The Holy Spirit:

His personality – John 16:7-15

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  

His deity – Acts 5:3-4

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

His work in each believer;

His baptism – I Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

His indwelling at the moment of regeneration – Romans 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

His filling – Ephesians 5:18

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

His empowering for Christian life and service

Ephesians 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.

Will L. Thompson – 1904

Public Domain

But these (Scriptures) are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.  John 20:31

Throughout my life, I have met people who claim to be Christians but who practice profanity.  By profane, I mean people who use Jesus name as they would a four letter word.  Profane or bebelos as an adjective means unhallowed or the opposite of sacred…..accordingly, bebelos is that which lacks all relationship or affinity to God.  The verb form, bebeloo, means to cross the threshold; to pollute or defile.[1]

  Religion is man’s way to God.  Christianity is not religion.  Genuine Christianity is a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  We have access to God through Messiah Jesus.  To profane His name is to cross the threshold, to pollute, or to defile His name.[2]

The Lord taught that it was not what went into a man that defiled him, but what comes out of the man.  He went on to say that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

An individual that practices profanity is defiling the name of the very one sent to rescue him from eternal damnation.  Bebelos is that which lacks all relationship or affinity to God.[3]  By definition a profane person is not a Christian.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

To those who know Him, Jesus’ name is precious.

The remedy is not to change one’s speech.  Profane speech is merely evidence that one is alienated from God.  What is needed, is to become a new creature in Christ; to be born again.

But as many as received him (Messiah Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  John 1:12&13

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  Isaiah 1:18

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Romans10:8-13

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

[1,2,3]  W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

The Flood 

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.  

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.  Genesis 6:5-8

Apostasy of Israel

God sent Babylon to destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC and to carry away captive the tribe of Judah because of their apostasy (turning away).*  By this time the Northern Tribe of Israel had already been judged and carried away.  Almost all of Israel had become religious and unbelieving, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  Their continued disobedience and lack of repentance ultimately brought God’s judgment.

Israel’s Rejection of Their Messiah

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.  Matthew 27:22-26

The Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD.  See blog article, Speaking in Tongues – Part One.

God’s Judgment Is Upon Us Now

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.  Romans1:28-32

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.  Proverbs 30:12

The Great Tribulation

The Great Tribulation Period begins immediately following the Rapture of the church, which is the next event on the calendar of Christ.  The Rapture is the snatching away or taking up of genuine believers who compose the true church.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (the dead in Christ).

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.                                     I Thessalonians 4:13-18

True believers will be from every race, of every age, and from every nation on the earth.  These living Christians and those resurrected (the dead in Christ) will be snatched from this world just before the Tribulation Period begins.

The Great Tribulation is seven years in length and is divided into two three and one half year periods.  The anti-christ will become the one world ruler during the Tribulation.  There will be peace during the first half of the tribulation period and then the anti-christ will turn on Israel during the final three and one half years of the Great Tribulation.  God will pour out His wrath on the earth during this time of judgment, culminating in Israel’s repentance and the Lord’s appearing to deliver them from destruction.**

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

*Reference II Kings 25:1-21

**Reference the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation.