And He Shall Send Jesus Christ Which Before Was Preached Unto You - Part 1246

"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." (Acts 2:23-24)

"Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)

Sadly, we see much of the same mindset in the modern day religious culture, and world today, whereby wicked hearts desire to crucify and slay Jesus all over again, with a watered down, revised theology that does not have its foundation in the Word.

Instead of an understanding of Almighty God manifest in the flesh -- the one and same  God who loved us so much that He would come into our world and shed His holy blood on the cross, a false doctrine called the trinity was established, attempting to make God into three persons. A tri-une God, as these leaders promote, because these themselves have been blinded from the truth.

Furthermore, water baptism is too often performed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit rather than in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, even though immediately before the rewritten Matthew 28:19, Jesus is saying, "ALL POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Acts 2:36-42)

"Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:1-4)

These same hierarchies are intent on pouring the new testament wine into old flasks, suggesting that grace is established only until we ask Jesus into our lives, but then we must return to obeying the Law and ten commandments (which was given only as a schoolmaster to point us to Christ).

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3:24-25)

And the list of false teachings goes on and on, and will until the members of the body of Christ begin to diligently search the scriptures for truth. Remember, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)

We need to accept Jesus into our heart first, being baptized in His name, like the first 3,000 souls were baptized on the day of Pentecost -- the day that the new testament Church was established with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. How do we know this?

When Peter (standing with the disciples) was asked, "What must we do to be saved?" 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 God shall call." (Acts 2:37-38)

What was the consequence? They that gladly received His Word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, 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 2:29-47)

How did the apostles know what to say? Because 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 showed 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." (Acts 1:2-3)

Was that the 12 original disciples, the 70 that we see later on, or the 120 that continued in one accord in prayer and in supplication in Jerusalem? A topic, perhaps, for yet another day. For now let us understand that the first commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and in so doing, preach and teach to all creation, as one that has been chosen and ordained by the King of kings and Lord of lords. His name is Jesus.

"And they shall call His name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) Emmanuel, meaning "God with us." (Matthew 1:23) God manifest in the flesh. (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. (John 1:1:18)

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believes ... for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith."  (Romans 1:16)

In order for salvation to take hold, we must first die to our old self, being buried with Christ into death so that we can walk in newness of life with our beloved Master. Like the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, we need to take hold of His yoke, which is not burdensome. Indeed, Jesus said, "Come unto Me all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Water baptism is our faith in action. And when we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will lead us and guide us into all truth. His truth that surpasses all human understanding.

Stand in the offering plate.