise in the Scriptures about there being a new Heaven and a new Earth (the home of righteousness)? Why are you looking forward to such? What do you think will be your main ways of using time in both? Why do you think that Peter give the exhortation “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him” to other believers of such a future? What do the words “spotless” and “blameless” mean to you? What kind of lifestyle is required? (Be specific.) How hard is it to change bad habits? (Give 7 specific examples.) What does being at peace with God mean? (John 14-17 is appropriate here too.)

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4.) “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of Salvation as a helmet.” [1 Thessalonians 5:8] What does “belong to the day” mean? How are you self-controlled? (Give 7 specific examples.) What is the function of “a breastplate”? How do you put on faith “as a breastplate”? (Give 3 specific examples.) How do you put on the unselfish/forever love from God “as a breastplate”? (Give 3 specific examples.) What is the function of “a helmet”? Why can “the hope of Salvation” be as helmet for protection? How does such relate to Philippians 4:8? 5.) “Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day (of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ) will not come until the rebellion (falling away) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” [2 Thessalonians 2:3] How do others deceive you? (Give 5 specific examples.) What other ways could they deceive you? (Give 3 specific examples.) What does the prophecy in the rest of the verse mean to you? What kind of deceptions will be used? What do you need so that you won’t be deceived by “the man of lawlessness” and his followers? 6.) “The Lord knows how to rescue Godly people from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment.” [2 Peter 2:9] How can you be a Godly person? (Give 7 specific examples.) Why does being a Godly person not a peaceful lifestyle? (John 15:18-20) Can you give three specific examples of God rescuing righteous individuals from trials? How does God “hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment while continuing their punishment”? (Give 3 specific examples.) 7.) “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.” [1 Thessalonians 2:12 & 13] How can God “make your love increase and overflow for others? What does “blameless” living mean? (Give 3 specific examples.) What does “in the presence of our God and Father mean when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones” mean? How does God strengthen your heart so that you can be “blameless and holy” in God’s presence? 8.) “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, 3

help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” [1 Thessalonians 5:14 & 15] What does being “idle” as a true Christian mean? (Give 5 specific examples.) How can you warn idle true Christians? (Give 5 specific examples.) What is being “timid” as a true Christian mean? (Give 5 specific examples.) How can you encourage the timid true Christians? (Give 5 specific examples.) What does being “weak” as a true Christian mean? (Give 5 specific examples.) How can you encourage the weak true Christians? (Give 5 specific examples.) How can you be patient with everyone? (Give 5 specific examples.) How can you make sure that nobody who you know pays back wrong for wrong? (Give 3 specific examples.) How can you always try to be kind to everyone? (Give 7 specific examples.) What should your response be to those who reject your kindness? (Be specific in your answer.) 9.) “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” [Jude 20-23] How can you “build” yourself “up in your most holy faith”? How can you “pray in the Holy Spirit”? Read John 14:16-17 & 26, 15:26, 16:13-15, Ephesians 5:18-21, Romans 8, and Proverbs 3:5-6 before answering the question. How can you keep yourself in God’s love? (John 14-17 is appropriate here too.) What does waiting “for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” mean? How can you “be merciful to those who doubt”? (Give 3 specific examples.) What does snatching “others from the fire and save them” mean? How can you do such? (Give 3 specific examples.) What does “mixed with fear” mean? What does “hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” mean? To what kinds of individuals does mercy need to be shown to? How can you show the needed mercy? (Give 3 specific examples.)

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10.) “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Holy Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-22] How and why can you always be joyful? Read Philippians 2 & 4 before answering. How can you “pray continually”? What does “having a heart of prayer mean”? What does intercessory prayer mean? What is the best adjective for intercessory prayer mean? How and why can you “give thanks in all circumstances”? Why do you think such is the will of God the Father for those who are true Christians (living in Christ Jesus)? How can an individual “put out the Holy Spirit’s fire”? (Give 5 specific examples.) How have you done so? (Give 3 specific examples.) How can an individual treat prophecies with contempt? (Give 5 specific examples.) How have you done so? (Give 3 specific examples.) How can you test everything? Read 1 John 4-5 before answering. How can you “hold on to the good”? (Give 7 specific examples.) How can you “avoid every kind of evil”? (Give 7 specific examples.) From this Bible study, what are your concluding re-commitments and new commitments to God for “the Last Days”? Finally, using File/Save_As, you might want to make a separate form of this paper by deleting all but the underlined title of Scripture collection and the Scripture to use as a witnessing handout. It will be less than 2 pages and will teach inductively because of the formatting and underlining. I have passed out many such papers.

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