The Soul Exists

Man consists of a body and a soul. Some say that our soul doesn't exist. Some say our soul is destroyed when our body dies. Today we will study the truth about our soul through the Bible.

Let's find out through the Bible what elements a man consists of.
Ge 2:7 The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
God created a man with the dust and the breath of life. What does the dust represent here? (body) How about the breath of life? (spirit) Now let's find out what happens to these two when a man dies.
Ecc 12:7 The dust returns to the ground and the spirit returns to God.
Our body returns to the ground and begins to decay. Our spirit returns to God, not being destroyed. The Bible teaches us that our soul exists. Let's study more about this.
Mt 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Jesus tells us not to be afraid of those who can kill only our body but to fear God who can destroy both our body and soul. Jesus also testifies that our soul still exists even after our body dies.
Job 19:26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh [after this body has been destroyed, NIV] I will see God.
Job wanted to see God after his body had been destroyed. What do you think would see God, his body or soul?
Heb 12:9 We have all had human fathers … How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
We have a human father and a spiritual Father. As our body is given by our human father, so our soul is given by our spiritual Father. Our spirit surely exists.
The Apostle Paul also says there are a natural body and a spiritual body, which mean a body and a soul. He also testifies that our soul exists.
1 Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
Our body and soul separate when we die. After death our soul still exists apart from our body. Let's confirm this fact through the Bible.
1 Ki 17:21 The boy's life (soul, KJV) returned to him, and he lived.
Our spirit will face God's judgment after it leaves our body.
Rev 20:11 The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Our soul exists and it will be judged according to its deeds after death. After we take off this body of earthly life, a shadow, our spirit will live a heavenly life, the reality. The soul does exit. God bless you.

Blessings Through Tithing

According to the history in the Garden of Eden, Satan led Adam and Eve to disobey God's command. Satan still works to deceive God's people. Today we will study about tithing, one of God's commands. Satan keeps God's people from obeying God's law of tithes. What must we follow, God's command or Satan's deceitfulness?

First of all, let's study whom tithes belong to.
Mal 3:7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. … Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.
According to the Bible, tithing is God's command. Satan deceives people into not giving tithes. What will happen to us when we are overcome by Satan? We will face God's punishment on the last day.
To overcome the deceitfulness of Satan, we must understand why God wants us to give tithes. Tithing gives us heavenly blessings. God wants to give us the eternal blessing of the kingdom of heaven through tithing.
Only who is worthy to receive our tithes then? Let's find out.
Lev 27:30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
A tithe of everything belongs to God, so we must give a tithe to Him.
How can we tithe only to God? Let's find out.
Ge 14:17 Abram gave him [Melchizedek] a tenth of everything.
God wants us to give tithes to Him. Here Abraham offered his tithes to Melchizedek. Whom does Melchizedek signify then?
Heb 7:1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. … and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. … like a Son of God he remains a priest forever.
Melchizedek stands for Jesus, God our Savior. We must tithe to Jesus, Melchizedek, who blesses us through the Passover bread and wine.

It is the true offering when tithes are offered to Melchizedek, our God. In these last days you can enter the kingdom of heaven only when you recognize Melchizedek and give tithes to Him. God bless you.

The Law of Tithe

Tithing is an offering to God, a tenth of one's income or property. It is not worldly substance, but a holy offering like a lamb or a goat in the time of Moses.
We must honor God by offering our firstfruits. God will bless us, so that our barns will be filled to overflowing.
Pr 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing.
The origin of tithing can be found in Genesis. Abraham the father of faith shows us a good example of tithing to God. After defeating his enemies to rescue Lot and returning home, Abraham met Melchizedek. Melchizedek blessed Abraham through bread and wine and Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything―a tenth of all the goods he had obtained in battle.
Ge 14:17 Abram gave him [Melchizedek] a tenth of everything.

Some say we don't have to observe tithing nowadays. However, Jesus teaches us that we must practice it because it belongs to God.
Mt 22:21 Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and Give to God what is God's.
Jesus wants us to give to God what is God's. Let's figure out what belongs to God through the Bible.
Lev 27:30 A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
Tithes belong to God. We must give tithes to God as Jesus commands. Let's find out Jesus' correct teachings of tithing in the Bible.
Mt 23:23 You should have practiced the latter [justice, mercy …], without neglecting the former [a tithe].
We must tithe to God cheerfully, not reluctantly.
2 Co 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
cf.) "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23).
What God wants is our heart to be with God, not our possessions.
2 Co 12:14 What I want is not your possessions but you.
God wants us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven through tithing. That is what God really wants from us.
Mt 6:19-20 Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Mal 3:7-12 See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Through tithing God gives us much blessing. We can receive heavenly blessing by God's precious law of tithe.

Abraham gave a tenth of everything and he was blessed by God (Ge 14:17-; Ge 12:3). Jacob vowed to give a tithe to God, and he was also blessed by practicing tithes (Ge 28:22). Likewise, God will bless us when we practice giving tithes.
To give tithes these days can be difficult. It is a testimony of your love and faith in Christ when you "obey" tithing. Your obedience shows that you really love Christ, just as Abraham did long ago. Have a strong faith in God's promise and you will surely be blessed by God. God bless you.

The Book of Life

Once born, everyone's name is recorded on a birth certificate. In the same way, our names are recorded in the book of life through baptism. We can receive salvation at the last day when our names are written in the book of life.
Lk 10:17-20 But rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Our names are written in the book of life when we are reborn through baptism.
Ro 6:1-4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death. … we too may have a new life.
In the last days only those whose names are written in the book of life will be redeemed.
Isa 4:2-3 In that day … Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
After baptism, only the people who remain in Zion and do the gospel work will be found written in the book of life.
Da 12:1 At that time your people―everyone whose name is found written in the book―will be delivered.
Php 4:2 Along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
What will happen to those whose names are not found written in the book of life on the last day?
Rev 20:12-15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
All whose names are not written in the book of life will go to the lake of fire on the last day. Why is that? Let's find out the reason through the Bible.
Rev 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast―all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb.
It is because all the people belong to the beast, Satan, when they are not written in the book of life.
We must be careful that our names are not blotted out of the book of life. Our names will be blotted when we are found unrighteous.
Ps 69:28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
False prophets will be blotted because of false words and lying visions.
Eze 13:9 They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel.
People who overcome will be written forever in the book of life.
Rev 3:5 I will never blot out his name from the book of life.
How can we have our names written in the book of life in heaven?
Mt 16:19 Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Once written in the book of life on earth, our names will also be written in the book of life in heaven.

The church without the book of life can not lead us to salvation. It is the Church of God that has the book of life. Come to the Church of God and receive salvation of your soul. God bless you.

Be Baptized Immediately

Today we will study how significant baptism is for us, sinners. Baptism is the first step toward the kingdom of heaven. In order for us to go to heaven, we must be freed from sin as quickly as possible. God promises us the forgiveness of our sins through baptism. We must not wait to be baptized for any reason. It is wrong to teach people to be baptized after six months or one year of studying the Bible.

The Bible says that we are not supposed to postpone baptism. Let's find out why we must receive baptism at once.
Pr 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Nobody knows what will happen in his future. What if we die in the middle of studying the Bible without the forgiveness of our sins through baptism? This is why we must be baptized without any hesitation. Let's confirm this through Jesus' teachings in the Bible.
Lk 12:16-21 This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?
This is a good example of why we must be baptized the moment we believe in God. We must be baptized at once because we don't know what's happening to us in the future.
Now why don't we find good examples of baptism through the Bible?
Ac 8:30-39 Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?
An Ethiopian eunuch got baptized at the very moment he received Jesus as his Savior through the Bible.
Ac 10:48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Cornelius and his family wanted to be baptized and were baptized right away.
Ac 16:29-34 At that hour of the night. … immediately he and all his family were baptized
The jailer and all his family were baptized immediately, very late that night, when they realized Jesus was the Christ.
Ac 16:13-15 The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. … she and the members of her household were baptized.
Lydia and her family were baptized at once when they received Jesus.
People must be baptized again if they had been baptized in a false church.
Ac 19:3-7 John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. … On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
Those who had been baptized by John the baptist were baptized again. It was because Jesus is the Savior, not John. In the same way we must be baptized in the true church which obeys God's truth.
God blesses us with the forgiveness of sins through baptism.
Ac 2:38 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of yours sins.
Mk 16:15 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.

Baptism is the primary ceremony to wash our sins away. It is the ceremony of promise that we will be God's people and live according to His will, being released from the power of Satan. Receive baptism in the Church of God and have the forgiveness of your sins. God bless you.

Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing

Today we will share God's grace by studying "Apart from me, you can do nothing". We are most likely to leave God when we don't delight in the life of faith. We can do nothing apart from God just as a fish can not survive once it leaves water.

Let's find out through the Bible what will happen to those leaving God.
Jn 15:5 Apart from me you can do nothing.
2 Pe 2:20-22 A dog returns to its vomit … A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.
Once we believe in God, He washes away our sins. We will defile ourselves with this sinful world when we leave God and go back to where we were. We are nothing apart from God.
Now let's study about what kind of faith we must have in God.
Mt 10:21 But he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Rev 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Whatever happens and whatever challenges our faith, we must have patient endurance and stand firm to the end for our salvation.
What types of people lost their faith and left God in the time of Early Church?
Mt 13:3 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means.
The first type is like the seed fallen along the path. He hears God's message about the kingdom and does not understand it.
The second one is like the seed fallen on rocky places. He hears the word and at once receives with joy. Since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away from God.
The third one is like the seed fallen among the thorns. He hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. These are the three types that leave God.
Some people left God in the time of Early Church. Why did they leave God and go back to the sinful world? Let's find out.
Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.
2 Pe 2:1-3 They will secretly introduce destructive heresies … these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.
2 Ti 4:9 For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me.
In the time of Early Church, people left God to follow a different gospel, destructive heresies, and their love of this sinful world. We must be careful not to fall into this temptation and stand firm to the end.

We can do nothing when we leave God. We have to remain in God until the last day.
Do you understand how to remain in God always? Through the Passover you can participate in His blood (Jn 6:56) and become one with God. He will be in you and you will be in Him forever. Come to the Church of God and receive God's glory of the Passover. God bless you.

Watch Out for False Prophets

Jesus warned us to watch out for false prophets in the last days. Let's find out through God's teaching who the false prophets are.

Mt 7:13 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Jesus teaches us that we can hardly tell who the false prophets are by their appearances. So Jesus shows us the main characteristic of false prophets so we can recognize them.
Mt 7:21-23 Only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven … 'Away from me, you evildoers!' [Away from me, you who practice lawlessness, NKJV]
False prophets appear to prophesy and perform many miracles in the name of Jesus. Actually they don't keep God's law but practice lawlessness. This is how we can recognize the false prophets.
What will happen to them on the last day? They will never enter the kingdom of heaven and they will be thrown into the fire.
Mt 13:41 All who do evil … They will throw them into the fiery furnace.
All the followers of the false prophets will be destroyed too.
Isa 9:16 Those who are guided are led astray.
False prophets try to prevent us from entering the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 23:13 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
False prophets may seem to be beautiful and righteous, but they are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Mt 23:27-28 But on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
False prophets keep man-made laws, not God's law. They are liars, sons of the devil, who will not be saved. Only those who keep the word of God can receive eternal life.
Jn 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil … for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Jn 8:51 If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
All the false prophets and their followers will be thrown into fire on the last day. Only people who obey the word of God will be blessed and enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Rev 21:8 Their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Rev 1:3 Blessed are those who hear it and take it to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

In these last days the devil tries to mislead people through lawlessness because he knows that his time is short. Where can we find the true prophets?
Jer 3:14-15 Return, faithless people … I will choose you and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart.
Ps 132:13 For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling.
Ps 133:1-3 For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
The true prophets are in Zion where God's appointed feasts are celebrated. They will lead us to eternal life with God's law. Come to Zion! Follow the true prophets and receive salvation from God! God bless you.

Weeds and Wheat

Today's churches have different doctrines that differ from each other. In the Bible, there are the true gospel and a different gospel, God's word and man-made stories, and the true church and the false churches. How can we distinguish the true church from the false ones? God shows us a clear difference between the two through the parable of weeds and wheat.
Mt 13:24-30, 37-43 First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn … They will throw them into the fiery furnace … Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Here the wheat symbolizes the righteous. The weeds signify the unrighteous to be thrown into the fiery furnace on the last day.

