To Them Who By Patient Continuance In Well Doing Seek For Glory And Honour And Immortality, Eternal Life - Part 2033

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, "Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded." (I Peter 2:6) Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." (John 14:6)

Jesus said, "I AM -- the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6)

Let those with ears to hear, hear and understand what the Word of the Lord has to say to His beloved chosen. In this passage, Jesus goes on to tell Philip that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. Specifically, Jesus said, "Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not know Me Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, "Show us the Father?" (John 14:6-9)

In relaying this scripture, we need to understand that God is One! (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31) He cannot be divided into thirds, as the modern day religious culture likes to do, reducing the doctrine of Christ to a triune god/a triad /a trinity -- or God in three co-existent, co-eternal persons. (II John 1:9; I Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-18; Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 9:6) We need to recognize that this religious teaching is false, and has sadly led far too many astray. How? Because in this current dispensation of grace, JESUS is the ONLY Name whereby we MUST be saved. (Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:9; Matthew 1:21-23)

There is an interesting example from the Old Testament that is telling of how the worldly spirit, the enemy who is currently running to and fro to deceive and destroy whom he can is increasingly twisting scripture so that it is becoming difficult for believers to find the truth. Similar to Joshua's time -- when Jericho was straitly shut up against the children of Israel -- the Word of God is being straightly (tightly) shut up, to the point where the Bibles read in many churches has become hardly recognizable to the original Word Jesus delivered.

Let me explain. In this day and age, when time is short, we see the devil more diligently running to and fro, seeking to devour whom he can. We see this in the constant proliferation of "revised" scriptures, wherein with each new revision, the traditions of men become even more deeply entrenched, and the original Word of God less recognizable. Certainly, the power or His Word in this world is diminishing to the point where the believing community that should stand out as that city on a hill for Jesus is dimming.

But what did Jesus say? "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do." (Mark 7:8)

Sadly, the enemy that tells people that these revisions are easier to understand is selling a lie. And now, more than ever, the world is becoming darker as a consequence. Those who profess to believe in Jesus by faith struggle with finding the spiritual truths that are given to us to proclaim to the world, preaching and teaching the good news gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to one and all.

Jesus told us we are sanctified by truth -- Thy Word is Truth! (John 17:17)

Herein, I am reminded of the child's game wherein a number of people sit in a circle and secretly pass on to one another some trinket of information. Usually, when we get to the end of the circle, this same statement has been significantly changed. Relate this same example to the constant revisions of the scriptures and we can wholly understand the Word of the Lord to the prophet Hosea -- "My people perish for lack of knowledge!" (Hosea 4:6)

It is for this reason that we should be zealously guarding the Word of God as originally TRANSLATED from the Greek (word for word) and not falling for those revisions upon revisions that have deleted meaningful scriptural truths, and changed the meaning that was originally intended from our Lord God and Saviour.

What did Jesus say? "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:5)

Jesus said unto the multitudes, "If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me." (John 8:42)

He is presenting this same good news gospel message to us today but the truth is becoming harder to find. This is why we should be diligent about remaining steadfast in the doctrine of Christ, the apostolic doctrine that was clearly established on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:36-47) But I have digressed somewhat. 

In returning to Joshua 6, we read:"Now Jericho was straitly shut up BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord." And he said unto the people, "Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord." (Joshua 6:1-7)

We are again at that pivotal point in history. We know that the Lord Jesus has a short work to be done, according to Revelation 3:8-9. Are we going to continue on in His Word -- as it is written -- or are we going to let the enemy continue to deceive those who are called by His Name, by constantly changing the very Word that He so willingly gave so that we who believe might have abundant life in Him?

Remember, Jesus said about this time, "... for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect." (Mark 13:22)

Jesus also said, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:22)

If we are going to run the race, we need to return to the Word as delivered -- the apostolic doctrine, and that means giving up the revised scriptural commentaries of others, and asking the Lord Jesus to fill our hearts with His Word. We need to understand that when Jesus said that His disciples would (future tense) receive another Comforter -- the Holy Ghost -- that He may abide with you and in us, that we would then be receiving the Spirit of truth. The same Spirit of Truth that was from the very beginning, when the Spirit of the Lord God moved upon the face of the waters. (John 14:26; John 15:26; Acts 1:2-3, 8; Genesis 1:2) The Holy Ghost wherein we now can have both the Father and the Son dwelling within us as ONE Spirit! 

"Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (II John 1:9)

For clarity, note what Jesus said before the cross -- "Verily, verily, I say unto you -- he that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater [works] than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14: 12-13) 

Don't let the false religious teachings lead you astray from willing obeying the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, as Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love." (John 15:10)

Herein is love displayed, when the same God who created the world clothed Himself in flesh so that our sins could be washed clean once and for all, because of the precious holy blood He shed on the cross for you and I. 

Remembering too, as Jesus told His disciples, "If ye had known Me, ye would have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him and have seen Him." (John 14:7) 

Herein is truth -- the love of God displayed for one and all to behold! He is our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ and one day very soon He is coming back for those who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Meditate upon these truths ... "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!" (Titus 2:13)

Stand in the offering plate.