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TRUTH OF THE INCARNATION, THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST, PART 3
IN CLOSINGJesus is the fulfillment of the two great covenants. In Jesus we see our destiny. Jesus in His death and resurrection brought us to the place where we could experience our destiny. Where we can know the dominion that God always intended us to have.
Hebrews 9:11-17
11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
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?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Revelation 1:18 sums it all up.
Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
TRUTH OF THE INCARNATION, THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST, PART 2
CONFIRMATION BY THE FATHERMatthew 3:13-17
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest
thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and,
lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
CONFIRMATION THROUGH TEMPTATION
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle
of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they
shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and
worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
CONFIRMATION THROUGH HEALING AND MIRACLES
Luke 5:12-15
12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou
wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And
immediately the leprosy departed from him.
4 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and
offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes
came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
John 2:1-11
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of
Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up
to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth
his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
CONFIRMATION THROUGH THE DISCIPLES
Matthew 16:15-17
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Speaking for the disciples, Peter spoke, You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God. As “the Christ,” He is the Messiah, “the anointed One.” In Him are fulfilled
all the promises of God. The disciples had come to this conclusion as they
observed the Lord Jesus over a period of time, witnessed His miracles, and heard
His words.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
WHAT IS YOUR LIFESTYLE?
Matthew 5:13-1613 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith
shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
The good works of the body of Christ are to shine for all to see. We live in a glass
house. Our lifestyle is in the open for the world to see. We should live before men
in a fashion that draws them to the Lord Jesus. We are to offer our bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is our spiritual act of worship. We
are not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of our mind.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Knowledge alone will not produce a Christ-like character. It must be lived. The
knowledge we gain from God’s Word must impact our hearts and show us of the need to obey what we have learned.
We have to live our lives in such a way that the world will “want” what we have.
Only by remaining focused on Christ and His word and being obedient to Him can we expect to be salt and light to the world.
God's desire is for all of us to become more like Christ. We do this by growing in
our knowledge of Christ. We cannot grow to be like someone we don’t know. The
deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become.
Becoming more like Christ should be the desire of every believer, because God has the same desire for us.
Romans 8:29
29 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.
Making us Christ-like is God’s work, and He will see it through to the end.
Philippians 1:6
6 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:
We were free to surrender our life to God.
Romans 10:9
9 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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
We are free from sin.
Romans 6:11
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are free to grow in grace and knowledge.
2 Peter 3:18
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Character is defined as strength of moral fiber. A.W. Tozer described character as “the excellence of moral beings.” As the excellence of gold is its purity and the
excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man is his character.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
We are a new creature in Christ Jesus and all things have become new. We are free from our old lifestyle. We are free from our old way of thinking. We are free to live a life of holiness before our God. We are free to reign in life by the one
Jesus Christ.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
SON OF MAN, SON OF GOD
THE LINAGE OF ISRAEL OUR LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAHSON OF MAN, SON OF GOD, PART 4
The Everlasting Kingdom
Daniel 2:44
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Daniel 7:9-13
13 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet
their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus came to us through the linage of Israel. This was the plan God laid out to
bring Jesus into the world. He is our Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the one who paid the supreme sacrifice. Without the shedding of His blood there would be no remission of sin. Without Jesus there would be no fulfilling of the end times. Jesus has and will fulfill all things.
Ephesians 1:19-23
19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Revelation 1:18 sums it all up.
Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
SON OF MAN, SON OF GOD
THE LINAGE OF ISRAEL OUR LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAHSON OF MAN, SON OF GOD, PART 3
The Four World Empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome
Daniel 7:1-8
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his
bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds
of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof
were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on
one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of
it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little
horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and,
behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Babylon
Daniel 7:4
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof
were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Persia
Daniel 7:5
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one
side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they
said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Greece
Daniel 7:6
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it
four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Rome
Daniel 7:7
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and
brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse
from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
SON OF MAN, SON OF GOD
THE LINAGE OF ISRAEL OUR LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAHSON OF MAN, SON OF GOD, PART 2
The Prophecy of the 70 Weeks
Through the linage of Israel came the Messiah the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Matthew 1:1
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his
brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Daniel 9:24-27 gives projections on the point of time of the Messiah’s appearing.
Daniel 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and
threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make
it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
After “70 weeks” that is periods of each seven years there shall be made an end of
sins and everlasting righteousness shall be brought in and a “most holy” shall be
anointed.
