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2 episodes with himself god
2 episodes with himself god
2 episodes with himself god
2 episodes with himself god
Paul moved from doctrine to practice, from the truth to its application in daily living. In order to encourage his readers to turn away from their false teachers Paul reminded them of their union with Christ. He also urged them to continue living in keeping with their position in Christ. Chapter three begins the practical division of the book of Colossians. Paul now moves to the positive. Not only does the death of Christ relate to the believer but so does the resurrection of Christ. The one relates to our salvation in the past; the other relates to our future. Not only is the Christian to relinquish his pre-death life but he is to seek the post-resurrection life of Christ. Jesus liberated us from legalism. We have new privileges in Christ. Chapter three launches our responsibility to live up to our privilege. Chapter 3 follows chapter 2. In chapter 2 he talked about those things which are below. He's thinking about those things that are on the earth, and he defined those things which are on the earth. And then he goes into chapter 3 and says, “But if you be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.” Our passage is really a hinge passage. In the first half of Colossians, we have four chapters and we're moving our way into the second half now, in the first half as Paul tends to do in many of his letters, he is making many revealing statements of theological truth. This includes statements where he is saying things like here is who Christ is. That's one category of these revealing statements, here is who Christ is. He is the image of the invisible God, He is the firstborn of all creation, by Him all things were created, He is before all things and in Him all things hold together, and He is the head of the body, the church. So, it's here who Christ is. Then there are these statements of here is who you are, Christian. You were formerly alienated and engaged in evil deeds, but “now you have been redeemed and forgiven and reconciled, now you have been rescued from that domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13) and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son.” So, it's here who Christ is; here is who you are, believer. Then category three; has been and here is who they are, meaning the false teachers. Those would be the ones who would seek to take you captive through philosophy and empty deception. Those would be the ones who would seek to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or festivals or new moons or Sabbath days. Those would be the ones who would seek to defraud you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels. Those would be the ones who would take their stand on visions that they say they have seen and who are inflated without cause in their fleshly mind. And those would be the ones who promote self-made religion (Colossians 2:23), self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, which he says, “are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” But in Colossians 3, Paul is moving away from this is who Christ is and this is who you are, and this is who they are type of statements, he's moving away from these revealing statements to giving us more commands. Now he is going to do so in Colossians 3 and 4 and be no less theological and no less doctrinal, but the words here in Colossians 3 and 4, that we're going to cover in the future have more of a finger in your chest, step on your toes, this is what you have to do now tone to them. In verses 1 and 2, he is going to highlight events that happened at a fixed point in the past. “You have been raised up with Christ,” he says. Then in verse 3 he is going to use a different verb tense, one that has more present-day ramifications. “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” In verse 4 he is going to get into yet another verb tense, one that is more futuristic in its orientation when he says, “When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” So, as we survey this section of inspired Scripture what we're going to witness is Paul not only slowly transitioning from giving more commands than mere statements. Layered on top of that we're going to see him make these statements that pull in from the past, that point to the present and also highlight the future. It's a magnificent section of Scripture. No wonder H. C. G. Moule, the old Anglican bishop, said this. He said, “It is one of the golden paragraphs of the whole Bible” "If then you were raised with Christ" OR therefore since We could translate "If" as "Since" (first class condition in Greek). It introduces another "in Christ" position that Paul assumed to be true for the sake of his argument and which is indeed true (cf. 2:20). Paul returned to his thought about the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (2:9-15). That God has already raised us with Christ, is an assumed fact. It is a fact that God has raised us with Christ (Eph 2:5,6). God sees better than we do but he expects us to see what he has done in Christ with the eye of faith. This has nothing to do with our feelings. We cannot taste, feel or smell positional truth. Our position in Christ is infallible, unalterable, eternal and exalted. God said it and our faith lays hold of it. All God wants is for us to lay hold of our privilege by faith. Our present resurrection with Christ is one of many expressions of our position in Christ. Positional truth cannot change. It is something we have forever with Christ. God provides our position with Christ. He establishes this position forever entirely apart from merit at the moment of our salvation. We can draw power daily from this resource. PRINCIPLE: God expects us to live the Christian life on the declared fact of our resurrection with Christ. Two present commands identify the Christian's responsibilities: "keep seeking" (v. 1) and "set your minds on" (v. 2). Since God raised us with Christ, and we are already as good as seated with Him in heaven, we should keep seeking heavenly things. Keep looking up (cf. Heb. 12:12:1-2) "seek those things which are above" is translated as Keep Seeking "Seek" is the first of many commands in the remaining practical section of Colossians. "Seek" means to pursue, search for, endeavor to obtain, desire to possess. If a legalist were writing this he would write "Don't ...." but Paul writes "Seek..." God wants us to apply our eternal privileges to time. Make those privileges our scope of daily living. Center our lives on the ascended and glorified Christ. "'Seek' (zeteite) implies here not an investigation but an effort to obtain. We are to travel in this world as we walk through our lives, but instead is a reference to the direction that our gaze should be going, as those whose citizenship (Philippians 3:20) is in heaven, as those whose inheritance (I Peter 1:4) is reserved in heaven and as those who (as Hebrews 11:16 says) are awaiting a heavenly country. What you seek is what your ambition is. Your ambition is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) The devil doesn't care what on earth you may seek, as long as you do not seek those things which are above. The next verses explain how to go about seeking things above. Non-Christians are earth-bound, secular, materialists. They operate in a world of taste, see and feel. They spend all their time trying to keep body and soul together. That is life to them. They do not know that there is more to life than that. For the Christian, his life is Christ (v.4). This is far more than existence. When we center our lives on Christ, life takes on a purpose, a life worth living. The Bible is the mind of God reduced to writing. We have what we need for the Christian life in writing. We have the Holy Spirit to help us dig it out. God wants us to rest on what Christ has done, not on what we do. Everything we have before God is because we have been incorporated in Christ at our salvation. The Christian experience must relate to our position in Christ. "where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God" Jesus is seated at "the right hand of God." This is the completeness of our position. Our status quo before God in Christ is already finished in God's eyes. Our position is complete in the mind of God. "The description of Christ as 'seated at the right hand of God' is another implied response to those who were seeking to diminish Christ's role as mediator, inasmuch as the right hand of God is a metaphor for the place of supreme privilege and divine authority."5 Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." "Set your mind on things above" The Christian's second responsibility it to continually set his or her mind on the things above (the things of heaven; i.e., our spiritual blessings and hope, our Savior's desires, etc.) rather than on the things that are only physical and temporal. They should occupy a large place in our thought lives. Paul turns to a stronger term than "seek" of verse one -- "Set your mind." "Set your mind" places stress on the whole bent of life while "seek" emphasizes the pursuit of more concrete goals. "You must not only seek heaven; you must also think heaven." 1 lightfoot From now on the Christian will see everything in the light and against the background of eternity. He will no longer live as if this world was all that mattered; he will see this world against the background of the larger world of eternity. … He will, for instance, set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving above avenging. The Christian will see things, not as they appear to men, but as they appear to God."2 "The Christian has to keep his feet upon the earth, but his head in the heavens. He must be heavenly- minded here on earth and so help to make earth like heaven."3 The two commands differ in that the first emphasizes the more practical pursuits of life whereas the second stresses the whole bent of the life. The first is outward and the second is inward. Intellectual brilliance, advanced education, or unusual physical strength are not required for a Christian to become great in God's estimation. What He requires is faithful perseverance in the basics of the Christian life. Any Christian can do this since we all have the help of the Lord Himself. If the Christian is to survive in spiritual war, his mind must focus on eternal things (2 Cor. 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. "Seek" in verse one implies striving; Set your mind implies concentration. "Mind" includes understanding, attitude and the will. It means to employ one's faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying attitude -- to have an attitude, to think in a particular manner as in the attitude that Christ Jesus had (Phil. 2.5). "Christ's sitting at God's right hand is the exercise of all the majesty and the power of deity according to his human nature."2 "That is a place, heaven itself, where a glorified Man, Himself God the Son, is seated, His work of salvation finished."3 This word also means to keep on giving serious consideration to something -- to ponder, to let one's mind dwell on, to keep thinking about, to fix one's attention on as here -- "Let your mind dwell on the things which are above." God wants us to love "things above." The Greek emphasizes "things above." "Things above" are the things which are ultimately essential, belonging to God. He wants our desire to orient around them. Our greatest need is to think about God's divine operating assets which he has provided for us. God wants us to think about Christ and what he has done for us. We need to think about our union or position with him eternally. "not on things on the earth" "Things on the earth" is set in contrast to "things above." These are moral things, not physical things. This is not Gnostic contempt for material things. Paul is not pushing spiritual escapism such as becoming a monk or hiding from everyday life. Rather, our Christianity operates within the framework of everyday life whether in work or marriage. God created physical things for our enjoyment (Ps. 24). Philippians 3:19-20 contrasts those who "mind earthly things" with those whose citizenship is in heaven. PRINCIPLE: God does not want us to focus on the trivial but on the eternal. APPLICATION: Most of the things we think about are materialistic. It is not wrong to think about material things as long as material things do not become ultimate importance in our hearts. We must make a living; we must shop for groceries. God expects us to become productive members of the human race. Our problem is we think about material things exclusively. If we are earthbound, we will be miserable. We will have a worm's eye view of life instead of a bird's eye view. Materialism is so insidious that we succumb to it without realizing it. If we are honest, there is none of us who are not susceptible to it. We are forced to admit that "I do have materialistic tendencies." We do not need faith when we deal in material things. We taste, feel, see and touch material things but faith takes us into another arena. Faith takes us into a spiritual stratosphere. There we can see things we could not see with a material viewpoint. Faith is the spiritual telescope that brings the things of God afar off near to our soul. We can, therefore, see things we could not otherwise see. Faith puts reality on intangible things. Eternal things are real but they are only real to those who have faith to see them. It was written of Moses, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible" (Heb. 11:27). God calls upon us to think about eternal things. He wants us to be heavenly-minded. However, we are not to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. Most of us are so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good. Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Advent // The Love of God John 3:16 (NIV)“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” For God so loved you, He gave His one and only Son. 1. To remove your wrong views about Him. Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)“Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” John 18:37 (NIV)“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” John 1:18 (NIV)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and…. has made Him known.” John 14:9 (NIV)“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” 2. To show you what His love is really like. 1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love…. that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Ephesians 3:18 (NIV)(I want you) “...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)“The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
On October 3, 2004, I preached my first sermon as a candidate for Northwest Baptist Churchs next Senior Pastor. Northwest was considered one of the most dysfunctional churches within the Rocky Mountain district, and although I knew this about the church, there was no way I could fully appreciate just how dysfunctional it really was. So, a very green and 30-year-old version of the pastor that stands before you today preached a sermon on boasting in the Cross of Christ before a congregation with a median age of somewhere in the 60s; my sermon text was from Galatians 6:11-18 and the title of my sermon was, Boasting in the Cross. On October 17th the congregation of Northwest Baptist Church voted to call me as their Senior Pastor. Because I was unsure about moving our family from Pennsylvania to Colorado, I needed more time to pray about it before agreeing to serve as the Senior Pastor of that little church in Denver. Earlier that day, just after the church service at Calvary Baptist Church where I was presently served on the pastoral staff, Bob and Shirley White had given me a gift for Clergy Appreciation Month. I only opened the wrapping paper so that I could thank Bob and Shirley; the gift was a book, and the title of that book was, God as He Longs for You to See Him, by Chip Ingram. I left the book in my office, which was only across the parking lot from where we lived at the time (a house we affectionately nicknamed: Little House on the Parking Lot). Because I needed time to pray, I walked across the parking lot and into my office at Calvary Baptist Church to be alone with the Lord. As I sat down, the book that Bob and Shirley White had given was there in front of my face. As I began to pray, I asked God to give me some indication as to what He wanted me to do; as I was praying, I opened Chip Ingrams book and noticed that Bob and Shirley had written a note on the inside cover: To our dear Christian brother, Keith, who has inspired us through his messages to see and know God as He really is. We love you and may God bless you, Roi Maw, and Nathan. Bob and Shirley White; October 16, 2004. Bob and Shirleys little note also served as Gods way to encourage me to say yes to Northwest Baptist Church; but also served to encourage me to say yes to Meadowbrookes call to become your pastor oddly enough, on the first week of October nearly 14 years to the day that I read Bob and Shirleys note for the first time. I am still convinced as I was twenty years ago, that the best that I can give you is the God of the Bible. I could try to cater to felt needs, but all that really ends up being is a guessing game, and besides, what would that do anyway? I am not going to look at Ephesians 2:19-22 in sequential order like I normally do with a scripture passage but will look at these verses in the order a builder would build a building. We are a Jesus Called Community When it came to the structure of a building, before anything could be built, the cornerstone had to be laid. It was the first stone laid because the dimensions and shape of the rest of the building were dependent upon the shape and size of the cornerstone. If the cornerstone was off, so the rest of the building would be off! If there was anything wrong with the cornerstone such as its dimensions, the way it was cut, or its integrity as the toughest and strongest of the stones used in the building, the structure would be compromised. In the ancient East, the cornerstone was the most expensive of all the stones used in a building because it was the most important part of the building. When it comes to the nature of the Church, Paul says that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone (v. 20b). Against the backdrop of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, stood another temple. Only the temple Paul referred to was living, organic, and holy. Today, it is still being built and it will continue to be built with Jesus as the cornerstone until He is finished building and beatifying His Church. We, the Church, are the great wonder of all of heaven and it is concerning our salvation that we are told: angels long to look (1 Pet. 1:12). Think about who you are Church! In Jesus, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3). In Jesus, we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (v. 4). Through Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters (v. 5). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood (vv. 7-8). In Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance from God that no one can destroy (v. 11). In Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit that no one can break (v. 13). We were chosen, redeemed, and sealed all to the praise of the glory of God (vv. 6, 12, 14); which means that the Ephesian Church displayed a glory even greater than the power of 300 billion suns! The prophets and the apostles, through the Scriptures, pointed to Jesus: The prophets point towards Jesus and the apostles point back to Jesus. Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah declared: Therefore this is what the Lord Godsays: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed (Isa. 28:16). Concerning Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5). As the cornerstone, Jesus is Gods final and most perfect revelation of Himself: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world (Heb. 1:1-2). As we have learned in the previous verses, it is because of Christ and through Christ that both Jew and Gentile can become one new people group through faith in Him alone. It is through Jesus that we now have access to God the Father (2:18). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone! Think for a moment of what that means. Jesus is the cornerstone because He is the Christ (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus is the Christ because He is the Great I AM who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5), the Door for His Sheep (10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (10:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (11:25), and the True Vine (15:1). Jesus is the cornerstone because only He could claim to be, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone by which the entirety of your life is being shaped by Him, and as He is shaping you, so too He is shaping all who truly belong to Him. We are a Word Formed Community The prophets and the apostles represent the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, that we as the temple of God (household) are being built upon. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. And, in all its 66 books and the hundreds of years and many different contributors who were guided by the Holy Spirit, it is without error. In a very real sense, we are a people of the Book, but not just any old book! Consider some of the things that the Bible claims about itself: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:7-11). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Old Testament and the New Testament are not two separate books nor are they two separate volumes. The Old Testament and New Testament are one book, one story, with one theme: Jesus! This is why Jesus said of Himself, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17); Jesus is Gods Yes to all Gods promises (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus commanded His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Do not miss that He commanded us to teach all that He has commanded. The foundation on which Gods people must stand has always been on the Word of God. Our greatest need is to know God and to be known by Him. The way to know God is through His word, for it is the primary means by which He has revealed Himself. Every time you open your Bible and read the words contained in it, you hear the same voice that was powerful enough to create billions of suns like ours or greater; God has given us a book with His words in it to move and shape us as His people. The words of that Book bear the authority of the Living God and have the supernatural ability through the power of Gods Spirit to speak into your real needs, or as Hebrews 4:12 testifies: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. You, my dear Christian, must allow your heart to be saturated by it, and the only way to do that is to open your Bible and allow God to speak into your life through His Holy Word, for that is the principle means by which He speaks to His people. Now, permit me to briefly say a word about the preaching of Gods Word as it relates to Gods people: On this side of eternity, God has ordained the preaching of His word as the primary agent for supernatural transformation. This is why we read in the Bible: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:14, 17). If Romans 10 is not enough for you, consider 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. God has ordained the preaching of His Word to be one of the principle means to equip and strengthen His people for service in His name to the nations. When the proclamation of Gods Word is done responsibly by those who honestly labored over His Word through careful study and prayer then I believe what John Calvin once said is true every time we gather on a Sunday morning: God has so chosen to anoint the lips and tongues of His speakers that when they speak the voice of Jesus comes out (Calvin, Institutes, Book Four). This is why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy who was called to the Ephesian Church as their pastor: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouragewith great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:1-4) When we gather under the preaching of Gods Word, there is a God-ordained and supernatural work that Gods people subject themselves to. There are things that happen under the preaching of Gods word during corporate worship that cannot be explained but it is the work only God is able to perform through the authority of His Word proclaimed by the power of His Holy Spirit performed that will often blow your felt needs to ashes so that Gods word is able to address your real needs. We are a In-it-together Community Paul will address what it is that God is doing with His people in the verses and chapters to follow, so I will keep this brief. All I want you to see in verses 19 and 21-22 is this: God has always had a plan for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ, Christian. Through Jesus, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household (v. 19). God is committed to the very thing He has purposed to do in and through you when He set His affection upon you and chose you before the foundation of the world; His purpose in choosing you is that you would be, holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). When you were dead in your offenses and sins, God made you alive and every other Christian, alive together with Christ. Why did He do it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. You were dead! You were an enemy of God! Now you are Gods child! Now you are, of Gods household in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (vv. 20-21). What does this mean? It means that because you are in Christ, God is for you and not against you! It means, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)! It means that no matter how used up you were, no matter how damaged you were, no matter how ugly your sins were He is making you more and more holy and more and more blameless! Listen. And the way that God is doing it is with Jesus as your cornerstone being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. In Ephesus there was a more glorious and more beautiful temple that made the great temple of Artemis look like a dung heap! It is a temple that continues to be built today and it is the place where the demonic fear because it is a living temple where the Spirit of God dwells; those who are far and near make up that temple. Meadowbrooke Church, we are also a part of that temple. It is because the preeminent Jesus is our cornerstone, and the foundation of His Church is the inspired teaching of the apostles and the prophets, the best and lasting gift I can give you is not a feeble attempt to cater to your felt needs, but the God of the Bible through the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word. So, on that note, I leave you with the words of a beautiful Hymn about a beautifying Bride: The church's one foundationIs Jesus Christ her Lord;She is his new creationBy water and the Word.From heaven he came and sought herTo be his holy bride;With his own blood he bought her,And for her life he died. Elect from every nation,Yet one o'er all the earth;Her charter of salvation,One Lord, one faith, one birth;One holy name she blesses,Partakes one holy food,And to one hope she presses,With every grace endued. The church shall never perish!Her dear Lord to defend,to guide, sustain, and cherish,is with her to the end;though there be those that hate her,and false sons in her pale,against the foe or traitorshe ever shall prevail. Mid toil and tribulation,And tumult of her war,She waits the consummationOf peace forevermore;Till, with the vision glorious,Her longing eyes are blest,And the great church victoriousShall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath unionWith God the Three in One,And mystic sweet communionWith those whose rest is won.O happy ones and holy!Lord, give us grace that weLike them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with thee.
