"He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." (Deuteronomy 32:4)
"... as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 9:33)
"And He said, "Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live." And the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by:" (Exodus 33:20-22)
In referencing the Lord God, the term rock is used often in both the old and new testament. For example, remember Jesus' parable about the wise man building his house upon the Rock? (Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:48) Or, as apostle Paul describes, the Rock which followed the Israelites through the Red Sea was Christ? (I Corinthians 10:1-4)
"... and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (I Corinthians 10:4)
Or when Jesus said to build His church upon this Rock (Jesus) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it? (Matthew 16:18) Indeed, even the sepulchre wherein Jesus was laid after the crucifixion was hewn out of a rock. (Mark 15:46)
In referencing how the seed - the Word of God - is received by believing and unbelieving hearts, Jesus details the parable of the sower, when He said, "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8:6-13)
Indeed, Jesus is the Rock of Salvation. Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Jesus -- the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. He is indeed God our Saviour, wherein after His kindness and love toward man appeared. (Acts 2:36-41; I Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:21-23; Titus 3:4-7; Revelation 1:8-9; Titus 2:13; Acts 20:28)
"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 1:10-11)
So the question then is this -- what other God would lead His people out of Egypt, if not Christ Jesus? Is there another Lord who saves His people, besides the same God who created us? Think about this for a moment! Throughout the old testament, there is no question that there is only One God and He is the Lord. Indeed, the first commandment begins by stating, "Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God is One Lord!" (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31)
The psalmist David confirms that God is the Lord, and the Lord is God.
"For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?" (Psalm 18:31)
"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2)
"As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him." (Psalm 18:30)
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12)
So does the prophet Isaiah, when he writes ""I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me ..." (Isaiah 45:5) (Isaiah. 45:5; Psalm 86:8; (II Samuel 7:22; I Chronicles 17:20)
And as we know, there is no other Lord who saves His people. But as Jude so clearly states, the church has allowed certain men to creep in unawares -- those who don't know the scriptures; individuals set out to deceive those that the Lord has called. Jude writes:
"For there are 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)
Even though the apostles were clear in declaring that this same Jesus was both Lord and Christ, there are those (sadly!) who would rather align with church traditions than submit to the truth. (Acts 2:36)
This same Jesus who clearly stated, "I am/AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me!" (John 14:6)
Does Jesus stop there? Of course not, because He wanted His closest disciples to know who He was. Reading further in John 14, Jesus says ..."Thomas saith unto Him, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?" Jesus saith unto him, "I am/AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it suffices us."
Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, "Shew us the Father?" Believest thou not that I am/AM in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I [am/AM] in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. 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. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep my commandments." (John 14:5-15)
You see, while Jesus walked on this earth, He never ceased to tell us who He was. "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." (John 10:37-38)
Again, remember apostle Paul's words in I Corinthians 10:1-4?
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST."
"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." (Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19)
The Word of the Lord said to Zechariah -- "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for [his] only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn." (Zechariah 12:8-12)
Indeed the Lord will reign. The Lord God will be King over the whole earth. On that day, there will be (as there always was) one Lord, and His Name the ONLY name. (Zechariah 14:9) And the name above every other name in this current dispensation of grace?
"And ye shall call His Name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins .. Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23; Philippians 2:9-10; Acts 4:12)
Jesus Christ is THE SAME Yesterday and Today and FOREVER! (Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 25:1; John 20:28) And this same Jesus is saying to each and every one of us this day ...
"Unto you therefore which believe [He is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner, and a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light!" (I Peter 2:7-9)
Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, "Shew us the Father?" Believest thou not that I am/AM in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I [am/AM] in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. 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. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep my commandments." (John 14:5-15)
You see, while Jesus walked on this earth, He never ceased to tell us who He was. "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." (John 10:37-38)
Again, remember apostle Paul's words in I Corinthians 10:1-4?
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST."
"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." (Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19)
The Word of the Lord said to Zechariah -- "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for [his] only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn." (Zechariah 12:8-12)
Indeed the Lord will reign. The Lord God will be King over the whole earth. On that day, there will be (as there always was) one Lord, and His Name the ONLY name. (Zechariah 14:9) And the name above every other name in this current dispensation of grace?
"And ye shall call His Name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins .. Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23; Philippians 2:9-10; Acts 4:12)
Jesus Christ is THE SAME Yesterday and Today and FOREVER! (Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 25:1; John 20:28) And this same Jesus is saying to each and every one of us this day ...
"Unto you therefore which believe [He is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner, and a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light!" (I Peter 2:7-9)
JESUS is the greatest love story ever told. And this same God who willingly became our Saviour (shedding His precious holy blood so that we might have abundant life in Him) looks upon each and every one of us as the apple of His eye. So, don't let another day go by without searching the scriptures for His truth, beginning at the first salvation message preached in the new testament -- found in Acts 2:36-47.
Indeed, Jesus -- the Way, the Truth and the Life! The King of kings and Lord of lords!
Stand in the offering plate.
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