Put on

the New Nature

After all the painful things that have happened in your past have come and gone, God still wants you to enjoy every single day of your life. This won't happen, however, until you make up your mind to take hold of the abundant life that Jesus' death and resurrection purchased for you.

Until then, the devil will always try to take it away.

Jesus said, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10 AMP).

Jesus came to this earth and died for us to have abundant life!

With the life He gives, you are a new creation. 
You don't have to allow the old things that happened to you to continue to affect your new life in Christ. As a new creature in Christ Jesus, you can have your mind renewed according to the Word of God. Things will change for the better when you live in the new nature that Jesus purchased for you.

Prayer Starter: God, I choose to daily, actively put on the new nature that Jesus purchased for me. I am regenerated in Christ - a new, happy and whole creation in You!

By Joyce Meyer

Prepare for Attack (4)

'...What does my Lord say to His servant?' Joshua 5:14 NKJV

Some issues are so crucial that, until you have resolved them, you cannot move forward or enjoy God's blessing in your life. Joshua faced such an issue when he stood before the towering walls of Jericho, the strongest city in the Promised Land and the first that had to be conquered. 

We read: 'And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes... and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn... And Joshua...said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua...worshipped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so' (Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV).

So, what is your Jericho? 

What's the one big battle you must win in order to fulfil what God has planned for your life?

Some battles can only be won on your knees. 

Before His victory at the cross, Christ, Who is our example, spent His hardest night in Gethsemane praying, '...Not My will, but Thine, be done' (Luke 22:42 KJV).

Are you intimidated by the size of the challenge?
Do you think you don't have what it takes?
Does it feel like you have been going round in circles and getting nowhere?

Take time out. 
Get alone with God, and stay in His presence until He gives you His plan. Then say yes to it, and He will empower you.

Soul Food: Job 38-39, Matt 2:16-23, Ps 139:13-24, Ecc 11:7-10

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Monday, 30 December 2013

APPS available here

Wise Men Still Seek Him (2)

'You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.' Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV

Notice where the wise men didn't find Christ: in the business world. Every motel in Bethlehem was sold out with a 'No vacancy' sign.

Not much has changed, eh?

1: Thirty percent of all retail sales in department stores take place over the Christmas-time holidays.
2: Fifty percent of all parties are held during Christmas and New Year.
3: One out of every ten litres of alcohol is sold then too.

Clearly, Jesus is good for business.

The trouble is, we prefer the myth to the Master. 

• We want a Santa but not a Saviour. 
• We want the fairy tale but not the fact. 

What fact? That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

The story's told of a child who was chosen to play the innkeeper in the Christmas nativity, telling

Mary and Joseph that there was no room for them at the inn. But on the night of the big event, he stood onstage, looked into the faces of the audience, froze in fear, then smiled and announced, 'I'm not supposed to do this, but come on in anyway!' 

The hymnist wrote, 

'Room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified; not a place that He can enter, in the heart for which He died.'

Instead of ending this Christmas exhausted, disappointed, and in debt, invite Jesus into your life. 

You may be looking back with regret on some bad decisions you've made this year, but making Jesus your Lord and Saviour this Christmas is the best decision you'll ever make.

SoulFood: Job 24-28, John 1:6-18, Ps 113, Ecc 10:10-14

Bob and Debby Gass
Tuesday, 24 December 2013

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Wise Men Still Seek Him (1)

'...Wise men...came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?' Matthew 2:1-2 NKJV

Why would someone leave the comfort of their home, travel thousands of kilometres by camel, brave blistering deserts fraught with robbers and hazards to follow a star to an unfamiliar destination? 

There’s only one answer: wise men and women have always hungered for God. 

It’s said that the three most sought-out words on the internet today are ‘work’, ‘sex’ and ‘God’. 

Work addresses our need for security; sex addresses our need for companionship and intimacy; God addresses our need to be forgiven, to experience peace and joy, and understand our life’s purpose on earth.

It’s why primitive tribes who don’t know God make gods out of mountains, trees and rocks. Deep down we all have a need to experience something bigger than ourselves; someone capable of loving us, protecting and directing us. 

When his life fell apart Job cried, ‘Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat!’ (Job 23:3 NKJV) 

The ancient Greeks had an altar on Mars Hill with the inscription, ‘To the unknown God’. Then Paul told them, ‘…What you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.’ (Acts 17:23 NIV) 

The good news of Christmas is, you can seek God and find Him, by coming to know Jesus as your own personal Saviour. 

