"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost!" (I Corinthians 12:3)
At the beginning of I Corinthians 12, apostle Paul tells us that he would not have us ignorant concerning spiritual [gifts] -- the latter term gifts being an added word in the translated from Greek to English King James version. Paul goes on to write, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." (I Corinthians 14:37)
We know from Acts 2:36 that this same Jesus whom we/ye have crucified is both Lord and Christ. We also know that Jesus Himself said He is our Lord and Master. (John 13:13) The scriptures reveal that Jesus told His disciples, "I and My Father are One!" (John 10:30) Jesus also tells them if ye have seen Me, ye have seen the Father and know Him. (John 14:6-12)
Moreover, John understood that this same Jesus who had walked on this earth with His disciples had also now ascended. He is risen -- the stone rolled away. Perhaps, this explains why John encouraged us to "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)
Acts 20:28 confirms the same -- "to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood."
Indeed, God paid the ultimate price when He robed Himself in flesh, shedding His own precious blood on a cross -- becoming the perfect sacrifice so that we who believe in the Lord Jesus by faith can have abundant life.
Further, I John 4:2-3 states, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world."
Didn't Jesus say that He knows those who are His?
Nevertheless, the Word that was with God and was God became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:1, 14) Or more specifically, "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 what has happened that we who profess to believe the scriptures are the infallible Word of God no longer believe that Jesus is the Lord of glory? Even though we acknowledge somewhat that God appeared to Abraham in the tent. Even though God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. Even though One like the Son of man stood with the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah).
So many questions - to the point, wherein we can now understand why Jesus asked, "When I return, will I even find faith?" This statement alone should make us all stop in our tracks. Why?
Because the man-made religious institutions are sidetracking us from the truth. Wolves in sheep's clothing are deceiving Jesus' flock, under a guise of sermons that sound interesting but are not representative of this same Jesus who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me?"
Why? Because Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. And He said, "there is no other, beside Me!. Or as Isaiah similarly wrote, "The Lord shall come forth as a mighty man ... " (Isaiah 42:13)
In other words, Almighty God willingly became our Saviour.
"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong [hand]; and His arm shall rule for Him, behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd, He shall gather the lambs with His arm; and carry [them] in His and carry [them] in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or [being] His counsellor hath sought Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him the path of judgement, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding? ... To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?" (Isaiah 40:10-14, 18)
It's no wonder Paul concludes with -- "if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." (I Corinthians 14:38)
Don't let those who don't even read their Bible lead you astray. Take hold of the truth which is in Christ Jesus, the same Christ who followed the Israelites through the Red Sea.
Stand in the offering plate
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