The 70 weeks fall into three periods:
seven weeks (= 49 years), 62 weeks (= 434 years) and one week (= 7 years), 490 years in total
The starting point for counting these 490 years is the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. This is partly described in the book of Nehemiah. Then the 62 weeks or 434 years leading up to the Messiah. But after the 69 weeks, that is 483 years, the Messiah would be cut off. The last week still awaits its fulfillment.
This will begin after the rapture of the saints.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
SON OF MAN, SON OF GOD
THE LINAGE OF ISRAEL OUR LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAHSON OF MAN, SON OF GOD, PART 1
For God, His people are the most important people on earth.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9
8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam,
he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
God inspired Daniel to write a very profound book. The book of Daniel contains many prophecies which the human mind could not invent. Only God knows what will happen in the future. Yet the prophet Daniel wrote about the history of many nations of the world, and he wrote their history before those nations even existed. Daniel wrote how the kingdoms of Persia, and Greece and Rome would come into existence and what their kings would do. And he wrote it hundreds of years before most of these nations came into power. Also, like so many of God's prophets, Daniel wrote concerning the first coming and the second coming of the Messiah. Daniel prophesied that at the Messiah's first coming He would be "cut off” that is, killed as a sacrifice for sin. But when the Messiah returns to earth He will judge the world in righteousness. He came to make all things new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
Revelation 21:5
5 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.
6 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.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall
be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
TRUTH OF THE INCARNATION, THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST, PART 3
IN CLOSINGJesus is the fulfillment of the two great covenants. In Jesus we see our destiny.
Jesus in His death and resurrection brought us to the place where we could experience our destiny. Where we can know the dominion that God always intended us to have.
Hebrews 9:11-17
11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
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?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Revelation 1:18 sums it all up.
Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
TRUTH OF THE INCARNATION, THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST, PART 1
Most of what we know about the life of Jesus comes from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The genealogy of Jesus is recorded in the book of Matthew chapter one.CONFIRMATION BY ANGELS AND THE PROPHETS
Matthew 1:1-25
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and
from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
18 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.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 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.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 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.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jeremiah 23:5-6
5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous
Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his
name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jesus came to us through the linage of Israel. This was the plan God laid out to
bring Jesus into the world. He is our Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the one who paid the supreme sacrifice. Without the shedding of His blood there would have been no remission of sin. Without Jesus there would be no fulfilling of the end times. Jesus has and will fulfill all things.
John recorded in the first chapter of his gospel verse fourteen:
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.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS, PART 4
IN CLOSINGWe are not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel “good news” 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.
Jesus said the way to the kingdom is through a small gate and along a narrow path. There are obstacles both as we "enter" and as we "walk." False Prophets are some of the most dangerous obstacles to watch out for. Doctrines of devils are also a stumbling block for the believer. We are to walk in the fullness of the light.
We need to grasp the seriousness of the true teaching of Jesus that He gives us in
His word. False teaching on grace makes people comfortable in their compromise instead of giving them confidence to "pursue holiness."
There is an individual responsibility for each of us to grow up and mature in the word of God so that we can detect and avoid following those who are false teachers. The devil just wants you to walk in error and be devoid of power.
We need to be discerning, and test the spirits. The best thing to do is to check
what is being said against the truth of the word itself.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Peter told us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
To God be "all" the glory.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS, PART 3
ABOUT THE WRITERS, LUKE and JOHNLUKE
Luke was a doctor and a co-worker with Paul. Paul called him his fellow-laborer.
He referred to him as the beloved physician in Colossians. He accompanied Paul from Greece through Macedonia and Asia to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem he went with Paul to Rome, where he stayed with him the two years of his imprisonment there. It is possible that he left Paul when he was set free. He then went into Greece, where he finished and published this Gospel, and the book of the Acts. Luke recorded details not mentioned by the other writers. Luke's account is the most detailed of the four gospels, as you might expect of a doctor.
He died in peace at about eighty or eighty-four years of age. This gospel was probably published fifteen or twenty years after Jesus ascended.
Colossians 4:14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Philemon 1:23-25 AMPLIFIED
23 Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus (the Messiah),
24 And [from] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with
your spirit. {Amen (so be it).}
Luke's record of Jesus' final instruction to the church.
