Thursday, January 4, 2018

Surely Blessing I Will Bless Thee, And Multiplying I Will Multiply Thee - Part 1926

"Who are you Lord?" asked Saul, when he was suddenly stopped by a bright light which shone all around him. Jesus answered Saul saying,  "I am Jesus"  -- the same Jesus who shall save His people from their sin. Call His name Immanuel, which interpreted means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23) 

"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 God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name ..." (Philippians 2:9)

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." (II Corinthians 5:19)

Indeed, in no other can salvation be found. Only in Jesus! The Word made flesh that dwelt among us, so that we could behold His glory!This is why the council called the apostles together and commanded them never to speak the name of the Lord Jesus to anyone.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, "What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it." (Acts 4:13-16)

" ... But that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this Name." And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed." (Acts 4:13-22)

From this example, we see that Peter's response to the council was simple. Peter told them to decide for themselves whether it is right before God to obey individuals rather than God. Paul also confirmed this point of view when he said that it was the God of our fathers who had appeared to Him as He journeyed on the road to Damascus. Paul was told that it was the God of our fathers who had met him and chosen him, when his mission at that time was to find those who believed in Jesus by faith and jail them. That was certainly Saul's mission for that day.

Thankfully, the Lord Jesus had another mission for Saul, and soon, Paul would fulfill His will and purpose in the days ahead. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here. When the light shone around him, Saul became blind. Still, Paul had seen the Just One and heard His voice speaking directly to his heart.

Can you imagine what Saul must be thinking, when he uttered the words, "Who art Thou, Lord?" As we know, Saul did not have to ask twice. In fact, Jesus told Saul right there and then, "I am JESUS whom ye persecute."

This is why the scriptures tell us that the Name of Jesus is ABOVE every other name in both Heaven and on earth. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus the Christ is Lord. As Christians, we are renewed, justified, and sanctified in Him -- Jesus the Christ. He alone is the One and Only True God that gives eternal life. 

If it were not so, Jesus would not have been able to say, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6) 

If it were not so, Jesus would not have said, "I am the Bread of Life." The "living water" wherein if you drink, you will never thirst again. 

If it were not so, Jesus could not have said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)

But Jesus told His disciples that if they had seen Jesus, they had seen the Father. (John 14:6-12) Jesus said, "I and My Father are One!" (John 10:30) He is the Word made flesh. (John 1:10-11) Yes, God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16) The Lord came forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6) And this same Lord is Jesus who Peter (standing with the eleven) on the day of Pentecost so accurately identified as both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

So, when it comes to the religious sects in the world today that try to lead us astray from the Word which is Jesus, what do we say? Is it J- H -V- H  or  J-H-W-H? Try pronouncing these letters as a word. Complicated? Well, yes. The councils are still commanding that we ought not to speak in the name of Jesus. We were commanded by Jesus, the Shepherd of His own redeemed people to go into all the world and preach repentance and remission in His name Jesus. The name that the angel (the messenger of God) said that we must call His name Immanuel -- God with us -- is named Jesus. 

So the flock of a different shepherd went behind the scene and decided on an alternative name. And, as a consequence, they almost achieved their accomplished mission. The mission was to obscure the name of Jesus, child of the Holy Ghost. It is hard to believe that men chose to oppose God, especially when we know that the one who made the world was in the world and answered to the name of Jesus. 

So what do these letters mean? Well, the above capital letters are simply the 'incommunicable' name of a Hebrew God. Pray tell then, why would anyone endeavour to communicate an incommunicable name? Why wouldn't individuals want the masses to understand and comprehend God's Name? In this case, their desperation to deceive the people amounts to a travesty. Individuals playing around with the vowels AEIOU and conjuring up something that is readable/pronounceable but still, their conduct inexcusable. 

Yet, in spite of the wolves in sheep's clothing, whose mission it is to deceive, the point is still that when ordinary people hear Jesus, they run to Him with enthusiasm. Why? Because Jesus did not speak then (or now!) as the religious leaders do. Jesus had something more to offer - the gift of salvation. So instead of deceiving people and/or being deceived by others, we need to recognize that the throne of Jesus is forever and ever, amen. Indeed, forever all the angels of God worship Him.  

God’s redeemed children (who all are in the man Jesus who is God Himself as a son) are in number more than the granules of sand by the sea. It is for this reason that Jesus people continue to keep their sights on the glory of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. 

and, if the first 3000 believers repented and were baptized by immersion (buried symbolically with Jesus) into the Name of the Lord Jesus the Christ, for the remission of sin, receiving a promise that they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, then we need to do the same also. (Acts 2:36-47(

Stand in the offering plate with Jesus who loves you with an everlasting love. In blessing, He will bless you.

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