I AM STILL LEARNING

While many Bible versions translated Genesis 1:1 using the word "heavens," the King James Version has the singular "heaven."  For years, I was sure that the KJV had it right, because I assumed the "heaven" where God's throne sits, must have been eternal in order to "house" an eternal God.  I now see there are many flaws in my thinking.  For one, God is Omnipresent, and therefore, when the Word speaks of what we call "the third heaven" (2 Cor. 12:2), it would also have to be omnipresent and eternal, or it had to be created to "house the angelic beings."  After reading an excerpt from The New Answers Book II by Bodie Hodge, as found on Facebook, I have come to the following understanding.  Hopefully, I have finally "got it," but experience has shown me over and over again, that my study of God's Word has barely scratched the surface!

The Bible doesn’t give an exact time of Satan’s creation or of his fall, but it does give some clues. Paul says in Colossians that Christ created all things (Col. 1:16).  So logically, Satan was created, as was the “heaven of heavens.”  We already know that Satan was originally in heaven prior to his fall (Isa. 14:13-19; Lk. 10:18; etc.), so the question becomes, when was the "heaven of heavens" created?
The Bible uses the word heaven in several ways.  The first mention is in the first verse of Genesis.   There, the Hebrew word for heavens is plural (dual form): shamayim, dual of an unused singular shameh.  The word itself can mean “heaven, heavens, sky, visible heavens, abode of stars, universe, atmosphere,” and “the abode of God” (the "heaven of heavens" as seen in 2 Cor. 12:2).  The context helps determine the meaning of a particular word.  According to Nehemiah 9:6, it seems safe to assume that the “heaven of heavens” was created at the same time the physical heaven (the space where the stars, sun, and moon would abide after they were created on day four of the creation week. 

A clear distinction is made between the three heavens - #3 where God's throne is (2 Cor. 12:2); #2 which we call "outer space"; and #1, the physical heaven or Earth's atmosphere.  Since heavens is a dual form, and we know that #1 was not created until day four, the two heavens created on day one have to be #'s 2 and 3!  Another clue that God made the "heaven of heavens" on day one is found in Genesis 1:31-2:1, which says:  "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished."  Here, as in Luke 2:13, "host" includes the "angelic host."

I have been a born again believer in Jesus Christ for forty-four years today, and I am just as excited about "new discoveries in God's Word," as I was then!  One thing God's Word is especially good at doing, is humbling God's children!

 

It is humbling to know you are saved by grace, kept by grace, and taught by grace! 

ANDREW: A HUMBLE DISCIPLE

You may or may not have noticed, that whenever the Lord's twelve disciples are listed in the Bible, they are always listed in, what appears to be, three "groups of four" (Mt. 10:2-4; Mk. 3:16-19; Lk. 6:14-6; Acts 1:13-19).  The first "group" is led by Simon Peter, the second "group" is headed by Philip, and the third "group" is listed with James, the son of Alphaeus, as its "leader."  Apart from that, the only other consistent placement is that of Judas Iscariot, who is always identified as the one who betrayed Jesus.  Peter's "group" consisted of Peter himself, Andrew, James, and John.  Philip's "group" consisted of Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew.  Alphaeus' son James' "group" included James, Simon Zelotes, Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot. 

Today, as I was reading the daily devotion from Our Daily Bread, I noticed that when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, He only took three of the first "group" (Peter, James, and John - Mt.26:37; Mk. 14:33).  That got me thinking about other times when Jesus ministered with just a few of His disciples, and how He rarely included Andrew.  At the raising of Jairus' dead daughter, it was Peter, James, and John, who were present (Mk. 5:37; Lk. 8:51).  And, on the mount where Jesus was transfigured before just a few of His disciples, only those three were present with the Him (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28).  The one time Andrew is mentioned as being part of "the inner circle," was when Jesus taught the four of them on the Mount of Olives, in what is known as the Olivet Discourse (Mk. 13:3).

Apparently, Andrew lived with Peter, Peter's wife, and her mother (Mk. 1:29-31).  He and Peter were both fishermen from the town of Bethsaida (Jn. 1:44).  Andrew apparently was a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn. 1:35-42).  It was when Andrew first learned that Jesus was "the Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:36), he became interested in Jesus.  His initial response was to go tell his brother about Him (Jn.1:41).  Later, Jesus called Andrew and his brother to be His disciples (Mt. 4:18-20; Mk. 1:16-18). 

On two separate occasions, Andrew was used of God to inform Jesus of something.  The first was when he told the Lord about the boy with five loaves and two fish (Jn. 6:8-9).  The other was when he accompanied Philip to tell Jesus about some Gentiles who want to speak to Jesus (Jn. 12:20-26).  He was included when the twelve and the seventy were sent out to proclaim Christ's kingdom, and he had the same miraculous abilities as the others (Mt. 10:5-42; Mk. 6:7-13; Lk. 9:1-6; Jn.10:1-24).  Other than that, very little is said about Andrew.  Since we have no other record of him, and thus, no record of him complaining about being left out, it may be safe to assume Andrew was a humble, faithful, believer in Jesus Christ.

 

Some of the disciples sought to be important; Andrew simply sought to serve!

UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY: IT REQUIRES WORK

Of all the doctrines of the Bible, that which seems to be the least addressed from the pulpit is that of Eschatology (Bible prophecy).  There are several reasons for this.  For one, many pastors are not born again.  They have a form of Godliness, but are without the Spirit, and hence, without His wisdom and power (Jn. 16:7-15; 2 Tim. 3:5). 

Another reason for the neglect is that prophecy is not easily interpreted prior to the events actually occurring.  For example, references to the virgin birth and the crucifixion, were still a mystery to Christ's family and His disciples even after they occurred (Mk. 16:11; Lk. 24:1-53; Jn. 7:3-5; etc.).

But perhaps the greatest reason Bible prophecy is neglected in church pulpits today is because many Bible teachers fail to compare Scripture with all the rest of Scripture, and instead, build errant theologies based upon one or two verses of Scripture.  A perfect example is the Mid-Tribulation Rapture Theory.  It mistakenly interprets the "the trump of God" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52, with "last trump" of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and with the "seventh trumpet judgment" of Revelation 11:15.  These three refer to two distinct events.

The "trump of God" and "the last trump" are indeed heard by the Church at the time of the Rapture, but common sense tells us that a sound meant to encourage the Church (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:57; 1 Th. 4:18), differs greatly from the "third woe" of the "seven trumpet judgments" of Revelation (8:2 - 11:15).  The first two references apply to the Church's final day on earth, and the last refers to a warning to Israel in the Tribulation, also known as the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7), and Daniel's Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:24-27).

Daniel's prophecy, which declares the seven-year Tribulation period involving the Jewish people, was "hidden" until the early 1800's when Bible scholars discovered the Bible "divisions" known as dispensations (Dan. 12:8-13).  Until then, most believed that God had replaced Israel with the Church; how this was possible when Romans 9-11 clearly teaches that God is not finished with His people yet, is beyond me.  Based upon this "discovery," Matthew 24 - 25, and Revelation 6 - 18 are now viewed by Bible conservatives (those holding to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and a Pre-Millennial Second Coming) as presenting the order of events as follows:
     1.  The Church Age begins (Acts. 2:2-47).
     2.  The Rapture of the Church (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:49-54; 1 Th. 4:16-17).
     3.  The seven-year Tribulation of Israel (Dan. 9:26-27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18).
     4.  The Second Coming of Christ (Mt. 24:30; Rev. 19:11-16).
     5.  The 1000 year Millennial Kingdom of Christ (Rev. 20:1-10).
     6.  The Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11).
     7.  The New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21:1).

 

This is why it is necessary to "rightly divide the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15)!           

HE IS A GOD OF HIS WORD

Philippians 3:20-21 - "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.  And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control."  NLT

Psalms 17:15 - "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness."  KJV

1 Corinthians 15:42-49 - "So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:  it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:  it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."  KJV

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 - "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  KJV

1 John 3:1-2 - "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."  KJV

EVEN BEFORE "THE BEGINNING"

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

"The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old" (Pro. 8:22).

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God" (Jn. 1:1-2).

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18).

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph. 3:9).

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands" (Heb. 1:10).

"And saying, Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet. 3:4).

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jn. 3:8).

"I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8).

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14).

"And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (Rev. 21:6).

"I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Rev. 22:13).

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world" (Jn. 17:34).

"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:4-5).

"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Pet. 1:20).

Jesus is God, Creator, Savior, Lord, and soon-returning King of kings!

Trust in Him today, and live forever with Him in glory!

TRUE FAITH LEADS TO SURRENDER

According to the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is:

John 1:1, 14  -  God:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:3  -  The Creator:  "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made."

John 4:42  -  The Christ:  "And said unto the woman, 'Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.'"

John 10:11  -  Our Shepherd:  "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."

John 10:30  -  One with God:  "I and My Father are one."

John 11:27  -  The Son of God:  "She saith unto Him, 'Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.'"

John 19:19  -  Israel's King:  "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

John 20:28  -  Our Lord:  "And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God."

John 20:31  -  The Source of eternal life:  "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."

If you believe John, allow Jesus to be your Lord!

"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Rom. 10:9-10)

JUSTIFIED: NOT OF WORKS BUT BY FAITH ALONE

"Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  But now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:  for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  Where is boasting then?  It is excluded.  By what law?  Of works?  Nay: but by the Law of Faith.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law" (Rom. 3:20-28).

"(Abraham), being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 4:20-5:1).

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law: for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16).

"Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law.  But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:21-26).

THE EFFICACY OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

When Jesus was crucified, He poured out His own blood to redeem mankind from sin.  That does not mean he had wounds that bled; it means He gave up His life.  Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  As a result, the lost of the world call Christianity a "blood thirsty religion."  It is so ironic that a world so focused upon murders and wars, should object to born again believers talking about the blood of Jesus!  But it is in His willingness to give up His life for any who will accept Him, that sets Him apart from all the gods of false religions! 

"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:  for the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Eph. 2:12-13).

"For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven" (Col. 1:19-20).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:12-14).

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 Jn. 1:7).

"This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one" (1 Jn. 5:6-8).

Thank God His Son loves us as much as His Father does!

PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

For years, I have taught the dispensational approach to the study of the Scriptures.  In the past few years, I have shared materials from http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/ on that subject, as well as many others.  I am convinced that this approach to Bible study is "rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).  It is clear to most Bible students that God has gradually, over time, revealed His "light" to man. 

For instance, of the seven dispensations, as I see them (Innocence; Conscience; Nations; Israel; Law; Church; and the Kingdom), it was not until about 400 B.C. that the entire Old Testament was completed.  Adam had no Scripture, nor did Noah or Abraham.  It was not until God revealed man's history to Moses, about 1500 B.C., that Scripture existed in written form.  And even then, all man had was the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.  Over the next thousand years, or so, the rest of the Old Testament was revealed, and by around 200 B.C., the Septuagint, the Old Testament written in Greek, was completed.

So, by the time Jesus came as a babe born of the Virgin Mary, the Bible consisted of only the Old Testament.  Following His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 1:9), the New Testament began to take form.  The last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, was finished around A.D. 100.  Today, our Bible contains what God has revealed over a period of about 1600 years. 

Yesterday, I wrote about "The Sermon on the Mount," in which Jesus made it quite clear that He not only knew God's Word, but that His words were greater than the Old Testament Scriptures.  THE WORD was revealing the Word of God to men.  In Matthew Five alone, Jesus corrected the religious leaders six times, using the phrases "you have heard it said," followed by "but I say unto you" (Mt. 5:21-22; 27-28; 31-32; 33-34; 38-39; 43-44)!  Matthew ends the Lord's "sermon," by saying:  "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:  for He taught them as One having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mt. 7:28-29)!

The Old Testament was God's revelation to man, but unless Jesus interpreted it, man could not comprehend it.  Today, born again believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who opens our understanding of both the Old and the New Testaments.  Jesus said of Him: 

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.  He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you" (Jn. 16:12-14).

In other words, man's knowledge of God has grown from a time when there was nothing written, to a time when the writing of God's Word is completed, and now, our understanding of it grows as the Lord patiently teaches us its meaning(s). 

We are still learning! 

I am not sure that even in eternity, we will fully comprehend it! 

ONE GREATER THAN GOD'S WORD

At the beginning of His ministry, in what is known as "The Sermon on the Mount," Jesus made it quite clear that He not only knew God's Word, but that His words were greater than the Old Testament Scriptures. In Matthew Five alone, Jesus corrected the religious leaders six times, using the phrases "you have heard it said," followed by "but I say unto you" (Mt. 5:21-22; 27-28; 31-32; 33-34; 38-39; 43-44)!  Matthew ends the Lord's "sermon," by saying:  "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:  for He taught them as One having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mt. 7:28-29)!

Is it any wonder why the leaders of the Jews saw Him as a threat?  They ruled over Israel by using, and abusing, God's Word (Mt. 23:1-39)!  And yet, knowing men's hearts (Jn. 2:24-25), Jesus still declared that it was not the "letter of the Law" which had the final say in the matters of men, but it was His own interpretation of the Law that mattered!

Here are some more examples from the Gospel of Matthew:

"Or have ye not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, that in this place is One greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,' ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" (Mt. 12:5-8).

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mt. 12:34-37).

"And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?'  And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.  Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.'  Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist" (Mt. 17:10-13).

If you have reverence for God's Word, good!  Jesus is God's Word!

THE CRUCIFIXION CHANGES EVERYTHING!

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was attested to by a Jewish historian!

