Gods Great Love For Us - Part 1 of 6

In the coming weeks leading up to April 3rd, the day Jesus Christ, the Son of God was crucified in the year 33 AD, we will be sharing Scripture verses and thoughts God says about His great love for us. We hope you follow along and are enriched during this time of reflection as we approach the anniversary day Jesus resurrected from the dead, April 5, 33.

(1) Gods only Son leaves heaven, is miraculously born a human being on earth.

Please note that some of the content contained within the Reflection Moments depicted here is not recorded in the scriptures. They are merely human attempts to relate and ask some questions of certain aspects of the Son of God, which may help you see the Savior’s human side of His divine life on earth.

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Why are we here, where did we come from, and where are we going? God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who is commonly referred to as, “The Godhead” said:

Genesis 1:26, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

The fact that God decided to create mankind is in and of itself an act of love coming from a Spirit of love helping us to appreciate our miraculous beginnings from His mind out of nothing. The incredible aspect of this love for us in the beginning is the key words “in Our image according to Our likeness.” I have as you may have often thought of Gods image as some form of a person in stature and shape like us. But I realized in the study and meditation on the scriptures, God reveals in His word that He Himself is Spirit, an ultimate eternal mind. Not a physical looking frame of a person for we read in John 4:24. “God is Spirit.” He is and was at the time of creating mankind, the Spirit of I AM. One might ask, "What does it mean we are in the image of God?" Well quite simply, We have been created with eternity within us with survival of the death of the body! How can one with this nature of God within them reject that he or she has not a soul in the body? This is mind boggling. We all have an immortal spirit residing inside us, a soul and a mind that gives us life and mind in His likeness because he made us. I must stress, not His equal. We have emotions, God has emotions. We have a conscience of the heart, God had a heart for us to be created. We have feelings, God feels and knows our pain. We can have eternal life if we choose Him. God is eternal. And we have personality and creativity. God has personality, a creative all knowing mind.

I'm getting ahead here but later, Jesus said in Luke 24:39, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Again, this proves we have a spirit and a soul inside us that originated from the Godhead.

When Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ in Matthew 16:16-17, Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” This shows us clearly that God is not a flesh and blood being.

And to reiterate, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:1-5)


Reflection Moment

The following scripture in the gospel writings of Luke is kind of a mirrored image back to our beginnings as human beings beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden when they were created without sin. Jesus miraculous conception by the Spirit of God and forming in the womb of Mary is the next great gift of God to us out of an amazing Love to redeem mankind back to Him. Oh His love for us was and is so great and without restraint! At this point of history after the great flood of Noah, the children of Israel and the rest of the human inhabitants of the earth, things weren’t getting any better. By year "0" sin and separation from God was of an immense divide that only God could remedy the situation outside of ourselves. Think of it as a mission of love by the Godhead to give up and empty Himself at just the right time for us. That is a love we cannot possibly understand or replicate in our lives. Honestly, would you willingly give up your place in heaven? Would you become something much less than yourself as a member of the Triune Godhead for imperfect sinners filthy as rags? I have to admit, I wouldn't.

Luke 1:26-37, “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus."

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Birth date of Jesus? - June 17, 2 BC

Some believe Jesus has not the essence of God, that He is a created being. It's this last phrase "only begotten" that causes problems. False teachers have latched onto this phrase to try to prove their false teaching that Jesus Christ isn't God; i.e., that Jesus isn't equal in essence to God as the Second Person of the Godhead. They see the word "begotten" and say that Jesus is a created being because only someone who had a beginning in time can be "begotten." What this fails to note is that "begotten" is an English translation of a Greek word. As such, we have to look at the original meaning of the Greek word, not transfer English meanings into the text.

The definition of “monogenes“ is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind." This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God's Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God's sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5). Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son.

For an in depth lesson on Christ Jesus being God in the Flesh on Earth, click here.

Terms such as "Father" and "Son," that are descriptive of God and Jesus, are human terms that help us understand the relationship between the different Persons of the Godhead. If you can understand the relationship between a human father and a human son, then you can understand, in part, the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Godhead. The analogy breaks down if you try to take it too far and teach, as some Christian cults, that Jesus was literally "begotten" as in “produced” or “created” by God the Father. The following powerful scripture from the mind of God completely obliterates this false teaching.

Colossians 1:15-20, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

God’s pure love for us is graphically demonstrated by the last 6 words – “through the blood of His cross.”

Reflection Moment

The bible says Jesus is a “stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks” (1 Cor 1:23). The Jews for the last 4000 years intently expect a beautiful and powerful Messiah, a King that will establish his final kingdom on earth forever. This belief still exists today in full force among the orthodox Jews. So much so they are currently planning and designing a new Temple in Jerusalem to have ready for their Messiah to return to! Well ladies and gentlemen, they missed Him! They do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, they do not believe He was resurrected to life on the third day as the scriptures state. The Godhead in their perfect plan of redemption purposely created this stumbling block of blindness among us and Gods former chosen people, to redeem all mankind back to Him through the "narrow gate" for only a few will find it (Matthew 7:14). We all must now make a choice. There is no further revelation from God. The written Word of God, the bible is now complete and perfect for all and “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Rev 1:5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood”

1 John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Translate this to mean, “Jesus willingly left heaven in all His power, splendor and glory to visit us and redeem us through His eventual perfect sacrifice for us. We often hear the phrase, “It’s all about Jesus.” This is true. If it were not for Jesus Christ work on our behalf, we would be doomed. Might you consider another truth in respect to "He first loved us?" It’s all about us that He was born by the Spirit into the womb of Mary, walked, taught and died for us during this short transitional period of time.
God Came Near Us...

God is Love (1 John 4:8) that by His perfect nature, He acted through this immense love for us. But have you ever asked the question, why? Why did he create us. Here is a scripture to ponder and meditate about that might give us a clue as to the essence, Why?

"Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43.7)

So, in conclusion in this writers opinion, from Gods perspective it is all about us. He loved us so much that His suffering for a little while among us on earth was worth the price He paid to fulfill Gods new plan of salvation. It is all about Jesus, but is equally all about us ladies and gentleman. God through Christ purely and completely loves you and I, save for obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ that seals us in the Spirit giving us hope of a home in heaven with this incredibly loving God, our Father. Have you heard and obeyed the one true Gospel?

Next week we will speak to, Mary’s love, Josephs fear for their God-boy.

Blessings

You might want to enjoy this terrific lesson by Wayne Jackson on - Why did God create us?

Why did God create us?

1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6

An Atheist Reborn Back to God

Coming from a very staunch atheistic upbringing in darkness the first 30 years of my life, certain life events began to occur beyond my ability to circumvent. As the confused signpost shown here displays, this was my life. It was too late and the road I was trekking was dismal at best. Then by what I believe was pure Godly intervention through a Christian, I was given a bible and told to "read it sometime, it will give you comfort." It sat in my closet at least a month haunting me until a new storm passed through my life that led me to begin reading it! For 18 straight months I combed and studied the bible like a fiend every day, every hour until I realized I was a sinner doomed to hell.

One late night while reading Colossians 1:15-20 God finally got through and revealed to me just who Jesus of Nazareth was - both God and man! Not just a great teacher in the grave I presumed, but a Jesus who died for mankind and overcame death through His resurrection. I had heard this preached and I had previously studied intently the passages that related to this resurrection but I never connected the dots nor did I want to until I believe God called me at just the right time. While traveling with a friend around midnight on the way to his in-laws home, I was reading the Colossians scripture below. After I read it I finally realized the truth of who Jesus Christ is! It all came together in a precious moment of less than a minute on that dark highway. What was the one truth that tipped me at this pivotal moment in time? His “pre-existence” all the way back to Genesis 1:26, thousands of years ago. It said:

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

I finally met Jesus - He did resurrect from the dead! Within 3-4 days I had no choice but to believe in faith Jesus died on the cross to bear the punishment for my sins, rising from the dead on the third day as the scriptures testify, offering me salvation through His loving grace. His spilled blood on that cross I now realized was the agent God used to satisfy His desire to save me. I could no longer run from Him. I also realized I needed to repent and change my mind in how I lived and sinned and that I needed to confess Christ as the Son of God who willingly shed His blood on the cross just for puny me. For a lifelong atheist this was all quite daunting and very scary, but through much prayer alone and with Christians, I trusted and believed without any doubt now in my deep desire to go to heaven. The facts and the case for Jesus being the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament were inescapable.