Hosea called Israel back to God with these words: ‘Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn…’ (Hosea 6:3 NLT)

SoulFood: Job 21-23, Luke 2:1-7, Ps 128, Ecc 10:5-9

Monday, 23 December 2013

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Wise Men Still Seek Him (4)

'Search the Scriptures, for...these are they which testify of Me.' John 5:39 NKJV

The birth of Jesus divides history into two parts: B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (after Christ).

History is - His story!

Let's observe where else the wise men didn't find Christ: in the church. Amazing, isn't it?

Teachers and theologians pored over their dusty parchments as they had done for generations.

They taught their congregations the Messiah was coming, but they failed to recognise or acknowledge Him when He arrived.

Yet the Old Testament Scriptures they read were filled with it. 

They described His ancestry: God told Abraham, '...All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring' (Genesis 28:14 NIV).

They identified the tribe from which He would be born: 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Prince of Peace] come; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people' (Genesis 49:10 NKJV).

They described His family of origin: 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [father of David]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him...' (Isaiah 11:1-2 NIV).

They foretold His virgin birth: '...The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel [which means God with us]' (Isaiah 7:14 NIV).

The prophet Daniel actually declared the time of His birth (Daniel 9:25).
And this God of precision and forethought has a plan for your life too - the only plan that can satisfy and bring you happiness.

And the good news is: He comes by invitation.

So invite Him into your life today.

Soul Food: Job 29-31, Luke 2:8-20, Ps 117, Ecc 10:15-19

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Thursday, 26 December 2013

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Your Storm Shelter (2)

'You have been...a shelter from the storm...' Isaiah 25:4 NIV

To be prepared for life's storms you must:

(1) Know your storm manual. 
The hymnist Kelso Carter wrote: 'Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.' Emotion-based faith is like a broken crutch; it won't support you in life's storms. 

It's fair-weather Christianity and it doesn't work. 

God's Word stands sure; it's greater than surrounding conditions and will enable you to outlast any storm. 'Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly...' (Colossians 3:16 NIV). Keep a rich deposit of Scripture within you at all times so you can make a withdrawal when you need it.

Withstanding life's storms depends on your willingness to '...hear these words...and put them into practice...' (Matthew 7:24 NIV).

So, memorise the Scriptures; read them until, if you're cut, you bleed Scripture. Meditate on God's Word until it fills and shapes your consciousness. When the storm came, Job said, '...I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food' (Job 23:12 NKJV).

(2) Storm-proof yourself through prayer. 
Many of us treat prayer like a visit to the emergency room; until then we neglect it. Imagine where Daniel would have been if he'd held off praying until he was staring down the lion's throat?

Not a smart move.
Instead, in his time of crisis Daniel drew on faith built by a lifestyle of daily prayer.

And in your crisis, you too can make withdrawals from your account - as long as you've been faithful to make regular deposits.

Soul Food: Gen 13-16, John 13:18-30, Ps 114, Pr 31:1-5

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Tuesday, 26 November 2013

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Wise Men Still Seek Him (3)

'That they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might...find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.' Acts 17:27 NKJV

When Jesus was born, the biggest issue of the day was wanting lower taxes and a different government.

Sound familiar?

In Jerusalem, the capital, we read, 'When Herod the King heard [about Jesus], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him' (Matthew 2:3 NKJV).

As a result, he committed one of history's greatest atrocities by killing every Jewish baby boy under the age of two, in order to get at Jesus.

And today Jesus still forces a reaction in the hearts of men and women! 

That's why some people want to take Him out of the classroom, the courtroom and government. The forces of darkness are set on a course of trying to remove His name, His influence and His authority from all public life.

Why? Because when you do away with God, there's no higher power than yourself, so you get to play God! 

Lenin, the father of Russian Communism, is reputedly said of Christ, 'His kingdom is invisible, His rule is in the hearts of men, so He can't be tolerated.' As a result, over 20 million people died during the Russian Revolution in an attempt to build an atheistic state.

But fighting God is futile; it's a battle you can't win, because ultimately '...every knee shall bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord' (Philippians 2:10-11 NIV).

Every prophecy concerning Christ's first coming was fulfilled to the letter, and every prophecy concerning His second coming will be too.