In his Antiquities (18 - Ch. 3), Josephus wrote:

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, [if it be lawful to call him a man;] for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher [of such men as receive the truth with pleasure,] He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. [He was the Christ.]  And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him; [for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.] And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was foretold by Old Testament writers!

"For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet" (Ps. 22:16).

"He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation?  For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.  And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth" (Isa. 53:8-9).

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for His only Son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for His firstborn" (Zech. 12:10).

 

The Crucifixion was followed by the Resurrection!

"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.  But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.  And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.  Then saith He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God" (Jn. 20:25-28).

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Rev. 1:7).

He died for our sin; He was buried and rose again, all according to the Scriptures!

That is the Gospel!  Do you believe it?  Can others tell you believe it?

HE IS WORTHY!

If you truly know how much God loves you, you cannot help but love Him in return!  First John 4:19 says, "We love Him, because He first loved us."

Of course, we know He loves us; John 3:16 tells us that He loves all of humanity, because He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of the whole world!  First John 2:2 says, "And He is the propitiation (the satisfaction of a debt, stamped "paid in full") for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

But few (Christians or non-Christians) know just how much God loves us.  In His prayer to the Father just before He would be betrayed, "tried," and crucified, Jesus prayed for His disciples, saying: 

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.  And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one:  I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, AND HAST LOVED THEM, AS THOU HAST LOVED ME" (Jn. 17:20-23).

How much does God love you and me?  He loves us just as much as He loves Jesus!  WOW!

The Word of God repeatedly tells us that we are to "love God" (Deut. 10:12; Neh. 1:5; Ps. 145:20; Dan. 9:4; Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 8:3; 1 Jn. 4:20; 5:2)!  We are to "love Him" (Mk. 12:33; Lk. 7:42; Jn. 14:21, 23; 1 Cor. 2:9; Jam. 1:12; 2:5)!  We "shall love the Lord (our) God" (Deut. 6:5; 11:1; 19:9; 30:6, 16, 20; Mt. 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk. 10:27)!  Note that the Old Testament Law, the Prophets, and the Writings, all call for man to love God, as does the New Testament, which tells us why He is worthy of our love!

So how does one show that he loves God?  The Apostle Paul answered that when he wrote: 

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal. 5:13-14).

YOU MUST TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD

Have you ever heard the saying, "A man is only as good as his word?"  Another way of saying it, is "A man's word is his bond."  I can remember the day when my dad shook hands with a bicycle shop owner, as a guarantee that I, his son, would pay for a new bike weekly, until the debt was paid.  There was no contract; there was no collateral; there was just my dad's word.  It took me about two months to pay for that bike; there never was a though in my head that I could "get out of it," because my father had given his word!

Unfortunately, that kind of transaction is no longer the norm.  In fact, I do not know of a single example of a "hand-shake promise" today!  The problem is, human beings lie!  And because we lie, lawyers and courts are continuously dealing with lawsuits over broken contracts.  We cannot trust others.  Theft, adultery, and even murder has become more frequent in the churches; there are "a whole bunch of wolves in sheep's clothing!"

Such is not the case with God.  Because He is holy, He cannot lie; He cannot break His promises:
 
*   Titus 1:1-2 says, "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." 
*   Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it?  Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" 
*   Hebrews 6:17-18 says, "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath:  that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie...."

That is why the Psalmist wrote:  "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Ps. 138:2)!  

God is only as good as His Word:  JESUS!

*   "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn. 1:1).
*   "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:14).
*   "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life" (1 Jn. 1:1).
*   "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" (1 Jn. 5:7).
*   "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God" (Rev. 19:13).

 

Salvation results from believing in God's Word:  JESUS!

WHAT YOU DO TO ME, YOU DO TO JESUS

The next time I am tempted to discuss one of my brothers or sisters in Christ, I hope I remember this:  God has taken it upon Himself to bring His adopted children into His Son's likeness, and it is not my job to judge Him or His child!  The Apostle Paul, in Romans 8:28-29, wrote this about His work in His children:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

In addition, Paul wrote:  "...He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).  Paul also wrote in Ephesians 1:3-6: 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:  having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved."

There is another excellent reason for not being critical of God's children:  when we criticize one of them, we are actually being critical of Jesus Himself!  Notice the conversation between Jesus and Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9:1-6:

"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?  And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

This same truth is the basis for the Lord's separating "the sheep from the goats" in Matthew 25:31-46!  Those who blessed God's child, were rewarded as if they had blessed Him.  Those who cursed His child, were punished as if they had cursed Jesus!
 

 

So be very careful as to how you treat the children of God! 

The Lord takes it personally!