Then during this period of days being completely humbled and broken I realized I needed to become completely obedient to my new found Lord Jesus and soon die to myself letting Him cleanse all of my past sins through His shed blood, and that this incredible gift needed to be appropriated and made real by being baptized (immersed in water) into Christ, calling on His name (Acts 22:16). I realized there was more to Gods plan for me to be added to His church. Unless I submitted to His command to be baptized for remission of my personal sins (Acts 2:38 and more), He would not see me white as snow and acceptable in His sight. And I would not have or be sealed with “the Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13) He promised to gift me that I so desperately needed. I needed to finally allow another person to baptize me by immersion in water because back to Jesus own words, He said,

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

And more compelling and descriptive, Gods Word revealed to me in Colossians 2:11-12 (there was something about Colossians) that those brethren were spiritually circumcised (cleansed before God) by Christ Himself doing the work during the passive act of being buried (dying) in baptism as they by faith trusted the “working of God.” I also realized this very important point: It wasn’t the water that cleanses sins (1 Pet 3:21),.But only Jesus shed blood on the cross that is appropriated to my soul through Gods work of water baptism that He set in place even before the creation of the universe! You can read about this in Acts 2:14-39 from the very first gospel sermon by Apostle Peter. I knew God required me with faith in Christ to take this next and final step to be saved and be put "into Christ" and His church (Galatians 3:26-27). I also knew to bypass this command would be disobedience that would keep my soul right where it was, actually in a worse state than before I knew the truth. So, since December 2, 1985 at 9:25 pm having already believed and confessed Christ as Gods only Son who died for my sins, repenting of my prior sinful ways of life, I gladly obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ having faith in Him to deliver what He promised - Salvation and my name in the Book of Life! I proclaimed Jesus Christ as my Savior in front of witnesses and I was then immediately baptized for the remission of my sins and the gifting of the Holy Spirit, my new helper. I have been sanctified and justified a citizen of the kingdom, Jesus’ church ever since with no looking back. He kept His promise never letting me go.


I have been asked, "How do you know?" I will kindly reply, "Look, I was there, He's changed my life."

That’s how this atheist was saved from doom by Jesus Christ and how most atheists are saved having to come out of a life with absolutely no bible or church affiliation in their lifetime. I and they must know who Jesus Christ was then, and is today in a very in your face way unfortunately. An atheist must meet Christ one on one no matter how hard and scary this meeting is. To be honest, that first month leading up to me opening the bible for the first time in my life as an adult almost killed me at the crossroads. Then it was sheer terror for the first few days of reading. Thankfully and by Gods grace I was instructed to read the loving words in the gospel of John first.

There is a back story as an atheist I needed to wrap my head around during the conversion process. In short, important worldview subjects such as, creation, evolution, science, geography of bible lands, concept of Gods love for me, understanding physical matter and all ingrained in my mind. Things most people who grew up around church cannot understand. In retrospect this period was full of spiritual battles pulling and pushing me at times to the brink. And though not a Christian yet, I knew for the first time in my sinful life it was a real battle between good and evil I can hardly share with lifetime church people and you be able to comprehend its reality. Jesus no doubt in my mind literally threw me an anchor in some sort of providential way back then in my early pre-christian readings. I was chosen and finally called to obey in faith and love the gospel of Jesus Himself. To my atheist friends, I hope and pray you do as well when He calls you... He will never let you go...

To God be the Glory!
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Some personal Notes:

Psalm 119:160 says, "The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." The emphasis is on totality. Everything God says is right. Every one of His ordinances is binding. And the truth about any subject is determined by adding up and harmonizing all He says about it.

We are not saved by one thing to the exclusion of all others, for there are many factors that work out our salvation. God saves us, Christ saves us, the Holy Spirit saves, Grace saves, Faith saves, Repentance saves, Confession saves, and Baptism saves. Rather than focus on just one passage that speaks of our being saved, we must learn the truth of what Jesus said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Anything which God declares is necessary to salvation in certain passages of Scripture must be implied in all other passages which speak of salvation.