So if you want to meet Him in peace, surrender your life to Him today and accept Him as your Saviour. 
4cm Editors note:{How to be Saved} 

Soul Food: Isa 7:14, Isa 9:6-7, Micah 5:2-5a, Matt 1:18-25 (Christmas Day)

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Wednesday, 25 December 2013

APPS available here

Incarnation

The Purpose of the Incarnation

The past two newsletters dealt with the preexistence of Christ, His deity, and His incarnation. This chapter will thoroughly cover the reason that the eternal God had a birth date into our world.

An eternal plan

• Why did God come through the channel of a virgin's womb? 
• Why was it necessary for God, in spirit form, to take upon himself a body? 

Philippians 2:5-8 explicitly explains this great theological truth. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The phrase, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross is the focal point of this discussion. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit held a meeting in eternity past and planned the entire program of redemption. 

All three were, at that time, in spirit form. 

God the Father was and still is a spirit (see John 4:24). The Holy Spirit was and still is a spirit (see John 16:13). Christ was a spirit because He was (past tense) in the form of God, which we have already proven to be a spirit form (see Philippians 2:6).

However, at this meeting of the Trinity in ages past, it was agreed that one of the three would eventually become a human with a covering of flesh, and Christ was the elected member to fulfill salvation's plan. This can all be proven from the Holy Scriptures. First Peter 1:20: Who [Christ] verily...was manifest in these last times for you. Messiah means "sent one." If He is the sent One, He did not originate at Bethlehem's manger. Instead, Galatians 4:4,5 pictures the facts as they occurred. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law...

Does this simplistic doctrinal truth penetrate your reasoning processes? 

• Hear it again. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman. 
• There it is-Christ's deity and humanity. 
• His eternity and birth. 

God sent the Son who was in His presence, meaning that Christ existed as God before coming to earth. However, He was made of a woman when He was sent. This is, of course, the virgin birth which took place in the manger centuries ago when God became man.

When the Trinity outlined the plan, all the events of future history were foreknown. 

Remember, God knows everything. The plan progressed according to the omniscience of the Godhead. Since God knows everything about everything and all things about all things, the following points were known thousands, yes, millions of years before they occurred:

1. Man's disobedience and fall.

God placed man in the garden of Eden with certain restrictions. Genesis 2:17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surety die. The slithering serpent came along and said in Genesis 3:4, Ye shall not surely die. 

Instead of listening to Jehovah God, Adam and Eve listened to the devil.

Say, all of us are so much like them.

We certainly are chips off the old block. Genesis 3:6 states, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. This wicked, disobedient act against the Lord God Almighty brought judgment upon the entire human race. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).

Not only did God foreknow the fall of man, but:

2. The Trinity foreordained the temporary sacrifice.

I imagine the conversation in the heavenlies went as follows: "Because man will yield to temptation and fall, there will need to be a sacrifice offered. Since sinful flesh is responsible and since the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11), the decree is established in the counsels of eternity that the shedding of blood, which typifies DEATH to the flesh, will be the eternal sacrifice offered. It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). Animal blood will be temporarily offered until one of us goes to present the permanent sacrifice." Let's investigate the facts and see if God's program was instituted.

After Adam and Eve sinned they knew that they were naked (see Genesis 3:7). The pangs of a guilt-ridden conscience over sin were being experienced. They wanted to cover their bodies and did so by making fig leaf aprons. However, fig leaves that would shrivel up and die in a few days could not satisfactorily handle the situation. Also, dry fig leaves were bloodless and could not make an atonement for the soul. 

So God, in the cool of the day, visited this couple and covered them adequately-physically and spiritually. 

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). The skins of animals adequately covered them physically and spiritually. 

Why? In providing the skins, the blood of the animals was shed.

We see the same story unfolded in Genesis 4 concerning Cain and Abel. 

Their parents, Adam and Eve, had taught them this soul-saving story about the animal skins. Now when the boys were of age and wanted to bring a sacrifice to God, Cain presented an offering of fruit and Abel, of animals. Genesis 4:3-5: And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect...

If you should think that I am stretching the point by stating dogmatically that Cain's offering was rejected because it was devoid of blood, I invite you to confirm this truth in your heart by studying Hebrews 11:4 which emphatically presents the teaching just considered. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent [more acceptable] sacrifice than Cain.

Notice they brought their offerings as a sacrifice. God had decreed that blood alone could make an atonement for the soul. Abel, by faith, brought an animal. Notice why he did it. It was by faith. Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing.... If he brought it by faith and faith comes by hearing, it is only a logical conclusion to say that he heard the story from the lips of his parents, accepted it, and practiced the shedding of blood because he believed God. 

Cain, the first liberal or modernist, said, "It's all bunk. I will offer my fruit which contains no blood, and God will have to be satisfied." But God said, "Cain, I reject your bloodless sacrifice."

Many have rejected the only method of salvation God has given the world-the shedding or sacrifice of blood for the remission of sins. Self-righteous efforts, good works, prayers, creeds, and religious observances are but offerings of fruit. 

The Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, and the observance of the Ten Commandments are but the waving of fig leaves in the face of Almighty God. Many of these things are good to practice because one is a Christian, but any method of trying to enter into eternal life that avoids or bypasses the blood will only result in eternal separation from the God who made the decree. 

It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11).

Now, let's go one step farther.

3. The Trinity foreordained the permanent eternal sacrifice.

Again we hear the three members of the Godhead speaking in eternity past:

"Animal blood will be only a temporary solution because it cannot take away sin, only cover it. Man's blood is tainted through Adam's sin. Therefore only one option or course of action is possible. One of the three of us will have to go to earth and take flesh as a covering. This will be necessary because flesh contains the blood of the body. 

The One who is chosen to go will have to shed that blood to take away the sins of the human race which animal blood only covered." The One who goes and takes upon himself that body must have a special birth, because all humans born through natural generation or through the regular channels of birth inherit the old wicked sinful nature of Adam. 

Therefore, the One chosen will have to have a special birth in the womb of a virgin. The very body will be created and placed in that womb. By this special act of creation-detouring the normal means of reproduction through intercourse-the Saviour will be born into the world. 

When His blood, holy and pure, is shed, it will take away sin."

The eternal truth

• Does this conversation of the Trinity in ages past seem farfetched to you? 
• Are you wondering if this entire plan presented is really in the Bible? 

Listen to Revelation 13:8, [Christ was] the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

When? 
In God's mind it was planned at the time of the foundation of the world. 

That's right, even before Adam and Eve were created. Christ's shedding of His blood did not take Him by surprise nearly 2,000 years ago. Rather, it was part of the plan He had helped initiate before the world was formed. That's why Acts 2:23 states, Him [Christ] being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. In other words, the wicked only did to Christ what the foreknowledge of God had planned.

Did it happen? 
Yes.

God came into the world in human flesh to take a body that contained blood. It was special blood that did not have the taint of Adam's sin integrated into it by Christ's having a human father. Instead, the Father and the Holy Spirit placed this created miracle into the womb of the virgin without an act of intercourse or human insemination so that pure blood might course through the Redeemer's veins. Then He shed that blood at Calvary to take away sin that had only been covered by animal sacrifices.

The proof of these truths is in the following scripture. 

Hebrews 10:4: For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Notice, animal blood could not take away sins. The Old Testament word atonement means "to cover"-only "to cover." The priest offering the animal blood would say, "I know that this blood only covers the sinner's sin until your sacrificial Lamb comes, dear God."

Who was God's Lamb? 

Hebrews 10:5: Wherefore [because animal blood could not take away sin] when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. That body was prepared in the womb by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35: And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

When John the Baptist saw Christ upon the earth, he said in John 1:29, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Praise God, this was the Lamb sent from heaven who could take away that which was only temporarily covered through the blood of animals. On the cross, Christ cried out, "It is finished." He was not speaking about His life, but about the plan that had been foreordained before the foundation of the world. 

Am I certain of this? 
Yes. [We have been] redeemed...with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:18-20).

Imagine, this precious blood shed for your sins was planned for you before the world was formed.

Seven hundred times the blood is mentioned as the only - THE ONLY - way of salvation.

Believe it and receive the Christ who shed that pure blood for your transgressions.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

Moving on

His Mercies Are Always New

Each day is a new opportunity to close the door on the past and experience a brand-new start. Even the fact that God divided the days into twenty-four-hour segments is evidence that we need to start over on a regular basis. There is always a new day, a new month and a new year. But in order for us to make use of these new beginnings, we must make a decision to do so.

Are you battling guilt and condemnation? 

Do you feel bad about something you did years ago or something that happened yesterday? 

No matter how much time has gone by, the past is still the past. What is done is done, and only God can take care of it now. Your part is to admit your mistake, repent, receive God's forgiveness, and go on.

