He That Believeth On Me - Part 1100

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect -- thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Timothy 3:16)

"In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise ..." (Ephesians 1:13)

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

Jesus also said, "But the Comforter [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26) 

Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you for ever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more but ye see Me because I live, ye shall live also. " (John 14:16-19)

Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement, of sin -- because they believe not on Me, of righteousness because I go to My Father and ye see Me no more, of judgment because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16:7-11)

Jesus said, "Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, shall He speak, and He will show you things to come." (John 16:13)

You see, unlike the modern day religious/worldly cultures would have you believe, the Holy Ghost is NOT a third person in the trinity. Indeed, for those who may not be aware, the trinitarian formula is a dogma created by the roman catholic church -- as a counterfeit response to the principles of the "doctrine of Christ" spoken of in Hebrews 6:1. A counterfeit doctrine from a counterfeit religion that continues to make a mockery of the Word of God -- but I digress.  Let's return to the gospel of John.

Note that the disciples in John 16 were somewhat confused by Jesus sayings, particularly when Jesus said, "A little while, and ye shall not see Me, and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, and, because I go to the Father." (John 16:17)

The disciples were desirous to ask Jesus about His words, "A little while?"

Jesus, knowing what they wanted to ask, said unto them, "Do you enquire among yourselves of that which I said -- A little while and ye shall not see Me, and again, a little while and ye shall see Me? Verily, verily I say unto yo, that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day, ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you -- Whatosever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give [it] to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name; ask, and ye shall receive that your joy may be full.

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs but the time cometh when I shall nor more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in My name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you." (John 16:17-26)

Note the change. Note how Jesus is transitioning here. "At that day ye shall ask in My name and I say not unto you -- that I will pray the Father for you." (John 16:26)

But rather, Jesus said, "For the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father." (John 16:27-28)

Jesus as the only begotten of the Father is readying Himself to return to the Father -- as He was before. In the beginning, God. (Genesis 1:1) In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1-18)

"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." (I Timothy 3:16)

He was returning to the original state before He was made flesh. (John 1:1-14) "But while he [Joseph] thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto Him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:20)

"And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call His name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and they shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is -- God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:31, 35)

Yes, the Holy Ghost impregnated Mary. The angel said,  "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake [as they were moved] by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1:21)

This is why Jesus "until the day in which He was taken up, after that He THROUGH the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen." (Acts 1:2) This is why Jesus said, But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Jesus said, "For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence ..." (Acts 1:5)

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ..." (Titus 3:5)  

This is why Jesus instructs us not to follow the traditions of men, but rather to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Search the scriptures, Jesus said, for therein we will learn of Him. 

And how do we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost? Peter said unto them who asked, "What must we do?" --- "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God -- which things also we speak, not in the worlds which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man -- for who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (I Corinthians 2:13-16)

Let him who hath ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.

The Holy Ghost Said - Part 1099

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers -- and also those which had been brought up with Herod the te-trarch, and Saul. (Acts 13:1) As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where unto I have called them." And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent [them] away." (Acts 13:2-3) Indeed, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, they departed unto Seleucia,  Cyprus and Salamis where they preached the Word of God. (Acts 13:5)

When they reached Antioch in Pisidia, they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down. (Acts 13:14) After the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, "Men, brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." (Acts 13:15)

Standing, Paul said:

"Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought He them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness. And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, He divided their land to them by lot. And after that, He gave judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

And afterward, they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, "I have found David of Jesse -- a man after Mine own heart" which shall fulfill all My will.

Of this man's seed, hath God according to promise raised unto Israel a Saviour - Jesus. When John had first preached before His coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel, and as John fulfilled his course, he said, "Whom think ye that I am? I am not [He]. But behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of feet I am not worthy to loose. Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the Word of this salvation sent.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets; which are ready every sabbath day -- they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [Him]. And though they found no cause of death [in Him] yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took [Him] down from the tree and laid [him] in a sepulchre. But God raised Him from the dead.

And there, He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem who are His witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers -- God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children -- in that He hath raised up Jesus again." (Acts 13:16-33)

"He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28:6)
As it is also written in the second psalm, "Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee." (Acts 13:33; Psalm 2:7; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 5:5)

And as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, [now] no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise, "I will give you the sure mercies of David." Wherefore He saith also in another [psalm], "Thou shalt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." (Psalms 89:28; Isaiah 55:3)

"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption -- but He, whom God raised again saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men, brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you -- which is spoken of in the prophets. "Behold, ye despisers and wonder and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." (Acts 13:41; Hab 1:5)

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those thins which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:42-46; Romans 1:16; Exodus 32:10; Acts 18:6)

"For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], "I have set Thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that Thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:47; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6)

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the Word of the lord was published throughout all the region." (Acts 13:47-49)

But the Jews were not happy. Instead they stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. What did Paul and Barnabas do? They shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples? They were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13:50-52)

A couple of points worth noting here.

First, the new testament confirms the old covenant. This is why scripture from the old covenant is cited, so that we will recognize the prophecy to be true. Note also that the scriptures in Acts are confirmed by other witnesses in the gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Second, the word "Him" is an added word when Paul referred to Jesus being condemned, put to death and laid in a sepulchre. Luke specifically refers to Jesus in this state as an "it" which might be a more accurate observation.

