WE SERVE AN OMNIPOTENT GOD!

There are fifty-seven Bible references to God as being the Almighty.  Forty-eight are in the Old Testament, and nine are found in the New Testament.  While there is nothing strange about where this name occurs in the New Testament (once in 2 Corinthians, and eight times in Revelation), the use of the term in the Old Testament is somewhat ironic.  In the Pentateuch (the five books written by Moses), six of the eight times are found in Genesis, with one in Exodus, and two in Numbers.  It is found twice in Ruth, Psalms, and Ezekiel; it appears once in Isaiah and Joel.  However, believe it or not, it appears thirty-one times in the Book of Job!  But when one thinks about it, the Book of Job is written to reveal that God is truly sovereign in the matters of man, as is the Book of Revelation!  Here are the New Testament verses containing the title "Almighty":

2 Corinthians 6:18 - "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Revelation 1:8 - "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, (Who) is, and (Who) was, and (Who) is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 4:8 - "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, (Who) was, and is, and is to come."
Revelation 11:17 - "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, (Who) art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned."
Revelation 15:3 - "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints."
Revelation 16:7 - "And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments."
Revelation 16:14 - "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
Revelation 19:15 - "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."
Revelation 21:22 - "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."

From Genesis to Revelation: 

"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6).

HE WILL BE RIGHT ON TIME

Christians have just celebrated Christmas, the day we have chosen to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; the next significant holiday for the Church, is our celebration of His Resurrection from the dead on the day which has come to be known as Easter.  And while Easter does fall on the first day of the week, Sunday, it is does not always occur on the first day of the week following the Jewish Feast of Passover.  In summary, and quite sadly, it appears that the Church does not seem to worry about the accuracy of the Ecclesiastical Calendar. 

However, there is one important day coming which will be exactly on time!  Jesus taught His disciples that even He did not know the day or the hour of His return to establish His earthly kingdom.  Mark 13:32 says, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."  The only thing we do know for sure, is that Jesus is coming again!  Here are the ten verses from the Book of Revelation which describe it:

1:4 - "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him (Who) is, and (Who) was, and (Who) is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne."
1:8 - "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, (Who) is, and (Who) was, and (Who) is to come, the Almighty."
2:25 - "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."
3:11 - "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
4:8 - "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, (Who) was, and (Who)is, and (Who) is to come."
11:17 - "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, (Who) art, and (Who) wast, and (Who is) to come; because Thou hast taken to thee Thy great power, and hast reigned."
16:15 - "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."
22:7 - "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."
22:12 - "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
22:20 - "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

2 Timothy 4:8

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:

and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." 

GOD STILL SENDS!

Adam - Genesis 3:23 - "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken."

Joseph - Genesis 45:7 - "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."

An evil spirit - Judges 9:23-24 - "Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:  that the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren."

The Angel of the LORD - 1 Chronicles 21:15-16 - "And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.  And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces."

The Son of God - John 3:16-17 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."

The Word - Acts 10:36-38 - "The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:  He is Lord of all:  that Word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:  Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."

Our Redeemer - Galatians 4:3-5 - "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:  but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

Our Propitiator - 1 John 4:9-10 - "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the satisfaction of our debt; the full payment) for our sins."

The Holy Spirit - Revelation 5:5-6 - "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."  Note:  The "seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6; and may well be referring to the sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit in Isa. 11:2:  (1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

You and me - Isa. 52:7; Jer. 30:7; Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15; Rom. 10:15; 2 Cor. 5:19-20; etc.!

THE WORK OF GOD IN US

John 16:13-14 - "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 show you things to come.  He shall glorify Me:  for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you."

Romans 8:26-30 - "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit (Himself) maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  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.  Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."

Philippians 1:3-6 - "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Hebrews 12:1-6 - "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:  for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."

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."

Hebrews 13:20-21 - "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

MORE THAN SAVIOUR; JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world.  The word "Saviour" appears thirty-seven times in the Scriptures.  However, Jesus Christ is more than just our Saviour; He is Lord!  "Lord" appears seven thousand, eight hundred, and eighty-eight times!  Perhaps the clearest example is found in Revelation 19:16, which says, "And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONE AND ONLY SAVIOUR

2 Samuel 22:3 - "The God of my Rock; in Him will I trust: He is my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower, and my Refuge, my Saviour; Thou savest me from violence."