Conclusion:

No serious Bible student affirms that there is any inherent power in the literal water of baptism. Certainly the sinner is washed in the Lamb’s blood (but not even that — literally speaking). Instead, it is the application of the Savior’s blood to the sinner’s soul — in the mind of God — that supplies the efficacy. Baptism is not a work whereby one earns his salvation. When a person goes forward to be baptized, he does not state that he is already saved through his own perfect obedience. Rather, such a man openly acknowledges that he is a sinner doomed to hell on the basis of his own works, just like the Jews upon hearing Peter’s first gospel sermon in Acts 2. In faith he then confesses that he believes that Jesus died on the cross to bear the punishment for his sins and to offer salvation for all men. He believes in Jesus, repents of his sins, confesses Christ as the Son of God who willingly shed His blood on the cross for him, and desires to be baptized into Christ in order that his sins be washed away, to be added to His church, and to receive the Holy Spirit. By this he acknowledges that salvation is God's gift of grace to him based on the Workings of God. Hence, baptism is most definitely not a work whereby man earns his salvation. It is part of the sum total of God’s word of truth…

“So likewise you, when you have done all things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”  (Luke 17:10)

“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”  (John 7:16-18)

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine, and fellowship, and the breaking of bread, and in prayer.”  (Acts 2:41-42)

o·be·di·ence

əˈbēdēəns,ōˈbēdēəns/

Noun - Compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority

Scriptures Weekly 78 - Why Must You Use Instruments To Worship?

Colossians 3:16,

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Recently, a congregation in the city where I live decided to start using instruments in their worship service. Obviously, I love my brothers and sisters in congregations that make this decision, but the question I have is, “Why must you use instruments to worship?” You see, the burden of proof is not on me to prove why I don’t believe in using instruments in worship; the burden of proof is on them to prove why they feel it is necessary to use instruments.

Here is why I don't think congregation's arguments for using instruments hold water.

Instruments in Worship:

1. Is it because you want to “reach people in deeper ways”?

According to solicited reports, this particular congregation says they added instruments to reach people in deeper ways. My opinion, for whatever it’s worth, is that instrumental music reaches people in different ways, but not deeper ways.

The sound of instrumental music has the ability to affect our emotions in profound ways, regardless of the context. If you are attending a concert – whether it be a rock concert, a classical orchestra, or any other kind of performance – your emotions are affected by the music. Even without lyrics being sung, an orchestra can bring some people to tears by the way the music is played. And even without lyrics, rock music can get your heart pumping and send adrenaline coursing through your veins. This is not a spiritual experience, but a physical and emotional experience.

When this same phenomenon is used in worship, it gives people the impression that their hearts are being stirred by the Spirit, but it is more like their emotions are being manipulated by the strings of the guitar and piano.

Furthermore, don’t you find it at least a little condescending to say that instrumental music is able to reach people in deeper ways than congregational a cappella singing can? If instrumental music is deeper, wouldn’t that imply that a cappella singing is somehow more shallow? For two thousand years, great numbers of Christians have sung songs, hymns, and spiritual songs to the Lord without the accompaniment of mechanical instruments. They made music with the instrument of their heart. They taught and admonished one another with the words of these songs.

It is the words of the songs which reach the heart of other spiritual men or women and it is the words of the songs that reach the heart of God. Instruments may reach people in different ways, but not deeper ways.

2. Is it because you want to reach more people?

Nearly every time a decision to add instruments is made, the leadership says that it was done to reach more people. “We want to reach the unchurched of our community,” they say, “and we can’t reach them unless we offer them an instrumental worship service.” This may sound noble, but I believe it is an entirely misguided motivation.

This attitude shows a misunderstanding about the nature of worship. Worship happens when a redeemed and sanctified people come before the throne of a holy God and reverently bow before Him. When the goal of worship shifts to attracting and entertaining the “unchurched,” it can no longer – in any sense – be called worship.

More than anything in the world, I want to reach the lost. In fact, I’ve dedicated my life to teaching people the gospel. However, worship belongs to God. It does not belong to the world. Frankly, it doesn’t matter what the world would like to hear in worship; it matters what God wants to hear.

Teach the gospel to the lost (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Baptize them into Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Galatians 3:27). Fill them up with the word of Christ, so that His word dwells in them richly (Colossians 3:16). Stand beside them and lift up fervent praises to the God who has redeemed you both. Teach them to appreciate – and enjoy – the spiritual nature of worship. Teach them that worship is not about the sensual and carnal pleasures of the flesh, but about things of a spiritual nature.

3. Is it because you want to allow people to showcase their talents?

To me, the most disturbing part of the leadership (elders) decision is, “The people that perform the music are all from the church and now they are able to showcase their talents to the rest of their church community.” I have been saying for years that when worship becomes about showcasing our talents, it ceases to be worship.