Third, when He was raised from the dead, He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem "who are His witnesses unto the people." (Acts 13:30) Earlier, in Acts 1:2, we are reminded that "until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen."

Fourth, the last to see Jesus was Paul. Quoting from I Corinthians 15:1-8: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures ... and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according tot he scriptures. And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that. He was seen of James; then of all the apostles, and last of all He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time." (I Corinthians 15:1-8) This confirms from scripture that individuals (including Joseph Smith from the mormon church) could not have possibly seen Jesus because the last to see Him was apostle Paul.

Fifth, the original Word of salvation was sent to the children of the stock of Abraham, "and whosoever among you feareth God -- to you is the Word of this salvation sent." (Acts 13:26) Who is the Word? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us ..." (John 1:1-18)

Sixth, "Of this man's seed hath God according to promise raised unto Israel a Saviour -- Jesus." (Acts 13:23) Peter had earlier stated: "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us -- as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son Jesus Christ -- whom ye delivered up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [Him] go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just;  and desired a murderer to be granted unto you -- and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.  And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong ..." (Acts 3:12-16)

Seventh, the apostles were sent forth by the Holy Ghost. (Acts 13:4) "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13:52) Not the "Holy Spirit" as modern day religion wants us to believe, but the Holy Ghost. The same Holy Ghost that impregnated Mary.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost .... but while he [Joseph] thought on these things, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:18-21)

"And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." (Isaiah 11:2)

The same gift of the Holy Ghost which believers in Jesus by faith receive when they repent, and are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38-42)

Jesus told His disciples,  "But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)

Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on Me. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, [that] shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew [it] unto you." (John 16:7-15)

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (I Corinthians 2:13)

The first chapter of Ephesians elaborates further on this point.

There is much more to come on this topic. For now, continue searching the scripture for therein you will find our blessed Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Stand in the offering plate.

God in Christ Invites Us to Partake in His Plan of Redemption - Part 1098

God in Christ came to teach us of Himself. In so doing, God in Christ came to sacrifice His own flesh body so that He could provide men and women with a means of redemption from sin. This means all sin from the moment of man’s original disobedience in the Garden of Eden and even until now.

Indeed, God who is love and mercy took upon Himself man’s sin at no cost whatsoever to sinful man. He who knew no sin became sin for you and I. For God who never sinned offered His sinless body as a sacrifice. A body consisting of sin prone flesh though tempted even as we are but remained sinless. God offered to man redemption as a free gift, thereby permitting man to return to the sinless mindset of Adam and Eve prior to their encounter with the camouflaged, sweet talking, lying lips of the devil - who is the father of all lies.

We, who through God’s redemptive plan can by our choice be brought back to our original innocent minds because we are more advantaged than Adam and Eve because of the sacrifice of Jesus. In the beginning, Adam and Eve had no previous encounter with the devil but we, being their offspring have been exposed to the devil’s enticing ways for generations. Therefore, if we have had enough of the devil’s roller coaster ride called life, it should be relatively easier to embrace Jesus and His offer of redemption which leads to salvation and eternal life.

Then we could return to the original grass-root teachings of Christianity, remaining steadfast in the apostles' doctrine, eliminating the add-on traditions of modern day religions. This is why it is important to search the scriptures as a workman doeth -- so that everyone can read the New Testament teachings and understand how very much the God who created us loved us.

Also, it is important to note that the New Testament is not an add-on to the Old Covenant. Indeed, put the Old Covenant on the shelf. Why? Because as the name implies, it is old. As well, traditional religious institutions ushered in by the so called church fathers of 300/400 AD introduced false teachings that are counteractive to the teachings brought from Heaven to earth by the Lord God Himself.

In this context, there was no one else who could be entrusted with such a mission, which mission caused the Lord JESUS' body to become a curse. This is why God brought to man His glorious gospel -- the same gospel message that shook up the sandy foundations of all religions of the time including Judaism whose very religious temple structure was prophesied by JESUS to be demolished.

Further, as a consequence, the Spirit of the Lord does not live in temples made with man’s hands. God was in Christ and from the very beginning, God had every intention of living within the innermost being of man. Yes, man becoming the temple in which the Lord is pleased to dwell. Temples redeemed and purchased from all sin by the outpouring of His own blood!

But men since their expulsion from the Garden of Eden have lost the nature of God turning instead to religion and the traditions of men in a vain effort to appease their consciousness of sin. But as the scriptures reveal (which again is indicative of one's need to read the New Testament) Christianity commenced in Acts chapter 2. On the day of Pentecost, whereby the first 3,000 were saved.

It is for this reason that we all should return to God’s prescription for the remission of sin, permitting a return to the nature of God so that we can also receive God’s promised gift of His Holy Ghost. 3000 persons believed initially in the message presented in Acts 2, being then baptized into a watery grave, willingly being buried into JESUS grave, arising a new justified creation!

Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call ..." (Acts 2:37-42)

Romans chapter 6 elaborates further on this message. Stand in the offering plate.

