(Mat 6:13c)  For thine is the kingdom,…

The Lord Jesus is truly our King.  We are His kingdom.  He is our Ruler… Why?  He has purchased us with His own blood on the cross…

1Pet 1:18-20 (KJV)  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold…19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Let’s remember the great price He has paid for us and our need to allow Him to reign in our hearts.  We are His kingdom and owe Him our everything!…

1Cor 6:20 (KJV) “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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(Mat 6:13) but deliver us from evil:…

As fallen mankind, our lives are imprisoned by our own evil sinfulness much like an explorer is trapped and held by quicksand. We are facing eternal, spiritual death and cannot remove ourselves from this horrible situation.  Our only hope of deliverance is found in the Lord.  He is the One that can reach down and pull us out of sin’s punishment, power and even its very presence (in eternity).

Let’s come before the Lord in a spirit of helplessness and submission, realizing, without His intervention in our lives, we are ensnared by our own sinful desires and awaiting eternal ruin.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

Settled In Heaven Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org                              Settled In Heaven Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com                                                     SIH Salvation Blog Page: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

The Message: 1Cor 11:20-34 (KJV)

20) When ye come together therefore into one place, [this] is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

Although they were claiming to meet with the intent to glorify God by observance of His supper…

21) For in eating every one taketh before [other] his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

22) What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise [you] not.

They could not have been meeting with the right motives in mind for the supper.

Their actions clearly revealed this… each selfishly ate without consideration of the others.  They brought their own suppers to church to eat in front of others.  Some ate to fulfill their own fleshly desire of hunger, others drank to excess causing drunkeness.  In both cases, this was selfish behavior not behavior that desires the Lord’s glory.

Desires and Intentions are very important in the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  Our motives should be:

vs 23-24 – To remember His physical suffering for us

23) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24) And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Paul’s instructions were based upon the example that Christ Himself set as He led the first observance of the Lord’s Supper.

The bread is symbolic of the body of Christ (His sufferings on the cross).  As we chew the bread it is a picture of Christ’s body being abused, torn and broken on our behalf.  As we swallow the bread it is picturing that His work has been applied to us.

vs 25 – To remember His shed blood for us.

25) After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

Paul’s instructions continue …

The fruit of the vine is symbolic of His shed blood (His life given on the cross – the life of the flesh is in His blood).  His shed blood is the basis of the convenant of salvation by grace that the Lord has given to us.  As we pour the fruit of the vine from the cups to our lips it pictures the His blood being poured form His body.  As we swallow the fruit of the vine, we are picturing His blood being applied to us.

vs 26 – To remember His death and His second coming.

26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Paul now summarizes what he has covered so far….

A combination of His body being abused, torn and broken along with His blood being shed is symbolic of the process of death that He went through on the cross.

4.  vs 27-34 – To drink of it worthily  

27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.

29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

30) For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Paul gives ample warning about the need to take care in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper.  To eat of it in an unworthy fashion is sinful and, therefore, makes one guilty of the body and blood of Christ.  He suffered to pay the price for our sins.  Some of those sins He died for were the sins of partaking of the Supper unworthily.

How do we eat of it unworthily?

1. Selfishly partaking of the Supper by having the wrong desires and motives for partaking of it. (context above)

2.    Selfishly partaking of the Supper by having known, unconfessed sin in our lives, those sins have caused His death and suffering.  Lord sent sinful away before eating.  (John 13:18-30)

1. a.    Jesus at sop (before Lord’s Supper) says that one will betray Him’
2. Disciples ask Him who it is…

John 13:26-30 (KJV)

26) Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped [it]. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave [it] to Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon.

27) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

28) Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

29) For some [of them] thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy [those things] that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

30) He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

Therefore, we are to take time to give all opportunity to examine ourselves to be sure we have right motives and desires in the supper and that we have no unconfessed sin in our lives.

By partaking of the supper unworthily, we are harming ourselves and may face sickness or even death.  This is a big deal, no small issue.

  31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

 How do we avoid this type of judgment, by taking the time to judge ourselves and take care of our known sins, our desires and intentions in observing the supper.

 33) Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34) And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

 Therefore, we are to make sure we give all the needed time to examine our lives and to prepare our hearts properly for the supper.  No selfishness by hurrying the self examination or fulfilling hunger.

 The Observance of the Lord’s Supper

1. Message
2. Invitation and Time of      Examination combined
3. Uncover Table
4. Read :

1 Cor 11: 23 – 24) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

5. Prayer For Bread
6. Distribute Bread
7. Hold Up Bread and      Read:

1 Cor 11: 23 – 24) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

8. Eat Bread
9. Read:

1 Cor 11: 25) After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

10. Prayer For Cup
11. Distribute Cup
12. Hold Up Cup and Read:

1 Cor 11: 25) After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

13. Drink Cup
14. Read:

Matt 26: 29) But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

1 Cor 11:26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Matt 26: 30) And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

15. Closing Prayer of      Thanksgiving
16. Sing      Closing Song
17. Dismissal      – Everyone quietly leave church

(Mat 6:13) And lead us not into temptation, …

We know that the Lord brings temptation upon no man (James 1:13-14).  In other words, in this section of Scripture, we are saying “Please do not allow temptation to overcome me today.”