Isaiah 45:15 - "Verily thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour."

Jeremiah 14:8 - "O the Hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?"

Luke 1:46-47 - "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

John 4:42 - "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."

Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the Saviour of the body."

Philippians 3:20 - "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Timothy 4:10 - "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."

1 John 4:14 - "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."

Jude 1:24-25 - "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

THE BEST OF TIMES; THE WORST OF TIMES

When describing Christmas this year, I could easily quote Dickens!  Judy and I started a "new tradition" by having our Christmas at our home ("Grandma's house" as Judy is now "Grandma").  Because we have "temporarily lost" Judy's Mom, "Grandma Dot-Dot" (Dorothy Tetley) on May seventh of this year (we will see her again soon, and join with her in praising the One whose birthday we remembered yesterday), we decided that celebrating Christmas, as we always have at Judy's sister's house, would be too painful.  And although getting everything ready was a lot of work for Judy and Dawn, staying busy seemed to help them cope with it all.

We were blessed to have five children (Laurie, Doug, Dawn, Cheryl & Todd), seven grandchildren (Hannah, Hope, Erin, Bethany, Matt, Stephen, & Jessica), seven great grandchildren (Alex, Rory, Rhys, Woody, Kara, Joshua, & Henry), and Hannah's friend David, come spend time with us.  Of course, with all those folks "present," there were a lot of gifts being exchanged; too many to mention.  However, there were two I received that were very special to me.  Before Judy's Mom died, she made me a towel with "God heart-symbol you Skip, and 'sew' do I."  It will never be used, as it is too precious to me!  And, Laurie made me a knitted "lap blanket," that must have taken many hours to make!  She has always blessed me with special gifts, but this one is beyond special - it was a "labor of love!"

And while the food was awesome, and the fellowship was great, we missed seven of our grandchildren (Kyle, Jenna, Jesse, Samantha, Amy, Michael, and Luc) and our precious and precocious Great granddaughter, Audrey!  And this is our second Christmas without our grandson, Corey.  Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, will see him again soon. 

That brings me to my most important message for our friends, our family, and even for those who view us as their enemy:  whether or not you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the fact that hundreds of its prophecies have been literally fulfilled, and seeing the world rapidly spiraling downward toward a one-world government, one-world religion, as the Bible predicted would occur just prior to the Lord's return, I want to warn you that He is coming again, and this time, it will not be as our sacrificial "Passover Lamb" (Jn. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), this time He is coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, as the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5; 19:11-16)!  In fact, since no man knows the day or the hour of His return, the next minute or so may be all you have to repent of your sins, and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior!  I am sorry if this offends you, but I would rather be guilty of offending, than I would be of failing to warn one and all of the soon coming Day of Judgment! 

Jesus' Incarnation was so that He could die for our sins!

His Second Coming will be so that He can gather God's children unto Himself!

ISAIAH'S PROPHECIES CONCERNING JESUS

THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH	JESUS:  THE FULFILLMENT
The Messiah:	Jesus of Nazareth:
Will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)	Was born of a virgin named Mary (Luke 1:26-31)
Will have a Galilean ministry (Isaiah 9:1,2)	Ministry began in Galilee of the Gentiles (Matthew 4:13-16)
Will be an heir to the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7; 11:1, 10)	Was given the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32, 33)
Will have His way prepared (Isaiah 40:3-5)	Was announced by John the Baptist (John 1:19-28)
Will be spat on and struck (Isaiah 50:6)	Was spat on and beaten (Matthew 26:67)
Will be exalted (Isaiah 52:13)	Was highly exalted by God and the People (Philippians 2:9, 10)
Will be disfigured by suffering (Isaiah 52:14; 53:2)	Was scourged by Roman soldiers who gave Him a crown of thorns (Mark 15L15-19)
Will make a blood atonement (Isaiah 53:5	Shed His blood to atone for our sins (1Peter 1:2)
Will be widely rejected (Isaiah 53:1,3)	Was not accepted by many (John 12:37, 38)
Will bear our sins and sorrows (Isaiah 53:4, 5)	Died because of our sins (Romans 4L25; 1Peter 2:24, 25)
Will be our substitute (Isaiah 53:6,8)	Died in our place (Romans 5:6, 8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Will voluntarily accept our guilt and punishment for sin (Isaiah 53:7,8)	Jesus took on our sins (John 1:29; Romans 6:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Gentiles will seek Him (Isaiah 11:10)	Gentiles came to speak to Jesus (John 12:20,21)
Will be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7)	Was silent before Herod and his court (Luke 23:9)
Will save us who believe in Him (Isaiah 53:12)	Provided salvation for all who believe (John 3:16; Acts 16:31)
Will die with transgressors (Isaiah 53:12)	Was numbered with the transgressors (Mark 15:27, 28; Luke 22:37)
Will heal the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1,2)	Healed the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18, 19)
God's Spirit will rest on Him (Isaiah 11:2)	The Spirit of God descended on Jesus (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; 4:1)
Will be buried in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9	Was buried in the tomb of Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-60; John 19:38-42)
He will judge the earth with righteousness (Isaiah 11:4,5)	Jesus was given authority to judge (John 5:27; Luke 19:22; 2 Timothy 4:1,8)

Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2000 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.

JOHN IDENTIFIED JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD!

Isaiah 40:3-5 - "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:  and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Matthew 3:1-3 - "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Mark 1:1-3 - "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Luke 3:1-4 - "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the Word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

John 1:23-34 - "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.  And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.  And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?  John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth One among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.  These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me.  And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.  And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

JESUS: THE SON OF MAN

The phrase, "the Son of Man," appears well over two hundred times in the Bible:  of the hundred plus times it is found in the Old Testament, 77 of those references found in the Book of Ezekiel.  It occurs in 88 verses in just the four Gospels of the New Testament. 

 

Psalm 8:1-8 - The Son of Man Foretold

"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens.  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.  When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?  And the Son of Man, that Thou visitest Him? 

For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned Him with glory and honor.  Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet:  all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!"

 

Hebrews 2:1-10 - The Son of Man Identified

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.  For if the Word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?  For unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  Or the Son of Man, that Thou visitest Him?
Thou madest Him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst Him with glory and honor, and didst set Him over the works of Thy hands:  Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet.  For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him.  But now we see not yet all things put under Him.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Revelation 1:8-18 - The Son of Man in His Glory

 

"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.  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.  And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.  And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last:  I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

JESUS LITERALLY FULFILLED THE SCRIPTURES

Jesus literally fulfilled many of the Old Testament Scriptures which foretold of His First Coming as the sacrificial Lamb of God.  Jesus will also literally fulfill those Scriptures which describe His Second Coming!  Matthew's Gospel is clearly focused upon Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promised Savior.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus sums up the prophecies concerning His death, burial, and resurrection, all according to the Scriptures (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4 as well).

Mt. 1:22-23 - "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
Mt. 2:14-15, 23 - "When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son.  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."
Mt. 4:13-16 - "And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
Mt. 8:16-17 - "When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
Mt. 12:15-18 - "But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; and charged them that they should not make Him known:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold My servant, whom I have chosen; My beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles."
Mt. 13:34-35 - "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Mt. 21:4-5 - "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."
Mt. 26:53-56 - "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?  In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take Me?  I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me.  But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled."
Mt. 27:7-10 - "And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, Whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."
Mt. 27:35 - "And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots."

Lk. 24:44-47 - "And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.  Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER

Matthew 3:3 - "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Matthew 7:13-14 - "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Matthew 21:32 - "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him."

Matthew 22:16 - "And they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man: for Thou regardest not the person of men."

Mark 1:3 - "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Mark 10:51 - "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."

Mark 12:14 - "And when they were come, they say unto Him, Master, we know that Thou art true, and carest for no man: for Thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"

Luke 1:79 - "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 20:21 - "And they asked Him, saying, Master, we know that Thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest Thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly."

John 14:4-6 - "And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus saith unto him, I AM THE WAY, The Truth, and The Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

Acts 9:2 - "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.

Acts 16:17 - "The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation."

