I feel bad God PREV NEXT

How to Worship God PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Worry When we worry, we are out of the Will of God because we lose the peace God admonishes us to seek and pursue (1 Peter 3:11). Since we must pursue peace continually, then it must be fleeting. The pursuit of peace is a discipline we must learn by continually putting our concerns into God’s hands, and having faith that He will prevail in all matters of justice (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 37:5). Our Creator is the God of justice (Psalm 89:14). He has said He will fight our battles for us if we are living His Way of life by serving others (2 Chron. 32:8; Prov. 3:5-6). If God is for us when we put others first, then who can prevail against us (Rom. 8:31; 1 Peter 3:13)? Worry impairs our health, our well-being and our daily outlook on life (Prov. 3:7-8). Worry zaps the pleasure out of life and makes living a burden (Prov. 15:13). Worry is a tool Satan uses to destroy our peace, which eventually will destroy our faith in God (Matt. 14:31). Worry accomplishes nothing, but faith accomplishes everything (Matt. 17:20). Satan is allowed to tempt us to worry so that when we resist worry, our faith in God is strengthened. When we let go of worry, we let God rightfully have those concerns of ours. He is our protector and will lead us out of our troubles (Job 5:19). An angel of the Lord encamps around us to protect us (Psalm 34:7). Worry is an enemy of faith. Therefore, worry is an enemy of all righteousness (1 John 4:18). One of Satan’s titles is the “enemy of all righteousness” (Acts 13:10). When we worry, we become a “worrywart.” When we have faith, we become faithful, and we are practicing the Will of the Father. Then we remain faithful to God’s Ways, which are easy, pleasant and light (Matt. 11:30; 1 John 5:3). Worry is the source of many evils and burdens, while faith puts worry to death. Worry makes our hearts heavy-laden. Jesus Christ says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-burdened and I will give you rest. Live My Way of life and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29). When we have worries, Jesus Christ wants us to come to Him with them. We have no need to be troubled (1 Peter 3:14). We are to cast all of our anxieties, troubles, cares and worries on Jesus Christ and let Him solve our problems. Jesus Christ truly cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Do you believe that? He wants you to continually make peace, keep the peace, and to never lose your peace. As you live to please God every day by serving others, your worries disappear, and you can truly lead the blessed life (Matt. 5:16; Luke 6:38)! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

The Simple Gospel PREV Search NEXT

All About Prayer PREV Search NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Baptism is… Baptism is for your benefit, for your full assurance, for your gifts of the Spirit, for your forgiveness of sins. Baptism is an outward sign of inner repentance. You are showing by your actions that you mean business, that you are sincere. You are showing God in heaven that you are willing to lay down your old life of sin and pick up your new life of righteousness. You are saying you intend to live a new life of doing right things. You are going to live by God’s Ways and forsake your ways of the flesh which are not good. The Apostle Paul told how to do this. He said, “Repent, turn to God, and perform works for repentance” (Acts 26:20). You see, doing good works in Jesus Christ’s name for the glory of the Father is how you overcome (Col. 3:17; Rev. 2:26). Jesus says, the Father in heaven is glorified by good works and this is how a true disciple lets his light shine before men (Matt. 5:16). When John the Baptist was asked by the people what they should do in regard to repentance, he did not hesitate to give them a sound example of good works (Luke 3:10-11). “Bring forth fruit meant for repentance,” he said. That fruit is good works done for God’s glory (Col. 1:10). Good works are not necessary for salvation because salvation is a free gift that could never be earned (Eph. 2:8-9). But the rest of the message, left out by so many, is that good works are necessary for repentance, for overcoming, for glorifying God daily, for edification, purification, for instruction in godliness, and we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Jesus is purifying a peculiar people for Himself who are zealous and on fire or hot for good works (Titus 2:14). Jesus is making disciples who will do greater works than He did (John 14:12). God can’t stand those who are lukewarm for good deeds (Rev. 3:15-16; 2:2-5; Gal. 6:9; 2 Thess. 3:13). Since Jesus is going to repay us according to our deeds, don’t you think we had better start doing some good deeds (Rev. 2:23; 20:12; 22:12; Matt. 16:27)? After all, if the righteous, who practice righteousness daily for God’s glory, are saved with difficulty, what is going to happen to those who deny Christ because they live disobedient and detestable lives and remain worthless for good works (1 Peter 4:18; 1 John 2:29; 3:7, 10, 18; Titus 1:16; 2:7; 3:8; Eph. 2:10)? God wants more examples like Dorcas, who was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did (Acts 9:36; 10:2, 38). He wants us to become obedient to the faith once delivered (Acts 6:7). He wants us to obey what he commands and receive His Spirit (Acts 5:32). Have you heard this before? If you have, are you zealous for good works? Isn’t it time to repent and believe the gospel and not man and be baptized (Acts 3:26, James 2:22; Matt 28:19-20)? PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

I am being tested God VO PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Guilt Guilt is one of Satan’s most effective weapons. Satan wants you to feel you are not doing enough. He wants you to think you are unworthy. He wants you to doubt and he wants you to be discouraged. But all of these feelings are not in the Will of God (Mark 4:19). So how do you get rid of them and stop Satan from choking your relationship with God? These thoughts and feelings have no place in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. You know you are not worthy. You know you are not doing enough. But it is God’s job to perfect more of Christ’s character in you (1 Cor. 3:7). God trims any tree that bears fruit so it will bear more fruit (John 15:2). The fruit is righteousness, and when you practice righteousness, you are automatically going to bear good fruit. But notice! It is God who trims the branches so you can bear more good fruit. God builds the character in you that will produce more fruit. When you worry that you are not doing enough, you are opening a door to Satan so he can discourage you enough to quit altogether. If Satan can get you to quit bearing fruit in good works, he has accomplished his purpose, which is to stop you completely (Col. 1:10; 1 Peter 5:8). You are not to evaluate whether or not you are doing enough. You are just simply told to practice righteousness and overcome evil by practicing good (Rom. 12:21). You are to do it with enthusiasm until God makes it come from your heart. Satan would like you to make a big deal out of it, when Christ said His Ways are easy and pleasant (Matt. 11:30). You just do the practicing and let God do the perfecting. Don’t let your human nature stop you. Have the mind of a little child. “Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, even as God is righteous” (1 John 3:7). So, there is no need to feel guilty. Just continue pleasing God by doing what is right and pleasing in His sight, and you will abide in His love. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Information on Righteousness Is it possible to be righteous and still not be pleasing to God? The word of God says yes. The Pharisees were very righteous but they were righteous for self instead of for the right reason (Matt. 23:13, 25-26). They wanted recognition, fame and fortune. They loved receiving publicity for their righteousness (Matt. 5:20; 6:1). Many people today have a zeal for God but not with the right knowledge of what God really wants them to do (Rom. 10:2-3). They are not doing their righteousness for God and glorifying Him with their good works (Matt. 5:16). They are not doing all the good works that they do or the good words that they say in the name of Jesus Christ, as true disciples are commanded to do daily (Col. 3:17). Many are not doing their righteousness in secret, as God has commanded (Matt. 6:3-6). Many are not doing their righteousness in order to overcome the evil pulls of their nature (Rom. 12:21; Psalm 34:14; 37:27). Because many are doing righteousness for the wrong reasons, they are establishing their own righteousness. Therefore, many do not even believe they are evil or in need of repentance when they are still being held captive by Satan to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). The more righteousness you do for God for repentance, the more you become aware of how unrighteous you really are (Rom. 7:18). The more righteousness you do for self, the more unaware you become of how evil you really are (Luke 11:13). It is lethal to do good for any other reason than to glorify God daily. Your righteousness must be done in secret and not to be admired by others. Your righteousness must be done to show God respect (fear) and love. This is how to keep God’s Ways of righteousness in your life. Go to God and ask Him to show you His Ways. Do not continue to do it your way, because God’s Ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8-9). Our ways are Satan’s ways (Eph. 2:3). Let us follow the righteous directions for conversion found in God’s word (Acts 26:20). Repent! Turn to God by performing good works for reasons of repentance and to build godly character (1 Tim. 4:7-8). By doing good for God, let us seek Him and become righteous in all our ways (Rom. 3:10-12; 1 John 3:7). Let us prove to be disciples of Jesus Christ by bearing good fruit (good works) on our spiritual trees (Col. 1:10; Matt. 7:19; 3:10). PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Righteousness is True Repentance PREV Search NEXT

Finding Inner Strength When we read about early disciples of Jesus Christ and the trials and tortures they went through, we realize they had to have inner strength to endure to the end. What is this mysterious inner strength and where does it come from? Most importantly, how do we obtain it? We must look into God’s Word to find out how to have inner strength. We are to cast all our anxieties, our troubled thoughts, our problems and our frustrations on God, and He will take them from us. There is no more condemnation for us (feeling bad about ourselves or our shortcomings) when we are living the way Jesus Christ showed us to live daily. How many people cast all their anxieties, troubles and woes on Jesus Christ, and experience the inner strength that comes from God by doing so? Remember, God does not hear sinners, but only those who show Him respect by doing His Will daily on this earth as it is being done in heaven. So let’s live for God and then trust in Him for the inner strength that cannot fail. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. John 9:31 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. 1 John 3:18-21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:21 PREV NEXT Click below for full Bible Study: Inner Strength

