Every day pray that everyone you know will either become a Christian or influence others to become a Christian, and please share this online book with others - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
Worship music - Please click the links and sing along if you know the words (You can also click skip ad to go straight to the songs) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gDbtOrIZVU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpSFXStNHdk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLibkQbb8-E
For Wednesday evening services, the Lord has lead me to do a Bible study for practical Bible verses in Matthew. Please come back to these Bible lessons in order to review them and learn them. Whenever we have learned the meaning of Bible verses and think about them throughout each day, we will be in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Not only that, but when we are in a situation in our daily lives and are tempted to sin, we can think back to what we have learned from the Bible and say to ourselves, "The Bible says to not do what I am tempted to say, think, do, and/or desire right now, so I am going to refuse to give in to this temptation." This is what Romans 12:2 means, and it says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." This is also the pattern that Jesus used when the devil tempted Him to sin in Matthew 4:1-11.
Chapter 26
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
Matthew 26:47-56
47And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. 50And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. (Jesus is against retailating with violence.) 53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. (These events were one of the many predicted in the Old Testament, proving Jesus is the Messiah.) Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Matthew 26:69-75
69Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
In Matthew 26:72, Peter denied with an oath (or swore to God) that he didn't know Jesus. Also, when Peter began to curse and to swear, and said, “I know not the man.”, he literally swore that God could strike him dead, or he was going to hell if he knew Jesus. Another way to describe this is that Peter called down curses on himself. The word ‘curse’, which is used in Matthew 26:74, means the same thing as ‘Anathema Maranatha’ or ‘accursed’ used in 1 Corinthians 16:22. This verse says, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” This means if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is going to hell. Obviously, there isn’t anyone in heaven who doesn’t love Jesus, and it is very possible for someone to not love Jesus and later change their mind and decide they want to become a Christian (Also, don’t forget that every sin can be forgiven (see Matthew 12:31)). After Peter denied that he knew Jesus for the third time, and the rooster crowed, Peter had realized what he had done, and he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). This proved that Peter was sorry for saying that (Psalm 51:17). It is a well-known biblical fact that Peter was forgiven and went on to do amazing things for the Lord. This proved he was a Christian, even after what he said in Matthew 26:74.
If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you have claimed that you aren't a follower of Jesus due to the possibilty of being persecuted or made fun of, etc., please follow chapter 10 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
If you have not prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, please follow chapter 41 of this book - www.areyousureyouaresaved.com
If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you are not sure you are really a Christian (Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 21:18-22, 1 John 5:14, and Hebrews 11:1), please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven