The Moment of Truth - Lesson 41

The Stake of the Great Conflict

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The Stake of the Great Conflict

Here is already our last lesson! Let's pray together:

Father,

This is now the conclusion of this set of Bible lessons. Time goes by so quickly when we immerse ourselves in the study of Your Word!

We thank You, Lord, for having guided us by Your Holy Spirit, and for having revealed to us so many precious truths.

Please accompany us once again, and show us the stake of the great conflict that is now taking place in our world.

We thank You again for everything You have done for us. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

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The Stake of the Great Conflict

Revelation 12:12	Comments
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.	Knowing that he has been defeated by Jesus' death and resurrection, Satan seeks only one thing: to take along with him the greatest number of people toward eternal perdition. And he will use any possible means to succeed.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

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2 Corinthians 2:10,11	Comments
For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.	Satan pursues only one goal: to keep us away from God, by his lies, wiles, and snares, so that we lose sight of eternal life which God offers us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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2 Timothy 4:3,4	Comments
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.	Deceived by Satan, men often believe that many ways lead to eternal life.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

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John 14:6	Comments
Jesus said to [Thomas], ŤI am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.ť	But the Word of God is straightforward. There is only ONE way leading to eternal life: Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:11,12
[Jesus] is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

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While Satan seeks to destroy us, God seeks to save us:

Ť"For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord God. "Therefore turn and live!"ť (EZEKIEL 18:32)

ŤSeek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.ť (ISAIAH 55:6,7)

ŤSearch me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.ť (PSALM 139:23,24)

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John 20:31	Comments
These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.	Each one of us must therefore make a decision: to accept or to reject God's offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. This invaluable offer of salvation is now nourishing a great conflict pitting Christ against Satan. And what is at stake in this great conflict? Each one of us.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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We must take a stand either for Christ, or against Christ:

ŤI call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life.ť (DEUTERONOMY 30:19)

ŤIf it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.ť (JOSHUA 24:15)

ŤYou shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.ť (MALACHI 3:18)

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There are only two groups: for and against God. No one can remain neutral.

ŤHe who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.ť (MATTHEW 12:30)

ŤThey shall lift up their voice, they shall sing. (...) From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: "Glory to the righteous!" But I said, "I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me!"ť (ISAIAH 24:14,16)

Ť"Because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight." Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed."ť (ISAIAH 65:12,13)

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Mark 13:13	Comments
[Jesus said,] ŤYou will be hated by all men for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.ť	God does not hide from us that following Him will sometimes be difficult...
1 Peter 4:16
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
2 Timothy 3:12
And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

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Psalm 55:22	Comments
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.	... but if we sincerely want to follow God, whatever the difficulties may be, He promises that He will never forsake us.
Matthew 28:20
[Jesus said,] ŤI am with you always, even to the end of the age.ť

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We can always rely on God's presence by our side:

ŤFear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.ť (ISAIAH 41:10)

ŤCan a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.ť (ISAIAH 49:15,16)

ŤFor the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.ť (2 CHRONICLES 16:9)

Ť[Jesus said,] "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."ť (JOHN 15:5)

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1 Corinthians 12:12,26,27	Comments
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (...) If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.	God's support is also expressed through the other Christians who share our faith. We make up the body of Christ, His Church, and each one of us has a role to play within it, as a member of this body.

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Hebrews 10:24,25	Comments
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.	It is therefore essential to find a congregation of believers sharing our faith, and join them. Regular meeting together is strongly recommended, since it is the way to encourage one another. And this is even more important as we Ťsee the Day approachingť.

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Deuteronomy 26:17-19: What a wonderful covenant between God and us!

#########################################################################
[[|]]     Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God,    [[|]]
[[|]]      and that you will walk in His ways and keep His      [[|]]
[[|]]     statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and    [[|]]
[[|]]     that you will obey His voice. Also today the Lord     [[|]]
[[|]]    has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as [[|]]
[[|]]     He has promised you, that you should keep all His     [[|]]
[[|]]     commandments, and that He will set you high above     [[|]]
[[|]]     all nations which He has made, in praise, in name,    [[|]]
[[|]]     and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to    [[|]]
[[|]]         the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.         [[|]]
#########################################################################

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Matthew 13:45,46	Comments
[Jesus said,] ŤThe kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.ť	The pearl of great price, which we must cherish above all things, is salvation in Jesus Christ. It is important not to delay our decision to accept this precious salvation, especially since Jesus is coming soon.
1 John 5:11
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

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Daniel 12:1-3: Jesus will soon return to gather His people!

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

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Matthew 28:19,20	Comments
[Jesus said,] ŤGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.ť	While we are waiting for Jesus' return, each one of us must work for Him, teaching the people around us the way to salvation in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ.

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Isaiah 48:17,18	Comments
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, ŤI am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.ť	We also have to seek, day after day, to better understand God's will for each one of us, for the only way leading to happiness is the way God shows us.
Deuteronomy 5:29
Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

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Psalm 119:9	Comments
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.	If we earnestly seek the truth, God will clearly show us the way to follow.
Proverbs 4:11
I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.
Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

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Romans 12:2	Comments
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.	Let us therefore always seek to better conform our will to God's will.
Romans 13:11
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

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James 1:22-25: We must know God's word AND put it into practice.

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

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2 Timothy 3:14,15	Comments
But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.	We hope and pray that this set of Bible lessons bring you to take a stand for Christ, and to demonstrate your commitment to Him through baptism.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Acts 22:16
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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Hebrews 10:37-39	Comments
ŤFor yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.ť But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.	Finally, let's faithfully persevere in our covenant with God. Very soon, our blissful hope will come true: the glorious return of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!
Revelation 22:12
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

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Let's close this set of lessons by thanking our Savior and Lord:

Our Father in heaven,

You are blessed forever and ever!

By Your Word, You have taught us that a great conflict currently rages between You and Satan, and that each one of us is at stake in this conflict.

But from this very moment, we want to take a stand for You, our God, by accepting Your Son Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord of our life.

May Your Spirit always accompany us, working within us day after day, so that we may reflect Your divine character and be ready for the great Day of the return of Jesus Christ.

In His precious name we pray.

Amen.

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