Two wonderful principles is brought out by this request:

1. The Lord is watching over us and protecting us from Satan and His temptations.
2. Our Lord is in control of the tempter (Satan, demons, and this sinful world) and the temptations that we face.  He will never allow a temptation to come our way that we cannot resist through His grace. (1 Cor 10:13)

Let’s thank Him today for His protecting hand upon us!

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

Settled In Heaven Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org                                Settled In Heaven Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com                                                     SIH Salvation Blog Page: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

I was nominated for this award by Angela at http://meetingintheclouds.wordpress.com/.  Angela’s blog has been a constant source of encouragement to me.  Angela is a wonderful lady whose blog glorifies and honors her Lord.  She consistantly honors the Lord by presenting both doctrinal and practical truths for us to live by.

I thank the Lord for her faithfulness and His workings in her life.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Award your top 6 bloggers who have commented the most.

2. Be thankful.

3. You cannot award someone who has already been awarded. You cannot give the award back to me.

4. Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded.

5. If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay too. Just admire it.

I thank the Lord for the following bloggers who have so faithfully commented on Settled In Heaven Blog…. they are my recipients for this award.  

1.  PJ at pjsprayerline.blogspot.com

2. Paul at http://certaintyofdrawings.blogspot.com/2010/10/caught-up-in-clouds.html

3. Joy  at http://www.2livewithjoy.com/

Let me mention Angela at  http://meetingintheclouds.wordpress.com/ , who has already recieved this award and was the blogger with the greatest number of comments on my blog..

To each of the above… let me say “thank you”!  Your comments and suggestions have been a tremendous asset to Settled In Heaven… May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of you!

Our willingness to forgive the debts of others is an indication of the Lord’s forgiveness of our sin.  After all, if the great debt of our sin has been forgiven by God… how easy it is to forgive the small debts owed to us by others.

Have we ever experienced God’s gracious forgiveness?  If so, forgive those who are indebted to us.  It is one of the greatest ways we can display Christ and His love to those around us.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

Settled In Heaven Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org                            Settled In Heaven Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com                                                  SIH Salvation Blog Page: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

Even the Word of God addresses the value of friendship when it says in Eccl 4:9-12…

“Two [are] better than one; … For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him up. …  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The Bible continues on the theme of friendship by explaining that there is one friend that we can have in our lives that far excels over any other friend we may have.  This friend is described as “ a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov 18:24).   This friend is the Lord Jesus Christ…. “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)

In Christ, we find a perfect friend.  Why is Christ the perfect friend for us?  Let’s take time to study what the Word of God teaches us about being friends with the very Son of God.

THE SCRIPTURES:

Heb 4:13-16 (KJV)

13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

THE STUDY:

Why is Christ the perfect friend for us?  The Word of God gives us the answer to this question in Hebrews 4:13-16 – In this text, we find 4 reasons why we can rely on Christ to meet our every need when we look to Him as our friend.

Reason #1 – He knows us better than we know ourselves…

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Our Lord knows us better than ourselves… He knows our weaknesses, our likes and dislikes, why we do what we do, our needs, what our future holds, and He ALWAYS knows what is best for us.  When we are facing challenging times in our lives, we should run to Him with the knowledge that He knows us perfectly and understands exactly what we are to do.  (Job 34:21, Eccl 12:14, Psa 139:12) 

Reason #2 – He takes our needs and requests to God…

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

Sinful mankind cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God.  This is why Christ’s intercession on our behalf is an absolute necessity. 

Acting as our high priest, Christ died on the cross and now through His shed blood , we are found acceptable in God’s sight.  He is now sitting at the right hand of God, testifying that He has taken the punishment of our sins upon Himself, His blood is now covering those sins, and we are one of His people.  (Hebs 2:17, Hebs 7:25, Hebs 9:24)  

Reason #3 – He knows what we are going through..

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Christ, who is God Himself, was born into the earth as the Incarnate God.  He did this not only to die for our sins, but also, so that He could share in the experiences of this world.  He faced temptation (Luke 22:28), disappointment and sorrow (Matt 23:37), loss (John 11:35), hunger (Mark 1:12-13), loneliness (Mark 14:34-40)… the entire human experience.  He even knew the feeling of guilt as He bore our sins upon Himself.   This knowledge of our experiences makes Him the perfect One to run to for comfort and encouragement in times of great distress.

Reason #4 – He gives us the ability to come into the presence of our Holy God…

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

With Christ’s blood covering our sin, we can now, as sinful man, enter into the presence of a Holy God. (Hebs 10:19) It is through Christ that we can look to God for the mercy, grace and help to meet our every need in this troublesome world in which we live…

Heb 13:6 (KJV)

6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Oh, what a friend Christ is!

John 15:12-15 (KJV)

12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

————————————————————————

We are a needy people. We need our spiritual bread (an understanding of His Word) supplied to us every day. Because we possess a physical body, we need our daily physical bread (food, clothing and shelter) provided to us as well.