Almighty God Loved Us Enough To Shed His Holy Blood on the Cross For Us - Part 1097

In the beginning, God. (Genesis 1:1) To form an earth that was without form, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-3) 

Throughout the first chapter of Genesis, we learn about God's ability to create. Indeed, God created man in His own image -- in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them. And God blessed them and God said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:27-28)

In Genesis, we also become privy about our role as His human creation. We learn that Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air and to every beast of the field. But Adam also needed a help meet for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and while he slept, God took one of His ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Genesis 2:20-22)

Again, throughout these first chapters, we learn of God as our Creator. One God, and beside Him there is no other. This is true with one exception. That is, Genesis 1:26. 

Genesis 1:26 -- a single verse that many people can't seem to get past in terms of understanding God. And because of this single scripture, men have been deluded by a lie. In fact, the modern day religious culture uses the reference to "Let us" to justify a "triune God" and/or the "trinity".

How dark is the darkness when Genesis 1 alone refers to God or the Spirit of God (as one God) 28 times -- not counting the additional references to He -- but instead we choose to believe the words "let us" in one specific verse to mean more than one God. Or as the trinitarian doctrine proposes, there is God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost -- separate persons but co-equal in power and authority and majesty. 

Note also that the false modern day religious culture have taken the false doctrine of the trinity further by repeatedly changing Holy Ghost to Holy Spirit in the scriptural text. Again, the words Holy Spirit is not what the Bible say. When the apostles wrote Holy Ghost, they meant Jesus commanding them through the Holy Ghost as in Acts 1:4 but I digress.

In terms of the non-existing trinity, it is believed a Latin early church theologian Tertullian (155-230) was first to use the term trinity and God as "persons" to describe the One God of the Bible. Note that the word trinity cannot be found in the scriptures anywhere so its origin had to come from something other than the written Word of God. No systematic presentation of the doctrine can be found in the New Testament. 

But it gets worse. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicea officially defined the relationship of the Son to the Father, blatantly ignoring the scriptures that define Jesus as God in the flesh.

"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." (I Timothy 3:16)

"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not ... and the Word was made flesh" -- the same Word that was in the beginning with God and was God. (John 1:1-18)

Having said that, note that Hebrews 6:1 refers to the" doctrine of Christ" as one of the first principles that we as believers need to understand. Sadly, the difficulty new believers face is that the majority of religions today have sided with the Roman Catholic church and adopted a trinitarian doctrine -- a most holy trinity as the central mystery of the Christian faith -- rather than believing that the one and same God who was in the beginning loved us enough to be made flesh and dwell among us. (John 1:1-18) 

And as we see today, churches have followed Catholicism without ever questioning why the trinity or three distinct persons or one triune God or the eternal triune God revealing Himself as Father Son and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes or unity in this Godhead are three persons does not align with the scriptures. 

I can tell you why this is. There is no truth in them. Even the Jews who remain inherently familiar with the Old Testament scriptures (while rejecting the new covenant under Jesus Christ) still believe in only one God. In the beginning, God.

Jesus said, "And this is life eternal that they might know Thee, the true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world ..." (John 17:3-6)

This is why Jesus told the disciples that the Comforter could not come unless He went away. "Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth for He shall not speak of Himself but whatsoever He shall hear, shall He speak and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me for He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you." (John 16:7-14)

Jesus said, "... because I go to My Father and ye see Me no more." (John 16:10)

Why? Because Jesus is Almighty God in the flesh. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:21)

So, getting back to Genesis 1:26, the stumbling block that has led to so much doctrinal confusion. Moreover, we need to ask ourselves -- Who is God? What is His name?

If we note that throughout history, God always had a name, it makes sense that the last name given to men whereby you and I can be saved is Jesus. There is no other name under Heaven whereby men can be saved. (Acts 4:12) None. Jesus is the ONLY name whereby salvation can be obtained. The apostles knew this. This is why every individual they baptized in the scriptures was baptized in the name of Jesus. (Acts 2:37-42) In the precious name of Jesus.

Again, there is a reason why Genesis begins with "in the beginning God." At the same time, John chapter 1 provides the New Testament (or looking back perspective). John 1 opens with "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Then scroll down to John 1:14 where the scripture states "And the Word became flesh." In other words, God became flesh so that we might be saved! 

We need to stop praying to the unknown God, and instead embrace the only One who cared enough to shed His precious holy blood on a cross. His name is Jesus!

Here are more scriptures that will help guide you as you seek Jesus in your day to day faith journey.

Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  (John 8:58)

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," (Hebrews 1:1)

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life ..." (I John 1:1)

"I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2:14) 

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)  

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (I John 3:16 )

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-18)

Jesus was the visible image of the invisible God. Only one God who did not share His glory with another -- it is He that in Genesis 1:26 (as we read throughout the book of Hebrews) counseled with Himself. Seek Jesus today -- while the day of the Gentiles is still open. Search the scriptures, Jesus said, for within the scriptures, you will find Me. 

Stand in the offering plate.

In Doctrine Showing Uncorruptness, Gravity, Sincerity - Part 1096

If it be as the church fathers of 300/400 AD declared -- that God is three distinct and separate persons -- then the question that needs to be asked is which one of these three became my Saviour? For if they were all one, there should be no need of them to be three. Or as some religions present, the three all sat together (meaning the Father, Son and Spirit) at a conference table, banging their heads together trying to decide which one of the three should become man‘s Saviour.

Yes, surely God has sent these religious institutions strong delusion so that they should believe lies. What does the scriptures state? Who has bewitched them, for most certainly to believe such foolishness one must not be of stable mind. What else do the scriptures state? Save yourself from this untoward generation of artists who from their theatrical performances proliferate their message even though it is devoid of a scriptural foundation. The only seed that they plant is to plant the thought into your head that by giving money to them, you are sowing into the work of God. In so doing, they attempt to lure us into their den of deceptiveness.

However, the good news is that the SEED that JESUS sowed amongst us -- the Word of reconciliation -- came at no cost to anyone. JESUS, the Lord Himself from Heaven left Heaven for our sake. Indeed, He became poor for it was not with pomp or money that He brought us redemption. Rather, it was His reconciliatory Word that He Himself brought down from heaven, being the Word of God. As a consequence, we are now restored to unbroken fellowship with God because God our Saviour personally delivered salvation sealed with His blood -- which blood was the blood of the Holy Spirit! After JESUS had completed His redemptive reconciliatory mission wherein He delivered to all the KEY to the Kingdom of Heaven, JESUS then ascended into Heaven and SAT down.

JESUS breathed upon His followers of His Spirit, which Spirit is the Holy Spirit, saying to believers that His Spirit would lead and guide us into ‘all truth’ and that His Spirit would not speak contradictory to the message which He had imparted. JESUS added that His Spirit would bring all things to our remembrance. "Whatsoever He has said."

This is why JESUS told us to test the spirits in the latter times. For if someone says they are of God and does not adhere to the Word which He personally delivered and confirmed, then we ought to - as the scriptures state - to distance ourselves from them. Shake the dust off our feet as a testimony.

Why? Because no one can add to the Word of God and no one can take away from the Word of God for God’s Word is God.

To recap, God entered into His created world at a particular time, and delivered His message in the Greek language. There are no New Testament manuscripts to be found written in any other language. There are none in Hebrew, for example. So rest assured that by learning Hebrew one does not become more acquainted with the Scriptures. The old covenant does not reveal the New Testament. It is the New Testament that reveals the old types and shadow meanings. The New Testament reveals the only name whereby any man or woman can be saved. That is, JESUS the ‘given’ name never translated into Hebrew as yeshua.

As the scriptures state, continue in my WORD so that then you will be my disciples! Three thousand of the early believers obeyed Acts 2:36-42 and so should we. Stand in the offering plate.

They Being Ignorant of God's Righteousness And Going About to Establish Their Own Righteousness - Part 1095

Believers in Jesus Christ by faith need to understand that Jesus Christ is the ONLY visible manifestation of the invisible God of the Old Testament. There is no other. 

"God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days, spoken unto us by [His] Son whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds -- who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For unto which of the angels said He at any time, "Thou art My Son. This day have I begotten Thee?" And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into all the world He saith, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He saith, "Who maketh His angels Spirits and His ministers a flame of fire."

But unto the Son [He saith], "Thy throne, O God, [is] forever and ever. A sceptre or righteousness [is] the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." And, "Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands, They shall perish but Thou remainest, and they all shall wax old as doth a garment.

And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said He at any time, "Sit on My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?" Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1-14)

The Word that was with God and was God was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory -- the glory of the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father) full of grace and truth, (John 1:1-18)  

"All things were made by Him and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life and the light of men." (John 1:3-4)

"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God -- to them that believe on His name." (John 1:10-12)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy a brother wrote unto the church of God and to all the saints -- "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ -- WHO IS THE IMAGE OF GOD should shine unto them -- for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Corinthians 4:4--6)
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"For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens." (Hebrews 7:26)

So, if Jesus is Almighty God in the flesh, and similarly the ONLY name whereby we must be saved, why does the modern religious culture insist on promoting a Godhead that cannot be found anywhere in the scriptures. (Isaiah 9:6; I Timothy 3:16; Colossians 1:12-19; Acts 4:12)

"Who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for their own sins and then for the people's, first for his own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once when He offered up Himself. "For the Law maketh men high priests which have infirmity, BUT the Word of the oath which was since the Law [maketh] the Son -- who is consecrated for evermore. Now of the things which we have spoke [this] is the sum: 

"We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man." (Hebrews 8:1-2)

The greatest love story ever told, and yet every day new believers in Jesus Christ by faith are led astray by the FALSE teaching of a "triune God" -- that Father, Son and Holy Spirit have eternally existed or eternally co-existed as equals -- three Gods. To reinforce this false doctrine, the religious culture relies on three scriptures. 

The first scripture taken out of context from the rest of the chapter -- Gen 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,“  The second scripture admittedly changed by the Roman Catholic church in the third century -- Matt 28:19 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The third scripture John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God - that fails to acknowledge that this same Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

The apostles warned us that false teachers -- wolves in sheep's clothing would enter and attempt to divert us from the gospel. If there is any doctrine that has caused division among the body of Christ, it would be the false trinity teaching. 

"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Romans 10:3-4)

But it does not need to be this way. Search the scriptures for therein you will learn of Jesus, and His love that was destined from the very beginning.

Fall in love with Jesus today. Be baptized in His precious name. (Acts 2:37-42) Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and become proclaimers of the one and only good news gospel of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 6:1) Stand in the offering plate. 

