CONFESS YOUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

Matthew 10:32-33 - "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven."

Luke 12:8-9 - "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  but he that denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."

John 9:22 - "These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue."

John 12:42-43 - "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

Acts 23:8 - "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both."

Acts 24:13-14 - "Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.  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."

Romans 10:9-11 - "That 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.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."

Romans 15:9 - "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto Thy name."

Philippians 2:10-11 - "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 John 4:2,3,15 - "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world...Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

 

Failure to confess faith in Christ is, in reality, denying Him!

 

GOD'S ORDER OF THINGS: 2 THES. 2:1-12

[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
[Note:  This is referring to the Rapture of the Church - see:  Jn. 14:2-3 - "...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." - 1 Th. 4:16-17 - "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."]

[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by Word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[Note:  This is referring to the Second Coming of Christ - see Rev. 1:6-7; 19:11.]

[3-5] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[Note:  The Church (born again believers - Philadelphia - Rev. 3:7-13) has been caught up to heaven, and before Christ's Second Coming with the wrath of God.  The apostate church (Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-22) remains to face the wrath of God in the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18).  The Antichrist is revealed forty-two months after he confirms a peace covenant with Israel when he declares himself to be god (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 11 - 13).

[6-12] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way.  And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:  even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[Note:  Satan and the Antichrist are limited ("on a leash" - Job 1:10-12; 2:4-6; etc.), and are being resisted by born again believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Jam. 4:7; 1 Jn. 4:4; etc.).  When we are caught up to be with Jesus, there will be only the 144,000 saved Jews, and the two witnesses, to resist them (Rev. 7 & 14; 11:3-12).  It is not until they are removed, that Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet, are loosed upon mankind (Rev. 12 & 13 - 18)!]

Just as God removed Noah and Lot before He sent judgment, so too will

He remove born again believers prior to His wrath being poured out on the world! 

Thank You Lord Jesus!

JESUS IS GOD!

Born again believers recognize Jesus as much more than a man who died for our sins!  Jesus is our Creator (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.); Jesus is our God (Jn. 1:1-3, 14; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; etc.); Jesus is our Savior (Lk. 2:11; Acts 13:23; Phil. 3:20; etc.); and Jesus is our Lord (Jn. 13:13; He is specifically identified as "Lord Jesus Christ" eighty-one times in the New Testament)!  In addition, just as the Bible says there is one God, manifest as the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, it also says there is but one Savior, Who is identified as both God, and Jesus Christ!  Here are just a few verses that identify the Savior as being both God and Jesus:

Isaiah 43:3, 11 - "For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior...I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Savior"

Hosea 13:4 - "...I am the LORD thy God...thou shalt know no God but Me: for there is no Savior beside Me."

Luke 2:11 - "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

Acts 13:23 - "Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus."

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

2 Timothy 1:10 - "(Salvation) is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel."

Titus 2:13 - "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 3:18 - "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen."

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

Jude 1:25 - "To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

THE WORD CONCERNING THE LAST DAYS

Gen. 49:1-28 - "And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days...."

Isa. 2:2-4 - "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it...."

Acts 2:17-21 - "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams...."

2 Tim. 3:1-7 - "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come...."

Jam. 5:3-8 - "Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days...."

2 Pet. 3:3-13 - "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts...."

 

Mark 13:14-27 -

[14] But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:  [15] And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:  [16] And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.  [17] But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!   [18] And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.  [19] For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.  [20] And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.  [21] And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; believe him not:  [22] For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.  [23] But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.  [24] But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,  [25] And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.  [26] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  [27] And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS WORSHIP EVERYDAY

For centuries, perhaps even a couple of millennia, there has been much debate over the Church worshipping on Sunday, instead of on the Sabbath.  I suspect that those who insist on worshipping on the Sabbath, first century Jewish converts to Christianity, many of the "Christian" cults, and today, the Hebrew Roots Movement, feel they are spiritually superior to the vast majority of Christendom, and that God has changed His mission for them from winning lost souls, to defending a doctrine that they believe pre-dated the Ten Commandments, having its beginning "in the beginning!:  the "seventh day of creation!"  After all, didn't God initiate Sabbath worship on the day "He rested from His work?"  Moses wrote in Genesis 2:1-3:

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." 

Surprising to some, the answer is no.  Notice there is no reference to man worshipping God in the text.  He did "sanctify" it, that is, He set it apart as being holy, but again, there is no reference to worship.  And, prior to the Lord giving Moses the Ten Commandments, there is no reference to worshipping on the Sabbath.  And, if one reads the "fourth commandment," he will notice the idea of it being a day of worship is missing.  Exodus 20:8-11 says:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." 