On October 3, 2004, I preached my first sermon as a candidate for Northwest Baptist Churchs next Senior Pastor. Northwest was considered one of the most dysfunctional churches within the Rocky Mountain district, and although I knew this about the church, there was no way I could fully appreciate just how dysfunctional it really was. So, a very green and 30-year-old version of the pastor that stands before you today preached a sermon on boasting in the Cross of Christ before a congregation with a median age of somewhere in the 60s; my sermon text was from Galatians 6:11-18 and the title of my sermon was, Boasting in the Cross. On October 17th the congregation of Northwest Baptist Church voted to call me as their Senior Pastor. Because I was unsure about moving our family from Pennsylvania to Colorado, I needed more time to pray about it before agreeing to serve as the Senior Pastor of that little church in Denver. Earlier that day, just after the church service at Calvary Baptist Church where I was presently served on the pastoral staff, Bob and Shirley White had given me a gift for Clergy Appreciation Month. I only opened the wrapping paper so that I could thank Bob and Shirley; the gift was a book, and the title of that book was, God as He Longs for You to See Him, by Chip Ingram. I left the book in my office, which was only across the parking lot from where we lived at the time (a house we affectionately nicknamed: Little House on the Parking Lot). Because I needed time to pray, I walked across the parking lot and into my office at Calvary Baptist Church to be alone with the Lord. As I sat down, the book that Bob and Shirley White had given was there in front of my face. As I began to pray, I asked God to give me some indication as to what He wanted me to do; as I was praying, I opened Chip Ingrams book and noticed that Bob and Shirley had written a note on the inside cover: To our dear Christian brother, Keith, who has inspired us through his messages to see and know God as He really is. We love you and may God bless you, Roi Maw, and Nathan. Bob and Shirley White; October 16, 2004. Bob and Shirleys little note also served as Gods way to encourage me to say yes to Northwest Baptist Church; but also served to encourage me to say yes to Meadowbrookes call to become your pastor oddly enough, on the first week of October nearly 14 years to the day that I read Bob and Shirleys note for the first time. I am still convinced as I was twenty years ago, that the best that I can give you is the God of the Bible. I could try to cater to felt needs, but all that really ends up being is a guessing game, and besides, what would that do anyway? I am not going to look at Ephesians 2:19-22 in sequential order like I normally do with a scripture passage but will look at these verses in the order a builder would build a building. We are a Jesus Called Community When it came to the structure of a building, before anything could be built, the cornerstone had to be laid. It was the first stone laid because the dimensions and shape of the rest of the building were dependent upon the shape and size of the cornerstone. If the cornerstone was off, so the rest of the building would be off! If there was anything wrong with the cornerstone such as its dimensions, the way it was cut, or its integrity as the toughest and strongest of the stones used in the building, the structure would be compromised. In the ancient East, the cornerstone was the most expensive of all the stones used in a building because it was the most important part of the building. When it comes to the nature of the Church, Paul says that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone (v. 20b). Against the backdrop of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, stood another temple. Only the temple Paul referred to was living, organic, and holy. Today, it is still being built and it will continue to be built with Jesus as the cornerstone until He is finished building and beatifying His Church. We, the Church, are the great wonder of all of heaven and it is concerning our salvation that we are told: angels long to look (1 Pet. 1:12). Think about who you are Church! In Jesus, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3). In Jesus, we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (v. 4). Through Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters (v. 5). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood (vv. 7-8). In Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance from God that no one can destroy (v. 11). In Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit that no one can break (v. 13). We were chosen, redeemed, and sealed all to the praise of the glory of God (vv. 6, 12, 14); which means that the Ephesian Church displayed a glory even greater than the power of 300 billion suns! The prophets and the apostles, through the Scriptures, pointed to Jesus: The prophets point towards Jesus and the apostles point back to Jesus. Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah declared: Therefore this is what the Lord Godsays: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed (Isa. 28:16). Concerning Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5). As the cornerstone, Jesus is Gods final and most perfect revelation of Himself: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world (Heb. 1:1-2). As we have learned in the previous verses, it is because of Christ and through Christ that both Jew and Gentile can become one new people group through faith in Him alone. It is through Jesus that we now have access to God the Father (2:18). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone! Think for a moment of what that means. Jesus is the cornerstone because He is the Christ (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus is the Christ because He is the Great I AM who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5), the Door for His Sheep (10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (10:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (11:25), and the True Vine (15:1). Jesus is the cornerstone because only He could claim to be, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone by which the entirety of your life is being shaped by Him, and as He is shaping you, so too He is shaping all who truly belong to Him. We are a Word Formed Community The prophets and the apostles represent the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, that we as the temple of God (household) are being built upon. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. And, in all its 66 books and the hundreds of years and many different contributors who were guided by the Holy Spirit, it is without error. In a very real sense, we are a people of the Book, but not just any old book! Consider some of the things that the Bible claims about itself: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:7-11). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Old Testament and the New Testament are not two separate books nor are they two separate volumes. The Old Testament and New Testament are one book, one story, with one theme: Jesus! This is why Jesus said of Himself, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17); Jesus is Gods Yes to all Gods promises (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus commanded His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Do not miss that He commanded us to teach all that He has commanded. The foundation on which Gods people must stand has always been on the Word of God. Our greatest need is to know God and to be known by Him. The way to know God is through His word, for it is the primary means by which He has revealed Himself. Every time you open your Bible and read the words contained in it, you hear the same voice that was powerful enough to create billions of suns like ours or greater; God has given us a book with His words in it to move and shape us as His people. The words of that Book bear the authority of the Living God and have the supernatural ability through the power of Gods Spirit to speak into your real needs, or as Hebrews 4:12 testifies: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. You, my dear Christian, must allow your heart to be saturated by it, and the only way to do that is to open your Bible and allow God to speak into your life through His Holy Word, for that is the principle means by which He speaks to His people. Now, permit me to briefly say a word about the preaching of Gods Word as it relates to Gods people: On this side of eternity, God has ordained the preaching of His word as the primary agent for supernatural transformation. This is why we read in the Bible: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:14, 17). If Romans 10 is not enough for you, consider 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. God has ordained the preaching of His Word to be one of the principle means to equip and strengthen His people for service in His name to the nations. When the proclamation of Gods Word is done responsibly by those who honestly labored over His Word through careful study and prayer then I believe what John Calvin once said is true every time we gather on a Sunday morning: God has so chosen to anoint the lips and tongues of His speakers that when they speak the voice of Jesus comes out (Calvin, Institutes, Book Four). This is why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy who was called to the Ephesian Church as their pastor: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouragewith great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:1-4) When we gather under the preaching of Gods Word, there is a God-ordained and supernatural work that Gods people subject themselves to. There are things that happen under the preaching of Gods word during corporate worship that cannot be explained but it is the work only God is able to perform through the authority of His Word proclaimed by the power of His Holy Spirit performed that will often blow your felt needs to ashes so that Gods word is able to address your real needs. We are a In-it-together Community Paul will address what it is that God is doing with His people in the verses and chapters to follow, so I will keep this brief. All I want you to see in verses 19 and 21-22 is this: God has always had a plan for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ, Christian. Through Jesus, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household (v. 19). God is committed to the very thing He has purposed to do in and through you when He set His affection upon you and chose you before the foundation of the world; His purpose in choosing you is that you would be, holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). When you were dead in your offenses and sins, God made you alive and every other Christian, alive together with Christ. Why did He do it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. You were dead! You were an enemy of God! Now you are Gods child! Now you are, of Gods household in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (vv. 20-21). What does this mean? It means that because you are in Christ, God is for you and not against you! It means, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)! It means that no matter how used up you were, no matter how damaged you were, no matter how ugly your sins were He is making you more and more holy and more and more blameless! Listen. And the way that God is doing it is with Jesus as your cornerstone being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. In Ephesus there was a more glorious and more beautiful temple that made the great temple of Artemis look like a dung heap! It is a temple that continues to be built today and it is the place where the demonic fear because it is a living temple where the Spirit of God dwells; those who are far and near make up that temple. Meadowbrooke Church, we are also a part of that temple. It is because the preeminent Jesus is our cornerstone, and the foundation of His Church is the inspired teaching of the apostles and the prophets, the best and lasting gift I can give you is not a feeble attempt to cater to your felt needs, but the God of the Bible through the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word. So, on that note, I leave you with the words of a beautiful Hymn about a beautifying Bride: The church's one foundationIs Jesus Christ her Lord;She is his new creationBy water and the Word.From heaven he came and sought herTo be his holy bride;With his own blood he bought her,And for her life he died. Elect from every nation,Yet one o'er all the earth;Her charter of salvation,One Lord, one faith, one birth;One holy name she blesses,Partakes one holy food,And to one hope she presses,With every grace endued. The church shall never perish!Her dear Lord to defend,to guide, sustain, and cherish,is with her to the end;though there be those that hate her,and false sons in her pale,against the foe or traitorshe ever shall prevail. Mid toil and tribulation,And tumult of her war,She waits the consummationOf peace forevermore;Till, with the vision glorious,Her longing eyes are blest,And the great church victoriousShall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath unionWith God the Three in One,And mystic sweet communionWith those whose rest is won.O happy ones and holy!Lord, give us grace that weLike them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with thee.
Jesus did not only bring a message from God but He was Himself God's message to humanity. This is why He gave us his body and blood in Holy Communion
John 5:36 "But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. In this section of Scripture, we will see that Jesus is doing all He can to give them a chance to be saved by telling them who He is and all of the witnesses to His being God. He tells them the works He does witness to His being God, the Father has witnessed and lastly that the Word of God witnesses to this fact, but they are not saved and will not be saved because they will not believe His witness. It is an amazing fact that those who begin by not wanting to be saved end up not being able to be saved because they harden their heart and then God finishes the process so that they cannot ever be saved. That is why the Bible tells us not to harden our hearts for today is the day of salvation. Jos 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 1Sa 6:6 "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart? Ps 95:8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, Heb 3:8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Heb 3:15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Heb 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." (NKJV) Witness of The Father He moves from defense to indictment (accusation), He not only admonishes them for not receiving God's witness, He informs all as to the real reason they reject Him as the Messiah. Most important of all, Jesus Himself is the form of God (see John 14:9) and the voice of God. It is He who came to make God known to men: no one has ever seen God. The only One, Himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:18). 37 "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. They have never seen God's form, nor have they heard God's voice. Yet both of these were evident at our Lord's baptism. God is bearing witness through His Son. Here is the irony. The Jewish authorities will not accept Jesus as the Son of God; they simply will not heed His testimony. Yet, He is the voice of God, the visible manifestation of God to men. They have never seen or heard God in person. God is now standing before them, being accused by them. They are accusing the very One they claim to worship and serve. They do not have God's Word abiding in them because they do not believe in Jesus, the One whom the Father sent to “declare” or “explain” Him (John 1:18). Is this not a “catch 22”? How can anyone be saved? If people need to trust in Jesus to grasp the Word of God, and they need to grasp the Word of God to see that Jesus is the One to whom the Scriptures bear witness, then no one can be saved. The solution the Bible gives us is that men most certainly cannot be saved on their own; they can only be saved by means of God's sovereign and gracious intervention, which is exactly what John has been telling us in his Gospel: Up to this point, it may appear as though Jesus is on the defensive, defending His claim to be equal with God. In a sense, this is true, but our Lord is equal with God because He is the Son of God. It is not Jesus who needs a good defense, but His adversaries, the Jewish religious authorities. In verse 37, the tone of our Lord's “defense” changes and we see our Lord now taking the offensive, challenging those who oppose Him. Here, He not only admonishes them for not receiving God's witness, He informs all as to the real reason they reject Him as the Messiah. The Jewish authorities are accusing our Lord of blasphemy and Sabbath-breaking. They have never seen God's form, nor have they heard God's voice. Yet both of these were evident at our Lord's baptism. Jesus has seen the Father and heard His voice (5:19-20, 30). Most important of all, Jesus Himself is the form of God (see John 14:9) and the voice of God. It is He who came to make God known to men: no one has ever seen God. The only One, Himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:18). Witness of The Word 38 "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 "You search (scrutinize diligently – number of characters on a page, but miss the Messiah) the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. Missed the whole point. The Word was written not just as a legal document or a self-help book to show us how to live, but it is a love letter from God They studied the Scriptures diligently, thinking this was the way to eternal life.[1] Ironically, these same Scriptures testify about Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. How could these men possess the Scriptures and study them, and yet miss the main point of their teaching? Jesus tells them and us: they do not have the Word abiding in them. They are “in the Word,” but the Word is not abiding in them. This is so because Christ is not only the central theme of the Word, He is the key to the Word. Christ is the key that unlocks the message of the Word. The Jews are not willing to come to Him so that they may have life. Thus, they are blind to the central message of the very Scriptures they possess and regard so highly. The saying attributed to Hillel: ‘the more study of the Law the more life … if he has gained for himself words of the Law he has gained for himself life in the world to come' (Ab. 2:7). The Jewish authorities will not believe in Messiah, and thus they cannot see Him in the Scriptures they study. Christ is a “blind spot” for the Jews, and yet He is both the central figure and the key to the Old Testament Scriptures. Because the Jews are blind to Christ, they read the Old Testament as though a veil were over their faces. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ is that veil removed. The Jewish authorities will not believe in Messiah, and thus they cannot see Him in the Scriptures they study. Listen to how the Apostle Paul explains the “blindness of the Jews”: 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, 13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the end of the glory that was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). 40 "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. Those opposing Christ in our text do so with “veiled faces,” so to speak. They are blind to who Jesus is, and rather than come to Him for eternal life, they seek to take His life. Why are they so unwilling to come to Jesus for salvation? It is because they seek glory and praise from men, rather than from God. Jesus does not seek the praise of men; He seeks to please the Father. This is because of His love for the Father, just as His Father loves Him (5:20). [1] “Cf. The saying attributed to Hillel: ‘the more study of the Law the more life … if he has gained for himself words of the Law he has gained for himself life in the world to come' (Ab. 2:7). There are several sayings like Baruch 4:1f., ‘This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law endureth for ever: all they that hold it fast are appointed to life.'” Morris, p. 330. Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Today, we read CCC, 1402 - 1433 (we're halfway through the Catechism!) and discuss the term "communion." Through the Eucharist, Jesus brings us into relationship with Himself (God!) and each other (the Church!). What a gift!