In our culture, we want the spotlight on us, we take selfies all the time, and we brag about every little accomplishment on social media. It’s no wonder that people are begging to showcase their talents “to the rest of their church community.” But worship is not a talent show. It is supposed to be a time of profound humility, where we all come before God on our knees to showcase our brokenness and praise Him for healing us. It’s not supposed to be a time where we say, “Look at what I can do,” but, “Look at what He has done.”

And why is it that only the musicians can use this argument for why they should be able to perform in worship? Shouldn’t the trash man and the barber get the same opportunity to showcase their talents? Surely not, because worship isn’t a talent show.

Congregational singing accomplishes this goal. When we all sing together – without choir, praise team, or band – we are all on level ground. But when we turn worship into an entertaining performance, we have missed the entire concept of what worship is supposed to be about.

Does this mean people aren’t supposed to use their talents for God? Of course not! We can still use our talents for God’s glory by using them in everyday ways. In the first century, the slave was told to use his position and his labor for God’s glory (Ephesians 6:1-8). The Christian trash collector uses his talents to glorify God. The Christian barber uses his talents to glorify God. The Christian doctors, lawyers, and sales clerks use their talents to glorify God. They do this by doing their common and everyday jobs in extraordinary ways.

You do not have to bring your talents into the worship assembly to use your talents for God. As Paul wrote, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Conclusion

The reason I don’t believe in using mechanical instruments in worship is very simple: God specifically told us to make music with our hearts and our lips (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:18-19). That’s it. His specificity means other ways of making music are simply not an option. And we don’t need anything else. The tools He has given us are more than sufficient to do what He wants us to do in worship.

Instruments continue to divide Christians. They continue to turn worship into a talent show. They continue to distract from the words that are being sung. The bottom line is this: Why do you need an instrument to worship God? You don’t. You don’t need one at all.

John 4:24 - God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

By Wes McAdams

radicallychristian.com
Endorsed by Scriptures Weekly, 2015

Do You Hear the Voice of the Lord?

Romans 15:4 - "For whatever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

Does the Bible teach that we must learn to discern the voice of the Lord individually for ourselves to live optimal Christian lives? The answer is no it does not teach that. So when someone teaches that you hear the voice of the Lord individually for yourself for optimal Christian living as a Christian discipline, this is not a Biblical discipline, ladies and gentlemen. It is not in there. Are there incidents of God speaking? Yes, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the discipline of learning to discern the voice of the Lord for myself to live optimally as a Christian. It's not there.

Does the Bible teach that we are to seek this kind of guidance? The answer is no. It does not teach that we are to seek this kind of guidance. Does the Bible teach that we are to expect this kind of guidance? Again the answer is no. And since the Bible doesn't teach that we have to learn this skill, since it doesn't teach that we are to seek this kind of guidance, since it doesn't teach that we are to expect this kind of guidance. I don't know what all the hubbub is about. Well, yes I do.

This teaching that God will whisper in your ear all kind of particulars that pertain to you and His will for your life is very appealing to Christians. Even though when you look at the Scriptures, the specialized directions are rare. They are unusual. They are usually unsought. And they are always crystal clear. None of this "I think the Lord is telling me" business. People are still gravitating to the suggestion that we can develop a sixth sense that can tie us into a hotline to God so that we can have certitude about the things of life and the decisions we ought to make. Why is this appealing? Because it's easy. You know Americans are given to quick fixes and this is the American Christian quick fix. We are also given to individualism and this is the American individualistic view of Christianity--guidance decision making. It fits the American mentality, not the Biblical mentality, not the Christian mentality, the American mentality. And that's why this point of view is distinctly American. It's a quick fix. It's an easy way out. It's kind of like Cliff Notes, only worse.

What happens here is that people don't do the hard work of learning. Part of my conversation last evening with a friend who is a very gracious person dealt with the issue of anointing and filling and I made the comment that I'd never been anointed by the Holy Spirit in my life, nor was any Christian ever anointed by the Holy Spirit. When I said that, jaws dropped. When I said that it was like I had said Jesus is a demon or something. "How could you possibly say this? Haven't you ever felt the Holy Spirit well up inside of you?" I said, "Yes, I have." And they said, "Well, there you go. That's an anointing." I said, "That's not an anointing. That's a filling of the Holy Spirit." There has not been any anointing since Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) because the Holy Spirit is not on the outside, He's on the inside. There is a distinct difference between the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament and that of the Old. The New being the fulfillment of the promise of Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 37 and following in Joel and a number of other places of the giving of the New Covenant.