As we enjoy, and benefit, from the daily blessings… Do we recognize they come from our Lord? Do we partake of them with thankful hearts? By taking the time to request these blessings from Him, we are showing a recognition of our need, an understanding of His grace and appreciation for His divine supplies.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

Settled In Heaven Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org                          Settled In Heaven Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com                                                  SIH Salvation Blog Page: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

God’s will is perfectly fulfilled in heaven.  What a different world this would be if we all flawlessly obeyed His will on earth!  No more murder, no more thefts, no lying nor deceit, the list goes on and on. 

Let’s all pray that His will be done here on earth…. beginning with our own life.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

Settled In Heaven Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org                                    Settled In Heaven Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com                                                   SIH Salvation Blog Page: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

 With the existence of ghosts a major subject in today’s entertainment world, I thought it would be good to look at the truth about ghosts.  The Word of God is the final authority on all issues of life here on earth and in the spirit world.  Let’s take some time to examine the truth about ghosts.

THE SCRIPTURES:

Eph 6:10-12; Rom 8:38; 2 Cor 4:3-4; Acts 26:17-18; Mark 1:23-27; 1 Sam 28:11-20; 2 Cor 11:13-15; Mat 17:1-9;

THE STUDY:

In part #1 of our study we have seen that the Bible clearly tells us that the spirits of those who have died DO NOT return to earth and live among us.   If this is the case, does this mean that the only living beings on earth are human, embodied beings?  Absolutely not!

The Word of God tells us that there is a spirit realm that does exist on earth.  This spirit realm includes Satan and others who oppose the things of God. Also, there are angels that exist to aid and protect God’s people.  

First let’s look at those spirit beings that oppose the cause of Christ….

(Eph 6:10-12) – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

(Rom 8:38) – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(2Co 4:3-4) – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

(Act 26:17-18) – Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

(Job 1:7) – And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

(1 Peter 1:5) – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 As we can see, it is obvious that Satan and other fallen angels are present among us seeking to hinder the Christian’s walk with Christ and keep blinded the eyes of the lost world. 

Keep in mind angels are spirit beings (do not have fleshly bodies)…

(Heb 1:13-14) – But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

(Psa 104:4) – Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

(Job 4:15-21)  Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:  It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,  Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?  Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:  How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?  They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.  Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

Based on the above we can see that elect and fallen angels (including Satan himself) are spirits that are present on the earth with us.  The existence and ministry of these beings explain many of the references to “angels”, “spirits”, “ghosts” and “demons” that we find in the Bible….

(Mat 14:24-27) – But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.  And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

(Luk 24:36-40) – And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

Note in the above references, the followers of Christ understand that spirit beings (fallen angels) do exist on the earth… Christ Himself affirms it by saying “for a spirit has not flesh and bones” .  he did not say, “there is no such things as spirits on the earth.”

Here are a few other, among many, verses that speak of fallen angels being active among mankind on earth…

(Jdg 9:23) – Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

(Mat 10:1) – And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

(Mar 1:23-27) – And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.  And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.  And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

There are two events in the Bible that seem to teach that the spirits of dead men did appear to those still living on the earth…

(1Sa 28:11-20) – Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.  And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.  And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.  And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.  And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.  Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?  And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:  Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.  Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.  Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

Did Saul actually see Samuel or a demon masquerading as Samuel?  To answer this question we should turn to ….

(2Co 11:13-15) – For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The Lord would not have blessed the sinful efforts of King Saul by sending the genuine Samuel to deliver the message from the Lord.  This is simply a demon masquerading as Samuel to deceive Saul.  For an in-depth study of this Biblical event please look at my blog entry located at: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/halloween-part-4-%e2%80%93-the-necromancy-symbols/

Finally, the transfiguration of Christ is brought up as proof that spirits of dead men live among us…

(Mat 17:1-9) – And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

The appearance of Moses and Elijah was a “vision” that Peter, James and John saw.   The spirits of Moses and Elijah were not on earth in actuality… they were simply a part of a vision that helped Peter, James and John see:

1. the importance of the OT law and prophets

2. Christ was the fulfillment of the law and prophets (ie He was the True Messiah)

3. a glimpse into what eternity will be like for all who have trusted in Christ. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For those who have trusted in Christ.

We must realize that those who have died do not return and live among mankind on earth.  We should also understand that spirit beings do exist among us in the persons of elect and fallen angels (called spirits, demons, angels etc.)  We are in a spiritual war and must be certain we are prepared on a daily basis wearing the armor of God that He has graciously given to us. (Eph 6:11-18)

For those who have never trusted in Christ.

There are spiritual powers that exist in this world that incredibly dangerous to man.  To dabble in the spirit realm through channelers, Ouija boards, Satanism, Spiritism etc. is incredibly dangerous for Christian and non-Christian alike.  

It is only through looking to the Lord Jesus Christ can we find protection and safety from the spiritual powers of darkness that are around us.  Look to Christ for salvation, protection and eternal security in Him.  (1 John 4:4)

If you have any questions concerning the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area.  They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.

Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.  I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have. 

Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”.  On this page you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.

Please visit the “Settled In Heaven Ministries” homepage –