All blessings come from God. Small blessings often turn into bigger blessings. Faith and prayer are crucial for the abundance of blessings. Jesus feeds the 5,000, walks on water, and claims Himself God. Jenn discusses the point of Jesus's disciples. Click the links below to see more P40 stuff: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Website (Subscribe to get 2 free chapters of Out of the Mire)- https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk Merch Store - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop
- Why #bekind does not represent Jesus. - Jesus directly challenges the Pharisee's definition of the Messiah. - Jenn challenges the listener to not be a passive Christian. - Jesus declares Himself God through the OT Scriptures. Want to support this podcast? Please rate, review, and share! Talk with Jenn - jenn@p40ministries.com
Life is full of decisions, but the most important decision we will ever have to make is the decision of Jesus. In this passage, John tells the story of Jesus talking to the Jews and their reaction to Him calling Himself God. What did they do? What does Jesus say about His “Sheep” when he addresses the Jews? In this sermon, Pastor Christopher talks about the questions of believers and non-believers, what are two ways we can prepare for conflict, and the three decisions we must make concerning Jesus. Thanks for listening! LAKEVIEW MISSIONARY CHURCH, 810 S. Evergreen Dr., Moses Lake, WA 98837, 509-765-5270, www.LakeviewMissionaryChurch.com Pastor Christopher sends a weekly update to our church every Wednesday with an encouraging article, prayer requests, and announcements. Subscribe here, http://eepurl.com/hC7SHD Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
“Having a Kenosis Encounter”(Philippians 2:5-11 ) (07/16/21) THEME: Chapter 2 “Have the MIND of Christ” Vs. 5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:…” This exhortation finds its definition in vs. 2:2-4 …a) To THINK the same thing, b) HAVE the same Love …c) To be in HEART UNITY or agreement d) carry oneself in a ‘low running mind'(humility) ..e) To see to it that your Brethren EXCELL/SURPASS You Now in Phil. 2:6-8 we will see an illustration of what that means & how it applies to us GREEK Rendering: “This Be Ye Constantly THINKING in YOU ,which was also in Christ Jesus”………..The word THIS points us back to Phil. 2:4 for a definition of WHAT to constantly be THINKING “WHO” ( 2:6) connects the illustration(vs. 6-8) & definition (vs. 2-4)TOGETHER “Let This Mind Be” In GREEK ‘Let-Mind-Be' is ONE Word= PHRONEO= To have understanding, To DIRECT Ones Mind Towards a THING/CONCEPT…see II Timothy 1:7 (SOPHRONISMOS)…to seek or strive for , this word connotes to have in view the direction which the THINKING of a practical kind takes…understanding & marinating in THOUGHT “Was” Can be either was or IS BOTTOM LINE: The Philippians (US) should emulate in their lives the distinctive virtues spoken of regarding Jesus in 2-4..'these' traits were the direction our Lord's HABITUAL thoughts..so was or Is , vs. 6 Because our Lord STILL embodies the same mind as He always did. THERE IS MORE!! We do Not just Imitate CHRIST we have HIS MIND!! I Jn. 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. I Cr. 21-5 In the same way, my brothers, when I came to proclaim to you God's secret purpose, I did not come equipped with any brilliance of speech or intellect. You may as well know now that it was my secret determination to concentrate entirely on Jesus Christ and the fact of his death upon the cross. As a matter of fact, in myself I was feeling far from strong; I was nervous and rather shaky. What I said and preached had none of the attractiveness of the clever mind, but it was a demonstration of the power of the Spirit! Plainly God's purpose was that your faith should not rest upon man's cleverness but upon the power of God. 6-8 We do, of course, speak “wisdom” among those who are spiritually mature, but it is not what is called wisdom by this world, nor by the powers-that-be, who soon will be only the powers that have been. The wisdom we speak of is that mysterious secret wisdom of God which he planned before the creation for our glory today. None of the powers of this world have known this wisdom—if they had they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! 9-10a But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him'. But God has, through the Spirit, let us share his secret. 10b-12 For nothing is hidden from the Spirit, not even the deep wisdom of God. For who could really understand a man's inmost thoughts except the spirit of the man himself? How much less could anyone understand the thoughts of God except the very Spirit of God? And the marvelous thing is this, that we now receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God himself, so that we can actually understand something of God's generosity towards us. This wisdom is only understood by the spiritual 13 It is these things that we talk about, not using the expressions of the human intellect but those which the Holy Spirit teaches us, explaining things to those who are spiritual. 14-16 But the unspiritual man simply cannot accept the matters which the Spirit deals with—they just don't make sense to him, for, after all, you must be spiritual to see spiritual things. The spiritual man, on the other hand, has an insight into the meaning of everything, though his insight may baffle the man of the world. This is because the former is sharing in God's wisdom, and ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' Incredible as it may sound, we who are spiritual have the very thoughts(MIND) of Christ! PSALM 1 Vs. 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: “FORM” (MORPHE-Greek) ..this word has no reference to the ‘shape' of any phys. Object as we think of it in our English language…”This word is used in its philosophical sense to denote THAT EXPRESSION of BEING which carries in itself the distinctive nature & character of the BEING to whom it pertains & is thus permanently IDENTIFIED with THAT NATURE & CHARACTER.”(Vincent)..ex. “The quarterbacks FORM was perfect today'' There is NO WORD in all the languages of the World to truly convey the DEPTHS of this meaning !!...this word(form) is used in a futile attempt to describe the essence of GOD's BEING & How He expresses Himself …our minds truly cannot CONCEIVE of this fully..even at times when He reveals Himself to us (Exodus 33:18-33) This word ‘MORPHE” used here is an outward expression of an inward & perfect Identity…see “TRANSFIGURATION”(Metamorphoo) ( 17:2..Mk. 9:2..II Cor. 3:18..Romans 12:2) Jesus was /Is the DIVINE Essence of GOD & He was & IS EXPRESSING it to Mankind from His Innermost being… 2:9 9 For the entire fullness of God's nature[a] dwells bodily[b] in Christ, (HCSB) HOWEVER……………………………………………. “Thought It Not Robbery” …Robbery means a thing unlawfully seized & a treasure to be clutched & kept at all costs”(seems to be 2 different meanings) CONTEXT in this passage ‘rules' as to the meaning of this phrase…so basically (see vs. 2-4) Jesus Gave up His rights to Express His divine NATURE (The MORPHE)..Jesus gave up the rights to HIS RIGHTS…we will see this further TRS. 6 who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];(AMP) Jesus did not consider it ROBBERY to be = w/ABBA, yet he did NOT attempt to grasp it Though It was His right. 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Jesus did not see the TREASURE of His Expression of Deity as something to be Seized & kept at all costs…But rather he willingly gave this up..He relinquished His rights to that expression Jesus experienced & participated in Kenosis ( emptied Himself) = trs. Of ‘Made Himself of No Reputation' “The Form of A Servant” again as in vs. 6 MORPHE= Form…Servant = is a word Paul used in 1:1 when he described Himself as a BONDSLAVE GREEK grammar construction implies that Jesus FIRST took on the role of a BONDSLAVE Before he ‘Emptied Himself' (participated in KENOSIS)..by taking on the role of a BONDSLAVE caused him to participate IN KENOSIS…so we could say it this way….'Having Taken the FORM of a BOND SLAVE, Jesus Emptied Himself' Opposite in a way of vs 6….Jesus Gave up His Lordship in a sense to SERVE us…He emptied out Himself FOR US!... 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many…He was exchanging DEITY /Lordship…for servanthood By the Act of KENOSIS Jesus totally obliterated His self-Life & emptied himself of every OUNCE of Deity For the Philippians KENOSIS was the Key to UNITY ***Jesus came to Live & Show us How ABBA Intended A Man/Woman to LIVE that was fully dependent on HIM*** I CR15:45-49 45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being;[m] the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is[n] from heaven. 48 Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man. John 13:1-17 Jesus washes the disciples feet…………….(vs. 12-17) When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined[a] again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master,[b] and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them MTT. 26:7-13 7 a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. 12 By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. 13 I assure you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. “In Likeness of Men having BECOME” (Grk.) Fashion or appearance Humbled = To bring Low..like ‘run low' This is not the emptying part but refers to the self- humiliation of death on the Cross A death of Ignominy & degradation HEBREWS 5:7-8 7 During His earthly life,[a] He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Though He was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.(HCSB) 1:14 The Word became flesh[a] and took up residence[b] among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son[c] from the Father, full of grace and truth.(HCSB) ** It was Not just Enough for Jesus to show US How a Person Fully dependent on ABBA should Live..BUT In Giving Up His Rights As God's Favored Son , He was fully able to Bear & take On ALL the world's Injury, SIN & Insults ,ultimately resulting In His WILLING Death On the Cross** LUKE 9:23-24 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his [a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.( NASB) Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. VS.9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (VS. 9) “WHEREFORE/Also” that is, because of Jesus voluntarily humbling Himself God has highly exalted Him “Highly Exalted” The Grk. Construction of this term means ‘to exalt to the highest rank & power , to raise to supreme majesty', that is, a SUPER- EMINENT exaltation. “Given” as also in Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?....Given & Freely given in these vs. are the Grk. Word ‘Charizomai'…to show favor, grant, bestow, forgive… This is speaking in regard to our Salvation that God freely gave to us through Jesus AS WELL as here ABBA bestowing on the Man Christ Jesus HIS EXALTED position …because he voluntarily subjected Himself to the subordinate position as “Sin-Bearer on the Cross”…OTHER TRS……”Freely Bestowed” (Vincent)…”Gave” (Lightfoot)…GRACIOUSLY GIVEN (Thayer) Not just A NAME but THE NAME…the definite article appearing In the Greek language REFERS to a PARTICULAR NAME…THE NAME is a common Hebrew Title which denotes office, rank, or dignity…see “The Name of God” in the O.T. = Divine Presence, Divine Majesty, adoration & Praise CONTEXT HERE: Points to the Honor & Praise BESTOWED on Jesus as one who was GIVEN…THE NAME..The Man Christ Jesus was who was elevated to the HEIGHT Exaltation of Supreme DEITY John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Every Jew reading this would know immediately what Paul meant, because in the Jewish scriptures there was a name that was never pronounced. They called him the Ineffable Tetragrammaton. Ineffable means unspeakable, unpronounceable. Tetragrammaton means four letters, YHWH . It was the name YHWH—Jehovah..Christ Won This position through His Resurrection! VS.10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” = It is at THE NAME that belongs to & was GIVEN to Jesus at His exaltation to which every knee will bow AT should Be IN The NAME is the Spiritual Metron/Sphere in which every prayer should be offered & to which every knee shall bow All CREATION will give Honor & Homage to THE NAME ISAIAH 45:22-23Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. ROMANS 14:10-12 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.[a]11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.[b] 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ACTS 2:33Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. “CONFESS” means to openly or plainly confess, that is to AGREE with someone, this word also means to publically Declare….this word Confess is often associated with praise & Thanksgiving JUST what does Lord mean? Lord means he has the right to everything he surveys. In Scotland he is called, the Laird. The Laird of the castle has the right to ownership and authority, who holds the key to everything-the one who has mastered all the forces he controls and is perfectly at ease in every situation he encounters. Paul says Christ is the one who has won that position because he unhesitatingly and unreservedly committed himself to all that was involved in the mind of Christ, that attitude of his own heart that led him first to mortality, then to ignominy, and finally to unequalled glory. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE THE MIND OF CHRIST TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU BELIEVE & RECEIVE IT! RESULT: Peace & The End of Conflict Paul is saying here: let the mind of Christ, involving the renunciation of your rights and the willingness to accept injury break through in your life. Accept these conditions as God's will for you. This is why you have Christ in you. Accept the hurt without complaint, and without fail he will bring you through to victory and to peace. ISAIAH 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
TODAY'S HOMILY IN BRIEF. No matter how horrible the world around you may be and no matter how terrible life may be treating you today don't ever despair nor loose sight of God's presence for despair and desperation are the nursery bed for all vices. Despite all, GOD IS STILL WITH US and He will prove Himself God if we persistently prove ourselves His people. Kindly listen to today's episode of my podcast for details of today's homily. Please follow, subscribe to, like, share and comment on our YouTube channel and Facebook page @ Eternal Word of Life Ministry-#FadaPeterBenson, our Facebook, Instagram, Blog and Twitter @ FadaPeterBenson and our website @ https://ewlm.org. Be assured of my prayers and blessings always. @FadaPeterBenson.
Christ Jesus is on His way coming!!! You can reach out to us on gospel2020project@gmail.com Visit the following links to subscribe and connect with us! Telegram link https://t.me/rhapsodyfm Google Podcast link https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yaGFwc29keS5yZWN Apple Podcast link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/word-of-life-podcast/id1507564447 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18). Until you discover who Jesus really is, you can't walk with Him. Jesus is Adonai; He's the Lord God! The very thought of this blows the mind. No wonder the Jews had difficulty accepting Him. They accused Him of making Himself equal with God because He said God was His Father. They knew that when someone says, “God is my Father,” it doesn't mean God gave birth to that person, because God is a Spirit. They understood what Jesus was saying: He Himself was Jehovah in human manifestation! In John 10:30, He made another staggering declaration that made them angrier. He said, “I and my Father are one.” In other words, “We're one and the same; if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father.” Now, the Jews got really crazy and they took up stones again to stone Him. But Jesus interrupted them and asked, “…Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” They replied, “…For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (John 10:32-33). Notice the two charges brought against Jesus. The first one was blasphemy for saying God was His Father. The second was robbery, because being a man, He made Himself God. He was therefore condemned with robbers. But the Bible says in Philippians 2:5-6, “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.” This verse was a direct response to the Jewish charge against Jesus that He was a thief for declaring Himself to be equal with God. Jesus didn't think He was robbing God by being equal with God, because He was in the form of God. The Greek word for “form” is “morphe,” which means “nature.” In other words, He was in the very nature or essence of God. Though He looked like a man, He was in the form of God. In essence, Jesus is God! This is one of the cleverest communications in the New Testament about the deity of Jesus Christ. His claim to deity is right. PRAYER Lord Jesus, you're the great God of glory and the complete embodiment of Deity! Thank you for revealing your divine personality to me. I celebrate your Lordship and rulership over my life and over all of creation. You're the Most High God, and you alone are worthy of all praise, worship and adoration. Amen. FURTHER STUDY: Titus 2:13 (TPT) For we continue to wait for the fulfillment of our hope in the dawning splendor of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One. 1 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Colossians 1:15-19 (KJV) 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 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: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; Colossians 2:9 (KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN John 17:1-26 & 1 Chronicles 9-10 2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN 1 Corinthians 15:11-19 & Proverbs 29 To give towards sponsoring free copies please kindly click the below link https://buy.stripe.com/bIYcOj8vQepC3eM6op
In this video, Father Jenkins and Thomas Naegele begin with sad news: On the day of the recording, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Fr. Dolan passed away; Fr. Cekada passed away in 2020; please pray for these priests. Father then addresses the following viewer questions: Is it sinful to speak negatively about politicians?; the sins of detraction (telling secret faults) and calumny (slander) can be mortally sinful; obligations of justice and charity; the character of a politician is of public concern; revealing others' faults out of necessity; the right to know others' faults; example — mortally sinful not to reveal to the priests an impediment to marriage; the obligation to reveal faults of politicians; requirements of evidence; motivations of malice. In the crucifixion, did our Lord bear the Father's wrath or Satan's wrath?; the Father's love for the Son and for us; the Son's love for the Father and for us; our Lord did take upon Himself God's wrath, but this is not to be understood in the Lutheran sense; the Father's love for His Son, even as man; Christ's devotion to the Father's will, as man; Christ paid the price for our guilt; God hates sin because it is contrary to His love; we must hate sin out of love for God; mortal sin — ordering God out of the soul for the love of a creature; those who love God hate sin; the wrath of Satan who knew the promise of a redeemer and the threat to his dominion; Satan in the desert — “if you are the Son of God …”; Satan blinded by malice; tormenting our Lord in the garden. Did God will Judas to betray our Lord?; nothing can happen without God's consent; God gives existence to all that exists; God's absolute will and conditioned will; God's designed will and resigned will; God can cause evil and sin to result in a greater good; St. Augustine — felix culpa; God's infinite power to bring about good; Judas' responsibility; Pilate's responsibility; the Old Law imperfect — why?; the wrath of the people against Moses and the wrath of the pharisees against our Lord. Was Benedict XVI's assassination prophesied in the 3rd secret of Fatima?; Karl Rahner — leading modernist in Vatican II and Joseph Ratzinger Rahner's protégé; Ratzinger seems conservative only by comparison; can a person hold to Modernism and be a Catholic?; the assassination prophecy genuinely part of the 3rd secret?; the Great Apostasy; Ratzinger supports Francis; grasping for explanations of the current crisis; the devil using controversies to distract the faithful; the main issue — follow tradition; real Mass, real sacraments, real priests; legitimate to ask whether Francis is really the pope; not legitimate to bind the consciences of others. Can tap water be added to holy water?; depends upon how much; the custom; divine grace cannot be diluted. And finally, a warning about U.N. vote on amendments that would obligate the U.S.A. to the World Health Organization; pray and be faithful to Christ the King, who has absolute VETO power; pray the litanies of the Holy Name, of Mary, and of St. Joseph; our Lady — health of the sick; trials permitted for the manifestation of the power of God. This video was livestreamed on 4/26/2022. Please visit our website at www.wcbohio.com for our daily livestream of Holy Mass and other traditional Catholic content. May God bless you all!