Scriptures of Courage VO PREV NEXT

Christ's Simple Message PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Will You Be Able To Stand? Noah was the only person God found who was practicing righteousness in his day (Gen. 6:9; 7:1). Noah stood alone before God. He didn’t need a church, nor did he depend upon a body of people to provoke him weekly to do good for God. Noah was mature in his walk with God. His relationship was complete. We cannot be found righteous unless we live righteously every day. If we never do anything for God, by serving others in need as Jesus Christ our example did, we are not righteous, neither are we considered righteous by God. How is your personal relationship with God? By the time you’ve finished this article, you will see exactly what must be done to make it like Noah’s. Enoch, Abel, Job, Abraham, Elijah and the prophets of old were all righteous. They stood before God and stood alone as mighty men of God. Even when Job’s friends tried to discourage him, and his wife told him to curse God and die, Job’s one-to-one faith in God stood firm (Job 2:9-10). Many doers of the word who worshiped God in the past willingly gave their lives to God and laid down their lives as testimonies of their solid, unshakable, stand-alone faith. They trusted in the Rock of their salvation, Jesus Christ, and as a result, became solidly established in their faith—as rocks. The requirements of our faith in Jesus Christ are: A. Practice righteousness for God and keep Jesus Christ’s words and sayings (John 8:51). Continue to do God’s Will daily in our lives, remaining faithful by continually doing so. B. Study God’s word continually to find out what God’s Will is, and perform it daily in our lives (Eph. 5:17) C. Honor the Lord with your wealth, by setting aside from each paycheck a certain amount with which to do good for God (Prov. 3:9-10). This is God’s money and no longer ours. It is entrusted to us by God. We are His trusted servants who distribute that money to the poor, the needy, the stranger, or anyone who would borrow from us. You do not need to spend it all before the next paycheck, but safeguard what is put aside for God in your trust, and use it continually to do His Will. God Himself will continually teach you what to do with this amount you have set aside regularly to honor Him. God always teaches those who continually obey Him on a personal basis. He teaches us how to love one another, how to serve, how to give, how to share, and how to forgive one another continually. He wants to teach us about His Ways, but He can’t do this unless we continually, on a daily basis, imitate the Way He lives. D. Pray constantly for guidance, and for others (2 Tim. 1:3). Prayer is the tool we use to commit all our ways to God. It is how we break down all the strongholds of sin in our lives and put them into the captivity of Jesus Christ, making all our ways Christ’s Ways. It is how we telephone God and keep in touch daily. Prayer is how we make known to Him all our needs and desires. It is our hot line, a direct connection to the God whom we serve daily. Always remember, we have great favor with God because we serve others daily on His behalf, which makes us His true servants. We are continually serving others, and, as a result, we are continually growing more and more like Christ each day. We know the secret that God causes the growth when we serve others as Jesus Christ gave us example to do in His name (Col. 3:17). We know the secret, that unless we imitate Jesus Christ daily, we will never be like Him. We know that imitating Jesus Christ is how we repent, how we abide in Christ, how we clothe ourselves with Christ, how we become doers of the word of God, and how we overcome our evil natures and have Christ formed in us. If these things are in our lives and are continually increasing, we will never fail (2 Peter 1:3-10). God is making stand-alone disciples. He wants us to be stimulated to more love and good works daily, drawing near to Him through personal Bible study and as He continues to allow, through all the resources He has provided us on wholewheatonline.com, to stir up by way of reminder the simple truth God has called us to (Rom. 15:4-5; Heb. 3:13; 2 Peter 1:12-13). He wants us to seek Him with all our heart, and develop our one-to-one relationship with Him, maturing in our faith, so we are able to stand alone; going to Him for all our needs and learning to discern His voice (1 Chronicles 28:9; John 5:44; Acts 17:27; James 4:8; John 10:27). He wants us to be an example for those in our life that are not yet mature (Titus 2:7-8, 1 Tim. 4:12). Will you help Him and learn to stand-alone? Will you be His example of love? Will you show by your godly life and example how to live a repentant life before God daily (Heb. 5:12-14)? If you do, you will not only have found the purpose of life, but you will be living it and showing it in all your thoughts, words and deeds. You will be letting your light shine for God’s glory (Matt. 5:16). You will be an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). You will be like Noah, and will be ready for all that is to come (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Pet. 5:8; Matt. 24:42). You will be the apple of God’s eye, His trusted servant, the one of whom He loudly proclaims, “This is my beloved son (or daughter) in whom I am well pleased” (2 Pet. 1:17). God is, and always will be, your friend because you cared enough for Him to have Jesus Christ formed in you (John 15:14). When you are fully trained, you will be like your Teacher, because you have been taught by Him (Luke 6:40). Now, you will be able to stand. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Resentment A terrible disease of the flesh Resentment is a very treacherous thing. It is dangerous because it builds so slowly, we often are not even aware of its presence. Resentment kills people, destroys marriages, causes misunderstandings between friends, and is an enemy of all happiness. It is the cause of wars, racial strife, murder, and rape. It can be present in almost every situation in life. People resent laws, regulations, taxes, governments, employers, foremen, teachers, neighbors, relatives, friends, and their own children. Children resent their parents and the parents resent their children’s resentment of them, and on and on it goes. Resentment actually kills the resentful person. When we resent someone, we actually hate that person to some degree. That is why the Lord has said those who hate their brother are the same as murderers (1 John 3:15). When we harbor resentment we feel emotionally disturbed. As we become more resentful, we become more emotionally disturbed and our health deteriorates. We feel bad. Some people drink alcoholic beverages to feel good. Some people take narcotics or lose their minds in lust and pornography. Because people hold resentment, the food they eat doesn’t digest properly. Many have stomach trouble. As resentment burns inside, adrenalin pours through the entire system, poisoning and weakening all the organs of the body. Resentment actually eats us alive. It devours us from the inside out. It causes sleepless nights, worry, frustration, anxiety and stress. Some people eat more, craving for some pleasures in life, something to soothe a troubled mind. Life sometimes becomes a living hell. As resentment mounts, frustration mounts. Anxiety and restlessness increase. We become short-tempered. We become angry inside and wild on the outside. On top of all the trouble resentment is causing in our lives, we still have all the other pulls of our human natures to put up with. The apostle Paul said, “I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against my mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in the members of my body. Oh, wretched person that I am, who will set me free from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. So on the one hand I am serving the law of God, while at the same time I am living in my sinful body. But there is no condemnation for those who live to please their Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 7:23-25; 8:1). Paul was saying he wanted to do the right thing, but kept doing the opposite. Many of us have the same problem! But should we continue to sin and practice resentment one to another? Heaven forbid! Instead, we must overcome resentment by practicing mercy, compassion and forgiveness with all our might. We cannot allow anything to take our peace in Christ, even if we are living in a “hell on earth.” All is well for those who continue to serve Christ by serving, loving and forgiving others daily. The heart of man is exceedingly evil, beyond all human comprehension (Jer. 17:9; Gen. 6:5; 8:21). Human nature is a fallen nature. It is satanic. That is why Jesus Christ said to the Jews, “You are doing the things your own father does” (John 8:38, 41, 44). Humans are being held captive by Satan to do his will until God allows them to repent (2 Tim. 2:26). Satan fell from the grace of God through bitter resentment. He became puffed up and full of pride because of his beauty and wisdom. Satan’s wisdom and knowledge warped with time, and he became an adversary of God. He twisted the knowledge of God to receive power and acclaim for himself. He wanted to make a name for himself and have people look up to him. Today, Satan’s ministers also demand