Redeemed by the Blood of Jesus - Part 518

We have so much to be thankful for. We have been redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus -- the lamb that was foreordained before the foundation of the world and manifest in these last times for us. He died for us even though He Himself was without blemish or spot. Manifest in these last times for you and I. Yes, it was for us in these last days that the same God who created us and knew each and every one of us before we were ever formed in the womb shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary so that we might know Him. Jesus -- the way, the truth and the life. The only mediator between God and man.

You see, God wants to fellowship with men and women. He wants to commune with us. This is why in the Garden of Eden -- from Genesis in the Bible -- we read that God created man in His own image to have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

Think about this. God created us in His own image, by forming man from the dust of the ground and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. Hence, man became a living soul. And He did so knowing that the day would come when He would have to perform that good thing which He had promised. 

Indeed, when "God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them, and God blessed them and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." God saw everything that He had made and it was very good. He saw that His creation -- man and woman -- was very good. But Adam and Eve failed.

This is why we need salvation. A plan of salvation -- which allows men and women to be reconciled with God.  Indeed, God knew this and had already foreordained a plan of salvation before the foundation of the world. As the scriptures state in I Peter, this plan of salvation was manifest in these last times for you and I. What a wonderful thought. At this very moment, we have an opportunity to believe in the same God that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope might be in Him.

And then, seeing that we have purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but rather of incorruptible -- the Word of God lives and abides in our hearts forever. Indeed, the Word of our Lord endures forever. 

I Peter 1:18-25 offers a unique analogy -- where the substance of our lives are compared to the grass. Peter states, "For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. But in time, the grass withers and the flower thereof will fall away. But the Word of the Lord endureth forever. This is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

Let the Word -- Jesus -- abide in your life. Stand in the offering plate! 

Jesus Took Our Place - Part 517

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, [He] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Consider that the same God who created the world was in Jesus reconciling us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and that, as a consequence, has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

"To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses [or sins] unto them" (as we might in our human thinking against our fellow man) but rather committing unto us "the Word of reconciliation."

The "vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ." Up until this point, their minds were blinded. Even when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, it is no longer this way. For the Bible states, "when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." And it was. "Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (II  Corinthians 3:14-17)

Therefore, the greatest love story ever told can be found in His Word -- our God and Saviour. A love story that is so deep that we are moved by the breadth and depth of love that God has shown. And a love story that is so simple that children can understand how much God loves us.

Remember that in the beginning, it wasn't God who messed up. Indeed, it was Adam and Eve that sent us on the road that we now travel. Still, God -- whose footstool is earth -- cared so much about you and I that He would make a decision to become flesh and shed His humanity on the cross for us. In His mind, there wasn't anyone else that even measured up. This is the love that passeth all understanding.

This is why John 3:16 - For God so loved - is so significant. Because in the "so loved" He knew that the only way that men and women could be saved -- and once again partake in daily fellowship with their Creator is to become as one of them and make the ultimate sacrifice. And He did so in order that we could become ambassadors for Jesus the Christ, staying in His stead so that we can be reconciled to Him.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." Let Jesus dwell in you today, and walk with you because He said. "I will be their God and they shall be my people." Let the light that God commanded shine in our hearts so that the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ could be told near and far.

Jesus loves you! He is the way, the truth and the life. Stand in the offering plate!

Jesus - You are My God! Part 516

"They stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59 is specific on this point. But why is it in newer versions of the New Testament Bible that the wording removes the words "calling upon God" preferring only to acknowledge Stephen's latter words - "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Is it because these so-called intellectuals -- blinded by their own religious -- trinitarian views -- and institutional traditions prefer not to acknowledge that Stephen knew God by name? Knew God as Jesus -- the King of kings and Lord of lords. Or perhaps, it is because these revisionists do not want people to know that Jesus is the unseen God manifest in the flesh.

The good news is that it doesn't matter what other people think. It only matters that we believe the Word as it is written. This means that yes, Jesus is both human and divine, God and man. Jesus spoke as a man and as God. He is the Father in a Son's body. Jesus - the everlasting Father. Jesus - the only name given whereby men and women today can be saved. 

This is why we as believers are confident that the very God who created us in the beginning loved us so much that He would become flesh and shed His humanity on the cross for us. "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice; I [wisdom] lead in the midst of paths of judgement: I was set up from everlasting."

Note that when Stephen was stoned to death, God's love for His people was extended to the Gentiles. Acts 7:54-60 states: 

"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on [Stephen] with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and said, Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.""

Although the chapter ends here, the significance of Jesus standing does not. 
The Lord Jesus is the I AM -- our light and salvation. In the beginning God. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Collosians chapter one states:

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ... giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness; and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature; for by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him and He is before all things and by Him all things consist. For He is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell."

Later, in the same chapter but verses 27-29, the Word states: "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Indeed, allow Jesus to fill your heart with His spirit today. Trust in Jesus for your well-being. Stand in the offering plate!

Who Are You Lord? - Part 515

Who are you Lord? This question is repeatedly asked in the scriptures. Even today, it is amazing how many people worship today not knowing to whom their worship is directed. Even Jesus said “you worship [but] you know not what!”

Jesus said to His disciples and by extension the generations of people following Him, “ Have I been so long time with you and yet you have not known me? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. So why then are you saying show us the Father and we will  be satisfied."

Further, there are  those religious institutions that try to extract a name from the old covenant. Indeed, these institutions insert vowels into the letters “YWVH” to produce a name for their Hebrew God -- even though the outcome is an incommunicable name. In some ways, the expression that one "can't see the forest for the trees" is applicable here.

The new covenant (or New Testament) is a fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament. This is where we begin to see the fullness of God revealed in the flesh. I Timothy 3:16 in the King James version states: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Even in the more recent translation of Today's New International version, the same scripture states: "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great. He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."

The point is this. God knew that all the blood sacrifices in the Old Testament could not save us. And even though people loved God with all their hearts, souls and minds, there was none who could make the sacrifice so that each and every one of us could be saved. So what did God Almighty -- the same God who created us and loved us as His own -- do? He became flesh and let His humanity die on a cross for you and I.

This is why we call His name Jesus. For He alone shall save His people from their sins.
When Saul of Tarsus was met on the road by a bright light and a voice, what happened? The voice asked, "Saul , Saul why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you kick against your conscience."

Saul responded with the same question that many of us ask, prior to asking Jesus into our life. That is, "Who are you?" In introducing Himself, He said, “I AM Jesus." Jesus -- His name above every other name in both heaven or earth. Indeed, there is no salvation in any other name. It is at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

All things were made by Him. Yes, in the beginning God. Paul said that the God of their fathers met him on the road to Damascus. What is His name? JESUS.

If Not Jesus --- Then Who? Part 514

The Lord is my light and my salvation. How many times did our God and Saviour say in the scriptures " I even I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour, and thou shalt know no God but me, for there is no Saviour besides me. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus said. "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

Indeed, it is according to His grace made manifest by the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ that we have can trust in the living God --- the same God who created us --- who became our Saviour on the cross.

By me kings reign and princes decree justice; I [wisdom] lead in the midst of the paths of judgement: I was set up from everlasting. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things, according to John 1, were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth. He is before all things and by Him all things consist.

Upholding all things that exist by the Word of His power. Walking with us each day hand in hand by the Word of His power. Knowing who touched Him -- like the woman who was sick in Luke 8 - even in the midst of pressing crowds. Further, He is not a god of the dead but rather, the God of the living. The same God who knew from the beginning that He would have to become flesh and dwell among us so that we could find salvation.

In other words, Jesus is the unseen God manifest in the flesh. Not another person as some might have us believe. Jesus human and divine -- God and man. Two natures -- a human nature and a divine nature. Jesus spoke as man but He also spoke as God. While on earth, Jesus performed/completed the works of  man but also performed/completed the work of God. "It is finished," said Jesus on the cross. The Father in a Son's body shed His humanity because He loved us so much.

"And some of the scribes answered, Teacher, you have spoken well ... But He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet. David thus calls Him Lord; so how is He his son? And in the hearing of all the people, He [Jesus] said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They will receive the greatest condemnation." (Luke 20:38-47)

The scriptures here continue into Luke chapter 21 where Jesus notices the offering of the poor widow. He said, "Truly, I tell you this poor widow has put in more than all of them [the rich people] for they contributed out of their abundance but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.

Jesus wants us to stand in the offering plate today and give Him all of us. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Let Him -- our Lord God and Saviour Jesus -- lead your steps today!

All Eyes Fixed on Jesus - Part 513

As we know from the scriptures, Stephen wasn't the only one getting it right! Jesus, in Luke 4 also set the record straight - regardless of the potential consequences that He might have to face. Beginning in verse 14, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning Him went out through all the country side. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. This should not come as a surprise. Indeed, people were astonished at Jesus' teaching  -- and His Word of authority.

However, when Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been raised, there were those who were not as impressed with Jesus' words. Still, He went into the synagogue as had been the custom on the Sabbath Day. There, Jesus stood up to read from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

And Jesus then closed the book and sat down. All eyes were fixed on Jesus so He began to say to them, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21)

But some of the hearers wondered at the "gracious words" because -- as they asked -- isn't this Joseph's son? The son of the carpenter?

Jesus said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country." And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarepath, in the land of Sidon to a woman who was a widow ... and there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

When the people heard Jesus' message, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath and they rose and put Jesus out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them, Jesus went on His way, for His time had not yet come.

The point is that getting the gospel right is critical to understanding one's purpose in life. In order to know the gospel, one has to read the Word. One has to know the Word -- Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. This same Word became flesh -- Jesus -- so that we might have salvation. Remember too that it was Jesus who preached the good news to the poor. It was Jesus who said that He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. It was Jesus who sought out to set at liberty those who were oppressed.

There is a reason we trust Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. Rest in Jesus today, knowing that even before we start our day, Jesus is there walking with us every step of the way. Stand in the offering plate.

Getting it Right - Part 512

In the last post, we read about Stephen's determination to serve the Lord, and in that realm, Stephen was confident that the Lord Jesus would never leave him or forsake him. Stephen, full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people. However, after further reflecting on Acts chapters 6-7, there is another message therein that also has merit. That is, the importance of getting it right.

Jesus said that He is the Word. In I John 5:6-7, "It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one."

Stephen recognized that even in the face of adversity (and in his particular case death by stoning) he never stopped speaking the wisdom that had been bestowed upon him. "And they [certain of those of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of them of Cilicia and of Asia disputing with Stephen) were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake."

In other words, even though thy suborned men to make false accusations, they could not resist the Word that Stephen spoke about --- the Word being Jesus. Even though they stirred up the people and the elders and scribes to say that they heard Stephen saying blasphemous words against God and Moses, Stephen would not stop preaching about Jesus. "This man ceaseth not ..." (Acts 6:13)

Stephen stated in reference to Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia the promise that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. "And God spoke on this wise, "That his Seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage and entreat them evil four hundred years. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God, and after that shall they come forth and serve me in this place." (Acts 7:5-7)

He further spoke of the patriarchs who were moved with envy selling Joseph into Egypt but God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions. But God Almighty did not stop there. He gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Stephen continues telling of Moses who was cast out, but Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him as her own son. During that time,  Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was "mighty in words and in deeds." When Moses was forty, he went to visit his brethren the children of Israel. "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian; For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by His hand would deliver them, but they understood not."

Later, the scriptures in Acts 7 state, " This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give to us; to whom our fathers would not obey but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt."

What was the question? O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? ... Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

"Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; who found favour before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit "the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, saith the prophet."

"Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool; what house will you build me? saith the Lord; or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all things?"

Stephen then said, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now betrayers and murderers; who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it."

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he -- Stephen -- being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. "Behold, I see the heavens opened," said Stephen, " and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

Jesus! The cornerstone that the church rejected and crucified on the cross is the Just One foretold by the prophets throughout the Old Testament. It is no wonder that the those listening to Stephen cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears. They had just crucified the Lord God Himself in the flesh -- who clothed Himself in humanity for our sake.

In spite of their best efforts to dismiss Jesus and to ignore the truth, Stephen and other believers like him, remained steadfast in their walk with Him. Stephen got it right. He wanted everyone to know that Heaven is Jesus' throne and earth His footstool. As the Word states in Acts 7:49,  "What house will you build me? Or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all things?"

Yes, the Lord God who created us in the beginning loved us so much that He would become flesh so that we might have eternal life. Jesus loves us that much -- that He will never leave us or forsake us. Thank you Jesus! Stand in the offering plate!

Jesus Will Never Leave You - Part 511

Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake you." We know this because of the New Testament example found in Acts 6-7. Therein, Stephen faced the trial of his life and yet knew, without a doubt that Jesus was there with him every step of the way. As we know from the scriptures, Stephen was a mighty man of God. A man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. So much so that when the Jews tried to dismiss his arguments, they could not refute him. This becomes particularly evident when Stephen sees a vision.

At the time, the number of disciples were multiplying. Stephen was chosen as one of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to administer the ministering of the Word. He was set before the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on Stephen, along with Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas. 

The Word of God increased, Stephen full of faith and power doing great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertenes and Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and of them in Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. But they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men which said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God."

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes and came upon him and caught him and brought him back to the council and set up false witnesses which said, "This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall cahnge the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council looking steadfastly, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. 

Chapter 7 continues below. Yes, Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us even in our time of need. Stand in the offering plate. 


1 Then said the high priest Are these things so?
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia  before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage and entreat them evil four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaacand circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharoah.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem. 
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 
31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him,
32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sinto their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Just an Ordinary Person who Loves Jesus - Part 510

My father once wrote in response to a request for his story --" Just a person who loves Jesus...a nobody to the world who loves walking with Jesus -- telling one person at a time." What a blessing! Knowing the peace that comes from walking with Jesus. The peace that passes all understanding. Peace in the Lord who is our stronghold -- a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 

"Those who know my name" states Psalms 9:9-10, "put their trust in thee for thou oh Lord hath not forsaken those who seek thee." Remember the woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years and who had suffered much under many physicians? She had already spent all she had and yet, she was not any better. But she had heard the reports about Jesus. 

When she came up behind Jesus in the crowd, her only motive was to touch Him. For she said, "If I touch even His garments, I shall be made well. And immediately, the haemorrhage ceased. At the same time, she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. But her touch did not go unnoticed.

Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone forth from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my garments?" His disciples, noting the size of the crowd said, "You see the crowed around you and yet you say, who touched me?" Still, Jesus looked. The woman, knowing what had just happened, came to Jesus trembling and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. go in peace and be healed of your disease." The very stone which the builders rejected -- Jesus -- has become cornerstone. Jesus loves you that much too. Ask Him into your heart today ... and then stand in the offering plate. 

Jesus Came Looking for You and Me - Part 509

What a realization it is --- knowing that God Almighty -- the same God who created us in the Garden of Eden came looking for us when we were lost and deceived. Up until this point, we had convinced ourselves into thinking that what we now have is our lot in life. And, as a consequence, that we would remain in total darkness devoid of any knowledge of God.

While we searched for the true meaning of life, some of us ended up following the traditional forms of religion as advocated by the ruling powers. From our perspective, we were born into this world and exposed to that institutional construct which was a seated form. Unfortunately, for us, we never really questioned the form. We simply followed the crowd. 

In the interim, this blind faith permitted religion with all its traditions to introduce us to all sorts of images and pictures. Further, men (and women) clothed themselves as priests or or ministers attired in all sorts of paraphernalia. Bestowed upon these self-proclaimed representatives of God - a belief promoted primarily among themselves - were titles exalting them to positions of authority. Indeed, over time, the authority of these presumed leaders became more established (in darkness) as each generation passed. And in the end, so deceived were we with religious darkness, that we crucified JESUS who was the WORD of God. In so doing, religion figured out a way to put their erroneous falsity back on even keel! This kind of institutional religious mindset continued until total darkness embraced all people. We followed this pattern because we were lost!

Still, God did not intend that any one should perish. This is why God came looking for us. Looking for you and I because He had a better way for us to live. Through His grace and mercy, God made a way when there was no way. 

God made a way which is the only way whereby man could be saved. And because of the light of His Words - His Wisdom and Truth - the gospel message that was delivered into this deceived world was so great that many hid their faces from this glorious light of truth. But regardless of the initial human response, this light of truth shone much brighter than the noon day sun for the light (His Word) and the knowledge of God which is the only true gospel message still melts into the inner chambers of our hearts.

Yes, JESUS was the corn of wheat that died (kernel) and in so doing the life of the Holy Spirit has brought forth a multitude of redeemed offspring! We who believe and are baptized into His death become His offspring. Being His offspring, His Holy Spirit works within us enabling us to walk in the light and truth of the knowledge of God. Indeed, we are the people who by God's grace and mercy are no longer alienated from God, but are now redeemed sons and daughters of God.

So grow in grace. Why? Because we have a Saviour named JESUS who will never leave us or forsake us. We are His offspring! Stand in the offering plate!