Antonia was a fortress and military barrack built in Jerusalem by King Herod around 19 BC. At Antonia, three days before the resurrection of Jesus Christ the most famous public trial in human history took place. A trial with consequences reaching further than Marbury vs. Madison, Brown vs. Board of Education, or Roe vs. Wade. This was the Passover Trial of Jesus (and Barabbas). One was a notorious rebel and murderer, the other a rabbi, teacher and miracle worker, who called Himself God. This very public trial famously ends with one being released and the other sentenced to death by crucifixion. Barabbas was not released because of innocence. His crimes of murder and rebellion were more tolerable than the crime of claiming to be God -- Give Us Barabbas!
John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known.
Jesus not only claims to have existed for hundreds of years but by calling Himself I AM He is calling Himself God. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6-8 The apostle Paul wrote, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). This means that sin has a deadly consequence: separation from God. If someone chooses to do things that God doesn't want them to do, they are like a person with a dead battery. They can't experience the life that God has planned for them because they are spiritually dead. Just like a car can't start if it has a dead battery, people can't experience God's life if they are spiritually dead. As a result, they are alienated from God and cut off from the promise of eternal life. But the good news is that God has provided a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him. Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). So when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and receive eternal life. We are no longer separated from God but are now His cherished children. And because we are in a relationship with Him, we can enjoy His blessings in this life—including His promise of eternal life. John 1:18 says, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known." While sin leaves us powerless, God loves us enough to give us power over sin by sending Jesus to die on the cross. And I encourage you to offer yourself fully to God to experience the most hope, peace, and joy. The Bible says, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people" (Titus 2:11). Grace is a powerful force in our lives because it helps us overcome sin. We can think of sin as a big rock that is hard to move. But, with grace, we can overcome sin and move on. Grace is like a push from behind that helps us to move forward. It's also like a light in the darkness that guides us to the right path. Grace is a powerful force in our lives. It's what gives us the power to overcome every enemy's plan. Sin leaves us feeling powerless. But God's grace provides us with the power to overcome anything. We can see evidence of God's grace all around us. Look at the way Jesus died on the cross. He could have called down legions of angels to save Him, but He chose to die for us. He loved us enough to give us power over sin. Christ Paid It All! Amen. In John 12:46, Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness." Prayer: Lord, help me to be strong and courageous in my faith. Holy Spirit, help me to live the life that Christ has given me to live in this life in Jesus' name. Amen. https://youtu.be/So380LddxLk https://maglife.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/divine-ojelade/support
It is important for us to realize that we have to learn how to pray effectively. Everyone knows how to pray to some degree, but not everyone knows how to pray and get results on a consistent basis. Jesus' own disciples realized they needed to be taught to pray. In Luke 11:1, His disciples made a request to learn how to pray.Although Jesus was the Son of God and equal with God, in the days when He walked on this earth, He felt Himself utterly dependent on a Power higher than Himself—God the Father. Jesus, Himself, needed to pray.In this introductory podcast we will introduce our selves, explain our podcast name, outline our first few podcasts episodes and begin our discuss by answering the question, What is prayer?
Jesus made God known to us, but He wasn't just a man and we have to wrestle with this concept. Can we handle things that don't quite make sense to us? Let's talk about that today. Hey, I'm Mike Henry Sr. with Follower of One. Thanks for joining me on the Follower of One Podcast. I'm grateful that you're here and I'm grateful that from time to time, you might share this, even with your friends. What does it mean to have beliefs or understandings about God that we don't quite understand? We've been talking through John 1:1-18 for several episodes now, and today we're on verse 18 in the English Standard Version. It says "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." When you read this in a number of translations, some even translate that to say that it's the Son. The Christian Standard Bible, for example, says "No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son who is Himself God, and is at the Father's side, He has revealed Him." I think it's important to understand the Trinity; that there are three persons in the Godhead. And I understand so little of this, I can't really explain it. But there is God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God manifests Himself these three ways. And He is one but He is three. And I don't understand it. Can it make sense to me, that's something like this doesn't make sense? John is clearly stating right here that God the Father who has not been seen by us, has been made visible a little bit. We've seen God, the Son we've seen Jesus. Jesus became flesh. It said in verse 14, "The Word became flesh." And we have seen His glory. We saw God the Son. In John 14, Jesus even says, "Have I been with you so long? And you still ask, 'Show us the Father.'' He was talking to Phillip in John chapter 14. Jesus is God come to us in the flesh. He's everything we need. Many of the people that we work with and live with and interact with on a daily basis, don't believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Or they don't think that Jesus is the only way to God. And these are both challenges for some of the people that we know and maybe challenges for you too, as you're listening to this podcast. Today, I want to lean into this verse and think about how God the Son came to Earth for us and created a way so that we could restore and be restored in our relationship to God the Father. I believe that's true. And I believe that there are not multiple ways to God simply because if there were more than one way, then why did Jesus have to die? I believe that's the way this works. And every day I deal a little bit with the gap between my own belief and my own understanding. I believe in a God who's bigger than my understanding, as well as I believe in a God who's more powerful than I can ever imagine. I know that I will never say to God, "Oh, I thought you were bigger." Because God is almighty and all-powerful and bigger than even I can think. And I want to live that way today. I want to live like I follow a God who does impossible things. And so today I ask God to use my life in the world to make a difference with me. Would you do that with us? We start by praying, "Jesus. Here I am. Please put me to work. My job as a believer is not just to stay out of trouble today. My job as a believer is to look for opportunities to make you visible. Can I do that today?" That's my job as a follower of Jesus. Would you join me in that role today? This is how we get to know God if we follow Jesus. Thanks for being a marketplace minister. And thanks for listening to this podcast. Please share it with your friends. Also, please check out the next Marketplace Mission Trip. We do these things called Marketplace Mission Trips, where we try and live our faith daily over a two-week period. You can sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip by joining our online community at https://community.followerofone.org. Thanks very much.
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.” - John 1:18 The Bible unashamedly declares God exists...so why are there so many today who deny His existence? Who is God? He is the One Jesus came to reveal! GO DEEPER: John 1:1-18
In the beginning, God was good. He created us for intimacy, co-dominion, and co-stewardship of His creation. Male-female relationships and marriage may have gotten distorted after the Fall, but in the beginning, it was not so. Listen in to hear what Genesis 1-3 has to say about God Himself; God's original design for humanity; and God's plan for salvation following the consequences of sin. You might be surprised to learn what's actually in the creation narratives…and what's not. If you've learned something new here and are enjoying this series on “Marriage, Mutuality, and Gender Roles,” please leave a rating & review!Podcasting by: Kensi Duszynski, MA, LMFT, CPCEditing by: Evan Duszynski, MAMusic by: John TibbsFULL TRANSCRIPT:Welcome back to the Brave Marriage Podcast! Thank you so much for your earnest desire to grow as individuals, do marriage with intention, and live a mutually empowered, purposeful life in Christ. I'm really glad to be working my way through this series with you and really encouraged by some of the conversations I've been having lately. In upcoming weeks, we will get into a few interviews where we'll dive more deeply into marriage and mutuality, but today, we're covering marriage in the Creation account and after the Fall. I believe last episode, I said I'd cover Ephesians 5 as well, but that was a little ambitious, I found, and so that episode will drop on Monday, November 29th. And the reason I wanted to include these biblical teachings in a series on marriage, mutuality, and gender roles, is because I think for many of us, we've heard these passages so much that we often don't even hear them for what they actually say, or we hear these verses so piece-milled to prove a point, that we don't even understand their context. So what I'm hoping is that the questions posed in the last episode encouraged you toward your own reading of Scripture, because today, we'll be diving into it together with fresh eyes and ears. Let's start by taking a look at the Creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2: Genesis 1:26-31 says:“Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' [So notice, when God says, ‘let us make man in our image, and after our likeness,' He's referring to the relationality between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—whom we know as the Triune God. The word man used there is adam in Hebrew, and the them is ha'adam in Hebrew. It's plural for humanity or mankind. And Scripture says that God made humans to have dominion over the earth and other created creatures—not dominion over each other.]So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [In other words, from the Hebrew, God created mankind, in the image of God he created mankind; male and female he created mankind.]And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.' And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”So in the first creation narrative, here in chapter 1, we have the Creator God, who in the Hebrew in chapter one, is referred to as Elohim. Elohim, God, we're told, created the earth and humanity in His image. And compared to other creation accounts at the time, this God was described quite differently. For one, He was one—3-in-1; secondly, He was a good God; and third, He was a relational God, completely unified within Himself. In chapter 1, we're zoomed out a bit, seeing how this all-powerful, relational-within-and-between-Himself God created the entire universe. If you can, imagine a movie that begins with a look at earth from outer space. From this aerial vantage point, we see that this God completed His work with the creation of humanity, instructing them to be fruitful, to multiply, to create, to rule, to subdue, and take care of the earth He created. And only after God created male and female—humans in His image—and instructed them to steward the earth for His glory, did this Creator God proclaim His creation “very good.”Here's how I read that: In contrast to other renderings of the text I've heard, woman isn't the epitome or the icing on the cake of creation, nor is man the “cake” itself, or instructed to bear the weight of the world alone. It wasn't the man or woman whom God called very good; rather, it was the fullness of His image and His instructions to man and woman to be like Him (relational beings who were to be procreative and co-creative and stewards of His creation) that God called very good. But even more important than that, in my view, is the point of chapter one, the reason why males and females have meaning and purpose and see themselves in this story at all, and it's this: in contrast to other beliefs about creation and different deities, the Hebrew people believed in a relational, monotheistic, Triune God who wasn't afraid or threatened to create humanity in His own image, as other gods are portrayed, who valued human life so as not to engage in human sacrifice, as other religions did, and who created both man and woman with free will, whereas other creation narratives cite the creation of woman as a necessary evil, the gods' punishment to men for their arrogance. Instead, the God of the Bible is loving toward His creation, values human life, gives humans free will, and instructs both men and women to rule, fill, and subdue the earth. This is a story about an all-powerful deity who created man and woman to be in relationship, to bear the fullness of His image, including, in how we act upon the created earth together. Now, as we take a look at the second creation account in Genesis 2:15-25, I want you to imagine we're zooming in, moving from a distant view of the earth or an aerial view of the earth, to a zoomed-in, up-close, and personal look at the creation of man and woman. So imagine, revisiting the creation of humanity on the sixth day, and this time, we'll get to know God not just as Creator and relational-within-Himself, but as the personal God of Israel, who is also very much relational-with-us. Starting with verse 15: “The LORD God [that is, Yahweh Elohim] took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.' Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.' [Why? Because as we saw in chapter 1, God is a relational God and we are created in His image. Verse 19…] “Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them [right, here we get this picture of a personal God who meets the man, who brings things to Adam to see what he will name them. It's like God is delighting to watch Adam create as God had instructed him to.] And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.”Meaning, he was creating and ruling and stewarding the earth alone, outside of a relationship with someone like him. But remember, in Genesis 1:26-31, God did not call creation completed until male and female were both created and both co-creating.Now in Hebrew, a ‘helper fit' or a ‘helper suitable' is translated as ezer kenegdo, meaning “a strength, an aid, or an ally who is like”, not a help who is subpar or who does a husband's bidding. I was in a book club a few years ago where a woman, a pastor's wife, shared that back when her husband was pastoring, they attended a marriage conference for pastors and pastors' wives, where the speaker likened the husband-wife relationship to the relationship between a CEO and his executive assistant. But if the speaker had taken a look at the Hebrew, rather than just putting his own capitalistic cultural spin on the text, he would have discovered that the word helper, or ezer in Hebrew, is used 21 different times in the Old Testament to describe God's strength and aid to Israel! So I can hardly imagine that what God had in mind when He said, ‘I will make an ezer who is suitable to, and like Adam,' is a female secretary for Adam. Furthermore, if God Himself is an ezer, and if the Trinity is 3-in-1, equal in power and glory, this has significant implications for the way men and women are to partner to bear the fullness of His image. Let's keep going, verse 21…“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman [ishah in Hebrew], because she was taken out of Man [ish in Hebrew].' Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”As I read this, God delights to see the man respond to the woman He places in front of him. The animals got named; the woman got a poem in verse 23, which is what that indentation represents in your Bible as you read it. And the man essentially says, “at last, I have a help who is like, yet somehow, different from me, so that now, I am fully created in the image of God because now, I am in relationship, not just with God, but also with someone like me—a help who is like me.” And jumping back to Genesis 1:28, this is where God blesses mankind. This is where God gives His instructions to humanity to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, while ruling over the earth and its creatures. So in the garden, in God's perfect plan for creation and for humanity, there is intimacy—between God and humanity, between man and woman, between husband and wife. There is love, there is relationship, and there is procreativity, co-creativity, and co-dominion over other created creatures, but not over each other.This is Eden. This is the picture of male-female relationality, of co-leadership in respect to the earth, and of co-servanthood in respect to God. Right? God did not create us for hubris, dictatorship, or human oppression on the one hand, nor did He create us for self-degradation, powerlessness, or purposelessness on the other; he created us for intimacy, relationship, and mutual empowerment as we co-labor with Him and with each other. But then, we get to chapter 3 and everything goes awry. The serpent enters the picture, man and woman sin, the woman is deceived, the man says nothing and blames Eve, and the consequences of the Fall enter in. Let's take a look at Genesis 3 from the New American Standard Version.“Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?”Notice here, the contrast between the writer of Genesis, who cites the personal name of God, Yahweh, or LORD God, and the serpent, who refers to God as Elohim, God rather than LORD God. Right, the serpent, representative of Satan, is even deceptive in his language, distancing the woman from God in the way that he's framing Him, even before casting doubt as to what God said. So she then picks up his language. “The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'”The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.”Now, we have the gift of hindsight and more importantly, Jesus, to help us see where Eve went wrong here, and what led man and woman to sin. As John recounted in 1 John 2:16, it was “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” that led Eve, and Adam, to sin—these things, we're told as not coming from the Father but rather, from the world.So the strategy I see in the serpent here is: 1) Create discomfort and discontentment. 2) Create distance between God and His people by twisting the Word of God. 3) Lure them in with worldly things (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life) and lead them to doubt God's good plan, nature, words, and intentions toward them. 4) Wait for them to choose disconnection and disobedience to the LORD God, their personal connection to the Father. And what's wild is that we see this same old strategy that satan used with the woman, used with Jesus, in Mark chapter 4. Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, he was led into the wilderness and tempted by the devil himself. And after 40 days and nights of fasting and growing weak in the flesh, the devil starts into Jesus. First, he tempted Jesus by questioning His relationship and sonship to the Father, saying in Mark 4:3: “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread”—the lust of the flesh. But amazingly, in His hunger (at least to me, because I am good for nothing when I'm hungry, just ask my husband) Jesus said to his tempter: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.'” Second, the devil tempted Jesus by asking him to stand on the pinnacle of the temple in the holy city, saying:“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for after all, You know it is written that ‘God will give His angels orders concerning You…On their hands they will lift You up, so that You don't even strike Your foot against a stone”—the boastful pride of life. But not pulling one past Jesus, Jesus replied: “On the other hand, it is written: ‘You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.” And third, Mark 4:8 says that: “Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Jesus, ‘All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me'—the lust of the eyes. But thankfully, Jesus said to him, ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'”So Jesus shows us what could've been said here, by the man or the woman in the garden, seeing as how they were both right there when the serpent made his case. They could have said: “Serpent, we have everything we need, every green plant and tree for food, not to mention a perfect, loving relationship with God.” They could have said, “on the other hand,” like Jesus did, “God told us to be fruitful and have dominion over the earth, not to be ruled by it.” They could have said, “Go away, Satan! For God has created us, blessed us, instructed us to be like Him!” But they didn't. And so, jumping back into Genesis 3:7…“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.Now they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.So there they were, having been emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and volitionally disobedient to God, after first being distanced and distracted from Him…and here comes God in His personal, present nature (noting the shift in language back to the use of LORD God, Yahweh Elohim) desiring to talk with them and be in relationship with them both. Verse 3:9:“Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”Okay, God knew where the man was, but because He's a personal God, He wanted the man to show himself.He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”Now, someone recently told me that what they've primarily been taught about these few verses goes something like this, “Who does God come to after Adam and Eve sin? Does God come to the woman? No, He comes to the man to take ownership for his family. So men, God is going to come to you and expect you to take responsibility for your wife and kids. That is your job.” But a few things to note about this widespread spin on Scripture: 1) This is a wild extrapolation out from the text and what it actually says. 2) Telling men to be men of God and to lead their families toward kingdom-living is one thing. But it's really easy to move from a posture of, “Men, let's be intentional about making disciples of the next generation” to “Men, you should be ashamed of yourselves and better for your wife and kids.” The message of the Gospel is that the Son of God died and was resurrected for us all, to free us up to co-lead, as God originally intended, and to free us up from the weight of our sin and guilt to shame so that we might live more fully and freely in Christ, with that translating into our families, not a message of guilt and shame. And listen, this is a spiritual formation issue for those spreading this message. So whoever is spreading these messages without really thinking about what's being communicated to men, can we please stop teaching men (and women) that this is the Gospel? Christ did not die for good Christian men to give themselves a hard time and try to man up as if, on the other side of redemption, they still need to earn God's respect, love, or approval of their worth (because God has already given it)! Christ also died that men and women, husbands and wives, might have a chance at healthy, intimate relationship again, as before the Fall, through Him—not to be stoic and distant or overly-responsible or placating and pacifying of their wives! That is not biblical, that is cultural. It's an unhealthy teaching that doesn't reflect Christ so much as it reflects the Pharisees, and it's messing otherwise healthy families up. So back to Genesis 3: God calls out to the man, and the man replies not with stoicism or self-degradation, saying, “God, I know I'm worthless, I know I need to be a better man and just, man up and measure up.” The man first responds to God here with vulnerability, saying, “I heard you, God, I knew you were present, and honestly, I was afraid. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my nakedness, and so I hid from Your presence.”And again, based on lots of teachings in the church, we would now expect God to deliver His wrath. But God doesn't. God moves in, and treats the man like a Father would. He asks questions, He's about to discipline, yet, but He engages the man and woman in a personal, relational way. “And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?'”Now he's being confronted for his actions. And this is where the guilt, shame, and blame come in. Because it can be hard to look at ourselves in light of a good, gracious, perfect, holy, powerful, loving Father. But it's hard to look at ourselves not because our Father is pointing a finger or has unrealistic expectations of us (He merely asked a question). It's because we feel the weight of our sin, and when we do, we turn inward on ourselves (shame) or we turn outward on others (blame). “The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.'Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?'”Again, this is the God of the universe who is treating the woman, now, like a Father, and engaging her directly to get the full story (even though He already knows, can any parents relate?) “And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'”Imagine this. Imagine you have a son and daughter. Adam is your firstborn and Eve is your second-born. And you conceived (because you're human) and created little Adam and Eve in love, and so they bear your resemblance, and you've given every good thing you have to them. You've raised them on acres and acres of property, apple orchards and vineyards and orange groves that you are delighted for them to roam in and play in and eat from to their little hearts' content. Now these fruit groves are a result of your own work, the benefit of your labor, but just by being born into your family, they're heirs of what you created. And they're your kids, so you're pleased to have them delight in all that you've provided for them. The only thing you've instructed them not to do—for the sake of their lives and relationship with you—is eat the fruit from one single tree among thousands on your property. But in striking up a conversation with a snake on your property, what do they go and do? They eat from it. They disobey you. They question your judgment, your reasoning, they mistrust your heart for them, and they deny a thousand good gifts you've given them in exchange for something you know they can't handle. Okay, so if this were you, how would you be feeling? Maybe you've been here before with your own children. Does that scenario evoke feelings of frustration, disappointment, hurt? A desire to protect them from that stupid snake? Let's jump back into the story: “Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all the livestock, and more than any animal of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life; and I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant (that is, Jesus); He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”So before turning His attention to punish or curse or incur His wrath upon the man and woman, God curses the serpent. He deals with him first, letting him know that spiritually, there will come a day when Jesus is born and deals directly with the serpent and his demons, as well as make a way for the children of God to be redeemed and righted in their relationship with the Father. God so loved the world that the first three things He did after Adam and Eve sinned was talk to Adam and Eve about it, deal with the one who hurt and deceived His children, and promise to make a way through Jesus for His children to be reconciled to Him. Verse 16…“To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall deliver children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”Then to Adam, in verse 17:He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; with hard labor you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; yet you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”So, as a result of sin and the curses God gives, we immediately see the consequences for both women and men: for the woman, the hardship of her labor; for the man, the hardship of his labor; and for both, the challenge of oneness and intimacy. Remember, God told the couple back in Genesis 1:26, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the other creatures I created!” But the consequence of sin was that the woman would play her part in the creation mandates with difficulty—with pain in bearing children, with a heart that would tend to desire her husband's approval and lordship over God's. Likewise, the husband would play his part in the creation mandates with difficulty—with pain, sweat, and toil in his work, and with a heart that would tend to desire to rule over his wife instead of co-ruling over creation with her. Read the text. There's no hint of headship before the Fall; it's only introduced after the fall along with everything else we are still struggling with today as Christians in a fallen state and fallen world. Now, this is a marriage podcast, so I want to focus on the interpersonal couple dynamic for a second. In my practice, this is what I address: the sever in relational intimacy, issues of power imbalance, and desires that tend to move couples in unhealthy, dysfunctional directions—rather than to God first, and toward each other, second. This is another part that's interesting to me, and I first heard this come from Bruce C.E. Fleming, author of Made in Eden. God doesn't directly curse Adam, nor does He directly curse Eve. What He does is, He curses the serpent in response to Eve's confession and blaming of the serpent. And He curses the ground, in response to Adam's confession and blame of both God and Eve! So even though from the point of the Fall on, the man and woman lived under the curse, God still treated the actual man and woman with love, with protection, and with discipline, as a Father would his own children. This is consistent with the good, loving, just nature of God. Back to verse 20: “Now the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”So even after all this, God is still gracious, just as a loving parent would be. He clothes Adam and Eve. He provides for them. He delivers consequences, yes, but He makes a way for them to live. So here, we have the beginning of civilization as we know it, with Adam being instructed to cultivate the ground from which he was taken, and Adam and Eve co-partnering and co-parenting within the consequences of the Fall and their sin. And the rest of Genesis is a collection of stories about how good and gracious and unlike other gods, Yahweh is, and how dysfunctional families are as a result of sin, until in the midst of our broken and fallen state, God's grace and goodness intervenes. Now, I want to take you from Genesis…all the way to the last chapter of Revelation to see if you observe any parallels between the two depictions of the garden city. In chapter 22:1-3, John writes:“Then the Angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him.” So, remember that tree of life that God protected after creation? Well, here we see it again at the end of time, except this time, without any curse, with trees that consistently bear good fruit for healing, and with God's servants serving not themselves or their own agendas—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or their boastful pride for life—but serving Him, as the throne of God and the Lamb dwell among God's servants in the garden city of God. So, if all 66 books of the Bible comprise this meta-narrative, the story of God and His desire to save us, to give us eternal life, and to be in relationship with us—not because He has needs like us, but just because He's a good Father—then where are we currently in that story, and what does that mean for our lives and relationships? Well, Jesus, the Son of God is the climax of this story. As we talked about last episode, the Son of God willingly took on flesh, dwelt among us, taught us how to live and how to die, becoming the substitutionary atonement for our sins, replacing the required animal sacrifices from the OT with Himself, the once and for all, redeeming Lamb of God. Jesus came not to nullify the Old Testament law, but to fulfill the Scriptures and show us the Spirit of the law. He taught us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then, He died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven, leaving us with the Holy Spirit to empower us to live faithfully as His bride, the church. So as His Church, His body, His bride, we now live in this in-between state where Christ has come to redeem us, forgive us, and make a way for us to live in Him, as servants of Him, now, before He returns….but the end has not yet come. We still live in a world impacted by the curse and the consequences of sin, even as we live as believers with the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as Jesus showed us how to live, and as Jesus taught us to live. Which begs the question…how then shall we live? I had a really great conversation with Evan last night after giving a talk to college students on partnership in marriage, and Evan was saying, “you know, the picture God gave us for relationship before the Fall was loving Him and loving each other. Then the Fall happened. But what does God tell Moses, and what does Moses tell Israel? To love God and to love each other. And what does Jesus tell His disciples and followers to do? To love God and love each other. So the picture of Adam and Eve in the garden is what we, as Christ followers today, and as married couples in particular, should be aiming for in our relationships with one another.” And I wanted to share his thoughts with you because I couldn't have said it better myself. The whole story of Scripture illustrates our journey as humans toward the kingdom of God, and in a sense, back to the original state.In upcoming weeks, you'll hear from authors, pastors, and podcasters regarding their thoughts on Scripture, gender equality, and mutuality in marriage. All coming from different places and stages of life and marriage, and I can't wait for you to hear from them. So tune in next time, where I'll talk to a couple in ministry together, who will share some of their thoughts on what Scripture has to show us and on what God has to offer us through his designing us for co-leadership and mutual submission in marriage. Thanks, friends, for joining me today. You all know I'm passionate about teaching mutuality in marriage, and so if you've learned something new in this series, please, please hit the share link and text this to a friend. It would also mean a lot to me if you would take a quick second to rate and review the podcast. I spend hours on it each and every time and I'd be grateful for your feedback and letting others know if you enjoyed it. This has been episode 136 of the Brave Marriage Podcast. I'm your host, Kensi Duszynski. Podcast editing is by Evan Duszynski. And music is by John Tibbs. Have a great week, everyone, and I'll talk to you again soon.
1 John 2:22 "Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ ? This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son." Most cults will talk to you and they will let you think that they believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God but they do not believe that He is truly deity. They will even say Jesus as the Son of God doesn't mean He was God. The truth is; the reason why the Pharisees and the Scribes sort to kill Him was because He a man made Himself God. That was blasphemy to the Jews. They knew that the Son of God was God. Only if Jesus is God can He save you. Who do you say Jesus is? Stay blessed
THE WEEK OF TRINITY - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 8He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Revelation 17:14In the second psalm, God says to His Son: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth as your possession” (Psalm 2:8). Here He is clearly appointed as the King of all things because He is God's Son. There has never been any ordinary prince or king to whom the whole world has been subjected.In a similar way, David openly calls Him a God when He says, “Thy throne, O God (RSV margin), endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Psalm 45:6-7).God appoints no one as such a king who is not Himself God. For He will not release the bridle from His own hands. He wants to remain Lord over heaven and earth, death, hell, the devil, and all creatures. Inasmuch, then, as God has made Christ Lord over all that has been created, Christ must certainly be regarded as being Himself true God together with God the Father.SL 11:1150 (7)PRAYER: Almighty God, so reign in our hearts and souls that Christ may have the sole dominion there. Grant that we may sincerely embrace Him with our whole hearts as King of kings and Lord of lords and continually glorify Him by our works of faith, together with Yourself, O Father, and the blessed Spirit, now and forever. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:405-411.
THE WEEK OF EXAUDI - MONDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 16:24-28“They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” John 16:2The cross is pictured here in its true colors. To lie at home sick in bed is nothing compared to this, even though it is often regarded as suffering a cross. Christ is referring here to a very special cross, that of being persecuted, with the possibility of being put to death in disgrace. Not only so, but our persecutors receive praise and win renown. They seem to have right on their side and are honored. On our side, there is nothing but disgrace, shame, and injustice.The persecuting world actually believes that it is advancing God's honor. The world is also of the opinion that we are receiving our just deserts and that God, the Scriptures, and all the angels are against us. In the view of the world, we really have no grounds for complaint. We cannot lay claims to justice, but we are accursed and must be removed from the scene with shame and disgrace.This is precisely what happened to Christ. He was subjected to a most scornful and disgraceful death, hung between two robbers or murderers, and regarded as an arch-criminal. Blasphemous words were hurled at Him. “He called Himself God's Son; let Him help Himself now if He wants things otherwise!” And so, Jesus says here to His disciples that they will suffer death—not just simple death, but a disgraceful death—and the world will imagine that it is advancing God's honor thereby.In the face of such hard and harsh reality, one must still hold fast to faith and confess that God is gracious to us and is our Savior against the whole world, with all its glitter and empty show. We must confess our faith, no matter how hard and harsh the opposition may be, if we are really concerned about our true welfare.SL 11:993 (4)PRAYER: Grant us the needed grace, faith, and power, dear Savior, to bear whatever cross may come upon us and to confess our faith boldly before the whole world, for Your name's sake. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:244-254.
Episode 101 – The Complementary Attributes of God Part 3 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 28 through 30, New International Version I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. Isaiah, Chapter 6, verses 1 and 2, New International Version ******** VK: Hello! I'm Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. Today on Anchored by Truth we're continuing our series that we're calling “The Complementary Attributes of God.” With me in the studio is RD Fierro, author and founder of Crystal Sea Books. We wanted to do this series to spend some time just thinking about God. As RD has said, knowing that the Bible is the word of God doesn'tmean nearly as much to us if we don't know who God really is. RD, why did you decide to call this series “The Complementary Attributes of God?” RD: The central purpose at Anchored by Truth is to focus on the logic, reason, and evidence that demonstrate that the Bible is God's word. So, that's where we usually devote most of our time and attention. One of the reasons we do that is because it is from the Bible that we get our highest and best information about God. It's not enough to just know that the Bible is God's word. We must also learn what the word of God teaches us about God. So, toward that end we wanted to take a few episodes of Anchored by Truth and just focus on God's attributes. We've called this series “The Complementary Attributes of God” because we want to discuss the fact that all of God's attributes show different aspects of God's character but those attributes harmonize perfectly. Theologians sometimes note that God is a “simple” being. By that they don't mean that God is simplistic in the sense that we can easily understand God or readily comprehend Him. What they mean is that God is not a composite Being composed of one part love, 2 parts justice, 3 parts holiness, etc. Each attribute that God possesses He possesses infinitely and completely. God is altogether holy, altogether just, etc. It can be said that God is His attributes and all of His attributes are perfect. VK: So, because God is perfect all of God's attributes harmonize together perfectly. In other words they complement one another perfectly. As a reminder two words that are pronounced the same but are spelled differently are called heterographs. The words “complimentary” with an “I” and “complementary” with an “E” - are heterographs. Their pronunciation is the same but they have different meanings. Complimentary, with an “I,” can mean to express praise or admiration for someone or something as in “you have a beautiful smile.” Or complimentary with an “I” can mean to give something away for free as in getting a complimentary doughnut if you buy a cup of coffee. RD: Which I always endorse. VK: Of course, you do. But complementary, with an “E,” means to combine two or more things together in such a way as to emphasize the qualities of each of those things or that the two things complete one another. A DVD and a DVD player are complementary goods. Together they complete the purpose for which they were designed. Using the two of them together fulfills the purpose for which they were designed. The title of this series is “The Complementary Attributes of God” - complementary with an “E” because all of God's attributes work together in perfect harmony. But before we get too much deeper into our discussion of how God's attributes complement each other perfectly, let's listen to a meditation from Crystal Sea's book, Purposeful Prayers, on one of the most important of God's attributes: God's absolute sovereignty. -- Meditation on God's sovereignty RD: We chose that meditation because it helps set the state for the set of attributes of God that we want to discuss today: God's exaltation and His gentleness and humility. At first glance it might seem as though these attributes might be at odds with another. After all, when it comes to earthly rulers and leaders we almost never think of the “high and mighty” as also being humble and gentle. Saying that an earthly king or monarch is also humble or lowly in heart would make most people shake their heads in disbelief. VK: Yet, as our opening scriptures clearly tell us that is exactly what the Bible says about God. Our second scripture which is from the New International Version of Isaiah chapter 6 says that the Lord is “high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the [heavenly] temple.” Other versions say that the Lord is “high and lifted up.” This particular description of God comes from the portion of Isaiah where Isaiah is about to receive his commission from God. In order to do that God has given Isaiah a look into the heavenly throne room which, interestingly enough, is located in a heavenly temple. Isaiah tells us that not only is God high and exalted, but also that God is so exalted that the train of His robe fills the entire temple. RD: Yes. This imagery is a little strange to most modern readers. The only time most people in western cultures think about the “train” of a garment is the train on a bride's dress or even more rarely, the train on the robe of – say- the Queen of England when we see images of a royal ceremony such as a coronation. Contemporary leaders typically dress in much the same fashion as what the general populace wears. But this definitely wasn't true in the ancient Mideast. Rulers, kings, emperors, etc. were easily distinguished by their elaborate dress and at state functions a king or emperor would almost always have a very long train on their official robe - the longer the train on the robe, the higher the official. So, when the Bible tells us that the train of God's robe filled the temple, it is making a statement about God's exalted and magnificent status. VK: And the impression is reinforced by the observation that follows the description of the seraphim that Isaiah gives us following the description of the train. The verse tells us that God is so exalted that even angels, the seraphim, display the most profound expressions of respect and deference in God's presence. The holy Angels are far more holy and powerful than human beings but even they are supremely conscious of God's majesty. The fact that the seraphim cover their feet with two of their wings is an expression of modesty. The seraphim cover their eyes because God is so magnificent they can't bear to look at God directly. This whole scene is one of the most amazing descriptions of God's exalted status in the entire Bible, isn't it? RD: Absolutely. And it's important to note that Isaiah makes no attempt to actually describe God Himself. Isaiah describes a scene and a setting but does not attempt any description of the King on the throne. This is likely because of what we learn in 1Timothy, chapter 6, verses 15 and 16. In those verses Paul tells us that “God [is] the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” Again, the point is that the scene out of Isaiah – which most Bible scholars regard as either being a theophany or Christophany – gives us a very clear description of how glorious, majestic, and exalted God is. VK: But then our other opening scripture from Matthew gives us a description of Jesus that seems to be almost completely opposite. In Matthew Jesus says of Himself that He is “gentle and humble in heart.” Some translations use the terms “meek” and “lowly in heart.” So, we can easily sympathize with a new Christian who compares and contrasts these two differing descriptions and walks away scratching their head. Yet, as we have said throughout this series, God's attributes are never in conflict with one another. God's attributes always harmonize perfectly. God's attributes always complement one another perfectly. RD: Right. This is one of the reasons that it can be so valuable to our spiritual growth and development not just to read scripture but to mediate on it. If we don't think carefully about what we've read we can miss some truly wonderful insights about the God we serve. VK: Well, obviously you have some thoughts about how we can understand the harmony between these two seemingly disparate descriptions of attributes that God possesses. In Isaiah chapter 6 we see an undeniable declaration of God's exaltation, his unmatched majesty. In Matthew chapter 11 we see Jesus, who is Himself God, describe Himself as being gentle, humble, lowly in heart. How do these two descriptions show complementary attributes of God – again, complementary with an “E?” RD: Well, part of what I think we need to see is what Jesus is saying in Matthew, chapter 11, and what He is not saying. Some translations use the term “gentle” for Jesus and some use "meek.” In our culture there is a tendency to equate the term “meek” with weak. But nothing could be more wrong-headed than to do that. VK: One minister I heard said that a simple definition for “meek” is “power under control.” That seems to be a pretty important part of what you're saying. RD: Exactly. Gentleness and meekness are not remotely similar to weakness. After all even in our culture we recognize that some of the toughest people we know – Army Rangers, Navy Seals, … VK: I notice you put the Army Rangers first. You're not biased are you? RD: Well, fairs fair. Anyway, even in our culture military special operators, professional athletes, oilfield roughnecks, truck drivers - you name it – these are very tough people. But even these very tough people are very careful around their children and especially around newborn babies. Just because they can be extraordinarily tough in their jobs doesn't mean they aren't gentle and caring when they need to be. These very tough people know when to unleash their power and when to restrain it. So, we need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that power and toughness can't coexist with gentleness and kindness even within people. As a matter of fact, most of us would have far less regard for a really tough person if they weren't able to corral their power when necessary. VK: Well here you're talking about physical toughness versus physical gentleness. That's not exactly the same thing as exaltation versus being “lowly in heart?” RD: That's true but I wanted to start with a very clear illustration of how even imperfect humans can possess seemingly opposite traits but the traits are not in conflict with one another. Even in imperfect humans seemingly opposite traits can be seen to be complementary. Well, if this can be true for imperfect people it can certainly be true for a perfect God. The same thing is true in some humans who are highly esteemed but also possess true humility. We are all familiar with the successful person who lets their success “go to their head.” But thankfully, we are also familiar with people who are enormously successful and famous in their careers – exalted in their own way. But when you meet them in person they are kind and gracious. I've met some very famous sports celebrities, household names, but up close and personal they are just down-to-earth, humble people. VK: I know you don't like to drop names but you once met one of the most famous baseball pitchers of the 20th century in the home of his sports agent. He was just arriving from the airport where his agent had picked him up. Give us a quick version of that story? RD: This was someone I had seen on television for years – larger than life. He was a Cy Young award winner and one time held the record for the most consecutive innings pitched without allowing a run. When he came into the room he was carrying a bag of cookies he had picked up in an airport shop. As soon as we were introduced he offered me one of his cookies. VK: Did you accept? RD: I did. It was a great cookie. He was a great man. Most of the seats in the living room were taken up so I was going to give him my seat on the couch. He had just flown across the country. But he just plopped down on a foot stool that was empty and offered everyone else a cookie. He talked to everyone as if he had known them his whole life. Despite his enormous professional success, endorsement deals, and fame he was just a kind, humble gentleman. If I hadn't known who he was he might have just been the guy next door. Unfortunately, you don't see that greatness of spirit in very many people these days. VK: So, that's another point that we need to recognize about the interaction of exaltation and humility. Even though they are frequently divorced in human behavior they don't have to be. It is possible to be extremely successful, famous even, and not act like you are. That's essentially an observation that would definitely apply to Jesus. RD: Exactly. Jesus was never in doubt about who He was or what He came to earth to do. The only episode that the Bible recounts about Jesus' boyhood is in the closing verses of Luke, chapter 2. Jesus' family went to Jerusalem for the annual Passover as most Jews did if they were able. When Jesus was 12, Luke tells us that as the travelling party from his village began returning home his parents discovered he was missing so they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They found him in the temple where he was conversing with the people who were the religious elite of that day. When they asked Jesus why he had done something that had scared them so much, Jesus said, in the King James language, “didn't you know I have to be about my Father's business?” Jesus knew exactly who He was and what He came to do. VK: So, Jesus knew throughout His life that He was the Son of God. Yet, the gospels, the records of Jesus' earthly life, tell us that Jesus was unfailingly kind to ordinary people, always willing to help, and even willing to visit with children when that kind of interaction would have been unheard of. Yet despite His gentleness, His kindness, Jesus could certainly be tough when He needed to be like when He drove the money changers out of the temple. RD: Exactly. So, let's take this thought just a little bit farther. As we heard in our meditation today, the most frequent way God is portrayed in the Bible is as a King. Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with images of God as a king, and not just as a “king” but as the “King of Kings.” God is the ultimate King of everything. But, in a sense, that image does not do God justice. The image of God as a King helps us understand God as Sovereign but there is a danger in thinking of God as just a more powerful earthly ruler. God is so much more than that. VK: What you're getting at is that all the images we form of God in our human minds never rise to the true level of God's exaltation. Human language simply doesn't contain the words to describe God's true majesty. And our minds certainly can form only the most rudimentary concepts of God's grandeur. In His essence God is not like us at all. He is of an entirely different order. He is unique, singular. So, there is a danger when we place God in a category occupied by other humans we run the risk of reducing God down to a concept we're comfortable with. RD: Yes. Maybe one final illustration helps put the complementary nature of God's attributes of exaltation and humility into perspective. If a professional tennis player is playing a fellow professional their serves will easily exceed 100 miles per hour. But if that professional is trying to encourage a young player they're not going to try to smoke them. They will deliberately restrain their power, their excellence to help someone weaker than themselves. We'd consider a pro who didn't do that to be either a bully or a brute. There are certainly occasions when God demonstrated the nature of His power so we could have a proper appreciation of it, as when he was the fire on the mountaintop in Exodus 24:17. God knows who He is and He has shown us. But just like the pro He doesn't need to do that all the time. So, when God came to earth in the incarnation He was demonstrating His graphic desire to lift us up, to encourage us, to save us. VK: That truly is an amazing thought. The Lord of the universe cares so much for us that He was willing to humble Himself and take on a human nature so astounding that we can't conceive of the magnitude of the gift He gave us. God created 50 to 100 billion galaxies each of which contain 50 to 100 Billion stars. Yet, doing so did not begin to tax Him in the least. We very rarely spend any time thinking about God's vastness, His magnificence, His greatness. So, when God came to earth, literally, He was doing something inconceivably gracious. RD: Anyone who meditates on this even briefly can understand why John Newton wrote the song Amazing Grace. God could only do what He did because He is who He is. God rules over everything but His eye truly “is on the sparrow.” This should be something that animates every Christian to break out in song of praise and it's why the thought of spending an eternity beholding the face of God was considered by the ancient Hebrews to be the ultimate reward – sometimes referred to as the “Beatific Vision.” VK: God's care for mankind is certainly one of the clearest illustrations of how God's attributes complement each other so perfectly. Well , in our next episode of Anchored by Truth we're going to continue to explore more of God's attributes and continue to see how they enable us to truly understand what a great God we worship. This sounds like a great time to go to the Lord in prayer. Today let's listen to a prayer for encouragement for the celebration of Easter – the time when we remember that on Easter morning Jesus rose out of a stone tomb telling us that He rules not only the visible universe but over death itself. Let's remember always to pray regularly for our nation and communities. The Bible assures us that “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world” and that God hears and responds to the sincere prayers of His faithful children. ---- PRAYER FOR EASTER VK: We'd like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you'd like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We're not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the New International Version) Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, verse 6, New International Version Joshua, Chapter 1, verse 5, New International Version A Meditation on God's Sovereignty It is popular today to view God as sort of a kindly grandfather watching the activities of His children, applauding them when they do good, shaking His head ruefully when they mess up, always ready with a chocolate chip cookie and a hug to let them know He loves them. As appealing as this image is, it is not a faithful depiction of the God of the Bible. Among other things, it misses entirely one of the most important attributes of God: His royal sovereignty. First century Israelites were shocked to hear Jesus address God as His Father. They were comfortable with the notion of God as king and so conscious of His exalted status, they would not speak His personal name, Yahweh. They knew God as sovereign, but were unfamiliar with Him as father. Contemporary believers, by contrast, are perfectly comfortable calling God, “Father”; but recognizing God as king and sovereign seems out of place in these enlightened times. Frankly it not only seems out of place but also makes us decidedly uncomfortable. Whether it is comfortable for us or not, the most frequent way God is portrayed in the Bible is as a king seated on a throne. Images of God on the throne of heaven are found in both the Old and New Testaments. After His ascension, Jesus is spoken of as being seated at the right hand of the Father. Being seated at the right hand (the place of honor) is a description of royalty. In Biblical times, petitioners appeared before the throne standing. Even counselors and advisers to the king would stand. The only ones who remained seated in the presence of the king were the members of the royal party; so, when the Bible says Jesus is “seated at the right hand,” it is affirming not only God's royal position, but also Jesus' own regal nature. God's sovereignty makes most of us very uncomfortable when we first learn about it, because we are so accustomed to seeing ourselves as sovereign over our own lives. Encountering God's kingship is frustrating because it means we must yield our wills to someone else. Yet the more we meditate on God's sovereignty, the more comfortable we should become with it. God's sovereignty means we can pray with confidence for loved ones who show no interest in Christ, for children who are facing peer pressures, for families pressured by tough economic times, and for evangelists traveling in lands hostile to the gospel. If God were not sovereign then Satan, politicians, tyrants, or wayward adolescents could overrule His decisions. Fortunately, they cannot. Nor can we. The question for us is whether we will acknowledge our heavenly Father's sovereignty and submit to His authority. Jesus set the example for us in the Garden of Gethsemane when He declared “…yet not My will, but Yours be done.” If Jesus could surrender, so should we, knowing that the Father's love for us abides constantly as He exercises His rightful sovereignty over us and all His creation.
(Is. 49:8-15; Ps.145:8-9,13-14,17-18; Jn.5:17-30) “Just as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He has granted it to the Son to have life in Himself.” Here the great mystery of the unity of Father and Son is revealed, and so also our salvation. God is life. The Father is the great I AM, He who will be what He will be and do what He will do – He who holds the world and all its wonders in His creating Hand. And Jesus is as He is. He shares absolutely in the Life that is the Father. “Speaking of God as His own Father, [He is] thereby making Himself God's equal.” And this perfect union is most clearly evident in the fact that “the Father has given over to Him power to pass judgment.” For who can judge the soul of man but God, and so, who is Jesus but God Himself? And this union of Father and Son in the absolute love that gives proof of the Spirit's presence, and thus completes the Holy Trinity, is the key to our readings today. Thus, though the thrust of the Word is our own salvation from sin and death, this is only effected in the love of the Father for the Son – for it is in our own union with Jesus and in His washing us clean from sin by standing in our place upon the cross that we find union with the Father, that we find the Life to which we all are called… in whom we find our home of love. The Lord says, “I will cut a road through all my mountains and make my highways level.” Jesus the Son is that road by which the Father “comforts His people and shows mercy to His afflicted” by leading them back to Him, guiding them “beside springs of water” that “they shall not hunger or thirst” but “find pasture” in His arms. For “can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” Greater than any mother's love is the Lord's love for us, and this He makes known through His only Son. Brothers and sisters, “the dead shall hear the voice of God's Son, and those who have heeded it shall live.” Even now the Lord is “saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves!” Out from the tombs He calls us, for He is “compassionate toward all His works” and desires in His perfect will that all share in His holiness, in His Life. Let us do right in Him, and as His Son we, too, shall live. ******* O LORD, from the tombs let us come forth at the sound of your Son's voice. YHWH, you are kind and merciful and so you send your only Son to reveal your loving will, to draw all unto you and so to eternal life. Let us heed His voice and so your own; let us thus come to your kingdom. On your holy mountain let us make our home, dear LORD. Though desolate we may be, seemingly abandoned by you, far from your grace… yet you call us back to you and assure us of your loving kindness in the word and the Person of your Son. You do not forget us; let us not forget the wonders of your love you show us in Jesus. Your Son shall judge all men's souls. To Him you have given this power, O LORD. For He is One with you and does only your will, and so His judgment is your own. May we be so united with your will and your judgment in Jesus your Son that we shall ever know your surpassing love and come to dwell with you in Heaven.
(Is. 49:8-15; Ps.145:8-9,13-14,17-18; Jn.5:17-30) “Just as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He has granted it to the Son to have life in Himself.” Here the great mystery of the unity of Father and Son is revealed, and so also our salvation. God is life. The Father is the great I AM, He who will be what He will be and do what He will do – He who holds the world and all its wonders in His creating Hand. And Jesus is as He is. He shares absolutely in the Life that is the Father. “Speaking of God as His own Father, [He is] thereby making Himself God's equal.” And this perfect union is most clearly evident in the fact that “the Father has given over to Him power to pass judgment.” For who can judge the soul of man but God, and so, who is Jesus but God Himself? And this union of Father and Son in the absolute love that gives proof of the Spirit's presence, and thus completes the Holy Trinity, is the key to our readings today. Thus, though the thrust of the Word is our own salvation from sin and death, this is only effected in the love of the Father for the Son – for it is in our own union with Jesus and in His washing us clean from sin by standing in our place upon the cross that we find union with the Father, that we find the Life to which we all are called… in whom we find our home of love. The Lord says, “I will cut a road through all my mountains and make my highways level.” Jesus the Son is that road by which the Father “comforts His people and shows mercy to His afflicted” by leading them back to Him, guiding them “beside springs of water” that “they shall not hunger or thirst” but “find pasture” in His arms. For “can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” Greater than any mother's love is the Lord's love for us, and this He makes known through His only Son. Brothers and sisters, “the dead shall hear the voice of God's Son, and those who have heeded it shall live.” Even now the Lord is “saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves!” Out from the tombs He calls us, for He is “compassionate toward all His works” and desires in His perfect will that all share in His holiness, in His Life. Let us do right in Him, and as His Son we, too, shall live. ******* O LORD, from the tombs let us come forth at the sound of your Son's voice. YHWH, you are kind and merciful and so you send your only Son to reveal your loving will, to draw all unto you and so to eternal life. Let us heed His voice and so your own; let us thus come to your kingdom. On your holy mountain let us make our home, dear LORD. Though desolate we may be, seemingly abandoned by you, far from your grace… yet you call us back to you and assure us of your loving kindness in the word and the Person of your Son. You do not forget us; let us not forget the wonders of your love you show us in Jesus. Your Son shall judge all men's souls. To Him you have given this power, O LORD. For He is One with you and does only your will, and so His judgment is your own. May we be so united with your will and your judgment in Jesus your Son that we shall ever know your surpassing love and come to dwell with you in Heaven.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 One body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, and now, one Lord. Jesus Christ, the Man, the Head of the body that is the church, is Himself God. "He said that He had always existed. He said that He was coming to judge the world at the end of time." [Lewis] for full notes: https://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=2388
Psalm 119:57-64. In a year which seems to be one of the worst on record, and living in a world that seems to be getting worse by the day, how can a Christian live with thankfulness? Should we ever celebrate Thanksgiving this year? Or more importantly, are there even blessings of God worthy of thanks? These questions are all valid and the answers are more profound than they might seem. The psalmist in Psalm 119 wrote diligently about his reasons for being thankful. One of the primary reasons is that God, the creator of all things, is the psalmist's portion (or provision). In the ancient world, without a portion of land or property to your name, you were unlikely to survive very long. However, the psalmist did not see his relationship with God that way. He understood that, no matter what was happening in his life, no matter what he may have been lacking physically, he found peace and hope in the love of, not so much the provision, but the provider Himself – God. Pastor Matt Thornton, Speaker. Archive date: 11/22/20
Did you know that in Exodus 34: 28 After Moses saw the golden calf and broke the tablets, and begging God to forgive the people, that the Lord called Moses up to the mountain? Notice the word commandments. "28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments."If you click on the word commandments, in BSC you will see the word dabbar, which is revelation from the Lord. Thus, we could say; The 10 Revelations". What were they revealing? We discuss this very question in our podcast.The children of Israel made a golden calf because they decided to put their trust in man and break the first covenant in Exodus 20. Do we? Do we put our entire religious life into a teacher or denomination versus studying for ourselves? Getting revelations from God, in our bible study has changed our life. We had no idea that our Christian walk could be so different. We could actually say about the 10 commandments; "The 10 wicked revelations of our heart". Yeah, let that sink in. The "thou shalt nots" of Exodus 20 now are more clear to us since they are revelations of how we need to treat God and people. The Lord Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me you will obey my commandments". It dawned on us ( was this revelation?) that The Lord Jesus Christ was declaring Himself God (the One Who wrote the commandments) and that if we love Him we will obey His word. How? With His Holy Spirit changing power and a submitted heart. Titus 2:11-12 He also gave us the answer to "Love the Lord your God with your whole heart..." Obey His word. In this podcast, we discuss prayer, the armor of God, and seeking His revelation. We hope you will join us and share!