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Part 1094

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be THY NAME. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread ..." (Matthew 6:9-11)

Jesus instructs us -- that after this manner should we pray. But there is much more to learn concerning spiritual matters We are to taste of the heavenly gift, and to likewise be made partakers of the Holy Ghost. (Hebrews 6:1-3) Indeed, as evidenced also in Hebrews 6, we are -- at some point in our faith journey to move forward from the first principles of the doctrine of Christ.

"Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement." (Hebrews 6:1-2)

The apostles added -- "and this will we do, if God permit." (Hebrews 6:3) However, I suspect that these were facing the same problems with wolves in sheep's clothing as we are experiencing in our modern day religious culture. That is, "certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4)

Paul wrote to the Galatians: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, "If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8-9)

Instead, we are instructed to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3) We are to continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:37-42) How do we do this? By seeking Jesus through His Word with all our heart, soul, mind and strength so that we begin to understand why His name is so critical to our salvation. Why we should pray continually -- Hallowed be THY NAME. (Matthew 6:9-11)

Jesus commanded us to "seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

(For those who have not yet asked Jesus to become Lord in their life, note what Jesus said: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15) Further, on the day of Pentecost, when the first 3,000 came to believe that this same Jesus who had been crucified was both Lord and Christ, had been listening to Peter, standing with the eleven. They were pricked in their heart and asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:37-38) Note also that whenever a new believer was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the scriptures, it was at the first possibility of finding water and not when the baptismal tank is warmed. But I digress.)

Getting back to seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness -- "And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, [Jesus] answered them and said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, "Lo here! or, lo there!" for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)

Similarly, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36)

But rather -- "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, for he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men." (Romans 14:17-18)

"To be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)

Because "if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live -- for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God -- for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry -- Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together ..." (Romans 8:11-17)

There are numerous other scriptural references to the kingdom of God as well.

"Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." (Acts 28:31)

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ..." (Matthew 25:34)

"Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)

Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

"Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)

And as ye go, preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7)

Verily I say unto you, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:15)

"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." (Luke 11:20)

And then Jesus' parable -- "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened ..." (Matthew 13:33)

There are so many treasures within the scriptures, but like a children's treasure hunt whereby the young ones search for a worthy treasure, you too have to seek the scriptures in order to taste His goodness. Rejoice in the Lord greatly and let "the peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:7)

Stand in the offering plate.

BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS - Part 1093

Today, I will focus primarily on the second chapter of Acts. Why? Because it appears that more and more religions are trying to change His written Word to suit their own religious dogma. I am not speaking about the butchering of His Word that is now prevalent in the proliferation of revised Bible versions being published. Rather, my concerns stem from the added commentary currently being written into the margins of King James Study Bibles. Instead of accepting what is written as God's truth and aligning to His Word -- the Word of God -- ghost commentators (which in essence, is simply someone's opinions) are attempting to sideline what His Word actually states.

"[Jesus] answered and said, "It is written -- "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)

"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Romans 3:4)

The same applies to religious doctrines that do not align with His Word. Either we endeavour to please men and believe a lie/false teaching, or we stand fast in the liberty of our Lord God and Saviour and gain an understanding of the principles of the doctrine of Christ. (Hebrews 6:1) It is for this reason that I write when commentators add their own religious teachings to His Word, rather than conform their Christian beliefs to His Word. We see this happening in increasing measure when it comes to the subject of water baptism.

Even though a quick google search reveals that Matthew 28:19 was changed by the Roman Catholic church in 385 AD, the religious continue to default to it rather than believe the apostles teaching and doctrines whereby every man and woman baptized in the Bible did so in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:37-42)

From Acts 1 and 2:

On the day of Pentecost, the first 3,000 people to be saved repented of their sin, and consequently, believing in Jesus were also baptized into His name. (Acts 2:37-38) Just beforehand, Jesus had ascended -- "until the day in which He was taken up, after that He -- THROUGH the Holy Ghost -- had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen -- to whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, and being assembled together, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem.

Rather, He told the apostles to wait for "the promise of the Father," which saith He, "Ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." (Acts 1:2-6)

Peter and James and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, son of Alphae-us, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James -- these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren. The scriptures number those in attendance to be about an hundred and twenty. (Acts 1:13-15)

Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus -- for he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry." (Acts 1:16-17)

But Judas purchased a field with the reward of iniquity which subsequently became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem as the field of blood. (Acts 1:19) To compensate for the loss of Judas, the apostles appointed two -- Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, "Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen that he may take part in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." (Acts 1:23-26)

Lots were cast and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26)

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Those in attendance were amazed and marvelled but confounded too because every man heard them speak in their own language.

To bring understanding to the multitude, Peter, standing with the eleven lifted up his voice, and said to those gathered in the upper room, "Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken unto my words ..." (Acts 2:14)

"For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, "I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on My servants and on My handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy; and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come ; and it shall come to pass, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:15-21)

Peter continued, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know -- Him, being delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain -- whom God hat raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be holden of it ..." (Acts 2:22-36)

When Peter, standing with the eleven finished, the people were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)

Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

Read that again -- "Repent and be baptized EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

This water baptism message has not changed since the day of Pentecost when the first 3,000 believers came to Jesus. In spite of religious commentators who want to do anything but believe the apostles' doctrine (that we are to continue steadfastly in -- Acts 2:42) we are still to be baptized in the precious name of Jesus.

He alone is the "unknown God" to whom many worship but fail to know His name. (Acts 17:23) Let him who hath ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.