In other words, by "hollowing it," God was declaring it as being unique from the other six days, in that, it is to be a day of rest.  It is for rest to the benefit of man; Jesus stated this very clearly:  "And He said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  Should one read the Bible from cover to cover, he will find that worship occurs on all the days of the week, not just on the seventh, or Sabbath day.  Isaiah 66:23 says:  "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD."  I don't believe God meant we were only to worship on "new moons" or Sabbaths - it is my view that we are to worship continually - daily, from one to another!

Ironically, the "birthday of the Church" fell on the feast of Pentecost, the FIRST DAY of the week (Acts 2:1-47)!  The Apostle Paul warned against setting up religious days in Colossians 2:16-17:  "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:  which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

GOD'S GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

In the New Testament, the word "righteousness" comes from the Greek word δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), which means "the state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God."  Note that in the following verses, it is not our righteousness that saves us, but the righteousness which comes as a gift to those who believing in Jesus Christ.

Mt. 5:6 - "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
Mt. 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Rom. 1:17 - "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
Rom. 3:21-22 - "But now the righteousness of God (apart from) 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...."

Rom. 4:3-5 - "...Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Rom. 5:17-18 - "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

Rom. 10:1-3 - "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
Rom. 10:9-10 - "That 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."

2 Cor. 5:21 - "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."

Gal. 2:21 - "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain."

Phil. 3:9 - "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Ti. 3:5-6 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us...."

 

Jesus completed the work necessary for our right standing with God!

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

There will be three groups of people who will be allowed to enter into Christ's Millennial Kingdom:  the Jews, the Church, and those Jesus recognizes as being compassionate Gentiles.  The Jews, because He is the king of the Jews (Mt. 2:2; Lk. 1:33; Jn. 19:19-21; etc.); the Church, because we will always be where He is, and we are to rule with Him during His kingdom (Jn. 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 20:6; etc.); and those who showed compassion on the Jews during the Tribulation (Mt. 25:31-46)!   Here is how Jesus explained this third group:

       When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:  and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats:  and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
       Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in:  naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.
       Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee, or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?  When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in, or naked, and clothed Thee?  Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?
       And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.  Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in:  naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.
       Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?
       Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Saul, of Tarsus, experienced a similar situation in Acts 9:1-5, when he was searching for those who were believers in Christ.  Jesus told him that by persecuting Christians, he was, in fact, persecuting Jesus Himself! 

My advice:  Be very careful how you treat others! 

WE ARE GOD'S "PROJECTS!"

Isaiah 64:8 - "But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand."

Romans 8:28-30 - "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 1:1-6 - "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:  grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  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."

Philippians 2:5-13 - "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.  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

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."

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."

GOD IS BOTH JUST AND MERCIFUL

THE REALLY BAD NEWS! 

GOD'S JUDGMENT IS COMING!

Jn. 3:36 - "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Rom. 1:18 - "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."

Eph. 5:6 - "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

Col. 3:6 - "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

Rev. 14:10 - "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb."

Rev. 14:19 - "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."

Rev. 15:1 - "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God."

Rev. 15:7 - "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever."

Rev. 16:1 - "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

 

THE REALLY GOOD NEWS 

FAITH IN JESUS RESULTS IN OUR BEING PARDONED

Rom. 5:8-9 - "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

1 Th. 1:9-10 - "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, (Who) delivered us from the wrath to come."

1 Th. 5:9-10 - "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."

SALVATION COMES FROM BELIEVING IN THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE

I have repeatedly written that one must trust in Jesus Christ, and must call upon Him as Lord in order to be saved.  To support my statement, I have quoted Romans 10:9-13 which says: 

"That 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.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

And yet, some continue to criticize me, claiming I am preaching "Lordship Salvation," as though that is heresy.  I have even had some use "the thief on the cross" to prove one needs only recognize Jesus as Savior, in order to be saved.  Ironically, "the thief's" own words make my case:  "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom" (Lk. 23:42)!

What I do not understand is, if the Bible identifies Jesus as both Creator and God (comp. Gen. 1:1; Ps. 45:6; Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2, 8; etc.), and we are to proclaim Him to the lost, how is it that the Biblical Jesus can be preached without identifying who He is?  These passages clearly proclaim His identity:

Mt. 2:2 - "Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."
Mt. 21:5 - "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."

Jn. 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."

Rev. 19:11-16 - "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.  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.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  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.  And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

To proclaim Jesus, without accurately identifying Him, is a total waste of time and energy!  It is the Gospel that saves (Rom. 1:16), and the Jesus presented in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the rest of the New Testament, is that He is God, Son of God, Creator, Savior, and resurrected Lord!  Preach the Jesus of the Bible, not the "jesus" of the cults and false religions (Mormonism, Islam, etc.)!

WHAT IS "RIGHTEOUSNESS?"

Strong's Concordance defines "righteousness" as:  the state of him who is as he ought to be; the condition acceptable to God; the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God, which includes integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting.  In the King James Version of the New Testament, it is translated from the Greek δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), which occurs ninety-two times in eighty-five verses, with thirty-three of them being in the Book of Romans.  Romans reveals much concerning the state of being righteous; to begin with, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10).  Perhaps this verse is referring to Isaiah 64:6, were we read, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...."

If, as the definition states, righteousness is the condition in which a man is acceptable to God, the way a man can attain a state that is approved by God, and yet no man is righteous, is there any hope of ever being accepted by God?  The answer is yes!  The good news, the Gospel message, reveals how a man can attain the status of righteousness!  The state of being righteous is God's gift to all who will accept His only begotten Son Jesus as one's Lord!  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-13:

"...The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach; that 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.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (declared righteous by God)."

The "Word" that saves lost sinners, is the Gospel (Rom. 1:16)!  Paul stated the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: 

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved (recognized by God as being righteous), if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

Jesus offered Himself so that we could meet God's "entrance requirements!"  Again quoting Paul:

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.  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" (Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:21)!

A man would be a fool not to accept God's free gift of salvation!

Place your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today!

  

THE ONE AND ONLY JESUS - CREATOR!

JESUS, AS GOD, CREATED ALL THAT IS!

Gen. 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
Ps. 33:6 - "By the Word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."
Eccl. 12:1 - "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."
Isa. 40:28 - "Hast thou not known?  Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?  There is no searching of His understanding."
Isa. 43:15 - "I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."

Jn. 1:1-3, 10, 14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (He) was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.  He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.  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."
Eph. 3:8-9 - "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 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."
Col. 1:16-17 - "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."
Heb. 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."
Heb. 11:3 - "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
1 Pet. 4:19 - "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Rev. 4:11 - "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

 

IF YOU WISH TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH GOD,

THEN YOU NEED TO TRUST THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE!

HE CREATED YOU; HE DIED FOR YOU; HE WAS BURIED FOR YOU!

AND, HE ROSE TO BE YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD!

PROPHECY FULFILLED

Ex. 12:3, 8 - "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a (Passover Lamb), according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house.  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it"
Jn. 1:29 - "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 
1 Cor. 5:7 - "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us."

Ps. 22:16 - "...they pierced My hands and My feet."
Lk. 24:39 - "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself...."

Ps. 22:18 - "They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture."
Jn. 19:23-24 - "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.  They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it...."

Ps. 22:8 - "He trusted on the LORD that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him."
Mt. 27:43 - "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God."

Ps. 69:21 - "They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink."
Mt. 27:48 - "And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink."

Ps. 22:1 - "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Mt. 27:46 - "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?  That is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Ex. 12:46 - "In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof."
Jn. 19:33, 36 - "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs....For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken."

Isa. 53:9 - "And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death...."
Mk. 15:27 - "And with Him they crucify two thieves; the one on His right hand, and the other on His left."
Mt. 27:57-60 - "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple....And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."

Jesus only borrowed the tomb; He only needed it for three days!

Mt. 12:40 - "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Mt. 28:5-6 - "And the angel...said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for He is risen...Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

TODAY'S HEADLINES

Luke 17:26-29 - "...as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."

Romans 1:22-32 - "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:  who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

 

I do not profess to know how much longer God will tolerate humanity.

I do know, however, that based upon these passages, His judgment must be soon!

I am begging you - trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior while there is still time!

You can either call Him Lord today, or spend eternity knowing you blew it!

JESUS AS PASSOVER LAMB

John 1:29 - "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Romans 3:25 - "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."

Romans 5:9 - "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

1 Corinthians 5:7 - "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ Our Passover is sacrificed for us."

Ephesians 1:7 - "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

Ephesians 2:13 - "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."

Colossians 1:14 - "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins."

Hebrews 9:14 - "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?"