In John 5:4, it speaks of the pool of Bethsaida. The account is that Jesus has gone up to the town of Jerusalem. There was a pool of Bethsaida, where each day an angel would come and trouble the water. Whomever makes it into the pool first, is healed from their disease. When Jesus asked a man if he'd like to be healed, he tells Jesus he would be he can't get into the water first. He was hoping someone would help in him. The new aged Bibles take out the verse about the angel troubling the water. Which makes the entire story make no sense. Jesus said to him, arise and take up thy bed and be made whole and immediately he was healed. This was the Sabbath day. The Pharisees had made a rule/law that one can't heal or carry their bed (and a slew of other laws). Jesus broke the law so to speak. The Pharisees confront him about this. He was about His father's work. They then sought to kill Him. He broke the law by healing on the Sabbath but also because He called Himself God's son. The Pharisee's knew who Jesus was, but did not want to have Him rule over them. Where your soul goes after death, depends on what you do "during the dash", your life. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
True to Himself God demonstrates His covenant righteousness by freely exercising mercy and justice upon sinners.
*****I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY MUSIC PLAYED IN THIS EPISODE*****"Red Writing Hood's" performance is definitely a heart-felt and unforgettable one. Her delivery leaves her listeners in complete awe EVERY TIME. This rising star has grown at a very fast pace in the land of Spoken Word, and her work is continuously requested from venues, churches, and other various functions from all over. She is EVERY woman, captivating audiences her grace, class, and DYNAMIC Features!Her album, entitled "Heartbeat Of A Single Mother" (Produced By MegaSource Entertainment), was released in July 2011 setting a record-breaking attendance of patrons who had all been anticipating the 1st CD compilation of the talented poet. She released her 2nd album in July 2016 entitled "Red Tape" (Produced by MAC REPS), and the support of both projects have been overwhelming, but she is humble and as modest as they come, never taking any of her earned privileges, accolades, and support of her fans for granted.She has always had a passion for women and their struggles so much so that she was afforded the opportunity to volunteer her work and performances at Women's Detention Center in Miami-Dade County, where she is from. She was raised in church, and truly believes in sharing her gift by recognizing the gift-giver Himself (God), who has Blessed her tremendously.Losing her mentor & friend, Miami poet, Will "Da Real One" Bell, to gun violence was extremely devastating to her. But she knew she had to allow this tragedy to make her stronger with everything he taught her. His motto was "Be Humble Yet, Explosive", and that's just what she is."Red Writing Hood" has also been fortunate enough to land the opportunity of a lifetime and founded "The Write Mic" where she hosted an Open Mic night on Tuesdays in Opa-Locka, FL. Some may say she is controversial, while others recognize her for her realness. She is indeed REAL, she is the TRUTH, and DEFINITELY a force to be reckoned with.Website: www.redwritinghoodpoet.comFacebook: facebook.com/redwritinghoodInstgram: @redwritinghoodpoet--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iamlovereigns/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/iamlovereigns/support
Q. 24 How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.Jesus is Himself God's Word. His life is God's revelation. He reveals God's will to us in His person and actions.
Q. 24 How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet---A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.--Jesus is Himself God's Word. His life is God's revelation. He reveals God's will to us in His person and actions.
Developing Intimacy With God 8. The Bible Helps You To Get To Know God’s Will God has a program for the universe and it is revealed only in the Bible. The overall will of God, is that all people should come to believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Saviour. After starting the Christian life, you discover God’s program by humbly reading his written word, the Bible. You become aware of how God wants you to live and what God wants you to do. God’s initial will for those who believe, is the changing and conforming of the believer into the likeness of Jesus. But this is only the beginning of God’s work in the believer! This serves as merely an elemental introduction into the lifelong process of becoming like Jesus Christ, the Son of God – your Saviour. Paul writes “being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6). God will not abandon you, but he will keep working in you, transforming you to be like Jesus Christ. Being obedient to God’s will as revealed in the Bible, helps speed this work of transformation within you. It is work, because being obedient to God can be difficult and it can involve great personal cost. Yet it is also very worthwhile in the light of eternity. Secondly, as a Christian believer, you should not overlook God’s work in this world. Was it not Jesus who commanded all his followers to tell everybody about Himself? God uses people to spread the good news of this gospel. People are God’s hands, feet and voice to the world This includes you, if you allow him and seize every opportunity! Then conviction comes to a person through the work of the Holy Spirit. Finally, believe it or not, God is at work in and through the church – his church. The church throughout the world and throughout history. The church is to be a dynamic organism ordained by Jesus to do work for God. As the church reflects biblical truths to the world, God works through his Holy Spirit and through his followers. In so doing, the church is strengthened and blessed abundantly. I wonder if that describes your experience of church? Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file ~ You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Click here to download this podcast Today is your opportunity to experience the transformation power of the Holy Spirit! What do you think blind Bartamaeus felt when he was able to see for the first time in his life? Or how about the woman whose son had died, and during the funeral procession Jesus raised her son from the dead? In Jeremiah 13:23, we read God's questioning to Israel, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil." The answer is obviously no. But God can perform an even greater transformation a person changing the color of their skin or an animal changing the color of their fur. One Powerful Secret That Will Transform Your Life "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 Jesus suffered torturous flogging because He knew the pain we would endure Abandonment by our parents Betrayal from friends Failed marriages and infidelity Abuse, molestation, date rape Jesus purchased our healing. He suffered horrible pain so Our damaged emotions could be healed Our trouble minds can be healed Jesus doesn't want us to life a lifetime as a victim Discover how you can move beyond your past to a future of promise and hope in my book Discovering True Identity. Get Discovering True Identity 30% off today with the coupon code: Identity "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. " Isaiah 53:5 Why would God allow His Son to die such a violent death? He wasn't just wounded for our transgressions He wasn't just bruised for our iniquity He also said... "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 What is sin? To miss the mark, to fall short When we knowingly - or even unknowingly - do those things that are wrong When Jesus was being beaten, flogged, and hanging on the cross He took all of our suffering on Himself God took all our sin and put it on Him He was dying in our place, so we wouldn't have to die God is offering us an amazing opportunity! To have everything wrong we've ever done in our life forgiven And more than forgiven - but to be declared just as if we've never sinned! Discover how you can move beyond your past to a future of promise and hope in my book Discovering True Identity. Get Discovering True Identity 30% off today with the coupon code: Identity More Articles Like This: 4 Things That Happen When You Become a Christian How to Live as a New Creation How to Live Free From Your Past You Have a New Identity in Christ A New Year a New Identity The Most Important Choice Every Christian Will Make You Have a New Identity in Christ Do You Believe the Gospel? Has the Church Made Too Big a Deal of Sin and Repentance Why We Celebrate Resurrection Sunday How to Have a Whole New Life If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving us a review. This helps the Foundational podcast reach more listeners. Be sure to tell a friend about the Foundational blog and podcast, and share with them about the free Bible Reading Challenge journal they will receive when they subscribe to receive my newsletter!
That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || John tells us towards the end of his gospel that he wrote it ‘so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’ (John 20:31). In the prologue John reveals the identity of Christ. He presents Jesus as the eternal and incarnate Word, who is both the Son of the Father, and is Himself God. And though there are those who reject Him, those who receive Him are made children of God.
Matthew 9:1-8 NIV ~ Jesus Forgives and Heals a -_Paralyzed Man _Jesus witness their faith _Jesus then forgave their sins _Leaders/teachers hated on him (called Him a liar) _Jesus had faith in Himself (God in Him) by _Healed paralyzed man _Both Jesus and man believed they had authority to heal and be healed, respectively
Foundations—11 Core Truths to Build Your Life On By Tom Holladay and Kay Warren God—Part 1 Life Change Objective—to gain a deeper sense of God’s love for you as a Father and to act in some new way on the fact that God is your Father As we look at God’s existence, we need to remember three key truths: God is ___________________________. How do we know that God exists? We see God’s ______________________ in what he has made. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2) We see God’s _______________________ on human history. “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27) We see God’s ________________________ in our lives. God is ______________________________. How does God reveal Himself? God reveals Himself through His ________________________. “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and his divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20 NLT) God reveals Himself through His ________________________. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT) God reveals Himself to us through His ____________________. “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained him.” (John 1:18 NASB) God is ____________________________. Popular lie: ________________________________________________ Popular lie: ________________________________________________ Popular lie: ________________________________________________ Popular lie: ________________________________________________ The number one way we see that God is relational is that Jesus taught us to call God our FATHER.
Disciple Up # 114 Let's Talk About the Trinity By Louie Marsh, 6-26-2019 The notes for this episode were taken from an old series that I wrote quite a few years ago called Basic Bible Questions. Also, don't forget to check out http://www.waltermartin.com/ for great Bible teaching! Introduction One of the most frequently misunderstood subjects in the Bible and the Christian faith is the Trinity. If you have questions about the Trinity – welcome to the club! Almost everyone does! Questions like: How is it possible for three to be one? What do we mean when we say they are one? What is the doctrine of the Trinity anyway? This chapter will attempt to give basic answers to these and other questions about the Trinity. Please don't think of this as the last word, or the most authoritative word, on the topic. Rather think of this as a basic explanation of this important biblical truth. Only One God The best starting place for an understanding of the Trinity is the bedrock of all the Bible's teachings about God. If you don't understand and believe this – then you do not and cannot understand what the Bible teaches about God. This is absolutely essential to understand and believe. There is only one God! Not three or four or five or hundreds or more, only one! While many cults and other religions deny this, it remains the cornerstone of biblical truth about God. All Jewish and Christian faith is based on the unshakable conviction that this is true. The core of the Old Testament faith is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Rabbi's call this the Shema. It declares the unique biblical view that there is only one God. God Himself says the same thing, “Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." Isaiah 44:8 God also had this to say about the issue: "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God. Isaiah 43:10-12 If God doesn't know of any other gods, and if He in fact declares that they don't exist, never have and never will, that ought to settle the matter shouldn't it? [See the End Notes of this chapter for more Scriptural support of this position.] Three Called God The Jewish faith lived by their belief in only one God (a belief called Monotheism) for two thousand years. But in the New Testament we learn something new about this One God. We find that there are three Persons (or Personalities) who are called God. The Father: Jesus taught us to pray this way: "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Matthew 6:9. Paul also wrote this; I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father…Eph. 1:17. It is obvious then that the Father is God! The Son: Jesus Christ was called God and called Himself God many times in the New Testament. In the John's Gospel He not only claimed this, but he enemies clearly understood Him to be making that claim. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33 The Apostle Paul teaches us that Christ is completely God, and not some half-god, half-man myth like Hercules for example. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, Col. 2:9 [See this chapters End Notes for more references like these.] It is equally obvious that the Son is God! The Holy Spirit: Besides the fact that the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of God and therefore must be God too, there are other Scriptures that show us His divine nature. One that is often overlooked was written by Paul, Now the Lord is the Spirit… 2 Cor. 3:17. We see this very clearly in Acts where in a confrontation with a man who refuses to quit lying Peter makes it clear that lying to the Spirit is lying to God. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit… What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:3-4 Clearly the Holy Spirit is God too! References Throughout the New Testament Throughout the New Testament references to the three members of the Trinity abound. For example look at the baptismal formula Jesus gave us: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19. Or look at what the Apostle Peter said: who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood… 1 Peter 1:2. Then there is Paul's blessing (or wish prayer as some call it) on the Corinthians: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor. 13:14. From these references (and many others can be found) it's obvious that the writers of the New Testament believed in the Trinity even if they never used the word Trinity. A Little Logic Now it's time for a little logic. Follow this chain of thought through and see if it doesn't make sense to you. The Bible says there only one God; Yet the New Testament calls three Persons God. Therefore one or the other of the following two conclusions must be true: The writers of the New Testament were complete idiots who didn't realize they were contradicting themselves, or Somehow, in someway not completely understood by us, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit together make up the One God of the Bible! That is what Christians have always believed that the Bible teaches – that is the position Christians everywhere have held. Defining Terms I took debate in college and one of the things they constantly stressed to us was the importance of defining your terms. If you can't define it, you can't believe it or defend it! Below is a good working definition of the Trinity, this is the classical formula that has been used and believed for centuries. “Within the nature of the one eternal God, there are three eternal Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Three Being One, Not One Being Three Having defined the Trinity, it's important to look a bit deeper at what it means. The Trinity isn't one God acting like three different persons, or becoming them one after the other, or at different points in time. This view, known by various names but perhaps best known today as the “Oneness” doctrine (held by the United Pentecostal Church among others) is not what the Bible teaches. It is also not what the Church has taught through out the ages or what Christians have believed. To illustrate why this interpretation can't be right let's look at a couple of situations from the life of Christ and imagine how different they would be if the Oneness doctrine was correct. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:21-22 Here at one place and at the same time we have the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending on Him like a dove, and the Father speaking from heaven. Now either God is a ventriloquist or a magician or else the three members of the Trinity co-exist simultaneously together. If the Oneness doctrine is correct then in the above example God deliberately deceived us by pretending to be three persons when He's really only one! The same is true of the Transfiguration, look at what God said about Jesus. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matthew 17:5 If the Oneness view is correct then God the Father either lied here – or He made a mistake. He should have said, “This is my beloved me, with me I am well pleased, listen to me!” Kind of confusing isn't it? Of course! When Jesus prayed to the Father was He talking to Himself? No! That's why the doctrine of the Trinity is so important because it helps us make sense of some of the things Jesus said and did! He wasn't talking to Himself; He was talking to His Father. So in the New Testament when we see Jesus talking to the Father or the Father talking to Him what we are seeing is one Person in the Trinity talking to another, as they have done from all eternity. How Does It Work? No one other than the members of the Trinity themselves could possibly understand or fully explain the way they co-exist together. However through out the history of the church many different illustrations have been used to help us grasp a little of what the Triune God is like. You've probably seen pictures of an over lapping circles to explain how the three Persons of the Trinity can be one yet separate as well. Or you may have heard the Trinity compared to an egg or a three-leaf clover (that was St. Patrick's favorite!). Below are my two personal favorite illustrations. An Illustration From Nature Picture a beautiful lake surrounded by towering snow capped peaks on a cold mountain morning. It's covered with a layer of ice and a dense fog is floating over it. If you could reach into the ice and take a molecule from it, reach into the water below the ice and take a molecule from it, and also take one from the fog what would you have? You'd have three identical H20 molecules. The substance of the liquid (water), the solid (ice) and the gas (fog) look different, and act different, but has the same molecular makeup – H20. So it is with members of the Trinity. Their substance is the same, yet they are three distinct Persons. The three are one! An illustration From Science Chemists tell us of something they call “The Triple Point of Water.” When you put water into a vacuum tube, pump out all the air and put in under an exact pressure and extremely low temperature, something remarkable happens. Inside the tube the water at the top bursts into steam, the water at the bottom freezes solid, and the water in the middle stays liquid. All three states exist simultaneously. The Triple Point of Water is the best example of the Trinity I've ever heard of (thanks to the late Dr. Walter Martin for teaching it!). The three are unique, yet one, and co-exist simultaneously. H20 is the simplest of all the molecules, yet God has created it so that it reflects His complex nature. If water can do that – why can't God? The argument against the Trinity that it's impossible or irrational is simply not true, as I hope I've demonstrated here for you. The Trinity isn't completely beyond our grasp. We can understand a little bit of what it is and how it works. God created His universe to mirror His nature, so that we could grasp a little of His glory. It's not too hard to believe. End Notes Below are some Scripture references that will help you as you study the doctrine of the Trinity, the nature of God and the identity of Jesus. Only One God: Duet. 4:35,39; 6:4; 32:39; Neh. 9:6; Psalm 83:18; Isa. 37:16; 43:10-15; 44:6-8; 45:5-12,21-25. Mark 12:29,32; John 5:44; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15; James 4:12; Jude 1:25. Jesus is God: John 1:1-3; 5:16-18; 14:6-9; 20:27-28; Phil. 2:5-11; Col, 1:15-20; 2:8-10. There's more but this should get you started!