Luke 24:45-49
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
JOHN
The apostle John was the son of a fisherman named Zebedee. He was one of the closest disciples to Jesus among the twelve. John being the beloved disciple and friend of Jesus had the care of his mother committed to him. John was with our Lord in his transfiguration on the mount, during his agony in the garden, and when he was crucified. He saw our Lord expire upon the cross, and saw the soldier pierce his side with a spear. He was one of the first of the disciples that visited the sepulcher after the resurrection of Christ. He became one the leaders of the Jerusalem Church and of the seven churches in Asia.
John was one of the first twelve disciples of Jesus and therefore an eye-witness. John brings out the spiritual significance as well as recording the details of Jesus' works and words.
He was banished to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation.
John 19:35
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
Revelation 1:17-20
17 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:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS, PART 2
ABOUT THE WRITERS, MATTHEW and MARKMATTHEW
Matthew, formerly Levi son of Alpheus, was formerly a tax collector and one of the 12 apostles handpicked by Jesus. Matthew was therefore an “eye-witness” of the accounts he recorded. He records more of Jesus' teaching concerning God's heavenly kingdom than the other writers, for example the entire Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 10:1-4
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Matthew wrote this Gospel to encourage more Jews to believe in Jesus as their Messiah, but was also written to the Gentiles as recorded in chapter 12.
Matthew 12:18-21
18 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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Further in chapter 28 the disciples are charged and sent by Jesus to "make disciples" of all the nations.
Matthew's record of Jesus' final instruction to the church.
Matthew 28:16-20 American Standard Version
16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had
appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and "make disciples" of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
It is said that he probably wrote this account about eight years after the ascension of Jesus. After the ascension of Jesus, he was at Jerusalem, and received the Holy Ghost with the rest of the disciples on the day of Pentecost.
MARK
Mark, "Marcus", also called John Mark was a cousin of Barnabas, a disciple of Peter and a helpful co-worker of Paul. Mary, the mother of Mark, was an early believer and the disciples used to meet at her house. When Peter was delivered out of prison by an angel he came to the house of Mary, where many were gathered together praying. This shows Peter’s closeness to that family. Mark was Peter's son (a spiritual son), who likely wrote down what Peter said about who Jesus was, what He did, where He went and what happened. Mark's gospel is considered Peter's account, an eye-witness account, written down by Mark.
1 Peter 5:13
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
1 Peter 5:13 AMPLIFIED
She [your sister church here] in Babylon, [who is] elect (chosen) with [yourselves], sends you greetings, and [so does] my son (disciple) Mark.
He traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
Act 12:25
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
In Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy he asked him to bring Mark back with him.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Mark's record of Jesus' final instruction to the church.
Mark 16:15-20
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS, PART 1
The word “Gospel” means “good news,” or “a joyful message.” It commonly signifies the message itself. The synoptic gospels are the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke found in the New Testament of the Bible. These gospels often record the same stories about Jesus and generally follow the same sequence of events and use similar wording. The credibility of the Gospels is key to Christian doctrine since all four of the Gospels cover the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The first three books are considered to be the “Synoptic Gospels.”All the writers of the first four books of the New Testament were inspired by God to record the events in the way they did. Each of the Gospels records charges and instructions from the Lord Jesus to the church.
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Synoptic - from the Greek work meaning “seeing together” or “having a common view”
These books are called the New Testament to distinguish it from the words given
by Moses and the Prophets. These books contain a full record of that grace which has appeared to all men, bringing salvation to all believers, purchased by His own blood on the cross. The whole New Testament is the gospel. Paul called it "his gospel" in Romans and 2nd Timothy. The first four books of the New Testament contain the history of our Lord Jesus.
All four gospels present Jesus as both the Son of God and son of man. They all record His baptism, the feeding of the 5,000 from five loaves and two fishes, Mary's anointing of the Lord Jesus, His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, His betrayal, trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. Each writer does so in a slightly different way, recording additional details or emphasizing one detail more than the others. Both Matthew and Luke give an account of the lineage of Jesus. Matthew from Abraham to Jesus. Luke from Jesus to the first Adam.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, PART 2
First we had to be born again by accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of mankind.2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
He then instructed us to be filled with power from on high.
Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Then we are to increase in the good will and loving-kindness of God. Growing in grace.
Knowing there is security, safety and prosperity in the “salvation” purchased through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fearing nothing from God and content. This is what it means to walk in the grace of God and be led by the Spirit of Truth.
The passage below shows how the Spirit of God accomplishes so much in the earth today.
He does not speak of Himself. He testifies of Jesus.
John 16:7-16
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send
him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of
mine, and shall shew it unto you.