respect from their followers and lord it over their subjects (Matt. 20:25). They desire to be looked up to and respected for reasons of power, position, fame and wealth (Luke 16:14). Cain was resentful of his righteous brother, Abel, because Abel’s deeds were righteous and Cain knew his own deeds were evil (1 John 3:12). The Lord told Cain that his evil nature was out to destroy him, but he could master it by constantly doing good and what was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 4:7). This truth applies to everyone God calls. We either become like Abel and are persecuted for righteous acts, or we remain like Cain and persecute the righteous. Abel was a friend of God. Cain was of his father, the devil. The Pharisees of Jesus Christ’s day knew He was from God and that His message was right and true (John 3:2). They knew He was right and they were wrong. They resented Jesus because they took the position of Cain. They, like Cain, did not want to be told to overcome their evil natures by doing good for God daily in secret. There is no glory in that for self. That didn’t sound profitable for those ministers of Satan — Pharisees — who were lovers of money more than lovers of God. They sought for fame, glory and respectability from men. They didn’t want respectability from God because they didn’t know Him anyway. It was bitter resentment that killed Jesus Christ, our Savior. Now, if we, as God’s elect (Luke 18:7-9), insist on bearing resentment and practicing it one to another, we make ourselves out to be those who would have killed Jesus Christ if He had lived in our time. When we bear resentment, we maintain the same position as those who hate their neighbor, and Jesus Christ said that is the same as being a murderer (Matt. 5:21-22). Husbands love your wives. Wives love your husbands. Do not allow any bitter resentment to exist in your lives (Col. 3:19). All things can be overcome through practicing charity and love. Don’t resent your children when they demonstrate the fact that they, too, have evil human natures; but love them all the more, and discipline them all the more with love. The word used for love in 1 Corinthians 13 is translated from a word meaning charity. When you practice charity, you do not seek your own glory. You do not act in a way that is displeasing to others. You are more concerned for the welfare of others and their comforts than you are for your own. Charity only believes what is good about others. It is not provoked. It does not take into account wrong that is suffered. That is why charitable love never fails. Make a list of all the things you resent in others. Then realize you were wrong, forgive them, and practice charity one to another with a pure and a light heart before the Lord daily. How do you overcome resentment? First, you must be afflicted by it. Then, when your test begins, apply these principles of Christ. Forgive those who trespass against you daily so the Father in heaven can forgive you your trespasses (Matt. 6:14-15). Do good to those who persecute you or say evil about you. Pray for them. Do not repay them any evil, for that is the Lord’s job (Heb. 10:30). Love all, forgive all, and bless all who curse you. Bless those who say all manner of evil against you, and do not say any evil against them. Joseph’s brothers were resentful of him because he was their father’s favorite son. They all wanted to kill him. Only because of Judah’s greed, was he spared death by being sold (Gen. 37:26-27). Judah, the father of the Jews, was a Judas. He sold his own flesh and blood for money. What does the Bible teach us through the experience of Joseph? It shows that Joseph triumphed over resentment by showing love to his brothers. As a result of his attitude, God exalted him to a position of second-in-command in all Egypt. Did Jesus carry resentment in His heart for those who killed Him? No! He overcame resentment with pure love. “Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing,” He said (Luke 23:34). We must overcome all resentment in our lives in order to put on the new nature of love. We now are without excuse. It can no longer be said of us, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Now we know how important it is to get rid of all resentment in our lives. Destroy resentment by giving it no place in your life! Start now. If you don’t, it will destroy you. It has already harmed you, but you didn’t realize it before. Now you know what to do about it. Forgive everyone all the time; and be like Jesus Christ, our example. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Consuming Fire & Jealous God VO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: God’s Judgement on a Nation Lukewarm Beware of all that is False Newsletter Public Enemy #1 The Lord is Coming The World is Lost PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search What Was Paul's Message? The message the Apostle Paul gave would be the same message others gave about the saving of souls. His words would have started out the same as John the Baptist’s, Jesus Christ’s or the apostles’. "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand" (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7) - right now! He was saying, if Jesus Christ has given you ears to hear the message, and eyes to see the truth, you should repent this instant (Matt. 13:13)! You must "turn around" or live another way. That’s what repent means (Matt. 13:15). He was explaining that when you keep Jesus Christ’s commands, He will heal your eyes and open your ears (2 Cor. 3:16). He will show Himself to you (John 14:21). It is utterly amazing how many people are trying to understand the Bible without obeying it (2 Tim. 3:7)! How many times did Jesus Christ tell us to keep His words (Matt. 5:19; 7:24; Luke 8:21), do His words (Luke 10:28,37; 11:28), keep His sayings (John 12:47; 8:51; 13:15), keep His works (John 14:12; Matt. 7:21), keep His commandments (John 15:10; 1 Cor. 7:19), and walk in His commandments (1 John 2:17; 2 John 6)? Today, people lie, steal and commit adultery. They love their friends and hate their enemies. They attend church, holding to a form of religion but not possessing the power that results from living a godly life (2 Tim. 3:1-7). They are continually learning about something but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:7). This truth they are seeking is the truth about desiring to live godly in Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). It is the knowledge of how to repent, how to keep God’s Ways and how to do God’s Will daily on earth as it is done in heaven (Matt. 6:10). It is how to overcome and how to put to death the deeds of the flesh by living to the Spirit daily (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:16, 24). Paul overcame his fleshly nature by keeping the deeds of Christ (Rev. 2:26). His message of overcoming with Jesus Christ’s Spirit in us is seldom heard today. How many completed believers are there today who are zealous for good deeds or good works (Titus 2:14)? Jesus was glorifying the Father by good works (Matt. 5:16). He also said we will do greater works than He did because we will live longer than He lived (John 14:12). We are to leave this world a better place than when we came into it. We accomplish this by living like Jesus Christ and serving others in need. This was Paul’s message. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search You Can't Do it Without God Many people think they can face the future without God. It cannot be done (John 15:5). The Lord is coming soon and many plagues will precede His arrival (Matt. 24:21-22). This time will be called Jacob’s distress because it is coming upon all people, especially the descendants of the ancient Israelites (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1). Now is the time to prepare for the Lord’s coming and the day of distress! How should we prepare? God says He will protect all who are wholly devoted to pleasing Him (Is. 3:10; 1 Kings 8:61; Eccl. 8:12). We please God when we live to keep His Ways and do His Will on this earth, just as He does in heaven (Matt. 6:10). We must learn righteousness by becoming concerned about the things that concern and please God. The fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 describe God’s personality. These fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Because God’s Ways are not our ways, we must practice the fruits of the Spirit daily toward our friends and neighbors until God has a chance to form Jesus Christ’s nature in us (Is. 55:8-9; Gal. 4:19). Building godly character is easy and pleasant, but it does not happen overnight (Matt. 11:30). It is a process that requires daily discipline and practice (1 Tim. 4:7). We, like Jesus, need to keep busy doing the righteous works of God in our lives (Luke 2:49; John 4:34; 5:30, 36; 14:12; 21:25). We need to live as Jesus lived and keep His deeds by overcoming the evil pulls of our flesh (Rev. 2:26). As we continue to zealously practice this righteous Way of life, we will truly be prepared to meet the Lord at His imminent return (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9; Luke 1:17; 21:36). Without God, our righteousness is useless (Is. 64:6-7; Rom. 10:2-3). With God, we can have peace and look forward to the future (1 John 2:28; 1 Peter 4:18)! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

What is the purpose of life? To hear the full sermon this "Grain of Truth" came from click here. Click here to learn more about the Purpose of Life PREV Next

wholewheatonline.com Search Turn to the Lord Scripture says that when a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Cor. 3:16). What does "turn to" mean here? The word turn is mentioned in Matthew 13:15 and again in Acts 28:27. "Turn again" is mentioned in Mark 4:12. We see in John 12:40, that the words "be converted" are used instead of "turn to." In Acts 3:19, the expression, "Repent, therefore, and return" is used, but to what are we returning? Acts 6:7 says a great many of the ministers or priests were becoming obedient to the faith. We see, then, that to "turn to" means to turn to the obedience of the faith. Yes, faith in Jesus Christ requires obedience (Rom. 16:26; 1 Peter 1:2; John 3:36). New Testament believers had a reputation for obedience, but what was the faith to which they were obedient (Rom. 16:19)? Jesus Christ says, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me" (John 12:26). Jesus is telling us that we are expected to live as He lived. How do we do that? We are to keep His sayings (John 12:48; 8:51). Jesus Christ’s sayings are the works He did on this earth as an example, that we should walk in them (John 14:12; Eph. 2:10). We cannot possibly be converted to Jesus Christ if we do not keep His sayings! God says that if we practice living like Christ by keeping His sayings, we are truly born again (1 John 2:29). This is how we overcome evil and resist Satan daily (Rev. 2:26). The veil is taken away from your eyes when you cry out to the Lord for the truth and begin living to please Him in all your ways (2 Cor. 4:3; 3:16; Acts 10:34-35). You can begin to understand many mysteries and spiritual truths that you could not comprehend before. Yet, if you do not practice living like He does, you will never be like He is and you will never clearly understand His Ways. Do not be deceived. Practice makes perfect. You do the practicing and God will do the perfecting. Practicing righteousness daily for God is repentance. It is the Way of righteousness (Matt. 21:32; 2 Peter 2:21). If you have not turned to the Lord and have not started the process of building godly character, why not turn to the Lord today? Begin living the godly Way. Please Him in all you do, and He will make a new person out of you. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search God’s Best Example As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be representatives of God’s kingdom on this earth. We are to let happiness, love, joy and a unique stability of mind permeate our presence. We have eternal life and we know it because we live by God’s Ways. Jesus Christ says He is eternal life and everyone who lives as He lived—glorifying the Father with good works, enduring to the end and continuing to keep his old nature under control—will receive eternal life (Rom. 16:19-20). God crushes our old nature as we continue overcoming our evil nature by doing good (Rom. 12:21). That is what it means to repent. We should strive to control our thinking so that we think only what is pure and lovely. We should seek peace and pursue it earnestly (Psalm 34:14). We must practice making the words that come out of our mouths as if they were the words of God (1 Peter 4:11). We should pursue, hunger, and thirst for righteousness so that Christ’s nature can be formed in us (Matt. 5:6; Gal. 4:19). We mustn’t let anything stop us from receiving that new nature and pressing on to perfection. Jesus emphasized the fact that nothing should stop us in the process of receiving our new nature (Phil. 3:14; Luke 21:19). Jesus used a severe parable saying, “If your eye offends thee, pluck it out” (Matt. 18:9). In other words, we are not to let anything stop us from achieving our goal, which is godliness. We must strive to be godly examples to others in thought, word and deed, like Christ (Col. 3:17). We must not do anything to make a brother stumble who has found the Way—the holy Way that the unclean are not permitted to travel (Rev. 21:8). So keep your conduct holy, pure and blameless in all things. Always remember Paul’s words, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Are you ready to have others follow you, yet (1 Cor. 11:1)? PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Practice Makes Perfect Psalm 4:4 says, “Tremble and do not sin.” Generally, religious people today do not fear God to such an extent that they tremble when they sin. People claim they cannot help but sin, because we are all sinners and people who say they have no sins are liars. They use 1 John 1:8, as an excuse to continue sinning. Yet, at the same time, Jesus says we are to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). Jesus also commanded one person to go and sin no more lest something worse would come upon him. Was Jesus’ command unreasonable, or can we be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? Did Jesus teach this seemingly unreasonable doctrine about not sinning and being perfect to His disciples? One thing for sure is, not many people know the answer to this Bible mystery. The apostle Paul had the attitude that he had not obtained the state of perfection yet and therefore, he felt he wasn’t worthy to come up in a resurrection to eternal life (Phil. 3:11, 14). What a far cry his gospel is from those today who preach, “Give your heart to the Lord and just believe; you’ll be saved.” Some even go so far as to say you cannot lose your salvation once you have it. They use only certain Scriptures and avoid others that will not back up their false doctrines of half truths. Jesus Himself, who cannot lie, said you have to be considered worthy to attain to the age of the resurrection (Luke 20:35). Doesn’t He know what He’s talking about? Jesus told those who follow Him to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees (Matt. 16:6-12). Those Pharisees, or hypocrites, exist today much more than they did in Jesus’ day. Remember, there is only one true teaching and that comes from Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6). Let’s see what God’s word, the Bible, has to say about being perfect and not sinning. There is a word that is not used much or understood in God’s word. It is a word that few people realize is a key that unlocks the true gospel. That word is practice. We’ve all heard the expression, “Practice makes perfect,” but not many people take that phrase seriously. Yes, practice, when it is connected to righteousness, does make one perfect, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:48. Ironically, the key word “practicing” is used for the first time, in the New Testament, in the very next verse. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus Christ Himself says to His true disciples; “Beware of practicing your righteousness to be noticed by men.” These words show that true disciples of Jesus Christ practice righteousness, and it isn’t just a few hours a week. It’s all the time. Why are true followers of Jesus Christ continually practicing righteousness—continually doing good? The first reason is, they are imitating their Savior, Jesus Christ, who continually went about doing good (Acts 10:38). Were Jesus Christ’s true disciples abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which they continually did? The answer is, yes (Acts 9:36)! This is how the Father in heaven is glorified and it is the Way a true disciple, or overcomer, let’s his light shine before others (Matt. 5:16). The second reason disciples of Jesus Christ are practicing righteousness is, for overcoming. You see, they are disciplining themselves daily for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). Jesus gave His true followers instructions on righteousness and warned them that the righteousness they were practicing had to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, or they would not be converted. In other words, they would not enter the kingdom of God within until their righteousness came from their hearts. They would not receive the new nature, Jesus Christ’s nature formed in them, until their righteousness was no longer done hypocritically (Matt. 5:20; Gal. 4:19; Luke 17:21). All God’s Ways are righteous (Psalm 145:17). All Jesus’ Ways were righteous. All our ways must be made righteous before God. How can this be? God’s Ways are God’s Will, so then, God’s Will is righteousness. God says we are to do His Will from the heart, and then we will have His nature formed in us (Eph. 6:6; 1 Peter 5:10). There will be a certain amount of testing or suffering, but you can be sure it is nothing compared to the new nature and the revelation of His glory (1 Peter 4:12-13). In effect, when you practice righteousness each day for God, you are overcoming the evil one, overcoming your evil side, your evil nature, your satanic nature. Every time you resist the evil impulses of your snake-like nature, the snake and the evil impulses grow weaker. The food that keeps the snake strong and healthy in your body is sin (Gen. 4:7). Satan is put to death in your body by practicing righteousness for God and His glory (Rom. 12:21). This allows God to crush Satan and put him under your heel or authority (Rom. 16:20). Psalm 37:27 puts it all together when it says, “Overcome evil by doing good, so you will abide forever [live forever].” Many do not know that being born again is the overcoming process. The one Scripture that is never mentioned by those who falsely say they are born again is 1 John 2:29. It is saying if you know that Jesus Christ is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is truly born of Him. True disciples practice righteousness daily for God’s glory, for God’s blessings and rewards, and for overcoming their evil natures. They practice righteousness so they can have Christ’s nature formed in them, and enter God’s rest as mentioned in Hebrews 4:10 and Galatians 4:19. Now, here is a point on righteousness about which many remain deceived. First John 3:7 says, “The one who practices righteousness [for God] is [considered] righteous just as God is righteous.” God’s word said it, we believe it, and that settles it. You are righteous in God’s eyes when you practice righteousness to please Him each day. What about those who will not overcome by practicing righteousness daily for God? They remain of the devil, according to God’s word, which cannot lie (1 John 3:10; Heb. 6:18). Jesus overcame the world. He was tested in all things and Satan could not find any fault in Him (John 14:30; 16:33). We, too, are to overcome the evil pulls of the flesh and put them to death with the help of God’s Spirit (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:16). If we don’t or won’t obey Jesus Christ, we won’t be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:2). God gives His Spirit only to those who will obey Him (Acts 5:32). We must live as Jesus Christ gave us example to live, and overcome our evil natures by keeping His works. We must endure to the end keeping them, if we are to be covered by His blood (John 14:12; Rev. 2:26; 3:21; 21:7). The only exception for anyone is a situation similar to that of the thief who was dying on a cross. Otherwise, there is no excuse for refusing to overcome. The word perfect, in the Bible, means spiritually mature. See the margin note in Philippians 3:15. Mature followers of Jesus Christ no longer practice sin in their lives, but only practice righteousness toward God for His glory. They do all the good that they do in the name of Jesus Christ as they have been commanded in Colossians 3:17. They do not hold out on God in certain areas of their lives, but are wholeheartedly devoted to pleasing God. They are perfect in attitude, perfect in gratitude. They have developed honest and good hearts, if they didn’t have them to begin with (Luke 8:15). They have been made complete (2 Cor. 13:9, 11). They have rested from all their works of the flesh and have entered the kingdom of God within, which is God’s rest (Heb. 4:10; Luke 17:21). Yes, practice does make perfect and idleness is the devil’s hand tool. That fact has been explained, and proven in great detail, in this study. If you want to be perfect, then you had better start to practice the faith of Jesus Christ, because there is only one faith (Eph. 4:5). God bless you in your walk with God. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search How Do We Walk in the Spirit? It is common for people to be confused by the expression, "Walk in the Spirit." Let us analyze what it means to walk in the Spirit. The Bible says that if we live to the flesh, we will die (Rom. 8:13). Living to the flesh is practicing the evil deeds of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; Matt. 15:19; Rev. 21:8). When we are baptized, we agree not to live in the flesh or live for self any longer, but to repent and start living for God by living to the Spirit. God is that Spirit, and He wants to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). If we perform only God’s Will in our daily walk with God, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). If we carry out the desires of the flesh, that is sin (1 Peter 4:1-2). But if we keep God’s Will, we overcome evil by doing good works (Rom. 12:21). If we are zealous for good works, we leave no room for our old selfish will to operate (1 Peter 3:13). Thus, we are putting to death the sinful deeds of the body by living to the Spirit, which is living for God (Rom. 8:13). God wants us to consider ourselves as dead to sin but alive to righteousness, by presenting our bodies as slaves to righteousness daily (Rom. 6:11; 1 John 3:7). We prove whose side we are on when we live as slaves to Jesus Christ (1 John 3:10). We continue doing this until we pass the hypocritical stage of the Pharisees and begin doing the Will of God gladly from the heart (Matt. 5:20; Eph. 6:6). God is glorified by good works (Matt. 5:16). We are admonished to be sure to engage in good works and to learn righteousness because this is how we walk in the Spirit (Titus 3:8, 14). Salvation is a free gift that cannot be earned, but it only goes to those who are repentant and live to serve others for the glory of God. Remember always, you were saved to serve. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Decisiveness Learn more about decisiveness PREV NEXT

The Mystery of God's Will PREV Search NEXT

RIGHTEOUSNESS Learn more about God’s righteousness here Learn how righteousness is true repentance in this podcast His Righteousness PREV NEXT