Now, here is what is interesting to me. I was having a conversation with a friend who was espousing this other point of view, at least in some measure, asking questions about it, and challenging me on it. She believes that this is an appropriate thing for Christians, yet at the same time this person didn't have a clear understanding of the difference between the old covenant and the new with regards to the working of the Holy Spirit, which is fundamental in understanding how to look at Christian life.

This is my fear, ladies and gentlemen, and I'll end with this point. This skill is being offered, and what it ultimately involves, what it ultimately ends up being is a short cut to the real McCoy of knowledge and spiritual growth. Instead of investing our time learning the truth from the word and working at making it a part of us so that we have a good understanding of the truth from the front to the back, from the beginning to the end, from Genesis to Revelation, we opt out for an easy way out, which is to let God just tell us and therefore we are not equipped.

Not only that, but a lot of times when God tells us what He tells us is false because it's not God telling us. So we've got a lot of screwball things going on with people who believe this kind of thing, and instead of being devoted to developing spiritual maturity and attaining Scriptural knowledge we want the quick fix, and then we call the quick fix spiritual maturity and knowledge. And instead of developing mastery we want the Master to be sitting next to us during the tests of life whispering His answers in our ears. Do you know what that's called, ladies and gentlemen? That's called cheating. And there is no guarantee and no teaching and no instruction in the New Testament or Old that this is the way that we are to live our lives on a day to day basis under the new covenant. The only Word of God that we are ever enjoined to listen to is not the word that comes into our spiritual ears, as it were, from the spiritual ozone, but the Word that comes from the Scriptures. That's the one that we are told to learn, listen, heed, abide and hide in our heart.

By Greg Kouki
Stand To Reason
2013

I'll Never Let Go of Your Hand - Don Francisco

Don & Wendy Francisco, 2004

Here is some Christian music I enjoy in particular because of its acoustic guitar tones that just sound great, and second because Don Francisco's voice is quite enjoyable. The combination along with his insightful lyrics make for a nice time-out on the blog from its serious teachings and such. A word of note to who may be concerned. This post doesn't mean I believe there is biblical authority for the use of instrumental music during worship of our Lord. I will address this issue next week. This performance is not a worship service, its an entertainment moment I thought you all might enjoy. In any event, Francisco has a talent for unleashing interesting and powerful musical thoughts about Jesus. Enjoy...more to come.

The First Day of Jesus' Church - Acts 2

"The 50th [day]" is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks, a prominent feast in the yearly calendar of ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai. After Jesus ascension back to Heaven, the next Pentecost of which we are studying occurred just 5 weeks after that miraculous event.

As a follow-up of last weeks post regarding the very first Gospel sermon by apostle Peter, this lesson digs deeper into the significance of that momentous day that occurred only once in the history of the world. The birth of the one church of Christ Jesus spoke about in Matthew 16:18.

Notice this prophecy by Isaiah (Isa. 2:2-4), seven centuries before the birth of Christ.

“And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

In the New Testament, the church is referred to as the “household of God” and as “a holy temple” for the Lord’s habitation (Eph. 2:19-22). Elsewhere apostle Paul declared that “men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15). Apostle Peter also described the church as “a spiritual house” wherein God is now served (1 Pet. 2:5).

The historical day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 is the one and only day this wonderful prophesy came true establishing the Lords church forever. Have you rooted yourself into Christ's church by obeying the Gospel as the Jews did when hearing Peters message?

Lesson by Wayne Jackson
Christian Courier

The First Gospel Sermon of Jesus Christ

Acts 2:22-41

INTRODUCTION

1. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost...Acts 2:1-4

a. The promises of Joel, John the Baptist, and Jesus were being fulfilled!

b. As foretold by Joel and John, a time of judgment and salvation was at hand! - Acts 2:16-21

2. After explaining the meaning of the miraculous events on that day, Peter...

a. Quickly diverted their attention from the miracles to the message

b. A message involving a crucified, risen, and exalted Lord!

With Peter's message we find the proclamation of "The First Gospel Sermon." For the first time, the gospel of Christ was preached and people were told how to respond.  Let's take a closer look at...