1 Peter 1:18-19 - "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Revelation 7:14 - "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Revelation 12:11 - "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

1 John 3:16 -

"Hereby perceive we the love of God,

because He laid down His life for us:

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

HIS BLOOD CLEANSES US FROM OUR SIN!

Genesis 3:21 - "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."

2 Chronicles 6:41 - "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness."

Psalm 132:9 - "Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let Thy saints shout for joy."

Isaiah 61:10 - "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."

Revelation 3:5 - "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."

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

Revelation 6:9-11 - "And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

Revelation 7:9-13 - "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Revelation 1:5-6

"And from Jesus Christ . . .
Who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father;

To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

   

PROCLAIM THE FREE GIFT OF SALVATION

Romans 3:22-30 (NLT) - "We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.
       Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the Law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the Law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is. There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles!"

Galatians 2:27 (KJV) - "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."

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) - "God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t 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."

Romans 6:20-23 (KJV) - "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?  For the end of those things is death.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 10:8-14, 17 (NLT) - "And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced. Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ."

 

THOSE WHO TRULY BELIEVE IN JESUS, WILL SHARE THEIR FAITH IN HIM!

 

WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, TO BE HIS SERVANTS!

We are blessed of Almighty God to live in what has become known as the Church Age, or the Age of Grace.  The resurrected Lord directed His Apostles to proclaim the Gospel message, the good news, that He has provided salvation to all who will call upon His name (Rom. 10:8-17)!  Salvation is a gift to all who will trust in Jesus Christ as the risen Lord  (v. 9, 13)!  No where is it stated more clearly than in Ephesians 2:8-9, which says, "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." 

And yet, from the earliest days of the Church, there have been men known as Judaizers, who insist that Christians are still bound by the Law of Moses.  They demand that Christians be circumcised and that they worship on the Sabbath (Saturday) rather than Sunday.  The irony in this is the fact that this was all settled during the Church Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29; Gal. 2:1-9)!  These legalists cannot comprehend that being born again is by faith in the risen Christ, and not by religious works. 

That being said, the Gospel does call Jesus Lord!  He is Lord over the Church, which is composed of born again believers (1 Cor. 10:16; 12:27; Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:18; etc.).  And as Lord, all Christians are to recognize that we are His servants.  We are to obey Him.  I mentioned Ephesians 2:8-9 above, but Ephesians 2:10 needs to be understood as what begins when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior:  it reads, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."  God, from the moment we believe, begins molding us and remaking us into the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29; Phil. 1:6)!  We have been saved to serve God!  Here are a few clear examples that teach this truth:

Acts 4:29 - "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word."
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."
Romans 6:16, 22 - "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

1 Peter 2:15-16 - "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:  as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."

Revelation 1:1 - "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John."

Revelation 2:20 - "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

Revelation 22:6-7 - "And He said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

 

That is why we should long to hear Him say,

"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

 

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS REALLY GOOD NEWS!

ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SEE GOD

"Blessed are the pure in heart (righteous): for they shall see God" (Mt. 5:8).



NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS EXCEPT GOD

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:10-12, 23).

 

CHRIST DIED SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly....God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:6-8).
"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).

WE MUST BELIEVE THE GOSPEL TO BECOME RIGHTEOUS

"And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Phil. 3:9).
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Heb. 11:7).

HERE IS THE GOSPEL

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand....For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

 

WHEN YOU BELIEVE, GOD BEGINS HIS WORK OF TRANSFORMATION

"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" (Phil. 1:6).

"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).

 

IF YOU WILL CONFESS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST,

AND TRULY BELIEVE GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD,

YOU WILL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS IN THE EYES OF GOD!

(Rom. 10:9 paraphrased; also see Jam. 2:23)!

 

 



THE SCRIPTURE'S PURPOSE IS THAT YOU WOULD BELIEVE IN JESUS

Following His Resurrection, He encountered two of His grieving disciples, who, having hoped Jesus was Israel's long-awaited Messiah.  Jesus responded to their ignorance of the Scriptures by teaching them His death was the fulfillment of Scripture.  He said:
 
"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself " (Luke 24:25-27).