Acts 18:25-26 - "This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.  And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

Acts 24:14 - "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets."

2 Peter 2:2, 15, 21 - "And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."

Make sure you are following the way of the Lord;

for "there is a way that seemeth right unto a man,

but the end thereof are the ways of death."

GOD'S AMAZING LOVE

Ephesians 1:3-14  Our Undeserved Adoption

          All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.  Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.  So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.  He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.  He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

          God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure.  And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.  Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.
          God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.  And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.  And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, Whom He promised long ago.  The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.  He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.

Ephesians 2:1-10  Our Undeserved Salvation 

          Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.  By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
          But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace - a gift which we do not deserve - one that we cannot be earn - that you have been saved!)  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  God saved you by His grace when you believed.  And you cannot take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 4:11-16  Our Undeserved Maturation

          Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the Church, the Body of Christ.  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
          Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the Head of His Body, the Church.  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

BELIEVE IN THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE

John 1:1-3, 10-14 - "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 any thing made that was made....He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.  He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:  which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 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 6:28-29 - "Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent."

John 7:37-39 - "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.  He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified."

John 9:35-38 - "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.  And he said, Lord, I believe.  And he worshipped Him."

Romans 3:24-26 - "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."

Romans 4:23-25 - "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."

Galatians 3:26 - "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 1:14-17 - "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen."

MARY, DID YOU KNOW?

Matthew 1:16, 18, - "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:  When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost."

 

Luke 2:7-19 - "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:  and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not:  for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

 

MARY DID YOU KNOW?

Words and music written by Mark Lowry.

 

Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?                                           Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know -

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb!


Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am!

WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT JESUS IS REAL?

There are over 300 Bible prophecies which predict the events of Christ's life during His thirty plus years as "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16)!  Utilizing a mere eight of these prophecies concerning the Messiah, Peter Stoner applied the science of probability to demonstrate the chance that a mere eight of those predictions would be fulfilled in one person.  It was found to be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  When Stoner's findings were submitted to the American Scientific Affiliation for confirmation, the Executive Council found them "dependable and accurate in regards to the scientific material presented."

It is more than implausible that 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 could be fulfilled as a consequence of mere happenstance. In the book Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh McDowell writes that one could take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and cover the state of Texas with them and mark one of the silver dollars in order to bury it and conceal it. You then let another person with a blindfold roam around Texas as long he desired with the goal to stop and pick up the one marked coin. He is to stop at a place of his own choosing and then pick up one silver dollar. He would have the same chance of selecting the correct coin as one person would have of fulfilling just eight of the 333 prophecies about the Messiah—Jesus fulfilled them all!

 

Perhaps the most amazing prophecy, however, does not describe Jesus as "the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29).  Instead, it foretells of the eternal identity of the Man sent by His Father because He loved us; it is found in Isaiah 9:6:

 

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

 

The great Bible scholar, Matthew Henry, wrote the following about this passage:

 

"Emmanuel …the Child is born … justly is He called Wonderful, for He is both God and man.  His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints.  He is the Counselor, for He knew the counsels of God from eternity; and He gives counsel to men, in which He consults our welfare.  He is the Wonderful Counselor; none teaches like Him.  He is God, the Mighty One.  Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that of the Mighty God could bring it to pass.  He is God, one with the Father.  As the Prince of Peace, He reconciles us to God; He is the Giver of peace in the heart and conscience; and when His kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more.  The government shall be upon Him; He shall bear the burden of it.  Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government.  There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last forever!"

 

Much thanks to Mike Robinson for sharing much of this material.  He wrote, "See my book that defends the historical truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Killing Christ:  Contesting Trendy Critics."   

