• Dishonesty is listed in the Ten Commandments (Leviticus 19: 11)-Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ ASV) Do not steal.  Taking things that do not belong to you is wrong.  Taking things without paying for it is wrong.  Even if it is a small item, we should not steal.  Dishonesty has very serious consequences, and should be avoided.  As we continue to read scripture, we find that the results of dishonesty and stealing are very severe, and the guilty can end up in hell as a result. 
• Be honest in your business dealings (Leviticus 19: 35-36)-Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume.  Your scales and weights must be accurate.  Your containers for measuring dry goods or liquids must be accurate.  I the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.  God has instructed us in our business dealings not to be dishonest.  This commandment was given to the people of Israel when they were set free from the rule of Pharao, as they  exited the land of Egypt.  God wants to us to be honest in everything we do.  Even when conducting business dealings, God wants us to be honest.  He does not want us to cheat anyone, or to be cheated/overcharged.
• Do not lie for your own gain (Deuteronomy 19: 14)-When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, never steal someone's land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.  We should not lie even on property lines.  We should be honest in this with our neighbors as well.  God doesn't even want us to lie about our property lines.
• Dishonest people cannot know God (Psalm 101: 7)-I will not allow deceivers to serve me, and liars will not be allowed to enter my presence.  As we see in this verse, there is a lot to learn about being dishonest.  That is why people who lie do not remain in the congregation of the just for long.  They end up leaving for one reason or another.  Here we see that there is a code of conduct that must be followed in order to enter into the presence of the LORD our God.  Unless we live in an honorable way, we will not be able to take part with Him.  He is holy, perfect, true, and just.  And unless we follow His ways, and also are holy, perfect, true, and just, we will not be with him in heaven.   Matthew 5:48 (KJV) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  What this means is that with His help, and if we follow His commands, we can achieve a perfected life through Him.  We must resist temptation, sin, and dishonesty in order to achieve this perfection, along with prayer, fasting, and submission to the Holy Spirit.
• God hates deception (Proverbs 12: 22)-The LORD hates those who don't keep their word, but he delights in those who do.  So, when we give our word, we must be careful to keep it.  It is better not to make a promise, than to make a promise, and not keep it.  When we do not keep our promises, it is seen in the same way as telling a lie.  So, be careful when making promises in any circumstance.
  
• God will punish those who take advantage of others (1 Thessalonians 4: 6)-Never cheat a Christian brother in this matter by taking his wife, for the LORD avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.  The reason that this commandment prohibiting, and warning against the sin of adultery is so strong, is that it can lead to many, many other sins, and devastation to everyone involved as we have seen all throughout history.  Dishonesty leads to so many other sins, even death.  It's just not worth all the hurt and loss.  In the story of Samson, we see just how devastating this can be.  The person being cheated can enter into such a rage as to become so destructive, and in Samson's case, a whole town of people died.  We should keep this in mind.

Dishonesty has so many consequences as we read above.  It just doesn't pay to be dishonest under any circumstance as you can see.  One lie can snowball into a multitude of lies, and sin, and the results, can be death, and loss of salvation for those who indulge in this type of lifestyle, or practice.  So lets remember that honesty on the other hand goes a long way.  And nothing in this world is worth losing our salvation for.  So lets keep practicing honesty, so that we can enjoy the many benefits of leading an honest life.  Until the next study, let us pray for continued honesty and growth throughout believers all over the world, at all levels of Christianity.  May God bless you!!

(‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭29-51‬ ASV)

But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. Then shall two man be in the field; one is taken, and one is left: two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left. Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth; and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.



It is usual for prophets to speak of things as near, and just at hand, to express the greatness and certainty of them. Concerning Christ's second coming, it is foretold that there shall be a great change, in order to make things new. It also describes how man is living in the days of Christ's second coming.. They will be living according to their own beliefs and desires.. Entering into relationships and marriages according to their own ideas of what relationships and Marriage should be. Without living according to the commands and decrees that God has given man to live by. Living without fear of our one and only true LORD and Savior God Almighty. The God who has the power to throw our very souls into hell. It will be an extremely sad situation for so many people who live in that sort of way. A customary lifestyle invented by man's own sinful desires. Scriptures tells us believers how we should be living. We should look deeper into scripture and our hearts to see if they coincide with one another. Only then can we truly see what areas of our lives need improvement. And through prayer, supplication, and submission to the Holy Spirit, we can achieve the level of purity that God originally intended for man to live by. That is what the body of Christ is striving for today. That is what the body of Christ is preaching and sharing with non-believers and believers alike. That it is possible to prepare for the Second coming of Christ. And that we are here to help one another to reach that goal. Because it will happen and a lot sooner than expected. I hope that this study serves as a reminder of what we should look forward to and how to prepare for it. Our spirits and hearts need to prepare for this GLORIOUS & AWESOME EVENT!! Our lifestyles should reflect that of Christ's!!!   God bless you until next week!! Be alert, be prepared, and be safe!! May God be with you!!!!