THE SABBATH AND THE CHURCH

The word "Sabbath" appears 137 times in 116 verses of the King James Version of the Bible.  Of those, fifty-five, or two fifths, are found in the New Testament.  Of course, this information is well known by the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Hebrew-Roots Movement, etc., and is used to support their insistence that Christians need to worship on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. 

However, I would like you to note that of those fifty-five times, fifty-four are found in the Gospels and in Acts (even one of those is translated "the first day of the week" - Acts 20:7), and the word appears only one time in the rest of the New Testament; it is Colossians 2:16 which reads:  "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."  In other words, what Christians eat (Acts 10:9-16); drink (1 Tim. 5:23); holidays (the most important of which, Passover, is mentioned only once with reference to the Church - 1 Cor. 5:7)!  Also, one would think that if Sabbath Day worship was required of Christians, it would be mention far more than once!

As I just mentioned, the other fifty-four times the word "Sabbath" is found, are in the Gospels and Acts.  Most honest Bible students will acknowledge that the Gospels are focused upon Jesus Christ offering Himself, under the Jewish Law (Gal. 4:4-5) as Israel's Messiah.  The fact that Israel rejected Him and was instrumental in having Rome crucify Him, clearly shows that the prophecies concerning the Messianic Kingdom, are yet to be fulfilled.  John wrote:  "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (Jn. 1:11).  The Lord's First Coming was as the Pascal Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29, 36; 1 Cor. 5:7).  When He returns to literally fulfill the remaining prophecies, He will come as the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5), and establish His Davidic Kingdom (Isa. 7:13-25; Jer. 33:14-26; Ezek. 34:20-24; etc.)!  The Sabbath is part of the Law.

On the other hand, Christians assembling on the first day of the week is found in two verses:  "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:7) and "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come" (1 Cor. 16:2).  The first day of the week practice honors two significant events:  the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2, 9; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1, 19), and Pentecost, the birth of the Church (Acts 2:1-47)!

If you believe you should worship on the first day of the week,

or you believe you should do so on the seventh day of the week,

I praise the Lord that you recognize Jesus is to be worshipped!

 

BELIEVING HE DIED FOR US MAKES US HUMBLE

Humility - (according to Easton's Bible Dictionary)

A prominent Christian grace (Rom. 12:3; 15:17, 18; 1 Cor. 3:5-7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquility (Ps. 69:32, 33), and makes us patient under trials (Job 1:22).  Christ has set us an example of humility (Phil. 2:6-8).  We should be led thereto by a remembrance of our sins (Lam. 3:39), and by the thought that it is the way to honor (Pro. 16:18), and that the greatest promises are made to the humble (Ps. 147:6; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Pet. 5:5). 

Humility - (God requires an attitude of humility in His children)

*   Deuteronomy 10:12-13 - "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"
*   Micah 6:6-8 - "Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Humility - The child of God WILL be humble!

*   James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up."
*   1 Peter 5:5-6 - "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time."
*   Deuteronomy 8:2-3 - "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.  And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

Humility:  Christ as our example!

*   Philippians 2:3-8 - "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

 

DANIEL NINE: TWENTY-FOUR THROUGH TWENTY-SEVEN

"Seventy weeks [70 X 7 "weeks" of years, or 490 years]

are determined upon thy people [Israel]

and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem],

to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [49 years refers to the time it took to rebuild the Temple and the city],

and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself [434 years between the rebuilding and the crucifixion of Christ]: 

and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary [Rome in A.D. 70];

and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [Daniel's Seventieth Week; the Time of Jacob's Trouble (Jer. 30:7); the two halves of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 11-13)]:

and in the midst of the week, he [the prince that shall come (Dan. 9:25); the Man of Sin (2 Th. 2:3); the Antichrist (1 Jn. 2:18); the Beast (Rev. 13:1-9)]

shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [Dan. 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:4-6]."

THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

Definition:  According to The Kings Bible Dictionary: 

 

1. Purity of heart . . . conformity of heart and life to the divine law.  It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue . . . .

2. Applied to God, the perfection or HOLINESS of His nature.

The righteousness of man:

1.  "And the LORD commanded us to do ALL these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.  And it shall be our righteousness, IF we observe to do ALL these commandments before the LORD our God, as He hath commanded us" (Deut. 6:24-25).
2.  "But we are ALL as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . . " (Isa. 64:6).
3.  "As it is written, There is NONE righteous, no, NOT ONE" (Rom. 3:10). 
Note:  The Law was not intended to provide a way to be holy, but was given to reveal that man cannot, of himself, become holy (Gal. 3:21-25).

