It's not too late to Cast your Vote!

When the polls open on any given election day, every citizen of the United States over the age of 18 is able to cast a vote. This is an absolute fact that everyone believes in. One can proudly say, "I have the right to vote." However, if you don't take the action to actually do so, your vote is not counted. You have given up, or lost your right. Believing in your right alone is not enough to cast your vote. 

The same goes for our salvation. We can truly believe that Jesus died on the cross for all of mankind's sins, but if we don't take the action to accept it for ourselves, it is lost. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) He later says, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:7) Don't you just love Jesus? I think He's funny sometimes, like here saying, "Marvel not"… or, don't be so flabbergasted. But this is no laughing matter. Jesus goes on to say, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6) If we do not accept Jesus as our savior, we remain only flesh; flesh that dies. When we accept Him, we receive his Holy Spirit, which lives on forever. 

The apostle Paul tells us, "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

If you haven't cast your vote for your salvation yet, what could you possibly be waiting for? God has made it very clear that he will close His polls unannounced. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:2) This very second, read this line out loud: "Jesus, I accept your death on the cross for full payment of my sins, and I look forward to being with you in heaven!" Salvation is indeed God's free and unmerited gift to everyone, as long as we take the action to claim it. 

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! 

 

Saved by Grace But Judged by Works

It's His Party 

And You Can Bring Gifts 

If You Want To

The invitation to the party of a lifetime reaches your door. The person to whom this party is given is the most amazing and highly respected person you know. Everyone but everyone is invited. It's free; all you need is do is accept the invitation. You get there and see that only a handful of people showed up. Many of them are lined up in great anticipation to give the esteemed guest of honor their gifts that took them their entire existence to cumulate. "Wait!", you exclaim in panic, "I didn't know you could bring gifts!" Ouch. To make matters worse, you found out there was a gift registry.

The Bible tells us that there is nothing you need to do to get into Heaven other than to accept Jesus as your Savior. 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. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Thinking that we have to do anything in addition to believing insults our Lord by telling Him that the cross wasn't enough.

That being said, this does not mean that we cannot do good works for Him. This is great news, as there is nothing we should want to do more than to honor our Savior. Conveniently, we don't even have to guess what He might like; His wish list is scattered throughout the pages of the New Testament. For each wish granted, our King will give us a crown.

1. The Incorruptible Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
This imperishable crown is given to believers who have answered and successfully completed a call from God, and in doing so have sacrificed the money, possessions and life style they could have had otherwise. The apostle Paul compared it to running an extraordinary race, only the rewards of winning this race are everlasting.
2. The Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. & Daniel 12:3) 

This crown is for God's soul winners, who have faithfully witnessed to others His saving grace. We may doubt our ability to do such a powerful thing, or think we have no time, but our God is omnipotent. He can bend time and events in our favor to fit opportunities for us to witness and work for Him if we allow Him to.
3. The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
This crown is for those who have lived a good and righteous life for God, and longed and loved for His return. They have lived 'right' by not only talking the talk, but walking the walk even when no one was looking. Only the good…get the crown of righteousness!
4. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 & Revelation 2:10)
Also known as the martyr's crown, this crown is given to those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death. This is the greatest act of bravery, courage and love that we could possibly show God our Father.
5. The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Also known as the pastor's crown, this crown is for all who serve and shepherd God's people. God did not make the Bible easy to understand, but he did place among his people those who have studied and grasped His Word. These teachers will be given the crown of glory!

So, will people be walking around with crowns in Heaven? Weren't we talking about gifts we could give to Him? In Revelation 4:10 it says that when we receive our crowns we will cast them before Him, professing to Him that He should receive the glory and honor and power, that He created all things, and that for His pleasure they were made. Yes, these are the gifts that we can give to our Jesus on Judgement Day!

One of the unexpected joys of adding the Bible to my repertoire is that so many of the songs I have been singing in church all my life now have more substance. I feel sorry for the person who sits in front of me the next time we sing "Crown Him with Many Crowns!" I get all pitchy when I sing too loud.

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, do some digging. One thing you won't get is bored!

Just say Merry Christmas!

As I write this, we have 07 days, 12 hours, 42 minutes and 05 seconds until Christmas. (Maybe I should get rid of my countdown-to-Christmas ornament!) Regardless, I wonder how many more times someone will wish me a happy holiday rather than a Merry Christmas. People say this to me even when I am wearing my jacket that has 'Jesus Saves' embroidered on the front. Sadly, I admit that many times I just say, "Thanks" and walk away with a lump in my throat. 

I believe the tightness I feel in my throat is telling me something. So is my increased heartbeat. For tugging at my flesh is the very Counselor and Comforter that I deny. The apostle Paul was inspired by God to explain it this way: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. -Galatians 5:17 It makes perfect sense then that our Savior, who's birth and more importantly death and resurrection it is that we are celebrating during Christmas, would physically remind us not to deny Him! 