A New Covenant, He Hath Made the First Old - Part 1092

"Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:23)

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ..." (I Timothy 2:5)

"Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made, [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a [mediator] of one, but God is one." (Galatians 3:20)

"And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance -- for where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth -- whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood ... for Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:15-28)

The difficulty that believers are experiencing today is that so many church related activities are becoming a "mediator" between us and our Lord God and Saviour. Whether it be an e-book published by some self-proclaimed evangelist, or a minister's motivational, non-scriptural reference on social media, or a list of sermons posted online for believers, we have taken His very Word and discounted it in favour of other sources of inspiration. Indeed, many believers will ask people to come to church with them -- rather than invite them to become friends with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

But what did Jesus say? "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) 

Therein, is our salvation. Therein, our peace and joy which surpasses all human understanding. Don't let the churches and/or ministers lead your heart away from Jesus -- because He is the ONLY mediator between God and man. 

"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant ..." (Hebrews 12:24) "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

This is why we are not to be carried away with diverse and strange doctrines. "For it is  a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an alter whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacles." (Hebrews 13:8-15)

Only Jesus sanctified the people with His own blood. Let us go forth therefore unto Him and offer the sacrifice of praise to our God continually -- that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. His name is Jesus -- the ONE AND ONLY mediator between God and man. The ONE AND ONLY God who loved us enough to shed His precious holy blood on a cross so that we might walk in His presence. 

The book of Hebrews is a must read for those struggling to understand how much the same God who loved us in the beginning still loves us today. Don't settle for man-made sermons or motivational sayings that suggest we -- in and of ourselves -- can make our life better, but rather feast directly on His Word. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." 

"But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises ... for if that first covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second -- for finding fault with them, 

He said, "Behold the days come," saith the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in My covenant and I regarded them not," saith the Lord, 

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," saith the Lord, " I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people, and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, "Lord, for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more"

In that He saith, "A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxedth old [is ] ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:6-13)

Stand in the offering plate with Jesus.

Jesus Asked, "What Will Ye That I Shall Do Unto You?" - Part 1091

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (I Corinthians 2:12)

"Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

Although a simple and straight forward scriptural message, our modern day religious culture has instead turned "giving" of ourselves into a fine art, teaching that believers should contribute monies to church offerings and tithes rather than "stand in the offering plate" with Jesus -- giving our all in all.

Jesus said, "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise, you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you -- "They have their reward."  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth ... that thine alms may be in secret." (Matthew 6:1-4)

Did you catch that? That thine alms may be done in secret so that thy Father -- which seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:4)

Note that "freely" and "in secret" is what Jesus asks us to do. As believers in Jesus Christ by faith, we are transformed by the renewing of our mind -- so that we should willingly become a flow-thru for the good news gospel of Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:2) Like apostle Paul, our desire should be to preach this same life giving gospel "without charge." (I Corinthians 9:27)

"Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

Unfortunately, the religious/worldly constructs in which we live insist that we spend our lives subscribing to monetary matters, relying solely on the currency of money as part of a bigger (and better?) exchange system. And to ensure that we are groomed into this lifelong systematic jungle, we learn very early in childhood that if someone does good work for us, we pay them money for the services rendered. In our earthly thinking, we do this because it is the "right thing" to do.

If we take this same premise one step further into the religious realm, we begin to understand why religion and the world have culminated in unison -- expecting Christian believers to give tithes and offerings to those who minister in the churches. From a lay person's perspective (and I use the term "lay person" to represent those who are new to the faith and just beginning to seek Jesus' wisdom and knowledge through His Word) -- those involved in church ministry provide a service and the money given in tithes and offerings signifies a token of our appreciation -- for the "service" or "services" they render.

But again, what did Jesus say?

"Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

And the apostles when Jesus, after He was taken up, gave them commandments through the Holy Ghost concerning the body of Christ? (Acts 1:1-5) "And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted to all, as every man hath need." (Acts 2:44-45)

"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common, and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of Jesus and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid down at the apostles' feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (Acts 4:32-35)

Let's look at some other scriptural examples regarding money -- keeping in mind that this is not a teaching that you would normally hear from the majority of churches in this day and age. Note also the following references are cited from the new testament for a reason. That is, we currently live in the new testament dispensation of grace.

"And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15)

Therefore, when Jesus satisfied all the requirements of the old covenant once and for all with His precious blood on the cross, He satisfied the old covenant law and commandments.

"But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ." (II Corinthians 3:14)

To facilitate learning, I have listed the scriptures as points -- to be understood both separately and collectively, so that we can achieve a more enriching understanding of the good news gospel of Jesus Christ -- in all things. I pray that as ye abound in every thing in faith, and in utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, that ye abound in this grace also. (II Corinthians 8:7)

"Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

Scriptural References:

1. After being tempted by the devil, Jesus returned "in the power of the Spirit" into Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, being glorified of all. "And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, and. as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:13-19; Isaiah 49:8-9; Isaiah 61:1-2)

When Jesus commanded the twelve disciples to "go rather to the lost sheep of Israel and as ye go, preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils" what instruction did He add? (Luke 4:13-19) Ironically, the teaching we rarely hear. That is:

"Freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for [your] journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves for the workman is worthy of his meat ..." (Matthew 10:5-10)