Those who practice lawlessness will not enter the kingdom of heaven, but enter the fiery furnace on the last day.
Mt 7:21-23 I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (NKJV).
Weeds are the unrighteous, the false churches. They do not obey God's law such as the Sabbath day and the Passover. They practice lawlessness such as Sunday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween instead.
The truth of the Early Church is pure and perfect. God wants us to have pure faith in the teachings of Jesus and the Early Church before the weeds of lawlessness were sown.
Eph 2:20 Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
What is the truth of the Early Church? First, the Early Church kept the Sabbath day.
Lk 4:16 On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.
Ac 17:2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
The Early Church celebrated the Passover of the new covenant.
Mt 26:18, 26-28 I am going to celebrate the Passover … This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
In the Early Church, women covered their heads.
1 Co 11:1-6, 16 Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.
The Early Church kept the day of Pentecost.
Ac 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
The Early Church celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.
Jn 7:2 When the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.

The weeds outlive the wheat and they prevail over the wheat at the harvest when not uprooted. Jesus told the harvesters not to uproot the weeds until the harvest, the end of the age (Mt 13:29). So the weeds, false churches, prosper throughout the whole world in these last days. Even though they look very enormous and gorgeous, they have no truth at all. They are the very weeds to be thrown into the fire at the harvest. The wheat, the true church, will be brought into God's barn, the heavenly kingdom. What the farmer really wants is the wheat, not the weeds, even though the wheat appears to be weak and small. Come to the Church of God which leads us to salvation. God bless you.

Commands of God and Rules of Men

Today we will share God's grace, studying 'Commands of God and Rules of Men'. God sends the prophets to His people who proclaim to them God's commands. God's people must obey them to be saved.
Jer 7:25 Day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets.

At the last day God will punish those who do not keep His law.
Mt 7:21-23 Away from me, you who practice lawlessness (NKJV)
cf.) Lawlessness means 'not to observe God's law.'
What will happen to those who practice lawlessness on the last day? Jesus clearly shows us how their lives will end on the last day.
Mt 13:41 They will throw them into the fiery furnace.
They will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Jesus shows us again through the parable of 'the rich man and Lazarus.'
Lk 16:19-29 They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.
The rich man didn't listen to Moses and the prophets during his lifetime. He didn't obey God's commandments, and he was thrown into the fire of Hell after his death. Lazarus, a beggar, went to heaven by keeping God's commandments.
What does God want us to learn from the prophets then? God wants His people to learn and keep God's commandments for salvation.
Eze 18:21 If a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees [commands] … he will surely live.
Eze 20:24 Because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths … I also gave them over to statues that were not good and laws they could not live by.
God gave them over to Sunday worship, a rule of men, because people disobeyed the Sabbath, God's commandment. People were handed over to Christmas because they chose to ignore God's Passover.
People obey the rules of men, leading them only to worship God in vain.
Mt 15:7-8 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.
Isa 29:13 Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
We must serve God through His commands.
1 Jn 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
We know God when we obey God's commands. People are only liars when they say they know God without keeping His commands.
The people who don't keep God's commands will never escape the disasters from God. Only those who obey God's commandments will be saved on the last day.
Jer 6:19 I am bringing disaster on this people … because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.

The bottom line is that men's rules like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Harvest Feasts, and Sunday have no root in the words of God. None of them were established by Christ, nor can we find them in the Bible.
If we keep men's rules, we cannot be saved. No matter how faithfully we may serve God by practicing them, we will never be saved. Let's obey God's commands and receive salvation. God bless you.

The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ

In the Bible, there are two laws: the law of Moses and the law of Christ. The Law of Moses was changed by Jesus into the Law of Christ. Let's confirm this through the Bible.
1 Co 9:20-21 To those under the law (Moses' law) I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) … To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law).

The law of Moses started to disappear when the law of Jesus was established.
Heb 8:7, 13 By calling this covenant "new", he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
The law of Moses (the old covenant) was changed by Jesus into the law of Christ (the new covenant).
Heb 7:12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.
Jesus came to fulfill Moses' law and to establish Christ's law.
Mt 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
How was the law of Moses changed into the law of Christ? Let's study this step by step through the Bible.

God's people are not to keep the law of Moses after Christ Jesus. They must obey the law of Christ until the last day. In the last days the dragon, Satan, will make war against God's people who keep God's commandments, the law of Christ.
Rev 12:17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offsprings―those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Satan will tempt us in every way so we don't observe the law of Christ in the last days. It will require our patient endurance to obey God's commandments.
Rev 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
In these last days people who are against the law of Christ will find themselves standing on the side of the dragon.

Those who do not keep God's commandments will be called "arrogant and cursed". They will never receive salvation from God.
Ps 119:21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.
Let's keep the law of Christ and enter the kingdom of God. God bless you.