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
IN CLOSING
Proverbs 20:5
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Pray, fellowship with the Father and meditate in His word. Draw it out. God said His word was a more sure word of prophecy and that He magnified His word above His name. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Study to show yourself approved a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
There is a "SET ORDER" to applications of life and ministry.
GOD HAS A BLUEPRINT FOR YOUR LIFE AND MINISTRY.
HE IS NOT WITHHOLDING IT FROM YOU.
Embrace the season you are in now. Our mark is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Faithfulness and Obedience are the keys to success. Lean on the Spirit of God. He will "guide" you into "all" truth.
2 Corinthians 13:14
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the "communion"
of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Paul wanted us to know that God is faithful and that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost was with us.
Thank God for the Holy Ghost, the "One" Who was sent from the Father, the "Spirit of Truth."
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, part 1
John 16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come.
As soon as man fell to the deception of the devil God devised a plan to bring man
back into right standing with Him. God said her seed {Eve’s} would bruise his head. This was God’s plan to bring Jesus into the world to redeem mankind. For God, His people are the most important people on earth.
The account is recorded in Genesis chapter three.
Genesis 3:1-15
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said,Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt
thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Jesus came to us through the linage of Israel. This was the plan God laid out to bring Jesus into the world. He is our Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the one who paid the supreme sacrifice. Without the shedding of His blood there would be no remission of sin. Without Jesus there would be no fulfilling of the end times. Jesus has and will fulfill all things. Jesus knew we would be limited if He did not send back the Holy Ghost to be our Comforter, Leader and Guide.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
"DO DILIGENCE", PART 2
Our trust must always be in the Lord. We cannot lean to our own understanding.Our Father God will always see to it that we are victorious in every situation we
might encounter. We cannot fail in any endeavor we choose to pursue because
we have the very spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead right within our
spirit. We have the very life of God within us. Second Corinthians says that we
have this treasure in earthen vessels.
2 Corinthians 4:7
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us.
If God be for us who could be against us. We are a majority because God is on our side. We have no need to fear any confusing or discouraging people, spirit or circumstances that might present themselves. Greater is He that is in us than he
that is in the world. We are also afforded angelic protection as stated in Psalms
91, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Peter in the book of Acts spoke with all boldness being full of the Holy Ghost spoke to the rulers of the people, and elders of Israel. He made declarations of what had been done to the impotent man and by what name it was accomplished.
Acts 4: 10, 29-30
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
As Peter stated here in Acts we have all boldness to speak God's word and know that Jesus will be there to watch over His word to perform it.
Mark 16:20
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The great commission in Mark the sixteenth chapter verse twenty states the Lord worked with them confirming the word with signs following. We can always know the Lord is with us in everything we put our hands to. He is faithful and said He would never leave us or forsake us. We can always count on the Lord Jesus. One of the greatest truths about our Lord Jesus is that He is faithful. He will always be there, and our walk must be in "do diligence".
You are a sum total of what you said and did yesterday.
You can do it your way and get your results or you can do it God's way and get God's results.
Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
2 Peter 1:1-10
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
We have to make our calling and election sure. This is our "do diligence."
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!
"DO DILIGENCE", PART 1
IN OPENING2 Peter 1:
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
DILIGENCE - steadfast application, a constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken, zeal
Psalms 1 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. I know that if I heed the
instruction within this passage I will be all God says I will be. I don't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, I don't stand in the way with sinners. I don't sit in the seat of the scornful. My delight is in the law of the Lord and I meditate in His
Word. I am a tree planted by the rivers of water. I always bring forth fruit in my
season, my leaf does not wither and whatever I do prospers. The Lord knows my
way. The Lord directs my paths.
Psalms 1:1-6
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day
and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly
shall perish.
By reading and meditating in the word of God we renew our minds and are transformed by that renewing. There are many things available to us when we read, study and meditate in God's word. We have to have all diligence in preparation of what God has called us to do. A few scriptures below will establish this truth.
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God.
1 Peter 1:
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for
the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Isaiah 26:3
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee.
By girding up the loins of our minds we will be fixed and established, immoveable.
FIXED - A verb meaning to set up, to make firm, to establish, to prepare.
The primary action of this verb is to cause to stand in an upright position, and thus the word also means fixed or steadfast. It signifies the action of setting in place or erecting an object to be firmly established.
Psalms 57:7
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Psalms 112: 1, 7
1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth
greatly in his commandments.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!