In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah encourages us with the news that God's mercy is new every morning. Every day He gives you a fresh start. I'm so glad that God sends a new batch of mercy daily - we can decide to have a new beginning every day!

Prayer Starter: God, I'm so glad that You're mercies are new every morning! I can start fresh every day because of Your love, mercy, compassion and faithfulness to me!

By Joyce Meyer

Deity of Christ

The thought of an eternal God being born may seem to be a contradiction of terms, but when one studies the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, insurmountable evidence supporting this truth manifests itself upon the pages of Holy Writ.

The teachings of Christ's deity must be an accepted truth if one is to enter the eternal home of the redeemed.

John, in his first epistle, makes this dogmatic assertion: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us) (1 John 1:1,2).

There is no doubt that the One John saw, heard, and touched was that Eternal Life which was with the Father.

In chapter 2, verse 22, of this same epistle, John goes on to say, Who is a liar but he that denieth...the Father and the Son. When one denies that Christ is the eternal One who came to earth clothed in human flesh, this skeptic or doubter immediately is classified as a liar and an antichrist. Since no liar or antichrist may enter the presence of God in that condition, it is abundantly clear that the one who denies the eternity of Christ is lost.

In 1 John 4:1 another warning is presented. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

How does one recognize the false prophets? 

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist... (verses 2-3). Since spirits refers to teachers or preachers, the apostle is saying that preachers denying the doctrine of God coming in the flesh are preachers or teachers possessed by the spirit of Antichrist. God wrote it. I only quote it, but I believe it.

Then John states in chapter 5, verse 1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Messiah, translated Christus or Christ means "the Sent One".

Since He was sent from the Father, the conclusive proof is that He already existed. If He preexisted His mission to earth, He did not begin in Bethlehem's manger. The teaching of the Holy Bible is that He eternally existed as God, the second member of the Trinity, and came to earth to be clothed with a body containing blood so that He might die for sinners.

• Is He really God? 
• Did He really exist before His birth upon earth? 
• What does the Holy Spirit state in the Word of God?

Christ’s deity in the Old Testament

Isaiah 9:6 states, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder. This prophet speaks about Christ's incarnation and humanity in the phrase a child is born and about His eternity and deity in the other phrase a son is given. Incarnation comes from the Latin words in and carnis, meaning "flesh" or "in the flesh". Thus, at this incarnation or coming in the flesh, He was the child born. However, as the son given. He always existed-uncreated and unborn.

Micah 5:2 states, ... Whose [His] goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. This again points to the uncreated, eternal Son of God. Psalm 45:6: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

This great Old Testament scripture, addressed to God, is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who said so?

The greatest authority in heaven and earth-Jehovah, the Father.

Prove it? I will!

In Hebrews 1:8 we find Jehovah God of the Old Testament speaking: Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Isn't this fantastic?

The Father calls Christ "God" for ever and ever. 

Followers of Jehovah would be wise to listen to His voice and give Christ the glory due His holy name. God had His Son with Him from all eternity past. Christ was present when the human race was created. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were involved in Genesis 1:26 when God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. The pronouns us and our speak of a plurality or trinity of personages. This same Christ was present when the earth was formed and set into motion. Proverbs 30:4: Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? The Son is present in the Old Testament scriptures hundreds of years before His human birth occurs in the New Testament. Rational, logical contemplation makes one realize that He preexisted as God, the Son.

Christ's deity in the New Testament (The Trinity)

The title of "God" is given to our Saviour on numerous occasions. Matthew 1:23 declares, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. In the first chapter of John, Christ is called "the Word." Verse 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

The only member of the Trinity who became flesh was Christ. 

Since the term Word is synonymous with Christ, as has just been proven, let's put the term Christ in place of Word in John 1:1-3 and see the results. In the beginning was [Christ], and [Christ] was with God, and [Christ] was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by [Christ]; and without [Christ] was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:10 states, He [Christ] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Now we have just heard from the Author of this book, the Holy Spirit, who said that Christ was from the beginning, that He was God, and that He created the world. Yes, Christ shared this creative ministry with the Father and Holy Spirit. This is so because all three members of the one Godhead always existed.

To prove that the Holy Spirit was also present at the time of creation, one need only study Genesis 1:1,2. In the beginning God [this is the plural noun Elohim, meaning "more than one"] created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The combining of John 1:10 and Genesis 1:1,2 proves conclusively that the entire Trinity was present at the creation of the world.

