Running from God

There are some wonderful lessons of mercy, grace, and compassion to learn from Jonah and his experience when God sent Him to proclaim His message to the lost. Let's take a look and observe how God responded in each situation, and His sovereign control over everything as He sends and appoints whomever and whatever He pleases.

The Lord Sent Jonah
The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." (Jon 1:1-2)

Here God appointed or ordained Jonah to go forth when He sent him to Nineveh. However, Jonah ran away from the Lord and fled from His presence. Just as He appointed Jonah, He also appointed some other things. Let’s take a look at what those were.

The Lord Sent a Great Wind
The first thing the Lord did in response to Jonah running from Him was to send a great wind. “Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” (Jon 1:4, NIV). In fact the word for “sent” in this verse may also be translated “hurled” to indicate the mighty force with which the Lord sent it.

God opposes the proud, and He was opposing Jonah, who was acting in a selfish, strong-willed, rebellious manner.

Because of the storm, the sailors called on their gods and the captain ordered Jonah to get up from his sleep in the hold of the ship and call on his God. The sailors also cast lots to determine who was the cause of this storm and the lot fell to Jonah. When they asked him about it, he admitted he was to blame and once again said that he was running from the Lord, just as he had already told them. When they asked what they should do to calm the storm, he advised them to throw him into the sea, which they did. As soon as they threw him overboard, the sea grew calm.

The Lord Appointed a Fish
The next thing the Lord did was to appoint a fish to swallow Jonah. “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jon 1:17, NASB)

The word “appointed” comes from the Hebrew word “manah,” which is used four times in the book of Jonah, meaning “sent” or “appointed.” The NET Bible translates the word as “sent”. “The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jon 1:17, NET).

While Jonah did not obey God when he was sent, the fish obeyed God when it was sent. It swallowed Jonah.

The Lord Commanded the Fish
The next thing that happened was that Jonah prayed from inside the belly of the great fish. He cried out to God and the Lord heard him. The Lord’s response to Jonah’s prayer was to give him a second chance, so He commanded the fish to disgorge him. “Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.” (Jon 2:10)
Once the fish had vomited Jonah onto dry land, God sent him a second time to Nineveh.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you."
(Jon 3:1-2)

In obedience to God, Jonah arose and began his first of three days walk through the city with the message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." (3:4). The people responded well to the message and repented sincerely. “Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.” (Jon 3:5). In fact, when the king heard the message, he ordered all of his citizens to repent.

“When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, ‘In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish." (Jon 3:6-9)

That moved the heart of God, who saw their repentance and relented from sending the calamity He had intended to send upon the people of Nineveh.

The Lord’s decision not to send destruction on Nineveh really displeased Jonah. In fact, it made him angry (4:1).

He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. (Jon 4:2)

The Lord Appointed a Plant
He decided to go east of the city, set up a shelter, and watch to see what God would do. Perhaps he hoped that God would still destroy them, since Jonah complained to Him about it. “So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.” (Jon 4:6)

The next thing God did was He appointed that plant to grow up to rescue Jonah from his misery. He did it because He knew Jonah was very hot and this would make him extremely happy. But He didn’t do it just for the sake of making Jonah happy. He did it to teach him a lesson.

God was concerned about all the people in Nineveh, because if they did not repent He would have to destroy them. However, Jonah was concerned about himself and his own comfort level.

The Lord Appointed a Worm
Afterward God sent a worm. “But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered.” (Jon 4:7)

The worm obeyed God and attacked the plant that God had appointed. Just because God has appointed something doesn’t mean it will last forever, because He can appoint it to be destroyed. By appointing the worm to attack and destroy the plant, God was removing the shade that the plant provided, which brought relief to Jonah’s discomfort. He wanted Jonah to see that just as the plant had been important to Jonah, the people were even more important to God. He wanted Jonah to feel the concern that He had for the people of Nineveh.

The Lord Appointed a Scorching East Wind
Finally, after God destroyed the plant he had appointed, He appointed a scorching wind. “When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, ‘Death is better to me than life.’" (Jon 4:8)

Through this object lesson, God taught Jonah about His love and compassion for people. “Then God said to Jonah, ‘Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?’ And he said, ‘I have good reason to be angry, even to death.’ Then the LORD said, ‘You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?’” (Jon 4:9-11)

God loved and cared for those people of Nineveh, whom He created, far more than Jonah cared for the plant for which he did not work and which he did not cause to grow. God even loved the animals and did not take pleasure in having to destroy them either. He showed Jonah that it is right for Him to have compassion like that, which is why Jonah should have obeyed the first time, when God initially sent him.

Putting it All Together
It doesn’t pay to run from what God has told you to do. The same way He sends His people and appoints them to do a work for Him, He also sends and appoints everything else as He sees fit. He does whatever He pleases. He is sovereign and is ultimately in control of everything. He's a big God. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Rom 11:36). No wisdom, no insight, no plan can succeed against the Lord (Pr 21:30). When He appoints someone or something, nothing can stop Him.

The Lord sent Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh and warn them of the coming destruction that He was going to send upon their city. When the prophet disobeyed and ran from the presence of the Lord, God sent a wind, then a fish, then a plant, then a worm, and finally He sent a scorching wind. See how the elements all do His bidding! The wind obeyed God, the fish obeyed Him, the plant obeyed Him, the worm obeyed Him, but Jonah didn’t – at least not initially. But God gave him a second chance and then he finally did obey when he was sent. When he finally did, many people were saved from destruction as a result. The one thing God changed His mind about, and did not send  as He initially planned to do, was the destruction upon Nineveh.

Jonah taught us that God is a God of mercy and compassion. He is the God of second chances. Just as He gave Jonah a second chance, He also gave the people of Nineveh a second chance, too. He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. He loves people and is more concerned about the salvation of many than He is about our own personal comfort.

If you have been running from what God told you to do, now is the time to repent, turn back to Him, ask for His forgiveness, and obey Him. If you sincerely humble yourself before Him, He may give you a second chance. Likewise, if you have been living in sin, away from God, living for your own self, repent and turn to God through Jesus Christ, who died for you on the cross. He loves you and wants to save you. In fact, He has already gone to great lengths to save you, but you must repent and turn to Him to be saved, or else you, too, will perish.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, as well as the NET Bible, where noted. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend Drifting Away, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, The Straight and Narrow Path, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Practicing Your Righteousness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Doing What is Right, Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith Works!, The Judgment Seat of Christ, The Obedience of Faith, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Remember the Eternal Law of God, Purge the Evil from Among You, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God, Election and Predestination, Keeping Power of God, and The Righteous Will Shine Forth as the Sun. Other related articles are available on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Wardrobe of the Saints

As I have written previously in my articles, Garments of Godliness and Godly Attire and Adornment, there is virtually a Christian "dress code". The Scripture defines what is appropriate and not appropriate for a disciple of Christ to wear on his or her body. That cannot be denied, even though some people attempt to do so on the faulty premise that God is only interested in the things of the heart, not our bodies.

In this post, I would like to discuss the inward garments we are instructed in Scripture to wear at all times. We'll call this the wardrobe of the saints.

A Garment of Praise
We begin with a rather long but beautiful passage in Isaiah, which says:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." (Is 61:1-3, NIV)

The Lord Jesus read from this very same passage when He announced the beginning of His public ministry (Lk 4:18). He said the Spirit of the Lord was on Him, because the Lord has anointed Him to do all these wonderful things mentioned in this passage. One of those things was to provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a garment of praise. Therefore, we know from Scripture that one garment we must be wearing is this garment of praise, which the Lord bestows upon us by His Holy Spirit.

Praise is an action that we should continually practice, as part of our practice of the presence of the Lord. We should not take a vacation from praise, or only praise the Lord on a certain day of the week, in a certain building, or at one particular time of day. The psalmist David said, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Ps 34:1). We should praise Him in the good times and praise Him in the bad times. May we never cease to praise Him. For He is worthy. Let's put on the garment of praise.

Clothe Yourselves with Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, and Love
The next passage we will look at is from the apostle Paul's letter to the Colossians. He wrote:

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Col 3:12-14, NIV).

We are supposed to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And over all these virtues put on love as an outer garment.

Clothe Yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ
Paul also wrote to the Romans saying, "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Rom 13:14, NIV).

In the context of this passage, in the previous verse, Paul was speaking about our behavior, when he wrote: "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy." (Rom 13:13, NIV). So this tells us that to clothe yourself with Christ or to "put on Christ" will involve a behavioral change. He also wrote to the Galatians saying, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Gal 3:27). Christ not only lives on the inside in our hearts, but we must also wear Him outwardly, so that He shows on the outside and others can see Him.

Put on the Armor of Light
In this same passage and context, Paul said, "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Rom 13:12, NIV). He contrasted putting on the armor of light with the deeds of darkness, so again it is a behavioral matter. On the one hand, we must put aside the deeds of darkness, while on the other hand put on the armor of light.

Paul described each piece of armor in detail in his epistle to the Ephesians. He wrote:

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph 6:11-17, NASB)

In this passage he says to "put on the full armor of God" (v. 11) and then again to "take up the full armor of God" (v. 13). He emphasizes the need to put it on and to ensure we are not missing any piece of armor. These are necessary to protect us from the schemes of the devil in this spiritual warfare we are in daily.

The important thing is that we put them on, and that they are to the soldier of Christ as armor is to a soldier of any worldly army. No soldier in his right mind would go into battle without his armor on, and neither should we. It's a daily battle, so we need to put these on daily, at least once every 24 hours. 

You may be wondering how to put on the full armor of God, as Scripture instructs us to do. Here is how to do it. Pray like this: "Father, would you please put your complete armor on me now, I ask and thank you for it, in the name of Jesus."

This is what Dr. Rebecca Brown, MD was shown by her guardian angel, as she wrote in her book called, He Came to Set the Captives Free: A Guide to Recognizing and Fighting the Attacks of Satan, Witches, and the Occult. I highly recommend reading this book, which is available from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and other major retail outlets, as well as used book retailers online.

The adversary of our souls is always prowling around looking for someone to devour. As Peter says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1Pe 5:8). Let's be sober and alert. Please see this very important, related article, The Armor of God.

Clothe Yourselves With Humility
Just as Paul did, the apostle Peter also admonished us to clothe ourselves with humility. He wrote: "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1Pe 5:5-7).

The reasons he gives for clothing ourselves with humility are fully sufficient for us. Since God opposes the proud, then if we fail to clothe ourselves with humility, we may behave proudly and find that God is opposing us. However, if we walk humbly before God, He will give us grace. If we humble ourselves beneath His mighty hand, He will lift us up in due time. Since pride is a weakness of young men especially, Peter addressed this admonition to them, but it applies likewise to all of us.

Clothe Yourself with Good Works
Paul wrote to Timothy, "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness." (1Ti 2:9-10). As I have written in my article, Garments of Godliness, this passage teaches how women should outwardly adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, so as to glorify God. It forbids certain types of adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, and expensive clothes, all of which apply to men as well. But it also teaches how women should adorn themselves spiritually by means of good deeds appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

Bind Kindness and Faithfulness Around Your Neck
The proverb says, "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart." (Pro 3:3). We are supposed to bind kindness (mercy) and truth around our necks, which is in contrast to the way the wicked wear pride as their necklace (Ps 73:6).

Put on the New Self
The apostle Paul taught that the old self or former way of life must be put off, which means it must be completely discarded, since it is being corrupted like an old rag by its deceitful desires. He taught that we should throw it off and in place of it we should "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:24, NIV). This, too, is part of the saints' wardrobe. For more on this topic, please see Walking in Truth, Righteousness, and Holiness.

White Garments So That You May Clothe Yourself
In the book of Revelation, in the apostle John's letter to the angel of the Church in Laodicea, he wrote in part the following message from the Lord: "I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." (Rev 3:18). This indicates that there are actually spiritual, white garments that we are supposed to wear and that we must buy them from the Lord Jesus Christ. May we all seek to buy from Him those white garments, so that we may clothe ourselves. In the case of the Church in Laodicea, the Lord said they were naked without these garments (Rev 3:17), and they needed them to cover the shame of their nakedness.

Be Dressed in Wedding Garments
In His parable of the wedding feast, Jesus said:

"Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”  (Mat 22:10-13)

The man who came to the wedding feast without wedding clothes was thrown into the outer darkness, which is hell. This is a stark reminder that not all who call Jesus “Lord, Lord” or are within the church will be qualified to participate in the wedding feast in the kingdom of heaven. To be fit for heaven, we must be wearing our white garments. As Matthew Henry once wrote: “Those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, that have a Christian temper of mind, and are adorned with Christian graces, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding garment.”

Be Dressed in Readiness
The Lord also taught us to "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit." (Luk 12:35). Other versions say, "Stay dressed for action" (ESV) and "Be dressed ready for service" (NIV). The original language literally says, "Let your waist be girded about," which is rendered in many translations with the expression, "Let your loins be girded about," (see KJV, MKJV, ASV, Darby, and YLT translations).

In Bible times, the men wore long garments, and when they were preparing for action, such as labor or a journey, they girded it up or tucked it up around their waist (loins). This would enable them to move freely without restriction (see Lk 12:37). Therefore, in using the expression, "let your loins be girded about," the Lord was teaching us to remain dressed for action. He was obviously speaking of a spiritual state of being dressed in readiness, rather than one that requires being in your literal day clothes, even though it may often times involve being physically dressed in certain instances.

Peter used essentially this same expression in the original language, when he wrote, "Therefore girding up the loins of your mind..." (1Pe 1:13a, MKJV; cf., KJV, ASV, Darby, and YLT). Other versions use a more dynamic equivalent translation, such as "Prepare your minds for action." (1Pe 1:13a, NASB). This helps clarify what the Lord meant in Lk 12:35. The point is to stay alert in your thoughts, so that you are always ready for action.

Putting it All Together
According to God's Word, there are some garments of righteousness that all disciples of Christ are supposed to wear at all times. It is our responsibility to do so. The expressions "clothe yourself," "adorn yourself," "put on," "take up," "gird up your loins," "buy from me," "be dressed," and "bind around your neck" are all actions that we must personally take. They are not automatically done for us and are not a one-time occurrence.

These garments include praise, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, faithfulness, patience, and love. We must put in the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We must put on the armor of light, which is the armor of God that includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, the hope of salvation, love (once again), and the Word of God. We must stay dressed for action with our minds alert. We must buy from the Lord white garments, so that we may clothe ourselves. We must be dressed in wedding clothes. We must adorn ourselves with good deeds. Last but not least, we must clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We are not properly dressed unless we are clothed with these.

Attribution notice: Some Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. The "Robes of White" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. I recommend reading Garments of Godliness, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Godly Attire and Adornment, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Tattoos and Body Piercing, The Beauty of Brokenness, Holy Fire Baptism, Fruit in Every Season, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Is Tolerance a Virtue?, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, The Ways of Life, and The Way, Will, and Word of God. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Who is God? - Part II

View Over Crystal Lake, C.V. Lacroix

Dear God-seekers,

Some people like to think of God in limited terms. In one sense, in their minds, they have put God in a box. But God cannot be put into a box. I want to show you from Scripture just how awesome He really is. Whom and what is He the God of?

The God of Shem
He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.” (Gen 9:26)

The God of Heaven and the God of Earth
“And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,” (Gen 24:3)

"The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.” (Gen 24:7)

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'" (2Ch 36:23; cf., Ezr 1:2)

"Thus they answered us, saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. (Ezr 5:11)

'But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. (Ezr 5:12)

"Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, (Ezr 6:9)

that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. (Ezr 6:10)

"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. (Ezr 7:12a)

"I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, (Ezr 7:21)

"Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. (Ezr 7:23)

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (Neh 1:4)

Then the king said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. (Neh 2:4)

So I answered them and said to them, "The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem." (Neh 2:20)

Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Psa 136:26)

so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (Dan 2:18)

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; (Dan 2:19)

"You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; (Dan 2:37)

"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. (Dan 2:44)

And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Rev 11:13)

and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. (Rev 16:11)

The God of All the Earth
"For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. (Isa 54:5)

The God of Abraham
He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. (Gen 24:12)

He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers." (Gen 24:27)

"So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful;” (Gen 24:42)

"And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. (Gen 24:48)

“The LORD appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.’" (Gen 26:24)

The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. (Psa 47:9)

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob
“And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.’” (Gen 28:13)

“And [Jacob] said to them, ‘I see your father's attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me.’” (Gen 31:5)

"If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night." (Gen 31:42)

"’The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.” (Gen 31:53)

“He said also, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.’” (Exo 3:6)

God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. (Exo 3:15)

"Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. (Exo 3:16)

"that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." (Exo 4:5)

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. (1Ki 18:36)

"O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; (1Ch 29:18)

'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." (Mat 22:32)

"But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob'? (Mar 12:26)

"But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. (Luk 20:37)

"The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. (Act 3:13)

'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. (Act 7:32)

The God of Jacob
"David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. (Act 7:46)

Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, (2Sa 23:1)

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! (Psa 20:1)

The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. (Psa 46:7)

The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. (Psa 46:11)

But as for me, I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. (Psa 75:9)

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. (Psa 81:1)

For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. (Psa 81:4)

They have said, "The LORD does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed." (Psa 94:7)

Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, Before the God of Jacob, (Psa 114:7)

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
(Psa 146:5)

And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa 2:3)

Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Mic 4:2)

The God of Israel
“And they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.” (Exo 24:10)

Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. (Jos 24:2)

"Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." (Jos 24:23)

"The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (Jdg 5:5)

He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, (1Ki 8:23)

Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." (1Ki 17:1)

Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. (2Ki 19:15)

Then Huram continued, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. (2Ch 2:12)

He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; (2Ch 6:14)

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. (Psa 41:13)

You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah. (Psa 59:5)

The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. (Psa 68:8)

O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! (Psa 68:35)

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. (Psa 72:18)

But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand in awe of the God of Israel. (Isa 29:23)

"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them. (Isa 41:17)

"I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (Isa 45:3)

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. (Jer 7:3)

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain. (Eze 8:4)

Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. (Eze 9:3)

When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. (Eze 10:19)

These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim. (Eze 10:20)

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. (Eze 11:22)

and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. (Eze 43:2)

"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." (Mal 2:16)

So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. (Mat 15:31)

"The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. (Act 13:17)

Also see Exo. 5:1; 24:10; 32:27; 34:23; Num. 16:9; Jos. 7:13,19,20; 8:30; 9:18,19; 10:40,42; 13:14,33; 22:16,24; 24:23; Jdg. 4:6; 5:3,5; 6:8; 11:21,23; Ruth 2:12; 1Sa. 1:17; 5:7,8,10,11; 6:3,5; 10:18; 14:41; 20:12; 2Sa. 7:27; 23:3; 1Ki. 1:30,48; 8:15,17,20,23,25; 11:9,31; 17:1; 2Ki. 9:6; 10:31; 14:25; 18:5; 19:15,20; 21:12; 1Ch. 4:10; 5:26; 16:36; 17:24; 28:4; 2Ch. 2:12; 6:4,7,10,14,16,17; 29:7; 34:23; Ezra 1:3; 3:2; 5:1; 6:14,22; 7:15; 8:35; 9:4; Psa. 41:13; 59:5; 68:8,35; 72:18; 106:48; Isa. 17:6; 21:10; 24:15; 29:23; 37:16,21; 41:17; 45:3; 48:1,2; 52:12; Jer. 7:3,21; 9:15; 11:3; 13:12; 16:9; 19:3,15; 25:15,27; 27:4,21; 28:2,14; 29:4,8,21,25; 30:2; 31:23; 32:14,15; 35:13,17,18,19; 38:17; 39:16; 42:9,15,18; 43:10; 44:2,7,11,25; 45:2; 46:25; 48:1; 50:18; 51:33; Eze. 8:4; 9:3; 10:19,20; 11:22; 43:2; Zep. 2:9; Mal. 2:16;

The God of the Hebrews
"They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' (Exo 3:18)

Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." (Exo 5:3)

"You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now." (Exo 7:16)

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. (Exo 9:1)

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. (Exo 9:13)

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. (Exo 10:3)

The God of Jerusalem
They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands. (2Ch 32:19)

"Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. (Ezr 7:19)

The God of Bethel
'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'" (Gen 31:13)

The God of all the Families of Israel
"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people." (Jer 31:1)

The God of the Armies of Israel
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. (1Sa 17:45)

The God of Jeshurun
"There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty.” (Deu 33:26)

The God of gods
"For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” (Deu 10:17)

Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Psa 136:2)

"Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. (Dan 11:36)

The God of Hosts
He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1Ki 19:10)

Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1Ki 19:14)

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them. (Jer 5:14)

Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. (Isa 10:16)

Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down And those who are lofty will be abased. (Isa 10:33)

Even the LORD, the God of hosts, The LORD is His name. (Hos 12:5)

'Now then thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, "Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, (Jer 44:7)

"Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.'" (Jer 35:17)

"Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts.
(Amo 3:13)

"Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts. (Amo 5:27)

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. (Jer 38:17)

The God of the spirits of all flesh
"May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
(Num 27:16)

The God of All Flesh
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" (Jer 32:27)

The God of the Living
"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken." (Mar 12:27)

"Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him." (Luk 20:38)

The God of All the Kingdoms of the Earth
"O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. (Isa 37:16)

The God of the Gentiles
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, (Rom 3:29)

The God of the Spirits of the Prophets
And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. (Rev 22:6)

The God of Elijah
“He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.” (2Ki 2:14)

The God of David
"Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. (2Ki 20:5)

"Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
(Isa 38:5)

The God of Daniel
"I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. (Dan 6:26)

The God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. (Dan 3:28)

"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." (Dan 3:29)

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Eph 1:17; cf., 2Co 1:3)

The God of my Salvation
The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,
(Psa 18:46)

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. (Psa 25:5)

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. (Psa 51:14)

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. (Psa 88:1)

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. (Mic 7:7)

Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. (Hab 3:18)

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the rock of your refuge. Therefore you plant delightful plants And set them with vine slips of a strange god. (Isa 17:10)

The God of My Life
The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. (Psa 42:8)

The God of My Strength
For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (Psa 43:2)

The God of Truth
"Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight! (Isa 65:16)

"Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth." (Ps 31:5, NIV 1978)

The God of Justice
You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the God of justice?" (Mal 2:17)

The God of Glory
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. (Psa 29:3)

And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, (Act 7:2)

The God of Hope
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

The God of Peace
Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Rom 15:33)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Rom 16:20)

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Php 4:9)

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Th 5:23)

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, (Heb 13:20)

The God of Love
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2Co 13:11)

God of All Comfort
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort..." (2Co 1:3)

The God of All Grace
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. (1Pe 5:10)

Putting it All Together
As we have just seen, God cannot be put in a box. Throughout Scripture we find that He is the God of Shem, the God of heaven and the God of earth, the God of all the earth, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of Israel, the God of the Hebrews, the God of Jerusalem, the God of Bethel, the God of all the families of Israel, the God of the armies of Israel, the God of Jeshurun, the God of gods, the God of hosts, the God of the spirits of all flesh, the God of all flesh, the God of the living, the God of the Gentiles, the God of the spirits of the prophets, the God of Elijah, the God of David, the God of Daniel, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of my salvation, the God of my life, the God of my strength, the God of truth, the God of justice, the God of glory, the God of hope, the God of peace, the God of love, the God of all comfort, and the God of all grace.

What god is so great as our God? "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." (Ps 48:14. NIV). If you already know Him, I hope this study has helped you know Him better. If you don't know Him yet, please see the section below where I invite you to do so.

Who is God? - Part I and Who is God - Part III

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Where note, Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.The "View Over Crystal Lake" painting by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: You are invited to read Who is God? - Part I, Who is God - Part III, The Loving God Who Bids Us to Come, The Bodily Form of God the Father, Is Jesus God?, God is an Awesome God, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

If -- A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Dear God-seekers, greetings once again in Jesus Name!

If a picture paints a thousand words, then we should picture the word "if" in golden letters. You see, God has spoken this simple, two-letter word in the Scriptures with regard to our great and glorious salvation, yet so many seem to have missed it.

The popular view of the New Covenant of grace is that reaching heaven is automatic for all Christians. It is assumed that once a person gives his life to Jesus, he is going to make it into the kingdom of heaven no matter what. However, the Bible teaches that there are specific conditions of the New Covenant, just as there were also conditions of the Old Covenant. Let's look at some of those conditions in God's Word, as well as some warnings, which are negative conditions.

I will not include all the conditions, but primarily the ones that contain the golden word "if", which is a primary particle of conditionality. That may be a little word, but it has significant implications for each one of us, when used in the context of the conditions of the covenant in Christ's blood. Therefore, in this article, I will capitalize the word "IF" for emphasis.

Positive Conditions
We begin with the positive conditions.

Enter Through Christ Alone
Jesus said, "I am the door; IF anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Joh 10:9)

Hear the Lord's Voice and Open the Door of Your Heart
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; IF anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)

Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
“And He was saying to them all, ‘IF anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luk 9:23)

Become United with Christ in His Death
“For IF we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Rom 6:5)

“Now IF we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…” (Rom 6:8; cf., 2Ti 2:11)

“But IF by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:13b)

Suffer with Christ
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:16-17)

Keep His Commandments and Keep His Word
“And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but IF you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’" (Mat 19:17)

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘IF you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" (Joh 8:31-32)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, IF anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51)

"IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15)

Jesus answered and said to him, "IF anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (Joh 14:23)

“"You are My friends IF you do what I command you.” (Joh 15:14)

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, IF we keep His commandments.” (1Jn 2:3)

“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. IF what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (1Jn 2:24)

Hold Fast the Word
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, IF you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." (1 Cor 15:1-2)

Love One Another
“No one has seen God at any time; IF we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1Jn 4:12)

Walk in the Light as He is in the Light
“But IF we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7)

Judge Ourselves Honestly
“But IF we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.” (1Co 11:31)

Eat of Christ, the Living Bread
"I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven; IF anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."  (Joh 6:51)

Be Freed by the Son
"So IF the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (Joh 8:36)

Become a Son
“Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and IF a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:7)

Be in Christ and Belong to Him
“Therefore IF anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Co 5:17)

“And IF you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:29)

Do the Deeds of Abraham
“Jesus said to them, ‘IF you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.’” (Joh 8:39b)

Forgive Others For Their Transgressions
"For IF you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Mat 6:14; cf., Mk 11:25)

Your Eyes Must Be Clear
"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then IF your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” (Mat 6:22)

Confess with Your Mouth Jesus as Lord, and Believe in Your Heart That God Raised Him from the Dead
“…IF you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10)

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:32)

Hold Fast Our Confidence and the Boast of Our Hope Firm Until The End
“But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, IF we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” (Heb 3:6)

“For we have become partakers of Christ, IF we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” (Heb 3:14)

Continue in the Faith Firmly Established and Steadfast, and Not Moved Away from the Hope of the Gospel
"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- IF indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister." (Col 1:21-23).

Endure to the End
“IF we endure, we will also reign with Him… IF we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2Ti 2:12a,13).

"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Mat 24:13)

Your Heart Must Not Condemn You
“Beloved, IF our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God…”(1Jn 3:21)

Those Who Have Strayed from the Truth Must Turn Back to God
“My brethren, IF any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:19-20)

Confess Our Sins
“IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9)

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And IF anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1Jn 2:1)

Warnings Against Failing to Meet the Conditions
In addition to all the positive conditions listed above, we are also warned in Scripture of the following negative conditions.

Do Not Harden Your Hearts
“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘Today IF you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’" (Heb 4:7)

Do Not Refuse Him Who Speaks
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For IF those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” (Heb 12:25)

Do Not Neglect Salvation Through Transgression and Disobedience
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape IF we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard…” (Heb 2:1-3)

Do Not Fall Away
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but IF it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”  (Heb 6:4-8)

Do Not Fall Short of the Promise of Entering His Rest
“Therefore, let us fear IF, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.” (Heb 4:1)

Do Not Go On Sinning Willfully After Coming to Know the Truth
“For IF we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” (Heb 10:26)

Do Not Shrink Back
“But My righteous one shall live by faith; and IF he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Heb 10:38)

Do Not Become Weary in Doing Good
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap IF we do not grow weary.” (Gal 6:9)

Do Not Lose Heart When the Lord Rebukes You or Make Light of His Discipline
“But IF you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Heb 12:8)

Do Not Become Tasteless Salt
"You are the salt of the earth; but IF the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Mat 5:13)

Do Not Fail to Deal Radically with Sin to Remove It
"IF your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Mat 5:29)

"IF your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Mat 5:30)

Forgive Others from Your Heart
"But IF you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:15; cf., Mk 11:26)

"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, IF each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."  (Mat 18:34-35)

Do Not Hate Your Brother
“IF someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1Jn 4:20)

Guard Your Eyes, So That You Do Not Become Filled with Darkness
"But IF your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Mat 6:23)

Do Not Become Entangled Again in the Defilements of the World
“For IF, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” (2Pe 2:20-21)

''But IF that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mat 24:48-51)

Do Not Fail to Carry Your Cross and Follow Jesus, Even at the Expense of Family Relationships
"IF anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luk 14:26-27)

Do Not Fail to Listen to Moses and the Prophets and Believe Christ's Words
"But he said to him, 'IF they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luk 16:31)

"For IF you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But IF you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (Joh 5:46-47)

Do Not Have Dead Faith without Works
“What use is it, my brethren, IF someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?… Even so faith, IF it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (Jas 2:14,17)

Do Not Love the World nor the Things of the World
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. IF anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jn 2:15)

"For what will it profit a man IF he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26; cf., Mar 8:36; Luk 9:25)

Do Not Worship the Beast and His Image or Receive a Mark on the Right Hand or Forehead
“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘IF anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Rev 14:9-11)

Do Not Fail to Abide in Christ
"IF anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (Joh 15:6)

Do Not Be Arrogant nor Fail to Continue in God's Kindness
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but IF you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for IF God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, IF you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Rom 11:17-22)

Do Not Live According to the Flesh
“For IF you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” (Rom 8:13a)

Do Not Walk in Darkness
“IF we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” (1Jn 1:6)

Do Not Deny Your Own Sin
“IF we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1Jn 1:8)

“IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1Jn 1:10)

Keep a Tight Rein on Your Tongue
“IF anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.” (Jas 1:26)

Don't Fail to Wake Up
“'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore IF you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (Rev 3:3)

Don't Destroy the Temple of God
“IF any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1Co 3:17)

Don't Deny Christ
“IF we deny Him, He also will deny us.” (2 Tim 2:12b)

"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:33)

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luk 9:26)

Don't Fail to Love the Lord
“IF anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.” (1Co 16:22)

Putting it All Together
As we have seen in God's Word, reaching heaven is not automatic once you say a prayer to accept Christ. It is not a foregone conclusion. Nor is it assumed that you will reach heaven, simply because you sincerely gave your life to Jesus at one time and still consider yourself a true believer.

There are clearly some conditions we are required to meet. We must do the following: Enter through Christ alone. Hear the Lord's voice and open the door of your heart. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. Become united with Christ in His death. Suffer with Christ. Keep His commandments and keep His Word. Hold fast the Word of God. Love one another. Walk in the light as He is in the light. Judge yourself honestly. Eat of Christ, the Living Bread. Be freed by the Son. Become a Son. Be in Christ and belong to Him. Do the deeds of Abraham. Forgive others for their transgressions. Your eyes must be clear. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Endure to the end. Your heart must not condemn you. Those who have strayed from the truth must turn back to God. Confess your sins. This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good idea of the conditions God requires for those who wish to reach heaven. Examples of other conditions include the following: (Heb 12:14; Mt 19:21; Lk 9:24).

Those who meet the conditions of the New Covenant receive the following promises: We will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. We will be true disciples of Christ. We will know the truth and the truth will make us free. We will be free indeed. We are new creatures; the old things passed away; all things have become new. We will have continual communion with the Lord. We will come to share in Christ. We will be the Lord’s friends. We will have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. A multitude of sins will be covered. We will be forgiven our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Our whole bodies will be full of light. We will have confidence before God. We will have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The Lord Jesus and the Father will love us, and will come to us and make Their abode with us. We will be God’s house. God will abide in us, and His love will be perfected in us. We will abide in the Son and in the Father. We shall be in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection. We shall also live with Him. We will enter into life. We will live forever. We will never see death. Our souls will be saved from death. We will be children of Abraham. We will be heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Jesus will confess us before His Father who is in heaven. He will present us before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach. We will also be glorified with Him. We will also reign with Him. We will have treasure in heaven.

There are also many warnings in Scripture against failing to meet the conditions. The following are some examples of these warnings or negative conditions: Do not harden your heart. Do not refuse him who speaks. Do not neglect salvation through transgression and disobedience. Do not fall away. Do not fall short of the promise of entering his rest. Do not go on sinning willfully after coming to know the truth. Do not shrink back. Do not become weary in doing good. Do not lose heart when the Lord rebukes you or make light of His discipline. Do not become tasteless salt. Do not fail to deal radically with sin to remove it. Forgive others from your heart. Do not hate your brother. Guard your eyes, so that you do not become filled with darkness. Do not become entangled again in the defilements of the world. Do not fail to carry your cross and follow Jesus, even at the expense of family relationships. Do not fail to listen to Moses and the prophets and believe Christ's words. Do not have dead faith without works. Do not love the world nor the things of the world. Do not worship the beast and his image or receive a mark in your right hand or forehead. Do not fail to abide in Christ. Do not be arrogant nor fail to continue in God's kindness. Do not live according to the flesh. Do not walk in darkness. Do not deny your own sin. Don’t open your mouth easily. Don't fail to wake up. Don't destroy the temple of God. Don't deny Christ.

Some of the negative consequences for failing to meet the conditions include the following: Being in a worse state than before you ever came to Christ. Being disqualified to be a disciple of Christ. Being illegitimate children and not sons. Being devoid of the truth. Having worthless religion that does you no good. Being useless to God. Being caught off guard by the return of Christ, as a thief in the night. Being denied by Christ before His Father who is in heaven. Being denied forgiveness by God. God’s soul would have no pleasure in you. Failing to enter the promised eternal rest. Being unable to escape eternal punishment. Losing your life. Being destroyed by God. You must die. Being handed over to the torturers. Being thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Being cut to pieces and assigned a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Your whole body would be thrown into hell. Being in darkness. Being unable to repent. Being cut off.  Being burned. Tormented with fire and brimstone. Being accursed.

Therefore, Scripture clearly teaches definite conditions that must be met by those who have entered into the New Covenant with Christ, and if we want to reach heaven, we must meet these conditions. Otherwise we will suffer an even worse punishment than the wicked.

This message is not being preached or taught in most churches, because it's not popular and it doesn't feel good. People like to preach only the positive side of the gospel or the benefits we receive, but they neglect speaking about the negative side or the warnings we must heed. Nevertheless, both the positive and negative sides are part of the gospel. All of these are conditions that must be fulfilled.

I hope you take it to heart and let it encourage you as well as warn you of areas where your soul is in danger. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in your life that is hidden that must go, and then when He does, repent with all your heart and cry out for forgiveness. Mercy is only available while you are on earth. God's standard for heaven is high and He's not going to lower it for anyone. It's high time we get back to the true gospel, seeking holiness and consecration to God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Obedience by the Spirit, The Obedience of Faith, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Ways of Life, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Mark of the Beast (666), and Listen to Jesus, Who Upholds Moses and the Prophets. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org