From a letter written by the apostle Paul
to believers in Ephesus:
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.-Ephesians 4:17-24***The Lord God made a covenant with Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) when Abraham lived in Canaan, a land inhabited by idolaters. When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. Sometime thereafter, the Lord God said the he knew Abraham would command those descended from Abraham, and those connected to Abraham's house, to accomplish righteousness and justice. Abraham was identified as a friend of God. When Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born to Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah (Sarai). When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah, Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that the Lord God established his covenant with Isaac and Jacob. Rebekah's nieces Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean), became Jacob's wives. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph and Benjamin were born to Rachel. The 12 twelve tribes of Israel are the family groups descended from the 12 sons. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Lord God made a covenant with the descendants, the Israelites. Everyone not born into the Israelite tribes was identified as a stranger, foreigner, heathen, or Gentile. Phinehas was an Israelite from the tribe of Levi. Approximately 1,400 years after the Lord God gave his covenant of peace to Phinehas, John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, were born. John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ were born, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, the disciple and apostle, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven. Paul (Saul) was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned Israelites who believed Jesus to be the Christ. However, after Paul and those journeying with him to Damascus, Syria, saw a light from heaven flash around them, and Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, Paul spoke to Jesus, and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus, Paul was baptized. From thenceforward, Paul the apostle journeyed and wrote divinely inspired letters to Israelites and Gentiles, believers born of Abraham's blood, believers not born of Abraham's blood, believers born of God.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 8:1-40, 2 Chronicles 20:1-37, Isaiah 41:1-29, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26, 6:1-8:4, 9:1-31, 11:19-28:31, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James 2:1-26
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