Similarly, in Luke, Jesus said to Peter and the disciples, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing?" And they said, "Nothing." Jesus then said, "But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this is written must yet be accomplished in Me -- And He was reckoned among the transgressors; for the things concerning Me have an end." And they said, "Lord behold; here [are] two swords." And Jesus said, "It is enough." (Luke 22:34-38)

Note that neither of these scripture references directs the disciples (in their respective ministries) "to collect tithes" or "to give a portion of one's earnings." Why? Because when Jesus sent them without purse and scrip and shoes -- they "lacked nothing."  (Luke 22:34-38) And, later when Jesus said "he that hath a purse, let him take, and likewise his scrip" it was so the apostles could utilize what they had to preach the good news gospel of Jesus Christ -- God giving the increase. (I Corinthians 3:7)

(More on this in the points to follow)

In the interim, note Jesus' specific wording here. Initially, Jesus said -- NOT to take money for preaching the gospel, "neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in purses." (Matthew 10:9-10) This message so that we as believers would understand that preaching the gospel was never intended to be about money or an exchange for a service rendered. Rather, Jesus was releasing every one of His disciples to preach His good news gospel, heal the sick, recover sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised -- and He was doing so under the umbrella of "freely ye receive, freely give!"

And, the outcome for using what we have -- he that hath a purse, let him take and likewise his scrip -to preach the gospel to one and all is that we -- like the disciples, would lack nothing.

2. How the apostles obeyed Jesus' instructions can be clearly seen in the scriptural examples cited in the book of Acts. In Acts 2, the first 3,000 believers that gladly received his Word and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost -- all them "that believed were together and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men] as every man had need, and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:38-47)

In the 4th chapter of Acts: "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid down at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus -- having land, sold [it] and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet." (Acts 4:33-37)

Again, money wasn't the priority, and we know that because "neither was there any among them that lacked." In fact, they did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. Moreover, they had ALL things common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all -- as every man had need.

Was it the church that distributed/redistributed the money? No, the believers themselves chose in their heart to give so that no one person or family among them lacked.

3. The last book in the Bible -- the Book of Revelation -- makes it very clear that money is the devil's currency.  Revelation 18 expands on this point -- to the extent of citing the various forms of merchandise that contribute to our global economy today. Note how the worldly construct of money is positioned in His Word, particularly in these last days.

"And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning ... and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandise any more." (Revelation 18:9-17)

Indeed, the kings of the earth "have committed fornication ... and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth merchandise any more." (Revelation 18:9-17)

(To do justice to this argument, these scriptures should be read in their entirety. However, for purposes of conciseness, let Revelation chapters 17 and 18 serve as a "beginning" for establishing the meaning of money from a scriptural context.)

"And he [the devil who deceives them on the earth] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17)

4. There was a certain man called Simon in the scriptures -- "which before time in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one?"  This same Simon -- "to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, said, "This man is the great power of God." And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with their sorceries." (Acts 8:9-11)

But something changed when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. They were baptized -- both men and women. Simon himself believed also, and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs, which were done. (Acts 8:12-13)

"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet He was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then laid they hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost," -- similar to the first 3,000 baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 8: 14-17; Acts 2:38-42)

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostle's hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." (Acts 8:18-19)  But Peter said unto him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." (Acts 8:20-21)

Note Peter's response -- "Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." The reason given for Peter's response -- that his heart was not right in the sight of God.

5. When Jesus fed the 5,000, He was illustrating where our heart should be. Did Jesus ask for a collection plate to be passed around so that the people could eat? No. But we can see from the scriptures that the disciples had a heart for the people. The disciples saw their physical needs -- to be fed and housed. It was only when Jesus challenged them -- that they decided to go buy meat for all the people. The solution for them was money. Exchanging money for food so that the 5,000 plus could be fed. But Jesus did not need money. Indeed, Jesus used what He had in front of Him-- the five loaves and two fishes -- and after blessing the food, divided it, trusting God to give the increase. (Luke 9:12-17)

"And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto Him, "Send the multitude away that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals, for we are here in a desert place." But [Jesus] said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they said, "We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people." For they were about five thousand men.

And He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down by fifties in a company." And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then [Jesus] took the five loaves and two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them and brake and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled, and there was taken up of fragments that remained in the twelve baskets." (Luke 9:12-17)

If only we had faith like a mustard seed -- but I digress.

6. The Acts of the apostles is full of examples of believers coming together in singleness of heart to praise our Lord God and Saviour but let me point to one example in particular. God's provision for ministering the gospel to unbelievers was revealed without the burden of offerings and tithes being placed on those who had come together. Remember, freely have you received, freely give. In Acts 2:

"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians and Nedes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." (Acts 2:5-11)

God's provision for ministering the gospel to unbelievers was giving believers the language(s) so that "every man heard them speak in his own language." At no point was an offering taken, or tithes asked for. Instead, these believers did what God wanted them to do. That is, they put themselves into the offering plate with Jesus. Their faith indicative of their trust in Jesus for their innermost heart desires.