God Roars - Why? Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. G'day and welcome to Partake! The Bible, as we discussed in the last podcast, tells of how God has roared, or spoken if you like, to all of humanity. He has done this through the Bible using revelation, inspiration and illumination. In this podcast, we will go onto ask why we should interact with the Bible. But firstly, lets look at some keys to understanding how to read the Bible. Keys To Understanding the Bible. Here are six short keys to help you open the doors of the Bible, and allow it to have an impact on your life - to let God roar into your life! Firstly, pray that the Holy Spirit will help you as you read. That is part of His role in your life as a Christian Disciple and believer. He will use the Bible to enlighten and illuminate your mind, heart and will as you seek to be obedient to Him. As you read the Bible, pray what you read - let it have an immediate impact on your life! The God who wrote it, is listening and is eager to see you transformed into the image of God the Son in the power of God the Holy Spirit! Secondly, the Bible is inerrant, or without error, and that it is totally trustworthy. It does not contain errors or mistakes in its original form. That is in the original manuscripts and languages. It is not inerrant, however, in so far as the translation from those languages. As Christian Disciples, we maintain the Bible as our final authority over all things. If it was not inerrant, then it could have no authority at all. Thirdly, no part of the Bible will explicitly contradict another part. It is a balanced and unified message from a God who does not change. God is not a God of confusion, but a God of order. As you read it regularly and consistently, you will be amazed how it holds together. Fourthly, we are to keep what we are reading in context - not only in its immediate context, but also in context with the rest of the Bible. Take for example Psalm 14:1 where the Bible says "There is no God". What Psalm 14:1 actually says is that the fool in his heart has said "There is no God". It is also out of context with the rest of the Bible where God is said to exist, such as Genesis chapter 1. You can make the Bible say whatever you want it to say, by merely taking sections out of context, and thus creating pretexts. Ask yourself questions about the passage: How, who, when, where, why and what? Fifthly, use a Bible you can read easily. There are many translations available to suit the taste of anybody. You may like to use a Bible reading plan, which will take you through the Bible in a year. Lastly, expect to be changed when reading the Bible. Read it with an obedient heart, mind and will. The Bible is God's Written Word because it is active, and God will not cease transforming you into the image of Jesus the Living Word - which is the goal of Christian Discipleship. So if they are the keys to the doors, what are the doors! The Bible Equips For Service! One of the main ways that the Bible helps you, is by equipping you as a Christian for active service! There are at least four ways, in which the Bible does this in your life as a Christian! Firstly, is that the Bible both equips, and is useful for, evangelism and pointing others to Jesus Christ. When Philip the evangelist was talking to the Ethiopian about the Christ, it was Isaiah 53, which was the point of query. The bible also equips in order for you to give counsel & instruction to others seeking help. An example of this is seen when Paul urged Timothy to use Scripture when teaching others. Thirdly, the Bible equips you as a Christian to use your spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is an ability given by the Holy Spirit, to you the believer, so that the church as a whole is encouraged and God is glorified. Your spiritual maturity derives from building Bible knowledge, which in turn helps you use your spiritual gifts in the best way possible. Finally, it also equips you for doing battle with Satan and resisting temptation. In writing to the Ephesians, Paul likened the believers' spiritual armour to that used by Roman foot soldiers. In this anecdote, the Bible is compared to a soldier's sword. A sword is not only used to defend, but also used to attack. Jesus fended off and attacked Satan by using Scripture to negate the temptation. You can use all these methods in order to live the Christian life, and also to grow into spiritual maturity. This is as you read your Bible regularly, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate it to you, as you do so. The Bible Helps Know God More One of the very key teachings from the Bible is that God can be known personally. People are not naturally born possessing this knowledge, even though they know the very existence of God. Knowing that God exists is not the same as actually knowing God personally. In the same way that I know about the Queen, I don't know her personally. That is the same state people are in, with regards to God. Personal knowledge of God is ultimately crucial however, since knowing God personally and developing the relationship is what being a Christian is all about. As a Christian believer, you should be rejoicing that God earnestly desires you to attain this knowledge of Him, in order to know Him more and more. For this reason, He has spoken to you through His written Word, the Bible, revealing Himself and disclosing how you may know Him more. Whilst God can be known, your knowledge of God is partial and you will never know everything there is to be known about Him. Knowledge of Him is both wondrous and without end. As you grow spiritually, knowing the Bible and thus knowing Him more, you will grow in spiritual maturity. The Apostle Peter commands that you grow in the knowledge of Jesus. You do this as part of your spiritual journey, in order to become more like Jesus Christ. One of the Christian life's' greatest delights, is developing an intimate knowledge of God and of developing an intimacy with Him. The gospel, or the news of Jesus you share with other people, is rightly entitled: "the power of God to salvation". The Bible, and its gospel whereby people come to know God, are found in that the gospel is the agent of the new birth. The gospel is the soap or cleansing agent whereby God gives the believing sinner a spiritual bath resulting in salvation and the Bible is a teacher that brings wisdom, which leads to salvation. The Bible Helps Know God's Will God has a program for the universe and it is revealed only in the Bible. The overall will of God, is that all people come to believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Saviour. After starting the Christian life, you discover God's program from humbly reading His written word, the Bible. God's initial will for those who believe is the changing and conforming of the believer into the likeness of Jesus. But this is only the beginning of God's work in you! This serves as merely an introduction into the lifelong process of becoming like Jesus. Paul writes "God who began the good work in you, will keep on working in you until the day Jesus Christ comes again". God will not abandon you, but will keep working in you, transforming you to be like Jesus Christ. Obeying God's will as revealed in the Bible, helps speed this transforming work along. It is work, because sometimes obedience is difficult and involves cost, yet worthwhile in the light of eternity. Secondly, as a Christian believer, you should not overlook God's work in this world. Was it not Jesus' who commanded all his followers to tell all men about Himself? God uses people to tell this gospel and conviction comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. This includes you, if you allow Him and seize every opportunity! Finally, believe it or not, God is at work in and through the church - His church. The church is to be a dynamic organism ordained by Jesus to do work for God. As the church reflects biblical truths to the world, God works through His Holy Spirit and through his followers in order to strengthen and bless the church. God has roared and continues to roar! The Bible, by way of revelation, illumination and inspiration, help transform the reader! By using 6 keys of understanding, there are 3 doors opened up: door to serve God efficiently, know God more and know God's will! Let God roar to you through the Bible and go have an impact on your community! For more to think about, please do read in the Bible, Luke 24:25-35; Matthew Chapter 4:1-11; 2 Peter 3:14-18. Philippians 1:3-6. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together. 1. What do I understand by the word "inerrant" and authority in regards to the Bible? 2. What is my expectation when I read the Bible and in what ways can I use the Bible every day to be cleansed and grow in spiritual maturity? 3. How does the Bible help my relationship with God and allow God to reveal His will and programme? 4. Why should I reflect biblical truths in my life to those who do not know God? Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Show Notes: This is our 100th podcast episode! We hosted a live Q+R before an audience of our friends and supporters in our studios in Portland, Oregon. We also had our good friends, the band Tents, play our podcast theme music live for us. You can find the video release of this Q+R here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh2Xwja6M4s Tim and Jon responded to three questions: Q1: (7:40) Parker from Twitter: Why does God in Genesis 1 say let us make humanity in "our" image instead of saying let us make humanity in "my" image if he is speaking to the divine council? And how does this affect the imago dei? Q2: (22:04) Andrew from Nottingham, UK: Does an emphasis on the heavenly council lead people away from a trinitarian view of God and rather see Jesus as one of the lesser elohim? For instance, from my limited understanding, that's how Jehovah's Witnesses view. Thanks for everything you do I find it really helpful! Q3: (29:30) Ryan Craycraft from Middletown, Ohio: Tim, you mentioned that elohim only refers to a non-physical spiritual being. However when reading John 10:34-35, when being accused of blasphemy by the Jews for making Himself God, Jesus appears to quote Psalm 82, "Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods," when speaking directly to Jews. What is your take on Jesus' response here? And how do both the Scriptures of John 10 and Psalm 82 relate to elohim used in Exodus 22, where the word "judges" was translated from elohim? Thank you so much! Thank you to all of our supporters! Music by Tents Learn more about Tents here: https://www.facebook.com/tentsband/ Get all sorts of free resources at www.thebibleproject.com Here are the two videos we released in our season five premier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1zkwkI9oAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9W5afjndtU Show Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen
Message: Grace, leading to resurrectionText: Philippians 2:1-11~9-11 Jesus will be the ultimate Judge~1-5 Humble yourselves, like…~6-8 Jesus humbled Himself…God limited Himself.Notice: the trial before the Sanhedrin court; the judgment and sentencing before Pilate and Herod; the Roman soldiers as they beat and tortured Jesus, as they and the Jews mocked Him as He hung on the cross, slapped Him, pulled out His beard; His closest friends as most of them deserted Him and denied HimC.S. Lewis, “For the real question is not what are we to make of Christ, but what is He to make of us? The picture of a fly sitting deciding what it is going to make of an elephant has comic elements about it."~A covenant with God was broken when Adam and Eve sinned, and when we sinned, and separation from God is the result. Jesus paid the price required to bridge the separation and make us right with God again. We must humbly accept…grace.
We look at lots of questions that have been sent in, concerning our last show. We will discuss the idea of the “Trinity” in the Tanach, Passages that say God is not a man, and look at why Jesus prays to the Father if Jesus is Himself God. The post Show #207 – Is Yeshua God? appeared first on Messiah Matters.
Today’s passage: Acts 9 Grace is wonderful. God shows us such kindness and love and gentleness. Even though we don’t deserve it, God invites us into a relationship with himself. Having shown us mercy – taking the penalty of our sin onto Himself – God graciously invites us into his family, adopting us by the blood of Jesus through the Spirit of God. I like the idea of grace. I love the fact that there are countless second chances. Every […]
In the OT, God said His name was I AM. In the NT, Jesus finished the statement and explained who God is in our lives. I AM… I love the Old Testament. I love when the New Testament connects back to the Old. We see this several times. Jesus even quotes the Old Testament over and over, again. But one of my favorite connecting points are the “I AM” passages out of the Gospel of John. It goes all the way back to Moses standing in front of the burning bush in Exodus. God is speaking to Moses and tells him to go back to Egypt and free His people. “But who will I say sent me?” Moses asked. In other words, Moses asked God what His name is. What would God call Himself? God answered, “I AM.” Which I feel is a little vague. Ok, God, that’s cool. You are what? For thousands of years we had to wait. Until Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several I AM statements. He is doing two things. First, He is claiming to be God. We know this because the religious leaders freak out when Jesus uses this phrase. They knew exactly what He was saying. Second, Jesus is filling in the statement, “I Am…” Today, in John 10, we learn that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. About One Verse One Verse is a short, free podcast devotional designed to help you grow closer to God through less than 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Consistency trumps intensity. When it comes to working out, eating healthy, or managing our finances, consistency always trumps intensity. We reach our major life goals through small, purposeful steps taken daily. The same is true in our spiritual lives. I truly believe you will grow closer to God by spending just 5 minutes a day with Him versus cramming in an hour once a month. The One Verse Devotional is here to help take away the barriers of spending time with God. Now, during your workout, drive to work, or even shopping for groceries, you can invest in your spiritual life. http://phosphorusproject.com/
When it comes to gender, gender roles and gender relationships our culture seems to be the voice of reason. But what if we looked to the blueprints given to us by the Creator, Himself? God created us, men and women, to grow in community, guide each other, and need one another. God created us intentionally, By Design.
We live in an age, where idealism, elitism is frowned upon. It seems as if everything has been dragged down and our religion with it. So that, even the idea of saying that Christianity is different from every other religion, is regard as a kind of arrogance. Nevertheless it is true, and this is something we need to remember, that the founder of Christianity, the giver of Truth is Himself God, that He claimed to be God. There is no other founder of any religion which has every made the claim to be God. The best that they could say is that they are prophets. Even in the Old Testament which also comes from the true God. Moses made no claim to be God, he saw himself merely as a prophet, one who was entrusted with a task, one who was sent. The apostles likewise never claimed to be God, but rather they claimed to be servants. To be ones who were sent by He who came to redeem us… For Fr. Linus’ complete homily please listen to the Audio.
The moment Jesus declared Himself God, there was a target on His back. Even in the midst of running for His life, He stops with compassion and heals a man that had never before seen the light of day. Was the man blind because of his parents sin? Because of his own sin? Or could this be the moment his whole life up until that point had been leading to? What if we looked at every circumstance and situation as an opportunity to glorify God?Miraculous - John 9:1-12
Speaker or Performer: Pr. Mark D. Lovett Scripture Passage(s): John 3:1-15 Date of Delivery: June 15, 2014 In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.The only true God, the only God, is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There are no gods beside Him. When one thinks on God, the true God, one must naturally be thinking of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. To think on a god without this blessed, eternal, and most holy Trinity is to think on a false god, an unreal god.So when you’re reading facebook or some Hallmark card or some thing else that passes for godly wisdom these dark and later days, and you read something about God, His love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and so forth, unless it flows from and to the most blessed Trinity then it is a false, misleading dream. Which means unless it is fruit of the cross of Christ it is wicked and not of God. For we preach Christ crucified, who is the image of the invisible God, who is Himself God of God and very God of very God. Unless the wisdom and knowledge flow from and back to Christ Jesus, it is worldly wisdom and useless knowledge, for Jesus is the wisdom and the knowledge of God. All theology – all talk of God – is Christology, talk of Jesus, or else it is not of God.Take, for example, “God loves you.” Simple enough. Plain enough. But which God? Or, better still, how does God love you? Even if the god mentioned in “God loves you” loves you by helping you through your sin or difficulties, it still is not the true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For that God – that is, the true God – doesn’t help you through your sin but puts sin to death by the resurrection of Jesus. God doesn’t make you stronger to withstand the onslaught of greater and more maleficent sins; God – the true God – puts sin to death precisely because you cannot win the battle against sin. The true God doesn’t give you strength to face or even defeat sin. That is why Jesus died on the cross. He alone faced and defeated sin. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world – your sin, which is your unbelief.And He has given you His Holy Spirit, born again by water and the Spirit. And by His Holy Spirit you are called sons of God, children of the Most High. By His Spirit you are confirmed in the faith and participate in the life of Christ, the risen and ascended Lord. It is the Spirit that strengthens you, not to stand against sins of the flesh, but to stand against temptation which leads to death. Temptation isn’t simply or merely temptation to commit sins – so called sins of omission or commission – but to disbelieve; to stop believing that your heavenly Father gives you all things and blesses you will all good. That is the faith of the Christ and that is the faith of those that share in His Spirit.You are tempted by the devil and his demons to stop believing that your heavenly Father is the source of all that you need, all that you have; to stop believing that He gives you all things for your salvation – whether good or bad in the eyes of men. You are always tempted to begin to look to this world and the Mammon of this world as the source of all that you need and as the object of your desire and happiness.Now someone might object: I’m tempted to commit all sorts of sin all the time! No, you are not tempted to commit this or that sin. You are tempted to the only sin: unbelief. You are tempted to call God a liar. That is the only true temptation and the only true sin. Everything else that we call “sin” is because it does not come from the truth which calls upon God as our heavenly Father and looks to Him and expects from Him all good and blessings. All your sins – be they habitual or premeditated or even hidden from you – all your sins flow from disbelief; they flow from the lie that God is not your heavenly Father and that you are not children of God, born of water and the Spirit.But you have died to sin, having been crucified with Christ in holy Baptism. Sin no longer reigns in you, you are under grace. Therefore, rejoice and give thanks to God in Christ for all things! You have been set free from sin – free from unbelief – and have become slaves of God, not disbelieving but believing! And now the fruit you get from your belief, from your faith in Christ that you are children of God for His sake, the fruit you get from your belief leads to sanctification and eternal life.That is why a person needs to be born again. To be killed and brought to life, quickened by the Spirit of God so that what they do they do in faith and not in unbelief. For those who believe and are baptized shall be saved, but those that do not believe will be condemned. And what is it that we believe? We believe that God sent forth His only begotten Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord, not to condemn the world but to save the world; that whoever should believe on Him should have eternal life and be called the children of God. And so you are.+ In Nomie Iesu +
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, united in something called a hypostatic union. Some have called into doubt just how much He knew about His divinity at different points in His life on Earth, but it is clear that Jesus knew from earliest times that He is God. He knew that He should be about His father's business in the temple, He proclaimed Himself as the Son of God, not as an adopted sonship, but as a natural son. His opponents used the very same statements to condemn Him, stating that He had called Himself God, and when they gave Him an opportunity to clarify what He meant, Jesus did not deny that He is God. Heresies arose about this doctrine from both sides, with some like the Arians denying Christ's divinity, and the Docetists attacking His humanity. The Church has made statements several times refuting these errors.
I've been a Roger Ebert "fan" for many years, and so I was struck by his recent comments about God in a great article that can be found here. Ebert said: “To hope we can learn how the universe came about is admirable; one might as well call that hope by any name. Whatever one calls it, it’s by definition outside the reach not only of our knowledge, but of knowledge itself. I was asked at lunch today who or what I worshipped. The question was asked sincerely, and in the same spirit I responded that I worshipped whatever there might be outside knowledge. I worship the void. The mystery. And the ability of our human minds to perceive an unanswerable mystery.” It's sad that Christians are not known for having a unique perspective on this "unknowable mystery." Jesus came primarily to make this mystery known: “Eternal life is to know God…” (John 17:3) and “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has made him known.” (John 1:18 Our Bible study from last year ended with first Samuel. We reviewed some key material to orient the new students and then discussed Hophni and Phineas and then….Roger Ebert. I wish that I had the opportunity to tell Roger Ebert that God is not like the modern day Hophni and Phinehas’s of the world have made him out to be! Get the powerpoint slides here - http://www.godscharacter.com/files/ppt/1_Samuel_introduction.ppt
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