 

 

THE SON OF GOD IS BORN

MATTHEW 1:18-25

 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  And Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” (which being interpreted is, “God with us”).  Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

 

LUKE 2:1-17

 

And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, who was great with child.  And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”  And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

 

I BELIEVE JESUS IS JEHOVAH

Students of the Bible know that there is something unique about God's name, "Jehovah."  While Jesus said, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (Jn. 1:18; see also 1 Jn. 4:12); and yet, Jacob said he saw God (Gen. 32:30) and Manoah and his wife said they had, as well (Jud. 13:22).  In both cases, the word translated "God" is the Hebrew אֱלֹהִים ('elohiym), the same plural form found in Genesis 1:26, where the pronouns "Us," and "Our" are used.  I believe each saw the pre-incarnate Son of God.  Here are all of the Bible references to Jehovah:

Genesis 22:14 - "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh:  as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen."  (a place named "Jehovah sees")
Exodus 6:2-3 - "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:  and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
Exodus 17:15 - "And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi."  (a place named "Jehovah is my banner")
Judges 6:24 - "Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."  (a place named "Jehovah is peace")
Psalm 83:16-18 - "Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek Thy name, O LORD.  Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:  that men may know that Thou, Whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."
Isaiah 12:1-2 - "And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation."
Isaiah 26:3-4 - "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.  Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

Note:  Isaiah 9:6 appears to support this conclusion; it says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor (HS), The Mighty God (Trinity), The Everlasting Father (Father), The Prince of Peace (Jesus)."  Clearly "His name" includes the names for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and for the entire Trinity! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND REMEMBER, HE IS COMING AGAIN! 

WHO IS JESUS? WHO ARE HIS DISCIPLES TODAY?

Revelation 1:7-11 - "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.  I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, (Who) is, and (Who) was, and (Who) is to come, The Almighty.  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last...."

Revelation 21:1-7 - "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  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.  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be His God, and he shall be My son."

Note:  How one overcomes:
1 John 5:1-4 - "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His Commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

Revelation 22:11-12 - "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.  Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Note:  The Commandments of Jesus are these: 
Matthew 22:35-40 - "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the great Commandment in the Law?  Jesus said unto Him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great Commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Those who believe in Jesus, are overcomers; they are born again of the Holy Spirit!

Not only do they love Almighty God, they also love their neighbors!

THE BIBLE CAN BE TRUSTED

Have you ever watched television shows such as Law & Order, Castle, Criminal Minds, Bones, etc.?  If you have, at one viewing or another, you have watched law enforcement officers discuss eye-witness accounts of an event where every witness made identical statements about what they saw take place.  The interviewers are quick to point out that there is a problem; they immediately realize that their testimonies are "rehearsed"; that there is a conspiracy among the witnesses to cover up the fact that they, themselves, were somehow involved in the crime.  "Scripted testimony" is always false!  No two people would use the exact same words to describe what they observed.  The same is true of the Bible. 

There are four Gospel accounts of the life of Christ.  Using what is called a "harmony of the Gospels," we can compare what each writer either witnessed, or what they were told by witnesses who were with Jesus at the event they describe.  Matthew and John were disciples who travelled with Jesus, and yet, only John was present on "the mount of transfiguration."  And yet, irony of ironies, John's Gospel does not mention the event, but Matthew, Mark, and Luke do (Mt. 17:1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28)!  Luke is the only Gospel that states what he records is from the testimonies of eye-witnesses (Lk. 1:1-4).  Obviously, Matthew was told by one or more of the three who experienced it, and since Mark was a companion of the Apostle Paul, and is mentioned in Acts 15, the chapter which describes the Church Council in Jerusalem.  It is unclear where Mark learned of the events in the life of Christ.

Some scoffers like to point out the variations in Bible accounts of events, saying the differences proves the Bible is not true.  Here is but one example of how the Gospels differ: 

Matthew 27:37 - "And set up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
Mark 15-26 - "And the superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
Luke 23:38 - "And a superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
John 19:19-22 - "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.  And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.  This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.  Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews.  Pilate answered, What I have written I have written."

There are two satisfactory explanations for these differences:  1) the writers got their information from different, but reliable, sources; or 2) the Holy Spirit knows that if their accounts were exactly the same, the "spiritual detectives" would discount them as scripted.  In the case of the four versions of the inscription posted above the head of the Lord, the wording is different because there were three languages used.  Translations from one language to another is never exact.  Nevertheless, I would point out that all four versions have the same message:  the Man on the cross was accused of claiming to be "THE KING OF THE JEWS!"  Also notice the John's account states that Jesus claimed to be "THE KING OF THE JEWS!"   Even in John's version, note that the words "JESUS OF NAZARETH" are not included in the protest by the Jewish leaders.