I. THE SERMON

A. JESUS ATTESTED BY GOD...

1. Peter proclaims Jesus as a Man attested by God through His miracles – Acts 2:22
2. Done in their midst, they could not deny the signs Jesus did while alive!

B. JESUS PUT TO DEATH...

1. By crucifixion, which they themselves did with lawless (Roman)hands - Acts 2:23

2. Though according to God's predetermined purpose and foreknowledge - cf. Isa 53:10-12

3. Jesus' death and their involvement they could not deny!

C. JESUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD...

1. God raised Jesus, having loosed the pains of death - Acts 2:24

2. Peter offered three proofs that Jesus rose from the dead

a. David's prophecy, fulfilled in Jesus - Acts 2:25-31; cf. Ps 16:8-11

b. Eyewitness testimony, by the twelve apostles - Acts 2:32; cf. Acts 1:21-22

c. Outpouring of the Spirit, which the audience themselves saw and heard - Acts 2:33

3. Compelling evidence to those who were present!

D. JESUS EXALTED AS LORD AND CHRIST...

1. The outpouring of the Spirit was the result of Jesus' exaltation - Acts 2:33

2. Jesus' exaltation was also prophesied by David - Acts 2:34-35; cf. Ps 110:1

3. Thus the crucified Jesus was now Lord and Christ! - Acts 2:36

[Powerfully, effectively, Peter presented Jesus as a good man who was crucified, raised from the dead, and now exalted as both Lord and Christ. As we continue, let's notice...]

II. THE RESPONSE

A. THE REACTION...

1. They were cut to the heart (convicted of their sin) - Acts 2:37

a. This implies they believed the message about Jesus
b. As told:  "know assuredly that God has made Jesus...Lord and Christ" - cf. Acts 2:36 

2. They asked Peter and the apostles, "What shall we do?" – Acts 2:37

a. Indeed what can one do, what should one do?

b. Some say there is nothing one can do, for that would suggest salvation by works

c. But obedience is not inconsistent with salvation by faith - cf. Rom 1:5, Rom 6:17 Rom 16:25-26

d. Indeed, Christ is the author of salvation to all who obey! - Hebrews 5:9; cf. 1 Pet 1:22

e. Thus the gospel must be obeyed! - cf. 1 Pet 4:17; 2 Thess 1:7-8

f. Even as Paul was told to go to Damascus, where he would be told what he must do - cf. Acts 9:6; 22:6

g. And as Cornelius was to send for Peter, who would tell him what he must do - cf. Acts 10:5-6,33,47-48

B. THE REPLY...

1. They were told to repent - Acts 2:38

a. Which is what Jesus wanted His apostles to proclaim - cf. Lk 24:46-47

b. To repent is to make the decision to turn from one's sins toward obeying God

2. They were told to be baptized - Acts 2:38

a. Which is what Jesus wanted His apostles to proclaim - cf. Matt 28:19; Mark 16:15-16

b. To be immersed in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins - cf. Acts 22:16

3. That they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2:38

a. That is, to receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

b. Which had been promised and now poured out - cf. Acts 2:33

c. And was now promised to all those who obey Christ - Acts 2:39; 5:32

C. THE RESULT...

1. Following further exhortation:  "Be saved (save yourselves,(ESV) from this perverse generation" - Acts 2:40

2. 3000 gladly received his word and were baptized - Acts 2:41

3. Those baptized were "added" by the Lord to His church – Acts 2:41; cf. Acts 2:47

III. CONCLUSION

1. What an amazing conclusion to a day that started with amazing events...

a. Jesus was proclaimed as a crucified, raised and exalted Lord!

b. Three thousand souls responded immediately to the gospel!

2. When the gospel is shared, what should people do...?

a. Believe (know assuredly, with conviction that Jesus is the Lord who died for them) - Acts 2:36

b. Repent of their sins (make the decision to turn from sin and turn to God) - Acts 2:38

c. Be baptized for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2:38-39

Is that what you were told to do when the gospel of Christ was shared with you?  Or were you told a "different gospel" (cf. Ga 1:6-10)?  To ensure that you are truly saved, make your response the same as those souls on the Day of Pentecost...

"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." ~ Acts 2:41

The water doesn't save - The blood of Christ saves by His resurrection and spiritual circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12) through the passive act of baptism done by others in water, commanded by Jesus... Mark 16:16