In the Gospel of John, these verses specifically say that Jesus literally fulfilled the Scriptures:

John 2:22 - "When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the Word which Jesus had said."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ps. 16:10; 49:9; Acts 2:27, 31; 13:35]

John 7:38-39, 42 - "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.  Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"
[Scripture fulfilled:  Pro. 1:23; Jer. 23:5; Isa. 44:3; Mic. 5:2]

John 13:18 - "I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, he that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ps. 41:9]

John 17:12 - "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name:  those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ps. 69:25; 109:8]

John 19:24 - "They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be:  that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, they parted My raiment among them, and for My vesture they did cast lots.  These things therefore the soldiers did."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ps. 22:18]

John 19:28 - "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ps. 69:21]

John 19:33-35, 36-37 - "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs:  but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.  For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken.  And again another Scripture saith, they shall look on Him Whom they pierced."
[Scripture fulfilled:  Ex. 12:46; Ps. 34:20]

The odds of one person fulfilling the dozens of Scripture references to Israel's Messiah, are astronomical!  Only one person could fulfill them, and He did!  He is risen from the dead, and offers salvation to whosoever will believe in Him! 

He did His part; your part is simply to believe!

   

SALVATION IS FREE TO ALL WHO WILL BELIEVE IN JESUS!

How important is faith?  It is the only way we have that can save us.  The Gospel of John uses the words "believe," "believeth," and "believed," eighty-five times!  Here are just a few of them, and pay special attention to how John ends his Gospel (Jn. 20:31 below)!

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 2:22 - "When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they BELIEVED the Scripture, and the Word which Jesus had said."

John 3:14-18, 36 - "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  that whosoever BELIEVETH in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  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.  He that BELIEVETH on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - He that BELIEVETH on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

John 5:24 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and BELIEVETH on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

John 6:29, 40, 69 - "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on Him Whom He hath sent. - And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and BELIEVETH on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. - And we BELIEVE and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

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."

John 11:25 - "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that BELIEVETH in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

John 20:31 - "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."

THE DEITY OF CHRIST

JESUS IS THE CREATOR

Genesis 1:26 - "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 1:16-17 - "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."

 

JESUS WAS, AND IS, MUCH MORE THAN JUST A MAN

Isaiah 9:6-7 - "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, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.  Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

Psalm 45:6 w/ Hebrews 1:8 - "THY THRONE, O GOD, is forever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre.   BUT UNTO THE SON HE SAITH, THY THRONE, O GOD, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom."

1 Timothy 6:15 w/ Revelation 19:16 -

JESUS IS "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!"

ISLAM DENIES JESUS IS GOD'S SON

Daniel 3:25 - "He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Matthew 8:29 - "And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God?  Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

Mark 1:1 - "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God...."

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."

John 3:18 - "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Acts 9:20 - "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God."

Romans 1:4 - "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

2 Corinthians 1:19 - "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea."

Galatians 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

Ephesians 4:13 - "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

Hebrews 4:14 - "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."

1 John 4:15 - "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

Revelation 2:18 - "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass."

1 John 2:22

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? 

He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

JESUS IS THE GREAT I AM

Exodus 3:13-15 - "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations."

John 5:43 - "I AM come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
John 6:48 - "I AM that Bread of Life."
John 8:12 - "...I AM the Light of the World: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
John 8:18 - "I AM one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me."
John 8:23 - "...I AM from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world."
John 8:58 - "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM."
John 10:9 - "I AM the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
John 10:11 - "I AM the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
John 10:36 - "Say ye of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I AM the Son of God?"
John 11:25 - "Jesus said unto her, I AM the Resurrection, and the Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
John 13:13 - "Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I AM."
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."
John 15:1 - "I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman."
John 19:21 - "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."

His enemies knew what Jesus was claiming, and sought to kill Him.

Pilate, stood his ground, replying to their request in John 19:21 in the next verse:

"What I have written I have written."

 

THE MYSTERY THAT IS THE CHURCH

Ephesians 3:1-12 (KJV)

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me (for you):  how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), (Who) in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel:  whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 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:  to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:  in Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.

Ephesians 3:1-12 (NLT)

"When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending His grace to you Gentiles.  As I briefly wrote earlier, God Himself revealed His mysterious plan to me.  As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.  God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by His Spirit He has revealed it to His holy apostles and prophets.  And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children.  Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.  By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News.  Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.  I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.  God’s purpose in all this was to use the Church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence."

JESUS FULFILLED THE SCRIPTURES

Luke 24:25-27 - "Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

John 5:39 - "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me."

Acts 17:2-3 - "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ."

Acts 18:28 - "For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

Romans 1:1-4 - "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God (Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures), concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, (Who) was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

Romans 16:25-27 - "Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:  to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.  Amen."

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

2 Timothy 3:15 - "And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

2 Peter 3:13-16 - "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrestle, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction."