7. Jesus said to the disciples when the people brought Him also infants, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God." (Luke 18:15-17)

"And they brought young children to Him, that  He should touch them, and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. but when Jesus saw [it], He was much displeased and said unto them, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." And [Jesus] took them up in His arms, put [His] hands upon them and blessed them." (Mark 10:13-16)

"Then there were brought unto Him little children that He should put [His] hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And He laid [His] hands on them and departed hence." (Matthew 19:13-15)

Earlier, the disciples had come unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, "Verily, I say unto you, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive on such little child in My name receiveth Me." (Matthew 18:1-7)

 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (Matthew 18:1-7; Mark 9:42)

Note that Jesus did not tell the parents and/or children to bring Him money, or to give some money to the church (so that as intermediary, these could distribute the monies). Rather, Jesus said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:15-17)

But in this culture whereby money and worldly constructs are idealized, we attempt to teach our children about spending priorities by including "giving some of the earnings to the church." I am sure there was a time in my life when I taught my children to do the same. But my question is this. What are we teaching our children when we encourage them to give some of their earnings to the church, and not -- as the scriptures state -- to stand in the offering plate with Jesus?

I will leave that question for you to ponder, praying that you will seek Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength for His guidance and direction on these matters.

8. Finally, we all know that there are costs associated with operating a church building, and admittedly, we should contribute to maintaining a place of worship. However, our giving should not start and stop there. As believers in Jesus by faith, we become ministers of the good news gospel of Jesus Christ -- the King of kings and Lord of lords who never fails!

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus ... for we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end." (Hebrews 3:1-14)
For those who want to study this subject further, here is a list of scriptures that may be useful.

"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you .." (II Peter 2:3)

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (I Timothy 6:10)

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry ... " (Colossians 3:5)

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God ..." (Ephesians 5:5)

"[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)

And [Jesus] said unto them, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth ..." (Luke 12:15-21)

"Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him ..." (I John 2:15-17)

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

Stand in the offering plate.

Come and Dine, the Master's Calling -- Part 1090

"Who being the brightness of glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high ..." (Hebrews 1:3)

The law of sin and death was added because of transgressions and would remain thus until the seed to whom the promise was made should come. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by JESUS (the Christ).  The scriptures reveal that in Jesus, God Himself as a son, did all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwell. (Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:9)

It is this Jesus who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. (Matthew 8:17) One who is moved with compassion toward us. One who loves us for who we are, not for what we were in our fallen sinful condition. One who extends towards us unconditional love. One who would go to heart of the earth and back to redeem us. One who exercises mercy toward us. One who did not pass by on the other side of the street. (Luke 10:25-37)

This one named JESUS, now revealing Himself to be a High Priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 7:1-28) "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace." (Hebrews 7:1-3)

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Hebrews 7:3) This ministry being intransmissible. There is only one mediator between God and man. (I Timothy 2:5) This mediator being God Himself as a son, who upon completion of bringing obtainable salvation to the "whosoever" will come uttered, "it is finished." (John 19:30) After, He descended into the Spirit and then ascended into Heaven. There He sat down - the work of our redemption completed. (Hebrews 1:3) 

No more add-ons in the equation. Indeed, we are complete. Jesus ministered the law of the spirit of life. For in Him is life eternal and that indwelling life is the light reaching out to men. (John 8:12)

But humankind, apparently, loves darkness rather than His light. There are numerous reasons for this but seemingly, more often than not, it is because in stony hearts of unbelief, individuals are unable to dine with the God who loved them. Instead, they are too busy to find out more about the God who loved them, caught up in (or with) the cares of this life. 

Note, that at the advent of the birth of the Christ child, Mosaic Priesthood existed, exercising the requirements of the law of sin and death. The new promised order now being introduced in Jesus is to be, after the order of Melchisedec. This order pertains to the power of an endless life. The name Melchisedec interpreted means the King of Righteousness, the Prince of Peace. (Hebrews 7:1-28)

We are not under Mosaic law. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law, for sin is the transgression of the Law. [But] ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in Him is no sin." (I John 3:4-5) 

Therein lies our hope -- "and every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth Himself, even as He is pure." (I John 3:3) 

We are partakers of grace and truth, flowing freely from the order of Melchisedec. Neither are we under Sinai Law. (Galatians 4:25) Instead, we are children of the free woman, the Jerusalem which is above, is free. The mother of us all, feeding from her breasts, drinking of her milk, and partaking of the Word of God. We need to hear what His holy Spirit reveals, while we make melody in our heart.

"By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." (Hebrews 7:22)

Feeding on Jesus, the bread of life. We need to become constantly desirous to know more and similarly, even more of Him. The God who loved us and who has given Himself for humans. Therefore, we come boldly to His throne of Grace and in so doing we receive grace and strength to help in times of need. Why?  Simply because Jesus cared. We are His temple in which He is pleased to dwell. We are a habitation of His Spirit, Jesus, who breathes and says, "Receive you the Holy Ghost." 

We are His body, His bones and His flesh. (Ephesians 5:30) In His death, He seeded us. He died so that we could become alive. The only priest within this holy temple is Jesus. It is Jesus that is expanding His temple daily. It is Jesus who is adding living stones, not tablets constructed of bricks and mortar, but rather, being made with man’s hands. For He dwells not in temples made with man’s hands but in our hearts when we ask Him to become Lord in our lives.

"Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?." (Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49)

Come and dine with our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ today, but go one step further by faith. That is, stand in the offering plate with the Lord Jesus -- the King of kings, Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, the first and the last.