Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Salvation is exclusively the work of Holy God. He is the one that we sinned against. He is the one who will not tolerate sin in His presence. He is the one who must judge sin. He is the one who determined to save sinners like us before the world was created and before sin ever entered the world! Salvation shows us how deep and wide the love of God is.  God Will Judge Sinners! Psalm 37:9-10  For evildoers shall be cut off : but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.  10) For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be : yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be .  Psalm 37:20  But the wicked shall perish , and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away .  Psalm 37:38  But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off .  Isaiah 13:9-11  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cru...

We looked at the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Jesus had power to lay His life down as our substitute on the cross, dying a death that belongs to each sinner. He also had power to take up His life again at His resurrection (John 10:15-18). Death has no power over the sinless Son of God. We noted that the word "salvation" takes place in the past, present and future tenses. Jesus' redeeming work on the cross is the past tense. He took our place on the cross, died so that we do not have to die  and shed His innocent blood to pay for all humanities sins.  What is the penalty for sin? Death! Genesis 2:15-17  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die....

I would like to begin a new series of lessons that will examine some of the fundamental and foundational aspects of the Christian faith. This will be a study of vitally important truths that we must know and should cherish as born again believers. I want to begin with the word "salvation." What comes into our mind when we think about this word? Do we think back to a day that we heard the gospel, responded with repentant faith in Jesus Christ and were born again? Do we think about God delivering us from Hell? Do we think about Jesus Christ hanging on the cross and dying for our sins? Do we think about spending eternity with God in heaven? Salvation encompasses all of these things and more! Let's look at a few definitions of the word salvation. First is a definition from a theological dictionary and the next one is from Webster's 1828 Dictionary. "A broad term referring to God’s activity on behalf of creation and especially humans in bringing all things to God’s in...

Faithful Truth and Promise of Eminent Completion. Revelation 22:6-7  And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.  7) Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.  The grand End Times vision contained in the book of Revelation is winding down and the angel speaking to John emphasized that all of it is faithful and true. What God said will happen is exactly what will happen. In fact, the angel made it a point to stress that this prophetic vision will happen shortly. Blessing is reserved for those who keep the sayings of this book. The word "Keepeth" means to learn it, observe it, guard it and live with hopeful anticipation of seeing our great God bring all these things to pass. John was completely overwhelmed . Revelation 22:8-9  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had hea...

The Tree of Life Reappears Revelation 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  After telling us about the river filled with the water of life, John tells us about the tree of life. We have not seen or read anything about the tree of life since Genesis 3.  Genesis 3:23-24  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.   After God judged Adam and Eve for sinning, He drove them out of the garden and placed a cherubim and a flaming sword to keep the man and woman away from it. Why? So that they would not eat the fruit and have to live eterna...

Below is the link to Pastor Alvis' Sunday Sermon titled "We would see Jesus." It was a tremendous sermon and one that has a direct application for each believer. I pray that it will bless each one of you. Bob  

Please pray for the Word of God to continue going out through this blog. As Paul put it "that the Word of God may have free course." I encourage you to keep pointing your friends & family to this blog so they too may begin to study and understand the Word of God. Revelation 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  John saw a river containing the water of life. This is not the same river seen by Ezekiel (47:1; 12) or Zechariah (14:8) as the river those prophets saw that are connected to the millennial  kingdom reign of Christ.  John has taken us into eternity by this point in his book and this river is flowing from New Jerusalem. There appears to be two primary ways to understand the river carrying the water of life.  The first aspect that we need to understand is this will be a literal river flowing down the middle of the main street in the new Holy City. It will b...

Photo above depicts the 12 gemstone foundation layers of new Jerusalem.   A Holy City unlike any other. Revelation 21:17-21  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.  18) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.  19) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  20) The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.  21) And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. Incredible layers of the foundation walls. The number 12 i...