GOD'S SEALED BELIEVERS

Today, I want to look at two terms which convince me that all genuine believers will go to heaven.  The first is "earnest," which is from the Greek ἀρραβών (arrabōn), which means "the down payment made on a purchased possession."  A down payment insures that the item cannot be given to, or taken by, anyone else; it belongs to the One who made it!  The other word, "sealed," is from the Greek word σφραγίζω (sphragizō), which means "to identify that which is sealed to belong to one in authority."  Believers in Christ, are sealed, and as a result are the possession of Almighty God!

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - "Now He (Who) stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."

2 Corinthians 5:5-8 - "Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.  For we walk by faith, not by sight:  we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Ephesians 1:12-14 - "That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.  In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, (Who) is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."

Ephesians 4:29-30 - "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

Revelation 7:3-8 - "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.  Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand.  Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand."  (Note that these are Jews who came to faith in Jesus Christ, and, having been sealed, they are found in heaven in Rev. 14:3).

PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his "son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2):  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  But earlier, in the same letter, Paul had instructed him on how he was to handle the Word of God.  He wrote:  "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). 

This advice is of the utmost importance to you and me today!  We must be able to differentiate between what God told Adam, from what He revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the Apostles.  Only Adam had access to the forbidden tree; only Noah was to build a boat; only Abraham was to travel from Ur to the promised land; only Moses led his people out of Egypt; only David was forbidden to build the temple; and only the Apostle Paul understood Christ's Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles!  For example, if you and I take what God told Abraham 4000 years ago as being meant for us, we would have to leave our homes and families and travel to Israel.

A perfect example of "wrongly dividing the Word," is when Christians state that Israel, now a nation in control of her own land, will never again be driven out by her enemies.  Of course they will!  Jesus told His disciples that there is coming a time known as the Tribulation, a time when a false Messiah will offer them peace, but half way through the seven year "treaty" (Dan. 9:27), he would declare himself a god and demand to be worshipped (Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13; etc.)!  Jesus warned His people, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains" (Mt. 24:15-16).  For three and a half years, the Jewish people will be in danger of being hunted down and killed!  Israel will no longer control their land!

Another misused Scripture is found in Psalm 122:6.  People are constantly saying "pray for the peace of Jerusalem," but notice the context.  The Temple existed (v. 1), and the Tribes of Israel were able to freely go to the Temple and worship God (v. 4).  Not only was Solomon's Temple destroyed by the Babylonians, within forty years of Christ's Ascension, Herod's Temple would also be leveled!  There is no Temple today!  And there will be no peace in Jerusalem until Jesus returns and destroys the enemies of God, and those of His people Israel (Mt. 24:29-31), which says, 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Even that peace which comes from enjoying Christ's Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:1-6) will be temporarily threatened by Satan and his minions; they will be defeated by Jesus, Who will judge them and sentence them to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:7-15)!  It is not until the "New Jerusalem" is established, that Israel, and all those who love her, will have true peace (Rev. 21:1-27)!

 

The peace of Jerusalem will only be permanent when it is the "New Jerusalem!"

 

GOD'S GOOD GIFTS

I looked up all the references which contain the words "God." and gift; surprisingly, there were on fourteen verse which contained both words.  As born again believers, we have been given one or more Spiritual gifts to minister to others.  James 1:17 confirms that God's gifts to believers originate in heaven.  It says,  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Ecclesiastes 3:13 - The Ability to Earn a Living - "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God."

Ecclesiastes 5:19 - Great Success in Business - "Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God."

Ezekiel 46:16 - The Father's Provision for His Children - "Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance."

John 4:10 - Jesus Christ Himself - "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the Gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."

Acts 8:20 - The Power of "Laying on of Hands" -  "But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with money."

Acts 11:17 - The Filling of the Holy Spirit - "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like Gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"

Romans 5:15 - Eternal Life - "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.  For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the Gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

Romans 6:23 - Eternal Life - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 Corinthians 7:7 - Celibacy in order to Focus upon Ministry - "For I would that all men were even as I myself.  But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that."

2 Corinthians 9:15 - God's Awesome Ability to Provide is Beyond Words - "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."

Ephesians 2:8-9 - Salvation - "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."

Ephesians 3:7 - A Specific Ministry - "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power."

2 Timothy 1:6 - Ability to Anoint for Ministry - "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."

1 Peter 4:10 - One or More Spiritual Gifts to Minister to the Body of Christ - "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

 

Thanks be to Almighty God for demonstrating His love for us in so many ways!