Some scoff at the teaching of a Trinity. 

They say, "The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, so there can't be such a doctrine." Well, the word Bible is not found in the Bible either, but I guarantee that there is such a book-and the teaching of the Trinity is found repeatedly throughout God's Word. Man has given the title "Trinity" to the doctrine because the meaning of the word is "three."

Since there are three- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-"Trinity" is a properly designated theological term.

Let's continue our search of the scriptures concerning the deity of Christ. 

The Philippian jailor cried out in Acts 16:30, ... Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  Paul and Silas replied, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved, ... and thy house (verse 31).

The entire family made a commitment to this Christ and verse 34 finds them rejoicing.

Why? Because they believed in God with all their house. Here is unequivocal proof that Christ is God. Compare the two verses again. Acts 16:31: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Verse 34 says he believed in God- the Christ of verse 31.

Again we see the truth in Romans 9:5 which states, ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever....  First Timothy 3:16 declares, ... Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh... , Hebrews 1:8 says, But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever...

This is Jehovah God telling the world that His Son is God. 

Never mind the book peddlers who run from door to door with their teaching of Christ being an inferior God, a little created God. Some even call Him Michael, the archangel. Jehovah knows everything for He is omniscient and all-wise, and He calls Jesus "God."

I say with Paul in Romans 3:4, ... Let God be true, but every man a liar...

Christ’s Deity through a comparison of Old and New Testament texts

Perhaps the most interesting and exciting proof of Christ's deity is discovered when one compares the statements of God in the Old Testament with His revealed truth in the New.

For example, in Isaiah 42:8, God states, I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Since Jehovah will not give His glory to another but is willing to share it with Christ, it is only logically deductible to say that they must be one and coequal.

The sharing of this glory takes place when God's people lay their crowns at the feet of the Saviour in Revelation 4:11, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created

Again the King of glory is Jehovah in Psalm 24:10. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. The noun LORD in this text is the Hebrew word Jehovah, the name of the Father.

However, when one examines 1 Corinthians 2:8, he discovers that the Lord of glory was crucified. Thus Christ is also called the Lord of glory. Will you Bible manipulators tell me how there can be two Lords of glory, coequal, if there is no Trinity?

Once again Isaiah 9:6 calls the child born and the son given, ... The mighty God, The everlasting Father...

If these are titles of the Son, how many mighty Gods and everlasting Fathers are there?

The answer is one because of the unity and oneness of the Trinity. Jesus said, I and my Father are one (John 10:30). Psalm 10:16 says, The LORD [Jehovah] is King for ever and ever... Again we have problems if there is no Trinity because we now have two kings.

When one studies Revelation 19:11,16, he finds that Christ, the King of kings, comes to set up His kingdom upon this earth. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. Verse 16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This constant reiteration of identical names and titles for both Father and Son can mean only one thing to honest, searching hearts. It is that Christ is God, coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Isaiah 45:5 states, There is no god [but Jehovah] and yet 1 Timothy 3:16 tells us that ... God was made manifest [came] in the flesh... The only solution is the doctrine of the Triune God which the saints of all ages have proclaimed. The only groups in the annals of history that ever fought this precious truth were rebel-rousing heretics.

Mr. Scoffer, you who would make Christ but a mere man, what will you do with Jonah 2:9? ... Salvation is of the LORD. Or Isaiah 43:11 which says, I, even I, am the LORD [Jehovah]; and beside me there is no saviour.

If there is no other Saviour but Jehovah, and Christ is called "the Saviour" scores of times in the Bible, then He and the Father must be one or there are two Saviours. Christ is the God who left the bosom of the Father to die on Calvary's cross. There He shed the pure sinless blood that coursed through His veins so that sinners might be eternally saved. The Bible teaches that He is the only Saviour.

Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Since both Jehovah and Christ are called "Saviour," let's believe that the Trinity alone presents the answer.

Christ was incarnated, not created

There are those who teach that the Father always existed and that Christ was created.

Perish the thought!

Christ always existed and was not created. Isaiah 43:10 states, ... Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. In simple English, no God was created before or after Jehovah.

They coexisted as a Trinity eternally. 

Thus Christ was from all eternity or He wasn't. Either He always existed or He didn't. Since no God was created before or after Jehovah, we take Micah 5:2 for what it says about the One who was to come to earth and experience a human birth. He was ... from of old, from everlasting. Thus, His human birth was not His creation. Rather, as we discussed earlier in this chapter, the word incarnation comes from the Latin words in and carnis, meaning "in the flesh."