Bottom line:  all of the accounts state that the Man was called "THE KING OF THE JEWS!"  That exact phrase appears in all four of the Gospels, a total of thirteen times.  Jesus is the King of the Jews, but more importantly, He is Creator (Jn. 1:1-3), Savior (Lk. 2:11), Lord (Rom. 10:9), and God (Jn. 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16)!

THE LAW SHOWS OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 - "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Romans 3:19-20 - "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin."

Galatians 3:21-25 - "...if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the Law.   But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.   But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.  Therefore the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.   But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

Romans 3:21-26 - "But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.  For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Romans 10:8-13 - "But what does it say?  The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

 

May this be true for you - Behold, today is the day of salvation!

Today is the day you recognize Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

JESUS: GOD WITH US

Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Isaiah 9:6 - "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counseller, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Matthew 1:21-23 - "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Isaiah 45:21-23 - "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time?  Who hath told it from that time?  Have not I the LORD?  And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me.  Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  I have sworn by Myself, the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

Romans 14:8-12 - "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.  But why dost thou judge thy brother?  Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?  For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

Philippians 2:5-11 - "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.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

He came, He died, He rose again, He is God Who is with us!

JESUS: THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD

JESUS EXISTED BEFORE CREATION 

John 17:24 - "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 loved Me before the foundation of the world."

JESUS CREATED ALL THINGS

John 1:1-3 - "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 any thing made that was made." 

JESUS BECAME A MAN

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."

Matthew 1:23-25 - "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His name JESUS."

JESUS CAME TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF MAN

Matthew 1:21 - "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins."

1 Timothy 1:15 - "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...." 

JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Acts 1:23-24 - "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:  Whom God hath raised up...."

Acts 5:30 - "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree."

JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN

Acts 1:9 - "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

Hebrews 12:2 - "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
                                         JESUS IS COMING AGAIN TO RULE FOREVER

Luke 1:33 - "And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end."

 

 

Believe in Jesus, and trust Him, while you still have time!





WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?

I have been asked many times by Bible believing Christians, to explain what it means to be born again.  The verses below reveal what takes place when a person experiences the new birth.  Like the birth of Jesus, the Holy Spirit "births us" as children of God (see 1 Jn. 3:2).  The Gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-4) has the power to bring about the "metamorphosis" necessary for the new birth:  "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" (Rom. 1:16).

Luke 1:35 - "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called The Son of God."  While this verse is describing how the virgin Mary conceived, and her Child would be The Son of God, as I stated above, the Holy Spirit does the same for all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:  we become "sons of God."

John 1:12-13 - "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:  which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

John 3:3-7 - "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water AND of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh (physical birth); and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (spiritual birth).  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

1 Peter 1:23 - "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." By comparing Romans 10:8-17 with this verse, we find that the Word of God - the Gospel - is the transforming power of God. 

1 John 5:1, 4 - "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."  The title "Christ" means "the anointed One"; it identifies Jesus as the Messiah, Israel's promised King of kings.

To sum up, the Holy Spirit convicts man of his sin (Jn. 16:8-9) and his need for a Savior.  The Spirit uses one or more of God's children to preach the Gospel message to him (Rom. 10:8-17).  When he believes that Jesus died for his sins, that He was buried, and that the Father raised Him from the dead, all according to the Scriptures, he is born again.  Because he understands that Jesus is The Christ, he begins to live out his life serving Him as his Lord.  After all, the Word clearly teaches us that salvation is a gift and not the result of religious works, but that one is saved to become His servant (Eph. 2:8-10). 

 

Those who are born again, love God and gladly serve Him!

JESUS: GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH

Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD!"
"LORD" is from the Hebrew יְהֹוָה (Yĕhovah), a singular noun.
"God" is from the Hebrew אֱלֹהִים ('elohiym), a plural noun.

Genesis 1:1-2, 26 - "In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the SPIRIT OF GOD moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

John 1:1-3, 14 - "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 any thing 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."

Colossians 1:12-17 - "Giving thanks unto the Father, (Who) hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:  in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  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."

Hebrews 1:1-3 - "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!"

Philippians 2:5-11 - "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.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

1 Timothy 3:16 - "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."