God has offered us His righteousness:

1.  "In His [Jesus'] days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jer. 23:6).
2.  "The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God" (Jer. 51:10).
3.  "For He hath made Him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

It is up to you:

1.  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mt. 6:33).
2.  "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:16-17).
3.  "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

 

Jesus provides salvation to ALL who will believe in Him!

THE LAW COVERS SIN; GRACE REMOVES SIN

THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS COVERS SIN

"And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set My face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood" (Lev. 17:10-12).

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST REMOVES SIN

"I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him" (Jn. 6:48-56).  "For this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mt. 26:28).  "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).  "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5). 

THE PASSAGE WHICH RECONCILES THE TWO

"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. 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come." (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

 

THE LORD'S SUPPER PROCLAIMS CHRIST TWO ADVENTS!

OUR GOD IS SATAN'S GOD

The phrase, "the Lord thy God," appears 264 times in the Bible; it is found 257 times in the Old Testament, and only seven times in the New Testament.  All seven are Jesus speaking (Mt. 4:7, 10; 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk. 4:8, 12; 10:27); in the New Testament, only Jesus says, "the Lord thy God!" 

And if that were not strange enough, four of those seven are of Jesus speaking to Satan (Mt. 4:7, 10; Lk. 4:8, 12)!  Jesus, whom I believe to be Jehovah incarnate, God's Son before the foundation of the world (Jn. 17:24; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:20; etc.), was seen face to face by man (Gen. 32:30; Jud. 13:22), and yet, the Word of God says no man has ever seen God, the Father (Jn. 1:18; 1 Jn. 4:12).  Hence, He, as Jehovah, was the One seen by mankind.  According to John, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews, Jesus is Satan's Creator!  Satan should be bowing down to Him, and not Him to Satan!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made....  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (Jn. 1:1-3, 14).

"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:  and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (Col. 1:16-17).

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:1-3).

God is God of all, whether we accept, love, and trust Him, or not!

BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT

There is only one true God, but He expresses Himself in three Persons:  He is the Father to His only begotten Son, Jesus, and to all who believe in Him (Jn. 3:16; 17:5; 1 Jn. 3:2); He is Jesus, the Son of God who was manifested in the flesh (Mt. 1:23; Jn. 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:16); and He is God, the Holy Spirit, Comforter and Indweller of the children of God (Jn. 14:17, 26; 1 Cor. 12:7; Acts 5:3-4).

God's goal was for mankind to be made in His own image and likeness, and hence, man would also be a triune being.  Moses wrote:  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26).  But notice the passage does not say He created man in His likeness, but only in His image:  "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them" (Gen. 1:27)!  Never fear!  God never fails to accomplish what He intends to do.  We read in Genesis 5:1-2:

"This is the book of the generations of Adam.  In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created."

But "the day" they ate of that fruit, they surely died; they died spiritually; only the spiritually dead hide from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:8).  From that moment on, mankind ceased to be like God.  Oh, we are still triune beings when we are born again of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8), as can be seen in the writings of the Apostle Paul, who wrote:  "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Th. 5:23).

But, unlike God, born again believers still sin (Rom. 7:15-25; Jam. 5:13-16; 1 Jn. 1:8-10; etc.).  But our spirit groans, longing to be changed into His likeness; Romans 8:23 says, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body!"  Like I said before, God will complete the transformation needed for us to be like Him (Phil. 1:6; 1 Jn. 3:2)!

I live for God today, but I long to be like God forever!

CHOOSE: THE NEWS, OR THE GOOD NEWS!

No matter how bad things get, we must have faith in the God of Creation, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Joseph, of Moses, and of Jesus, the Christ of Israel and the Savior of all who will place their trust in Him!

"And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mt. 9:2)!

"But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Mt. 14:27)!

"For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid" (Mk. 6:50)! 

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33)! "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome" (Acts 23:11)! "And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship" (Acts. 27:22)! "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25)! It is no accident that the phrase "be of good cheer," appears seven times in the Bible.  "Fear not" appears sixty-three times!  "Be not afraid" is found in twenty-six verses!  The word "trust" occurs 134 times; "believe" is found 143 times; and "faith" 247 times!  John 14:1 says,   "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me!"

JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD

This morning, as I was reading Our Daily Bread, it suddenly occurred to me that Psalm 119, which is focused upon God's Word, could have but one author:  the pre-incarnate Word of God!  This is the passage that was quoted, and you tell me if there ever was a human being that could possibly be described by these words:

MEM

[97] O how love I thy law!  It is my meditation all the day.[98] Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies:
for they are ever with me.[99] I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.[100] I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.[101] I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.[102] I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.[103] How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth![104] Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

The word "word" appears in thirty-seven verses in Psalm 119; that is approximately twenty-five percent of its one hundred fifty verses!  The Apostle John referred to Jesus as "The Word" six verses of his writings in the New Testament:

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  Compare with John 17:17 - "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."

1 John 1:1 - "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life."

1 John 5:7 - "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

Revelation 19:13 - "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God."

Both Jesus and the Bible are called "The Word of God!"

REVELATION 19 - WON'T BE LONG NOW!

[1] And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
[2] For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.
[3] And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
[4] And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
[5] And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.
[6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
[7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
[8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
[9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
[10] And I fell at His feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
[11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.
[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
[13] And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.
[14] And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
[15] And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
[16] And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM!!!

Do you want to go to heaven?  Yes, you say, but how?  The answer is by faith in the finished work of Jesus on your behalf, the One who was crucified for your sins, was buried, and was raised to life by His Father (Jn. 1:12; 3:14-17; 19:30; Acts 16:31; Rom. 6:23; 10:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:3; etc.)!

Does that mean Jesus did all that was necessary for me to have eternal life?  YES!  Then why do all religions say we must avoid evil and do good, in order to be saved?  Because all religions are wrong!  Let's look at what the Bible says about salvation based upon our works:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;).  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  that in the ages to come, He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:4-10).

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men" (Titus. 3:4-8).

Notice that works follow salvation, or are the result of an individual receiving the free gift of salvation!  We are not God's children because we deserve to be, but because it is His will that we be:  "Which were born (born again - see Jn. 3:3-9), not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:13).

And yet, even though we are now God's children because we have believed God's Word, we still are not worthy to be so called!  We still fall short; we still sin (Rom. 3:23; 7:15-25)!  Although God wants us to be perfect or holy (Mt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:16), He does not expect us to be YET!  John wrote: 

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 Jn. 3:2).

JESUS IS COMING FOR GOD'S CHILDREN

"Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (Jn. 14:1-3).


"The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy: the second Man (Jesus) is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor. 15:47-54).


"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Th. 13-18).

Born again believers in Jesus Christ, long for His return!

The Christian, in name only, thinks His return will be a good thing!

Those who accept Christ as Savior, but not as Lord, fear His return!

The atheist has no clue!  

WE DO NOT HAVE A MINDLESS FAITH

In Paul's short epistle to the Church at Philippi, he refers to the Christian faith as being more than just an emotional response to the Gospel; he focuses upon our faith as being one of thought, one which involves our intellect.  Much like Psalm 119, which focuses upon believers thinking and meditating on God's Word, Philippians calls upon believers to not only think, but to think alike regarding the things of the Lord.  We are to humble ourselves and let God's Word be the basis of our understanding of the truth.  He mentions the mind ten times in 104 verses.  They are:

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Phil. 2:2).

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Phil. 2:3).

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you" (Phil. 3:15).

"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing" (Phil. 2:16).

"Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 2:19).

"I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord" (Phil. 4:2).

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

 

Humility, unity, and truth, will be the mark of all soul-winning churches.

DO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHTEOUS?

In the Parable of the Son's Wedding (Mt. 22:1-14), Jesus used the parable to illustrate the rebellious response of the Jews to God's invitation; those invited either made excuses for not coming, or they openly attacked those bringing the invitations (v. 1-6).  God, in His righteous anger, had His army kill those who rejected His invitation, and He used Rome to destroy their city (v. 7).  He then sent His servants to gather whoever they could find, whether worthy or not, and bring them to the wedding (v. 8-10).  I believe this is a story picturing what John described in John 1:11-12.  God's rejection of the Jews, and the destruction of the Temple by Rome, both occurred about the same time:  A.D. 70 (see Acts 13:46).    

When they had gathered enough guests, one of the guests was discovered "improperly dressed."  When confronted, he was without excuse, and was cast out (v. 11-14).  He had tried to attend in his own righteousness; that never works:  first, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10).; and second,  "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isa. 64:6).

I believe the proper "wedding garment" is God's free gift of holiness, or righteousness.  Isaiah 61:10 says: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

God has provided this garment free of charge, so the man was without excuse.  God's Word says, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).

So how does one get this free garment?  Simply by believing God's Word; Abraham is our example: 

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6).

"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (Jam. 2:23).

"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3).

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness"  (Gal. 3:6).

Christ's righteousness is freely offered to you.  Do you believe God's Word?

"

THE NEW TESTAMENT IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE!

When I posted my blog dated January 1, 2015, a fellow named Pete Kever responded with the following statement:  "The true gospel doesn't warn sinners of "\'the second coming.'"  I cannot image why he would make such a statement, and after giving his objection much consideration, I came to the following conclusion, which I posted in response:

The "true Gospel" is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. The "true Gospel" informs us that because we were sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus died for our sins. The "true Gospel" tells us that Jesus death was literal; that is, He was buried after dying for our sins. The "true Gospel" states that the same Person who died for our sins was raised from the dead.  He is alive! 

HOWEVER, IN THAT SAME CHAPTER: Jesus is called "Christ" fourteen times. IN THAT SAME CHAPTER, we read:

"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor. 15:23-28).

Jesus is the Creator (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.), the Savior (37 times in the Scriptures), the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), and He is coming again (there are at least 44 verses which state that Jesus is coming again, beginning with Acts 1:11 and ending with Revelation 22:20-21). Jesus IS the Gospel message! God loves mankind, and everything we know about Him IS Good News!

The word "Gospel" appears 95 times in the New Testament.

The first reference is Matthew 4:23 and the last is Revelation 14:6!

 

THE WORD OF GOD OPENS EYES

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden" (Gen. 3:4-8).

Before Satan tempted Adam and Eve, they lacked wisdom.  They did not fear the Lord, or if they did, they didn't fear Him enough to obey Him.  Scripture tells us that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." (Ps. 111:10).  Adam and Eve needed to learn that there is a "spiritual pecking-order!"  Wisdom must be taught; the fear of the Lord must be learned!  Psalm 34:11 says, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."

The phrase, "the fear of the Lord," appears in twenty-seven verses in the Bible; twenty-six of them are found in the Old Testament!  The phrase is found only once in the New Testament:  "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied" (Acts 9:31). 

So, why do you suppose that the phrase appears so often in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament?  Perhaps it is because the Old Testament serves as a "schoolmaster":

"But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:22-26).

Once we realize we are sinners and that God loved us enough to send Jesus to die to pay for our sin, we love God in return, and desire to live to please Him!  The Word says in 1 John 4:19: 

"We love Him, because He first loved us."  

THE RAPTURE, THE TRIBULATION, AND THE SECOND COMING

The Rapture or "God's catching away" of the Church

The first three chapters of the Book of Revelation mention the words "church" or "churches" nineteen times in eighteen verses [1:4, 11, 20 (2x); 2:1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 22].  The Church is not mentioned again until Revelation 22:16, and there it refers back to the first verse of the book.  Most conservative Bible scholars believe that in Revelation 4:1, John serves as a picture of the Rapture of the Church (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-51; 1 Th. 4:16-17; etc.).   

The Tribulation or "God's disciplining" of Israel

It is clear from the content of Revelation, chapters six through eighteen, that they are a detailed description of the Time of Jacob's Trouble (Jer. 30:7), also known as Daniel's Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:24-27),  and the Tribulation (Mt. 24:3-28).  Jeremiah refers to the Tribulation as being the troubling of Jacob (Israel).  Daniel's prophecy speaks of the 483 years from the decree to build the Temple, until the "cutting off" (killing) of the Messiah.  Seven years remain of the 490 years (seventy weeks), and the Tribulation is the seventieth seven-year period, divided into forty-two months; 1260 days; a time, times, and a half time, or three and a half years  (Dan. 9:27; 12:7; Mt. 24:15; Rev.11:2, 3; 12:6; 13:5).

The Second Coming of Israel's Messiah, their King   

 

Chapter nineteen of the Book of Revelation describes Christ's Second Coming.  Notice that "...the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev. 19:14)!  The Church is at least part of this innumerable "army" for two reasons:  1) the Church is described as being thusly clothed (Rev. 3:4-5; 19:8); and 2) Jesus promised believers would forever be with Him (Jn. 14:3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 1 Th. 4:17; etc.)!

 

This event terminates the seven-year Tribulation, and begins Christ's fulfillment of prophecy of Israel's Messiah being of the lineage of David (Ps. 132:11; Isa. 9:7; 16:5; Jer. 23:5; Mt. 1:1, 20; 9:27; 12:23; 15:27; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15; 22:42; etc.)!  Jesus shall rule on this earth for 1000 years (Rev. 20:1-7).

 

A warning to believers and non-believers alike!

 

If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you should be sharing your faith with the lost when Jesus returns.  Even in the Lord's Supper, we are told we are baring witness to the First and Second Comings of Christ (1 Cor. 11:26)!  I am sure you long to hear Him say to you, "well done My good and faithful servant" (Mt. 25:23)!

 

If you have never acknowledged that you are a sinner, and turned to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, you don't want to put it off - He could return even while you are reading this!  Trust God who proved His love for you by sacrificing His only begotten Son for you!  Do it now, right where you are.  Don't risk waiting until you can go to some church and walk an aisle.  Time is short!