An eternal God having a birth is not contradictory. 

In eternity He was God. 

To become a man, a birth had to occur.

None of us can become another species without the miracle of a birth. God had to become incarnated (become flesh) so that He could shed the pure, sinless blood that flowed in His veins. The miracle of the Holy Spirit's insemination of the virgin Mary's ova and womb with the body and blood of God the Son made this shedding of blood possible. This was a necessity because the blood of animals could not take away sin, only cover the sinner's transgression.

Hebrews 10:4 states, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. So verse 5 has Christ saying, ... A body hast thou prepared me. God lived in that body, went to the cross in that body, shed the blood in that body to take away the sins that had only been covered, died in that body, arose three days later in that same body, ascended to heaven in that body, and will throughout eternity live in that body in which He had the birth. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).

There it is. The eternal God left heaven to be born into human flesh because a body could contain sinless blood through a virgin birth. That blood was shed for sins and can wash you from every stain and taint of this world's defilement when you put your trust in the God in whom the Philippian jailor trusted, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do it today.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE

Discipleship and Revival 4 of 4

In Discipleship and Revival 3 of 4 we discussed humility prayer and confession as prerequisites for revival.

Let's continue by considering: Sins that hinder the working of the blessed Holy Spirit of God in our life. Remember, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Psalms 66:18).

A destructive sin called "gossip" deafens the ears of Almighty God as one prays to Him.

The Tongue

Nothing in the history of mankind has wrought more havoc and sorrow than the uncontrolled tongue of human beings. 

A wise proverb states, "He that thinketh by the inch and speaketh by the yard should be kicked by the foot." Again, "Loose tongues get their owners into tight places."

God says in James 3:6, The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. Verses 9, 10: Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

A slanderous, vile, malicious tongue is indicative of one of two conditions:

(1) The slandered maybe a hell-bound sinner. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain (James 1:26). A wagging tongue is usually a symbol of an empty heart. God said so.

The Lord, speaking about those who are filled with all unrighteousness in Romans 1:28-32, mentions:

• fornication
• wickedness
• covetousness
• maliciousness
• envy
• murder
• debate
• deceit
• malignity
• whispering
• backbitings

and other abominable practices.

Now notice carefully that

• maliciousness (character assassination), 
• envy (jealousy which produces gossip), 
• debate (leading to boisterous argumentation),
• malignity, whispering (gossip in quiet, hushed tones)
• backbitings 

Are all partakers of the same judgment that shall be pronounced upon fornicators (sex-hungry maniacs) and murderers. Look at verse 32: Who knowing the Judgment of God, that they which commit such things are. worthy of death.

In Galatians 5:19-21, the Holy Spirit lists seventeen abominations, and

• uncleanness (a dirty, smut-filled mouth)
• hatred
• variance
• emulations
• wrath
• strife
• heresies
• envyings

- all having: with the REASON FOR or the RESULT OF a poison-filled, uncontrollable tongue-are under the anathema or condemnation of God. The devil's reward, at the end of the trail, for gossipers is stated in verse 21: They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

God hates these sins. 

How easy it is for self-righteous church members to condemn the sins of the flesh practiced by some, and overlook the wickedness of their own lives as they lacerate, mutilate, and cut to shreds other members of the human race with their razor-sharp tongues. 

However, Proverbs 6:16-18 states, These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Friend, what about the deadly tongue you possess? 

Will your tongue, described in the Bible as a fire, lead you into the fires of eternal doom?

Fall on your face, confess your sin, get washed in Christ's blood and be saved for eternity.

(2) Second, a loose-tongued person may be saved, but carnal.

Each hearer must determine his own spiritual condition before God. Both situations are taught in God's Holy Word, and a true messenger must present both viewpoints, and then allow the individual, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to determine his own personal state before God.

The Corinthian church was filled with fighting, carping Christians. Paul, in writing to this carnal assembly, says, I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Fighting, bickering, and sowing discord among brethren is not a sign of spiritually, but of extreme carnality.

Many who claim to be dominated by the Holy Spirit are constantly running off at the mouth.

You are professing a lie if this is the case.

It is easy to call the working of the Holy Spirit a second work of grace, an infilling, a baptism, and loudly proclaim an experience with the third member of the Trinity through signs and wonders. The real evidence, however, is in a love-filled heart and Spirit-controlled tongue.