Boldness VO Learn more about boldness PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Be Like Jesus Christ Jesus Christ lived to please only the Father and we too should live only to please the Lord. We do this by making all our ways pleasing in His sight (Psalm 19:14). That means we can no longer live a life of evil, but only a life of doing good. It is impossible to be good without doing good in God’s eyes (1 John 3:7). You cannot overcome evil by refraining from evil, but you overcome evil by doing good (1 Peter 3:10-11). Jesus did not harbor any ill feelings toward others. He even did good to His enemies (Matt. 5:44). He was a good example in word and deed. Acts 10:38 simply states, "He went about doing good." He did this to please God and to be our example of how to live this holy Way (John 8:29). Jesus did good in the Father’s name and we are instructed to imitate Him (John 10:25; Eph. 5:1). We are to do all the good we do in Jesus’ name for the glory of the Father without calling attention to ourselves (Matt. 6:1; Col. 3:17). Jesus was kind, tender-hearted and forgiving (Prov. 19:22). All that Jesus was can be summarized in one simple word - charity. When we practice charity toward others in word and deed throughout the day, our sins and shortcomings are forgiven, because charity covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8; Prov. 10:12). Jesus said, "But give that which is within as charity, and all things are clean for you" (Luke 11:41). He was telling us that we can live a sinless life before God each day when all our actions come from a heart of love (Matt. 5:20; Eph. 6:6). He makes it possible, and so enjoyable (Matt. 11:29-30). It is time to have an attitude of gratitude toward God and live only to please Him each day. It is time to imitate Jesus Christ and live a life of charity, and be obedient to His word (Prov. 16:7). Now is the time to be found innocent and blameless in the midst of an increasingly perverted and sinful world (Phil. 2:15). Don’t you agree? PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search How to Serve God If you live your personal life to please God in all aspects, you are worshiping the Lord and serving Him only (Matt. 4:10). If you are no longer living to please self but to serve others, you have become like Christ (Rom. 15:2-3). If you are putting other people’s interests and needs before your own, if you are more concerned about others than yourself, if you are the last to be served, you have Christ’s nature formed in you (Gal. 4:19). Living to please self is selfish. Living to please others is selfless or unselfish. Jesus came to show us how to overcome evil by doing good for the glory of the Father (Rom. 12:21; Col. 3:17). He came to show us how to be servants of others and how to practice selflessness instead of selfishness. He said the greatest among us will be those who serve the most (Matt. 23:11). This theme is prominent throughout the New Testament (Matt. 20:26-28; 25:40; Mark 9:35; 10:43-45; Luke 8:21; 1 Cor. 10:24). Loving God is serving God. Serving God is worshiping God. Praising God is thanking God, being specific about the things for which we are praising Him. Webster’s Dictionary defines praise to God as the act of glorifying God with song or other acts of service. We can sing praises to God by singing songs that tell what great things God does for us (Eph. 5:19). We can praise Him with our mouths by being ready always to give a good answer to others as to why we live the way we do for God (1 Peter 3:15). We can praise Him with our mouths by not gossiping or speaking evil of others, and by not swearing or using vulgar language (1 Peter 4:11). Yet few people know refraining from swearing is worshiping and praising God. We are to worship God by pleasing Him in all respects. That is how we praise His name. Confessing our faults to one another is worshiping God. We can worship or glorify God by the way we dress, or we can serve the devil by the way we dress. We can worship, glorify or praise God by the way we think or we can worship Satan by the way we think. Can we please God by being happy? We can please God just by having a good day for His glory (Matt. 5:16). Can we have a good day if it isn’t a day lived to please God? Of course not. It is God’s word that shows us the Way to have a good day. Are you really concerned about what God thinks in every area of your life? How many of your old ways are you holding on to? Are you coming short of entering the kingdom (Rom. 3:23)? Are you pressing on and continuing to force your way into the kingdom of God (Luke 16:16)? The Israelites were not able to enter because of disobedience (Heb. 3:19; 4:1-3, 6, 11). Are you seeking God by doing good to please Him? Serving God and seeking God, praising and worshiping God, pleasing God, living for God, walking like God, talking like God and imitating God—by imitating Jesus Christ’s Way of life (Eph. 5:1; 1 Cor. 11:1)—is the answer to the eternal riddle of the mystery of God. It is how to be a doer of the word of God (James 1:22; Luke 8:21; 6:46). Closely observe how Abraham and his nephew, Lot lived (Gen. 17:1-2; 18:19; 19:1-3). Study the eternal message given by the prophets of old from God. All God ever wanted from His creation was for everyone to keep His Ways by practicing acts of righteousness one to another. He only wants people to serve Him by practicing acts of kindness, charity, mercy, compassion, honesty and justice (Micah 6:8; Deut. 10:12-13, 17-20). He wants us to live at peace with all men as much as is possible, and in so doing, serve Him (Heb. 12:14; 1 Peter 3:11-12). PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search The Kingdom Gospel “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come” (Matt. 24:14). What is the gospel of the kingdom that is to be preached—the message that will determine when the end of this age will come and culminate with the return of Jesus Christ? The people of Jesus Christ’s day knew that there was a kingdom coming with signs to be observed. Jesus told them the signs of the end of the age. He said the sun would not give its light, the moon would look like blood and there would be signs in the heavens (Matt. 24:3, 29-30). When the Pharisees asked Jesus when that kingdom (with signs) was coming, He replied that He was not talking about a kingdom with signs to be observed, but one that was within them (Luke 17:20-21). The Pharisees were not entering that kingdom within (Matt. 23:13). Neither were they teaching people about the kingdom within, just like people today are not being told how to enter that kingdom. They had taken away the keys of knowledge from the people, so Jesus Christ gave those keys to Peter (Luke 11:52; Matt. 16:18-19). Those keys are the directions and the understanding of how to enter the kingdom within and become a new creature. In order to enter that kingdom, you have to study the Bible for yourself (Matt. 13:52). You must repent to enter that kingdom of God (Matt. 4:17). That kingdom is entered by performing daily acts of righteousness (Matt. 5:20). That kingdom is entered by doing God’s Will daily on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10; 7:21; 1 John 2:17). God’s Will is righteousness. Disciples of Jesus Christ are expected to imitate God on a daily basis by visiting the sick, caring for the poor, the elderly, the lame, the blind, the widows and the orphans, as Christ explained (Eph. 5:1; Matt. 25:33-46; 1 John 3:17-19). That’s what the true sheep—true believers—are doing. They are overcoming evil by just doing good daily (Rom. 12:21; 1 Peter 3:11; 2 Thess. 3:13). They are glorifying God daily with good works so their lights can shine bright (Matt. 5:16). Living a life of doing good for God daily is true repentance from a life of doing evil. Jesus said that His Way is easy and very pleasant (Matt. 11:30). God wants you to do good daily so He can bless you daily (Eph. 6:8). When you put your hand to the plow (the plow represents good works), you are to continue to do good until the God of peace crushes Satan under your feet and forms Christ’s new nature in you (Luke 9:62; Rom. 16:20; Gal. 4:19). Then you become complete, a new person, a new creation (Gal. 6:15). When you put to death the deeds of the body by living to the Spirit daily, you will eventually rest from all your works of the flesh and enter Christ’s rest (Rom. 8:13; Heb. 4:10). Jesus Christ is making a peculiar people who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). That is why His apostles told the people to engage in good deeds and not to get weary of doing them (Titus 3:8; Gal. 6:9; 2 Thess. 3:13). This is how you force your way into the kingdom of heaven within (Luke 16:16). It is how you strive to enter the narrow door that few people find (Matt. 7:14; Luke 13:23-24). When you overcome evil by doing good daily, you resist Satan and enter the abundant life, which is filled with a peace that transcends all human understanding (Phil. 4:7, 9). “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand [right now, as soon as you hear this message,” John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the apostles proclaimed (Matt. 4:17). That kingdom is entered by keeping Jesus Christ’s works and overcoming a life of evil by engaging in a life of good works (John 14:12). Do you know of any other way to be good, than to do good (Rev. 2:26)? PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

I can't stop worrying God VO PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Don't Worry Be Happy: A Woman to Woman Article It’s a wild, wicked world out there. How can I possibly not worry? The times we are living in seem so much more evil than five, ten or twenty years ago. When we turn on the television, it is a shame the way people are now allowed to swear and expose themselves sensually to the world. When we listen to the news, we see and hear about terrible things like murders, rapes and crimes of all sorts. We take our car out on the freeway and practically get run off the road. So how can we be happy and not worry you say? Yes, it is a wild, wicked world, isn’t it? The only way to escape the horror out there is to turn to God and repent. If we begin to do acts of kindness, showing God we mean business, He will be there to accept us, change us, protect us and make our lives peaceful and content, so that we can be happy and not worry. (Acts 26:20). God’s word is filled with His Ways—yes, His Ways of peace and happiness. Impossible, you say? No, not impossible with God. With Him, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). You don’t have to believe me—just try living His simple Way, and you can prove to yourself that the way to have peace is by doing God’s Will. Yes, peace in a wild, wicked world filled with anxiety and pressure. God’s Ways are like a pressure release valve on a pressure cooker. When things like anxiety and the pressures of the world build up, give them to God through prayer. Think outwardly and do something good for someone and you will find relief. In other words, come out of self. It works! Our biggest problem has always been our self. If we could only get out of our way, we could be successful! Does this ring a bell in your head? It sure does in mine. We need to put to death our evil ways, by the way the Lord has given us instruction to do (1 Peter 5:10-11; Rom. 12:21). God wants us to constantly serve others to please Him. This is His Will. Yes, this is God’s Way. I was thinking about God’s word the other day, and Psalm 128:1 was going through my mind. “How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” What a beautiful world this would be if everyone lived by God’s precious Ways. There would be no reason for worry and would be nothing but happiness. Now that is a beautiful world! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Promise of Renewal Learn more about being renewed here PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search Did Jesus Faith Have Good Works? Jesus said, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working; My food is to do the Will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work" (John 5:17; 4:34). These verses say Jesus did the Will of the Father on earth as it is being done in heaven (Matt. 6:10). He was doing the Father’s works, which are all righteous (Rom. 10:3). Jesus Christ and His disciples subjected themselves to the righteousness of God. Jesus even said some who followed Him would do greater works than He did (John 14:12). A lot of people are ready to receive the message of the Way of righteousness today (John 4:35). They are hungry for it. John 4:36 says anyone who is living this Way is already receiving blessings and bearing fruit for eternal life (Matt. 5:19; 3:10; 1 John 3:7, 10, 17-20). Jesus Christ’s faith had works of righteousness (John 10:32, 37-38). He helped people in need of clothing or daily food (James 2:15-17). His faith was not dead but alive because of His good works (James 2:26). Jesus knew that a man is not justified by faith alone, nor by works based on the law of Moses, but by works of righteousness done for God’s glory (James 2:24; Rom. 3:20; Matt. 5:16). Jesus’ works were not based on self-righteousness, which is righteousness of the flesh, but on the righteousness of faith (Rom. 3:27). So also, our works are to be based on the righteousness of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. By doing these works of righteousness, our faith is perfected (James 2:22). Yes, faith without works - daily good works - is dead (James 2:26)! We glorify God by doing good deeds - deeds of charity, deeds of love, lending and giving to those in need and expecting nothing in return, entertaining strangers (which is opening our homes to those in need), visiting the sick, helping the poor, feeding the hungry and never returning evil for evil (Matt. 25:33-40). We must overcome our natures by doing all these good deeds or works for God on a daily basis (Rom. 12:21; Rev. 2:26; 1 Peter 3:13). Begin today to suffocate your old nature and its evil ways. This will allow God to put it to death and give you His nature (Rom. 16:20; Gal. 4:19). As you do, you will begin to realize why a faith without good works is dead, yes, truly dead! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Repent to Believe the Gospel Who would ever expect to read in God’s word that you must repent in order to believe the gospel? We all know that obeying what the gospel says is repentance (Mark 1:15). Then there must be some Scriptures that would be hard to accept when we read them in God’s word. We would reject them in our spirits. What are some of these hard to accept Scriptures? In 3 John 11, God’s word states that only the one who does good is of God. How about people who don’t do good? Yes, you cannot say you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, unless you are continually doing good each day towards others like Jesus gave us examples to do. This affects a lot of people today who say they are saved, but who are not. Many people today exclaim they are born again—washed by the blood of Jesus. In order for this to be true, they would not only have to know the truth, but practice that truth daily in their lives (John 3:21; 1 John 1:6). That truth is keeping Jesus’ deeds in our lives daily (which is called “the light”) and daily imitating the Way He came to show us how to live. This is how to have the blood of Jesus Christ cover our sins (1 John 1:7). God’s word is emphatic when it says you must practice righteousness to be born of God (1 John 2:29 New American Standard Version). Obedience to Jesus daily is required for the forgiveness of sins—so says God’s word that cannot lie (1 Peter 1:2). How many people today say, “Lord, Lord!,” yet they are not doing what Jesus told them to do (Luke 6:46)? They are not overcoming the evil in their lives by continually doing good for God each day (1 Peter 3:10-11; Psalm 37:27; Matt. 5:16). How many people realize that using our bodies as instruments of righteousness each day is NOW our spiritual service of worship to God (Rom. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:13). Jesus is constantly giving examples in His word to those who are worshiping Him in the wrong way. They profess to know God, but by their daily works or deeds they deny Him. They are not overcoming evil by doing good for God each day. They are still living detestable and disobedient lives before God each day. Why? They are not doing good as Jesus said they should (Titus 1:16). They are still living lawless lives, sinful lives before God because those who teach them are telling them that they need not do anything to receive salvation—it is a free gift. This is only half-truth, just like the half-truths Satan used to tempt Jesus with (Eph. 2:8-9; Matt. 4:1-10). It’s as simple as this. God is calling people out of a life of lawlessness into a life of righteousness. If you are not living that life of righteousness, you are still living a life of lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Sin is lawlessness, so those who live lawless lives have not yet repented. Noah and all the true prophets of God, including Jesus and His disciples, preached that a life of righteousness is required daily by God for repentance. They knew that eternal life was a free gift of God but you must be found worthy to be given that gift (Luke 20:35 NASV;2 Thess. 1:5). What makes you worthy for the resurrection of eternal life is a life of good works or good deeds. Jesus said so Himself in John 5:28-29. We were created for good works (Eph. 2:10). So then, those who preach the incomplete truth of Ephesians 2:8-9 without explaining verse 10 in detail are preaching lawlessness. And that’s exactly what the ministers were doing whom Jesus gave as an example in Matthew 7:22-23. They were preaching lawlessness because they were not preaching that we must do righteousness each day to please the Lord, and we are to overcome evil by continually doing good like Dorcas (Acts 9:36). Instead, their disciples are described in Titus 1:16. In Matthew 7:13 it says that this is the broad way that leads to destruction, which many are following today because they are not being told how to repent. Repentance is a daily life of righteousness and good works done for God’s glory—called the Way of righteousness (Matt. 21:32; 2 Peter 2:21). How can you imitate God unless you keep Jesus’ words or sayings (John 8:51; Eph. 5:1)? How can you keep Christ’s words or sayings unless you do the works or deeds of Jesus in your daily life and overcome the evil in your life (John 14:12; Rev. 2:26; 3:21)? Jesus said, “Repent and believe the gospel or you will perish” (Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3, 5; Heb. 10:24)! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Be Perfect When the word of God says, "Be perfect," it means exactly what it says (Matt. 5:48; James 1:4; Heb. 12:23). But how can we be perfect? First of all, let’s realize that Jesus Christ was perfect, as His heavenly Father is perfect. He did the Father’s Will instead of His own (John 6:38). That is what made Him perfect. He kept the Father’s sayings and He lived exactly as He saw the Father live. Anyone who lives as God lives will suffer persecution, so Christ suffered persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). The Bible commands, "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). How do you do that? Keep God’s Ways and do God’s Will on earth as it is done in heaven (Matt. 6:10). Psalm 145:17 says, "The Lord is righteous in all His Ways, and kind in all His deeds." Then, it stands to reason that a disciple of Jesus Christ should strive to be righteous in all his ways and kind in all his deeds. If you know Jesus Christ was righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is truly born of Him (1 John 2:29). And this is the key! When you practice righteousness, you are righteous in God’s eyes (1 John 3:7). You have begun the godly process that allows God the Father to make you perfect (Heb. 12:23). By doing good deeds for God, you are practicing the truth that is according to godliness (Titus 3:8; 1:1; John 3:21). You have nothing to worry about now because you are a doer of the word as well as a servant of God (James 1:22; 1 Peter 3:13). Very few people know that the word "perfect" used in Matthew 5:48 and Philippians 3:15 means "spiritually mature." Spiritually mature disciples do not practice sin in their lives. Instead, they overcome sin and its temptations by continually doing good for God. No one who is truly born of God practices sin any longer in his life; and because he is born of God and God’s Spirit (seed) abides in him, he cannot sin (1 John 3:9). Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its evil practices and desires (Gal. 5:24). With the help of God’s Spirit, they put to death the things in their lives that are not pleasing to God (Rom. 8:13). Now, they walk in the Spirit and no longer carry out the evil passions they once had (Gal. 5:16). Jesus crushed Satan’s nature in them, with their help, and now they are new creations with His nature formed in them (Rom. 16:20; Gal. 4:19; 6:15). They are now perfect or complete (2 Cor. 13:9, 11). They are spiritually mature. They are truly born again and the evil one does not touch them (1 John 5:18). They have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13-14). They are perfect because God has perfected them. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Who Are the Stumbling Blocks? PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search A Loving Father Any father who loves his sons or daughters will teach them how to respect and obey him. He will teach them not to lie or steal or swear. He will teach them how to control their tempers and how to share what they have with others. He will teach them good manners and how to practice moderation in all things. He will teach them to be thankful for what they have and how to take care of those things. A loving father will teach his children to respect the elderly, the lame and the blind, and how to serve them in love and respect whenever possible (Job 29:12-16). He will teach them not to think that they are better than others, but to help others in need (Matt. 25:33-40; Luke 14:13). He will teach them to live a good life by doing good and to live a pure life with a pure heart, always doing God’s Will (Psalm 125:4; 103:21; 106:3; James 2:14-26). Children, if brought up correctly, should live their lives to please their fathers. They will never bring reproach or disrespect on their parents as long as they live (Eph. 6:1-3). Our heavenly Father wants the same respect and honor from us (Mal. 1:6). He wants adults to practice these same godly principles. He wants us to repent from a life of doing wrong and sin, and come into a life of doing right by practicing righteousness (1 John 3:7, 10). This is what is expected of those who repent. This is how to repent! This is the repentant life a true disciple of Jesus Christ lives daily, glorifying God with good works (Matt. 5:16). This is the Way of righteousness that Jesus came to show us (Matt. 21:32; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Acts 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 22:4). The Bible asks, "Those who teach others not to steal, do you steal?" We cannot teach our children to be decent unless we become decent adults first. We need to clean up our lives first by making up our minds not to practice things that do not please our heavenly Father. Then begin to diligently teach these godly principles to our children (Luke 1:17). God wishes to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24; Rom. 12:1). He expects us to practice the truth taught in His word in our daily lives (John 8:51; 3:21; James 1:22). In the near future, the Lord is going to punish the inhabitants of this earth with horrible chastisement (Jude 14-16; Is. 24:3-6). Now is the time to prepare so you will be ready to meet the Lord when He comes (Luke 1:17). Remember, without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14, King James Version). Will you repent by living the rest of your life to please your heavenly Father in Christ’s name (Col. 3:17)? Will you repent by engaging in a life of continually doing good, as Christ gave you example to do (Titus 3:8)? If you do, the blood of Jesus Christ will be applied to you, and your sins - past, present and future - will not be held against you (1 John 1:6-7, 9; 1 Peter 1:2). This is the truth. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Promise of Provision Learn about how God provides here PREV NEXT

My Rock & Strength ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Will You Be Able to Stand A Way of Escape - Place of Safety Scriptures A Stand Alone Faith Newsletter Promise of Strength PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search What Does Complete Mean? What does the Apostle Paul mean when He tells us to be "complete" (2 Cor. 10:6; 13:9, 11)? A person who is complete has perfect love coming from a pure heart and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:5, 19). He is constantly showing God’s love to others by his actions (1 John 4:20-21; 3:10, 17-18; Col. 3:17). An incomplete person lives in fear of doing wrong. He is constantly at odds with his nature (Rom. 7:15-16). He wants to do one thing, but God’s word says to do something else. A person who is not yet complete is in the process of realizing, like Paul, that nothing good dwells in him and that he must be set free from his evil nature (Rom. 7:18-19). As long as you are fighting the good fight, overcoming evil by doing good, and practicing righteousness in your daily life to please God, you are abiding in Jesus Christ (John 15:4, 8; Rom. 8:1; 1 John 4:15-16). You are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4). Your body is alive to righteousness because you are daily putting to death the deeds of the body and living to the Spirit by practicing righteousness (Rom. 8:10, 13). Yes, there will be some suffering involved in this process, but it is only a little (Rom. 8:17-18; 1 Peter 5:10). When you are complete, you will walk in perfect love with no fear inside (1 John 4:18). God will have perfected your faith as a result of your works (James 2:22). Your life will radiate peace (1 Peter 3:11). Your mind will be at peace (Is. 26:3). Others will see the new nature – Christ’s nature - that has been formed in you, and you will be ready to tell others how it happened (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Peter 3:15). Your lips will reveal what is in your heart (Luke 6:45; Psalm 49:3). Because you now have this new nature, you will not hinder others. Instead, you will use this life-saving key of knowledge you have to help others to enter the kingdom of heaven (Luke 11:52). You understand how to force your way into the kingdom that is within you (Luke 16:16; 17:21). You are disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). You know this is the narrow Way that few find because it requires daily discipline on the part of those who are trying to enter it (Matt. 7:14; Luke 13:24; 1 Tim. 4:7). This Way is not hard, but easy and pleasant (Matt. 11:30). Anyone can live this Way (1 Cor. 1:26-28). Now that you know what it means to be made complete, isn’t it time to obey the Lord so that He can make you complete (Luke 6:46; 2 Cor. 13:9, 11)? Wholeheartedly strive to please the Lord and make all your ways pleasing to Him. Persevere in keeping God’s word by serving others to please Him. Remember always that only those who have an honest and good heart are being considered for eternal life (Luke 8:15; John 8:51; 10:26; Rev. 3:10). PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

How Do You Seek God? PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search How to Enter God's Rest "For the one who has entered Jesus Christ’s rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience" (Heb. 4:10-11). Let’s examine the facts stated in these verses. There is a godly rest that we are to enter. We enter it by resting from all our works. We must be diligent to enter that rest. We enter God’s rest when we cease from all our works of lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Works of lawlessness are the things we do when we live to the flesh. We must put these deeds of the flesh to death (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:16). How do we do this? By living to the Spirit! Jesus Christ said living to the Spirit, instead of to the flesh, is easy (Matt. 11:30). All we need to do is obey Him by imitating His behavior and the Father’s (1 Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1). What did Jesus do? How did He do it? He kept the works of the Father exclusively. The good works He did were done in the Father’s name and in so doing, He glorified the Father (Matt. 5:16; John 10:25). He overcame the world by overcoming His nature (John 16:33). Jesus Christ was made perfect (Heb. 5:9). We also must strive to do the works of God (Luke 13:24). We must persevere and be zealous in doing the works of the Father (Rom. 2:6-7; Luke 21:19). We are commanded not to get weary in doing good works (Gal. 6:9; 2 Thess. 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:58). In fact, Jesus said many of us would do greater works than He did because He had to go to the Father (John 14:12). You might ask, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of the Father?" That is a legitimate question and it was asked of Christ in John 6:28. The works of the Father make up the Will of God (1 John 2:17; Matt. 7:21). God’s Will consists of any acts of righteousness done for God’s glory (Col. 3:17). You could keep your appearance up for God. Love your mate for God. Teach your children about God’s Ways, showing them that they receive a reward from God for each thing they do in His name (Matt. 6:1; Eph. 6:1-2, 7-8). Respect God’s name. Do not use it in profanity a day longer, because those who do are His enemies (Psalm 139:20). The more you do for God, the more He will do for you (Mark 4:24; Mal. 3:10; Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6). When all you sow is righteousness, then everything you reap will be a blessing! You will have entered God’s kingdom, which is within your new heart (Luke 17:21). You will have forced your way into the kingdom of heaven by disciplining yourself to do God’s Will (Luke 16:16). You will have overcome your old nature by being zealous for good works – Christ’s works (1 Peter 3:13; Rev. 2:26). You will have rested from all your works because you are only doing God’s works now. You will have entered God’s rest. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

Reverence Learn more about reverence PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search If Jesus Should Come Back Tomorrow Would you be ready today if Jesus should come back tomorrow? We are to live our lives today as though Jesus would come back tomorrow. Be ready at all times—living right, thinking right and doing right. We must be alert at all times against sin, because we do not know which day our Lord is coming (Matt. 24:42). We are continually warned in God’s word to be on guard against sin. Then, these sins are listed in Luke 21:34, which include being weighted down with dissipation. Webster’s Dictionary says dissipation is: wasteful expenditure of time or self-indulgence (shop ’til you drop; endless browsing of the internet or social media; countless hours spent in front of the television or streaming videos; binge watching); free indulgence in drinking (drunkenness); riotous living; the cares of this life; the worries of life (Matt. 13:22). God’s word warns that if these things are in your life, that day could come upon you suddenly, like a trap (Luke 21:34). Yes, the day of the Lord will come when mankind will least expect it. There is a test coming upon the whole world very soon that is from God. Only those who persevere steadily and faithfully, and keep and perform Jesus’ words will be spared from that hour of testing (Rev. 3:10). The Lord wants to know who will be faithful and endure to the end and who will not. He wants to know who will serve Him and who will not (Mal. 3:18). He wants to know who will be the sheep and who will remain as the goats—who will serve others and who will not. The Prophet Daniel was consistent and steadfast and faithful in his walk with God. In a prophecy concerning the last days, it states that everyone of Daniel’s people (people who are faithful like Daniel) will be rescued (Dan. 12:1; Prov. 11:8, 21). What are we to be faithful in? Faithful in giving (Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6-8). Faithful in studying God’s word so you are approved (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV). Faithful in prayer (Luke 21:36 KJV; Eph. 6:11-18). All will go well for those who remain faithful to righteousness (Is. 3:10). The Lord will not cause the righteous to hunger (Prov. 10:3; 13:25). Because Jesus said the gospel of the kingdom would be preached and published in all the world for a witness, I believe some people will take the message soberly and take warning and change their way of living to that of Jesus’ Way (Matt. 24:14). They will begin to study (not read) God’s word daily. They will cry out in private to the Lord to save them and show them the Way to live so that they might please Him each day. The others will wait until it’s too late—when they see the sign of the Son of Man coming in the sky (Matt. 24:30). They will be the ones who will hide themselves in caves because they know the Lord is coming, and His wrath is for them (Rev. 6:15-16; Is. 2:19; Hosea 10:8; Is. 24:6; Luke 23:30). Yet, verse 17 of Revelation 6 says: For the great day of their wrath has come. Whose wrath? Those hiding in the caves. The Scripture ends with the question, “Who is able to stand?” Both Psalm 24:3-6 and Psalm 50:22-23 give the answer In conclusion, it all comes down to this. Repent! How? Be a daily doer of the word (Psalm 34:11-14; James 1:22). Fulfill the Scriptures that the righteous fulfill, or you will automatically be fulfilling the Scriptures of the wicked (Mal. 3:18; Matt. 25:41). Now you know how to get ready today, should the Lord return tomorrow. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

I am full of anxiety God PREV NEXT

wholewheatonline.com Search The True Meaning of the Word "Believe" On the surface, it looks as though all you have to say is, “I believe,” and you will be saved (John 3:16). But notice, the apostles taught the people all the things they were commanded to teach and observe (Matt. 28:20). For three years, Christ taught them what they should teach and taught them to be teachers (Luke 6:40). The apostles were taught that to believe is to obey (John 3:36). The apostles were also taught how to obey. You must keep Christ’s words in order to never see death, Jesus says (John 8:51). His words are not hard to keep or burdensome (1 John 5:3). “If you believe in Me, the works that I do you shall do also,” Jesus said (John 14:12). What kind of works did Jesus do? He did good works and He instructed His disciples to do the same. Yes, doing good works is how you glorify the Father (Matt. 5:16). The Bible says that the devil and his demons believe, but they do not obey (James 2:19). They are not doers of the word, but merely hearers who remain deluded (James 1:22). The apostles were very confident about telling people to engage in good deeds (Titus 3:8). They told them it was something they would have to learn to do (Titus 3:14). They were to be slaves to righteousness and slaves of Jesus Christ until they did the Will of God (righteousness) from the heart (Eph. 6:6). When they did God’s Will from the heart, they would be His bond-servants. A bond-servant of God is one who serves only God as a slave of righteousness. Jesus Christ is making a peculiar people who are zealous for good deeds done in His name (Titus 2:14). This is how you overcome your old nature—by keeping Christ’s deeds or works (Rev. 2:26) Yes, the Bible says this is the only way to overcome, and only those who overcome will receive eternal life (Rev. 3:5, 21). All true disciples of Jesus Christ are bond-servants to God. They are called this because they live their lives to be pleasing to God by being happy servants of others. This is how you imitate God (Eph. 5:1; 1 Peter 4:11). And this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, which is how you conform your life to godliness to be pleasing to the Lord (1 Tim. 6:3; 5:10). It takes daily discipline but it sure is an easy and pleasant way to live (1 Tim. 4:7; Titus 1:1; Matt. 11:30). So, to say you believe, is to say you obey and are doing the deeds that Jesus did by serving others daily for the glory of God. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Water Baptism Is water baptism necessary to be saved? For example: A person comes to know and understand the truth. He begins living his life to please God. Shortly thereafter, enemies invade his country. Because of circumstances beyond his control, he is facing a firing squad. Is that person justified by God? How about elderly people who no more than come into the knowledge of the truth, and then pass away? What if there is no one around who could baptize you? It seems evident that God makes an exception in cases such as these. But what about the majority of us—those who are not the rare exceptional cases? Jesus said if anyone keeps His word, he shall never see death (John 8:51). Christ said those who have been taught about true repentance should be baptized (Matt. 28:19-20). He also says, anyone who hears His sayings and does not keep them, rejects Christ (John 12:47-48). It’s pretty hard to ignore these straight-forward statements. John the Baptist did not think it was necessary for Jesus Christ to be “water baptized.” John tried to prevent Him from being baptized. Jesus said that He was doing this to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was doing it so those who would follow Him would be baptized also (Matt. 3:13-15). Jesus, Himself, was having all who were coming to Him baptized in water (John 3:26; 4:1-2). In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “He who has believed and is baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved [or disobeys God’s command to be baptized] shall be condemned.” After Christ was ascended to heaven, Peter went on to proclaim what Jesus had taught him: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). So then, all who had received the true gospel were baptized (Acts 2:41-42) Notice in Acts 8:12, when the people heard the true gospel about the kingdom of God within, which Jesus also talked about (Luke 17:21), they were being baptized, men and women alike. There is even one time when Peter “ordered” people to be baptized (Acts 10:48). An angel sent Philip to baptize a person and a miracle happened at that baptism in which the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip up in the air and he found himself in another city (Acts 8:26-27, 39-40). Then there is the example of the jailer and his family who were baptized after learning God’s Ways (Acts 16:31-33). Paul also was baptized after he learned God’s Will (Acts 22:16). If water baptism is not necessary, we would not have such clear examples in our Bible to do so. Now study Romans 6:3-19. Here Paul explains what it means to be baptized. Baptism represents the beginning of your new life of righteousness. It shows God that you mean business about getting rid of your old way of life and learning to live as a servant of God by serving others. It becomes very clear what the Lord wants you to do. But remember, when you put your hand to the plow, which is doing good works daily for God’s glory, you cannot turn back again to your old life of sin (Matt. 5:16; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-27). PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search Lukewarm “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev. 3:16). God despises those who are lukewarm in pleasing Him. Why? The lukewarm person is like a worthless employee who isn’t putting out much work. He is not totally useless, yet, he is not very productive either. He doesn’t merit firing from the job, nor would you rehire him for the job if he quit. He aggravates you like a festering sore that just won’t heal. What would you do if you were God and someone you were trying to convert, and form Christ’s nature in, wasn’t putting much effort into overcoming his old self by doing good (Gal. 4:19; Col. 3:6-9; Rom. 12:21)? What would you do with someone who was lukewarm? Well, when coffee becomes lukewarm, you put a fire under it to heat it up. That is just what God does to lukewarm people (1 Peter 1:6-7; Dan. 11:35). If you know what you are reading is true, don’t harden your heart by not living it (Heb. 3:15; Rev. 3:15-16, 18-19). God is determined to save us, even if we are not determined to overcome. The only way we can lose, then, is to entirely quit living for God; but if we endure to the end, we will be saved (Matt. 24:13; 10:22). Many are called to overcome, but there will be few chosen because few will continue to overcome until they have been made complete (Matt. 22:14). The Lord says, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” (Rev. 3:2). The love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:12). But God commands that, “In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit” (Eph. 4:22). “Put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (Col. 3:8-10). You must not love your old life unto death by seeking to save your old life and continuing to live a sinful life. Instead, lose your old life, by living Christ’s life, and you will save your eternal life (Matt. 10:39). It’s that simple. PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International

wholewheatonline.com Search The Mystery of Righteousness and Justice Revealed “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne,” says Psalm 97:2. If we are to understand God, and what He wants from each and every one of us, we must understand what the Bible has to say about righteousness and justice. Once this is fully understood, many mysteries of God’s word are resolved and understood in the extreme simplicity with which God’s word is to be read and understood. Remember, God’s word states that He is hiding the understanding of His word from the wise and the intelligent, but He is revealing it to babes (Matt. 11:25). Righteousness, according to Webster’s New International Dictionary (1948) is characterized by: uprightness or morality; acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous, a righteous person. We can see here, not only the characteristics, which describe God, but also the characteristics of the person whom God would consider righteous in His eyes. According to the same dictionary, justice is: the maintenance or administration of that which is just; just treatment of others; being impartial in your treatment of others; merited reward or punishment due to one’s conduct. Justice then, is anything that is right; injustice is anything that is wrong. Justice is keeping or staying within the law, such as a law-abiding citizen. One who breaks the law then, has caused an injustice. God has laws and all His laws are just. These laws are meant to govern man’s behavior so man knows (is not ignorant of) those laws, and thus, will receive blessings instead of curses from the Lord (Deut. 4:40; 5:29, 32-33). The mystery is and always has been: How do you keep God’s laws? How do you keep God’s covenant (Deut. 7:9)? The key is to walk in all of God’s Ways. This is how you keep all of His commandments (Deut. 10:12). But look, the ancient Israelites were disobedient to God and would not keep His Ways. Because they did not keep God’s Ways, they could not know what God’s Ways were, so they remained unconverted and did not enter God’s rest (Heb. 3:10-11, 18-19; 4:10). Therefore, only by keeping God’s Ways can you truly understand them (John 7:17). If you believe God, then you are obedient to Him. If you do not obey God, your belief becomes unbelief or disobedience. Notice in Exodus 33:13, that Moses asked God to reveal His Ways to him so that he might know God. Knowing God’s Ways is how one knows God, for you cannot know God unless you know His Ways. In Psalm 103:7, it says: “God made known His Ways to Moses, but He only showed His acts to the sons of Israel.” God will remember His covenant forever, which are the words He commanded Abraham to keep. This covenant is to endure on this earth for 1000 generations or 30,000 years—a generation being 30 years (Psalm 105:8-9). When we find out what God commanded Abraham to do, we will also know what God’s Ways were for Moses. Remember, righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. God told Abraham to command his household and his children to keep His Ways (Gen. 18:19). How was this to be done? This was done by practicing righteousness and justice (which is charity and kindness) towards others at all times. Only if Abraham did this, could God bring upon Abraham all the promises He had spoken to Him. So, Abraham, his children and all of his household (approximately 300 including servants) practiced righteousness for God by practicing righteousness and justice towards each other, as well as towards strangers. Yes, practicing righteousness and justice (charity and kindness) towards our fellowman, is keeping God’s Ways. As you keep His Ways, you continually perfect them in your life. This is how God wants man to repent! Another point that is not known by many is that the Hebrew word for “charity” (tzedaka) is derived from the root word for “justice.” So, practicing righteousness towards others, as well as charity and kindness, is practicing justice. When you practice righteousness towards others, God considers you righteous - just as He is righteous. Can you begin to understand the monumental significance of what is being said in 1 John 3:7? God will consider you righteous (sinless) if you practice righteousness towards all others as God practices righteousness towards all others. “If you won’t practice righteousness for God daily like Jesus did, you remain a son or daughter of the devil,” says 1 John 3:10. Practicing righteousness and justice (charity) towards others continually is true daily repentance. It is a righteous way of life. Not only is this true repentance but it is also how God is glorified, honored, worshiped and shown respect daily. It is also how you imitate God in thought, word and deed (Eph. 5:1; 1 Peter 4:11; Matt. 5:16; Rom. 12:1). Jesus told His true followers that they should beware of practicing their righteousness towards others for reasons of being seen by others, or they would have no reward from the Father (Matt. 6:1). You see, there is a reward from God—a continual reward—for practicing righteousness towards others for Him. By doing so, you become a servant of God—a bondservant of God. This is your new way of life in Christ Jesus. Practicing righteousness, which includes justice and charity, is how you overcome Satan and sin in your life. These are the words, which many millions of people long to hear from the pulpit but almost never do. They wonder: “How can I be pleasing to God?” The answer is simple; just overcome evil by doing good to others for God, if you want to live forever (Psalm 37:27; 1 Peter 3:10-11, 13; Rom. 12:21; Rev. 2:26). You can bring yourself to believe (obey) when all you do is good each day, as Jesus Christ your example did. You then enter the good life, which is the “God” life or the Way God lives in heaven, which is serving others. You can now receive all the blessings that God has waiting to shower on you as you continue to persevere in doing good (1 Peter 3:13). You are showing God, by your actions, that you are seeking honor and glory and immortality and eternal life (Rom. 2:7). This is how God wants you to repent. This is how He wants to be worshiped (Rom. 12:1). God does not change. His everlasting covenant does not change (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6). Change, however, is what He is waiting for you to do. Turn to Him and do His Will on earth as He is doing it in heaven daily (Matt. 6:10). Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Righteousness and justice are also God’s Will or God’s Ways. They are also Jesus Christ’s words and works and when we practice them, we overcome evil (John 8:51; Rev. 2:26). Jesus said to those who would follow Him that they would do more works of righteousness and charity than He did (John 14:12). He also said that they would be zealous for doing good (Titus 2:14). There you have it—the mystery of righteousness and justice revealed. If your eyes are open, you now know how to repent, please the Lord daily, overcome your old nature, become a new creation and enter God’s rest. You have been shown how to love others and keep God’s Ways, by practicing righteousness and justice towards others daily. This is how you keep all the laws of God. Romans 13:8 — Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves [does justice and righteousness to] his neighbor [fellowman] has fulfilled the law. This is the mystery that has been hidden since the foundation of the world and revealed to only a few (Matt. 13:35; Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26). This is the mystery, which must be revealed by God to His saints (Eph. 3:3). So, a determination must be made in the last days between all those who would serve God by serving others and those who would continue to be God’s adversaries (Mal. 3:18; Psalm 97:3; Matt. 25:41). God bless all who read these words, and prove them to be true in God’s word by studying these Scriptures and thus, show themselves approved to Him! 2 Timothy 2:15; (King James Version) — Therefore, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that not needeth be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth! PREV NEXT 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET STARTED MORE BIBLE STUDIES PODCASTS HOME All About the Bible PDF © 2025 Whole Wheat International