As not to grieve my King and Savior when the world attempts to dismiss Him, I have decided to say, "You can say Merry Christmas to me - I celebrate my Savior's birth!" Additionally, if the Lord tarries another year, next Christmas I am going to make buttons that say just that.

God sprinkles all kinds of promises for us throughout His word. Some are lovely, some are not! This one encompasses both, and is quite relevant as well as motivating… Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. -Matthew 10:32-33

Please pray that we all have the courage to boldly proclaim what Christmas, in spite of it's pagan synthesis, means to us as Christians. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and leave you with the lyrics of my new favorite Christmas song, "Welcome to our World" by Chris Rice…

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking

How we need to hear from God

You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child

Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger

How I wish we would have known

But long-awaited Holy Stranger

Make Yourself at home

Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence

Bid our hungry souls be filled

Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world

Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for thorn

Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born

Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You

Breathe our air and walk our sod

Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God

Perfect Son of God

Welcome to our world

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! 

Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

On my refrigerator, nestled among family snapshots and a list of foods to avoid,  I have a clipping that reads, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." I do love it. For me, it answers the question, "Why I am here?" and acts as a 'to do' list every single morning. The quote comes from Matthew chapter 9… "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."  

Earlier in Matthew (chapter 4) we have this…"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." 

Have you ever wondered what you might have done had you been around when Jesus walked the earth? I would like to believe my answer would have been "Whatever He told me to do!"  If He told me to pray for laborers to preach the gospel to His lost sheep, I would have straightway dropped everything to do so!  Why then, should it be any different two thousand years later? Is everyone saved? I think not. If you are, then I would give my life savings on the fact that I know exactly what Jesus would tell you to do if you asked Him today…preach His gospel. This very day we can be the laborers Jesus told His twelve disciples to pray for!

If you are a believer in Christ, you have been given the authority to preach the Gospel to everyone, everywhere. The Holy Spirit has given us each our own special gift to do so. This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he explained that we are all different parts of the body of Christ, each of us as important as the other, each depending on the other. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.  -Romans chapter 12

What is your gift? Twenty-five years ago I was studying in one of the nations most prestigious art colleges. Regularly I prayed, "God, why did you give me this talent, yet not the desire to use it?" I was good at what I did, but I could hardly bear sitting down to do it. Now that I am using it for His ultimate purpose, the hours fly by.  I couldn't imagine a more well-suited gift, and am ever grateful that He has given it to me.

What if we fail to get the lost to believe? Failure is not ours to worry about, just as success is not ours to boast about. The actual act of saving was done by Jesus on the cross. We are simply planting seeds; only God can help them to grow. Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10:  "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand….And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet….Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians conducted a national online survey called “Songs That Make a Difference.” Coming in at number two was Dan Schutte's "Here I am Lord". It has my vote. For many years this was one of those songs I simply could not sing. A funny thing happens to your throat when God tugs at your heart. The lyrics are based on Isaiah 6:8... "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

"And he said unto them, 

Go ye into all the world, 

and preach the gospel to every creature. 

                                                                           -Mark 16:15

Not sure how to start witnessing? 

This book from Mark Cahill can help!

http://markcahill.org/resource.html

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.

 

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Using God's Name in Vain...is it so wrong?

"God, you are absolutely worthless…you are NOTHING!" Would you ever say that to the great I AM? I don't even think an atheist would, as they would be admitting God's existence by speaking to Him. Yet this is precisely what people are saying when they use our Savior's name in vain. Shav, the word for vain in Hebrew means emptiness, falsehood, nothingness, worthlessness, useless. Yet blasphemy surrounds us more and more. The 2012 movie American Reunion (which I wouldn't recommend for a number of reasons) has 35 religious exclamations! God's name is abused regularly on radio, TV, out in public, and even in the back seat of my own car! I don't care how many times I hear it, the piercing feeling in my heart at the misuse of my Lord's name never wanes. 

We are all familiar with the third commandment, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain." However, most of us are not as well-informed of the rest of the verse…"for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) Now let's take a closer look at exactly who is going to hold us guilty for calling Him 'nothing'...

• "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) 

• "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:3)

• "The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up." (1Samuel 2:6)

• "Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:23&24)

This is a God I want to please. I can't even imagine using His Son's name in vain!

The modern rise of disrespect to our most Holy Heavenly Father shouldn't be a surprise to us. It has been prophesied in the Bible about the people of our time… "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." (2 Timothy 3:2) This does not paint a pretty picture of us. Saved Christians have the right, the privilege, and the responsibility to use God’s name only in reverence and fear. Maybe the next time we catch ourselves saying, "God!" quickly follow it up with, "I love you!" 

Personally, I have never made a habit of taking my God's name in vain. Yet I do feel like I let Him down every time I say nothing to those around me who do. (Except for my family, of course!) From now on I'm going to do what a friend of mine does; he adds "Amen!" when he hears his Savior's name called out. 

Breaking the ten commandments will not keep us from going to heaven, but if God is keeping a record of our wrongs (and He is!) how many times will we have called our Lord and Savior 'worthless'?

I'm suggesting this two-step program to help repeat offenders... Go to this link on Amazon (Click on image) and download Travis Cottrell's song, "Sanctus". Then listen to it when you feel the urge to call God anything less than the King of Awesome Majesty. By the time he's finished singing "With reverence and with fear, with trembling lips, Lord, we draw near." you'll be a changed man or woman! 

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my Bible study friends who proofread for me every week.

The Second Commandment of God

Man, am I ever glad that I am saved by grace and grace alone. Just the very thought of trying not to sin in any way is in a way a sin…for that would make us as God, rather than praising His sinlessness. My latest revelation is that I have been sinning simultaneous while praising him! 

In almost every room of my house I have an image of my Savior. Daily I feast my eyes on them. They remind me who I am. They keep my mind focused on Him and his ever-loving presence. They comfort me when fear slips it's sneaky self through the cracks of my faith. They inform my visitors immediately upon arrival who's in charge of my home. How could these representations of pure love possible be wrong? 

The Lord thy God clearly pronounces in His second commandment He gave to Moses, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" (Exodus 20: 4&5) First of all, If God Himself says he's jealous, I'm going to give Him the exclusive worship He so demands, and look into this further.

At first I thought 'graven' meant having to do with the grave, or after death, so, I thought it may be ok to have a joyful, living image of our Lord. However, the word graven refers to an engraving, or inscription of an image on a surface, and has nothing to do with death at all. The Hebrew root words of 'image' translate to an outline or shape of a shadow, a resemblance and/or a carving. In addition, God states that he doesn't want any likeness of anything that is in heaven. In Acts 17:29 Paul says, "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." Later on he tells the Romans that they have "become vain in their imaginations…and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man." (Romans 1)  Simply yet sadly put, it looks like absolutely no images are to be made of our God or His beautiful Son, whether it was before he died for us or after. But why?!

Maybe it is as elementary as the fact that we keep getting it wrong. Quite wrong, actually. Does anyone remember Gilda Radner's skit on Saturday Night Live where she admits to having a crush on Jesus, because He is soooo handsome. I actually laughed real hard when I saw that, because I too had a crush on Jesus.  They always paint him up to be quite the looker. Isaiah, one of the chief profits of redemption, writes, "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2) In addition I believe that Jesus of Nazareth's hair would have been black not brown, and given that he grew up under Mosaic law that his beard would have been untrimmed. "His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." (Song of Solomon 5:11) I also doubt that God looks like an old man, or the Holy Spirit a dove.

In all seriousness, how could we mere humans possibly capture the divinity of our God.  John Owen conveyed this beautifully in 1679…

  

"The true beauty and amiableness of the person of Christ, which is the formal object and cause of divine love, is so far from being represented herein, as that the mind is thereby wholly diverted from the contemplation of it. For no more can be so pictured unto us but what may belong unto a mere man, and what is arbitrarily referred unto Christ, not by faith, but by corrupt imagination. The beauty of the person of Christ, as represented in the Scripture, consists in things invisible unto the eyes of flesh. They are such as no hand of man can represent or shadow. It is the eye of faith alone that can see this King in his beauty. Can his condescension, his love, his grace, his power, his compassion, his offices, his fitness and ability to save sinners, be deciphered on a tablet, or engraven on wood or stone? However such pictures may be adorned, however beautified and enriched, they are not that Christ which the soul of the spouse does love;­ they are not any means of representing his love unto us, or of conveying our love unto him."

I did an experiment before I wrote this post. I removed all the images of Jesus I had in my studio. (Yes, I have more than one image in several rooms in my home!) Not long after, I sat at my desk in a time of need to pray. I looked up and saw that my smiling Jesus was missing. So was my suffering Jesus. So was my hope Jesus. I closed my eyes in an attempt to see the memory of them. Instead of visualizing something that probably looked nothing like my Lord and Savior, I instantly felt God's loving presence and charity. There was no delay. It was as if I had upgraded my access speed. Interesting isn't it?

Here is how I have to look at some of God's rules: He wouldn't have made them if they weren't good for us. I often tell my kids, "You may not understand my rules now, but someday you will, and you will thank me for them." Jesus told His disciples before He left them, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7) Ah, my newfound comfort! - not a misrepresentation of my Lord, but His actual Holy Spirit inside my very being, in an instant. Try it for yourself…close your eyes, and enjoy! 

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.

Human Trafficking - Are we partly to blame?

Would you believe the number of lives sold into slavery today is greater than at any other time in history? There are at any given time 2.4 million victims, 80 percent of which are exploited for sexual slavery. According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, criminals conduct $32 billion in business annually.  It is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world today, second only to drug trafficking and tied with illegal arms.

These statistics are indeed alarming, and human suffering abounds, but what can we do about it? Perhaps it's not what we can do, rather, what we must stop doing. 

Many assume that viewing pornography is harmless, that these websites will undeniably exist whether we invisibly visit them or not. Maybe it is time we look at how the industry works. Be very clear that every time we visit a site it counts as a view. Advertisers tally these views and yes, the porn industry thrives. Now, let's not fool ourselves with the notion that these girls (and guys) on the sites are there by choice and are being well-paid. If they are not there by force, they are there by demand…ours. Nor can you deny that the porn industry does not feed the prostitution industry and vice versa. Furthermore, not viewing pornography ourselves but turning a blind eye to our spouse or children's use holds us just as accountable.   

Doing the right thing is almost always choosing the less traveled and rocky path. Prepare for fierce resistance. Not allowing your teenager to have a phone with internet is not popular, nor is putting a filter on your spouse's computer. Make a stand and start the fight against human trafficking in your own home today, and be ever mindful that you have the God-given strength to do so!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. - Phillipians 4:13 

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. - Romans 12:2

Abstain from all appearance of evil. - 1 Thessalonians 5:22

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  - Galations 5:16

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. - John 13:34

P.S. As a saved child of God, no sin will keep us out of heaven. They just show up on our resume when we are applying for our job there!

This is a great resource for internet safety, by Donna Rice Hughes

Resource book for Men

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.

What is the Kingdom of God?

If someone asked you, "What is the kingdom of God?", what would your response be? As a child I would have said that it was a place far, far away; not only was I was quite familiar with the Lord's Prayer, but in addition my mom often expressed that my toys were scattered "from here to kingdom come!" I later came to believe that God's kingdom is within my spirit, and it is where I will go when I die…it is heaven. Now that I have been studying God's Holy Bible, (Which I can't believe I used to think was boring!) I am learning that there is much more to His kingdom than I could have imagined.

The kingdom that I was talking about within my spirit is referred to as the spiritual kingdom. Jesus tells us in John 3:3-6 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." I was right that the kingdom of God is within me, but it was only after I truly accepted Him as my Savior. 

Now as for the physical kingdom of God…all I can say is, "Wow!" Would you believe that God is actually going to set up His kingdom of heaven right here on Earth for a thousand years?!!  If you take every word of the Bible as literal, that's what it says.  Since Jesus told Satan in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." I am going to do just that.

Following are a few passages from Scripture that make me a believer in the fact that while we live in a cursed world right now, soon God will restore His kingdom right here on His planet earth.

• God promised Abraham that he would inherit all the land of the earth. This has not happened yet, and He has NEVER broken a promise. "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."  (Genesis 13:14-15)

• God told Daniel that after the world ended in catastrophe, He would set up His Messianic kingdom. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:44)

• Jesus taught mankind a prayer that includes asking God to have His kingdom come, since we didn't accept it at the time of fulfillment, when we could have. (We crucified Him instead.) "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-13) 

• Jesus' reply to Pilate when he asked Him if He was the King of the Jews was, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36) Does this not tell us that His kingdom is not here yet? 

• Who is the ruler or out world, then? Most unfortunately, it is not our Christ! God gave Satan power over the unbelievers of this world. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corrinthians 4:4) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."(Ephesians 6:12) One doesn't have to spend much time looking around to realize that this is very true.  

• God gave His apostle John the revelation of how He would bring in His covenanted kingdom for a thousand years. (It's a little scary, but ends well for those who love Him!) "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (Revelation 20)   (After reading that part in Revelation I like to read this…"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10) )  

I absolutely delight in the promise of Christ's return, when He will set up His Father's kingdom and have absolute sovereign reign over all of creation. He will rule an age free from sin, sickness and suffering. There will be no more anger or hate or war. There will be no more anguish or shame. There won't even be any more weeds! How can God's kingdom on Earth not excite you? I'm so fired up about it I could unfurl my excitement all the way to kingdom come!

Please remember, BIBLE BAIT is written by a novice Bible study student, not a Bible scholar. If something doesn't look quite right to you, dig into God's word. The one thing I promise you is that you won't get bored! Many thanks to my friend Renee Driscoll, who helps me keep Bible Bait Biblically correct.