You don't believe it?

Hear God in James 3:2: If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. Again, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22,23).

I was asked, "Do you believe in the infilling of the Holy Spirit?"

Amen. "Have you had the evidence?"

Which one-there are at least nine in 1 Corinthians 12-14, and a host of others found throughout the New Testament. They replied, "Tongues."

I answered, "I am seeking to control the one I have." That's right; the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness. These have to do with getting along with others and loving them when they treat you like dirt. You don't retaliate by spreading venom about them with the tongue. That is not the mark of a Spirit-filled human being.

You argue that the gifts and the fruit are two different things?

Quit quibbling; they go hand-in-hand.

That is what God is trying to say in 1 Corinthians 13. Charity, which is love, is the evidence of the blessed Holy Spirit's presence in one's life. One can talk about his experiences and visions until doomsday, but if the fruit of the Spirit-LOVE-is absent, all the speaking in tongues is but projected from the diaphragm. Don't get angry now, because that will prove my point that LOVE-the true evidence-is missing in your experience.

Listen to the Spirit of God as He writes, through Paul, 1 Corinthians 13:1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (More simply: Though I speak with angelic tongues and fight with everyone, I am just a lot of noise). The real evidence is found in verses 4-7:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not [is not jealous]; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up [saying "I have the gift and you don't; I am spiritual and you apparently aren't"], doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things [yes, endures all things and will not try to get back with the tongue].

Is this your experience? If so, you have the evidence of the Spirit. Languages, signs, and wonders can be faked; but the above-mentioned love can only be produced by the Holy Spirit.

Some of you have roast preacher every week. You talk against every spiritual leader of the Church. One day your children will curse God and turn their back on religion, and your uncontrollable tongue will have been the cause. God hates gossip.

The Word proves it:

• Lying lips are abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22).
• A true witness delivereth souls; but a deceitful witness speaketh lies  (Proverbs 14:25).
• Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).
• A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue (Proverbs 17:4).
• A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish (Proverbs 19:9).
• Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
• Let your speech be always with grace (Colossians 4:6).

An Unforgiving Spirit

Some of you reading this newsletter have been hurt by another's vicious remarks. Because of it, you have harbored ill will toward that person. This is human, I know, but it is not divine. We who are filled with the Spirit can live on a higher plane. "To err is human; to forgive divine." If animosity, envy, ill-will, and jealousy continue, this internal bitterness will destroy one's communion with his Lord.

In Ephesians 4:30 we find: And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. It is evident that when the Spirit of God, living within a believer, is grieved, the believer feels the mood of the grief-stricken Spirit and shares in the misery. Because of it, fellowship with God is broken.

What causes the Spirit to be grieved?

Verses 31,32: Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And [get it, please] be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The same truth is taught in Colossians 3:13: Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Since we are to forgive others as Christ did, what did He do differently?

In Luke 23, we see the Saviour hanging on the cross. Thorns stick into the flesh surrounding the skull. Spikes fasten Him to the tree. One sees a mutilated, mangled form suspended between heaven and earth.

Is Christ bitter? NO! 

He looks at His torturers and cries, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). Had they crucified Him daily for the last 1,900 years, He would still pray for their forgiveness. I know that from Matthew 18:21-35. Peter says to Christ, How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? til seven times [49 times]? Jesus said, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven [490 times]. Oh, what love and what grace.

If God expects us to forgive 490 times, then He too will always open His arms to those who come to Him with broken, heavy-laden hearts. Thousands reading this newsletter today, who had the vilest of sins canceled at the cross, now harbor bitterness toward some other brother over some insignificant nonsense that "once upon a time" occurred.

Oh, you will be ashamed when you see Christ for not obeying His Holy Word: Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

Stephen had this spirit of forgiveness. 

As angry mobs crushed him to death with rocks in Acts 7:59,60, he cried, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. He was as human as any of us, but was filled with the Spirit of God (verse 55).

It is easy to "fly off the handle," gossip about others, and run around with a grudge while talking about the power of the Holy Spirit-but it is all a farce. His Spirit will make you turn the other cheek; will make you love the unlovable, and will never seek revenge by hurting the one who hurt you.

God says if you want to spare yourself heartache and divine judgment, judge this sin in your own life and put it away.

I am calling upon you to do this now. 

Remember, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE