Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: acts

  • Saints & Martyrs; Bishops & Pawns – 2

    Saints & Martyrs; Bishops & Pawns – 2

    1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

    Yet as the Lord lives, evil reigns in the dark places of the lands. No man: rich or poor, Arab or Jew, Westerner or Easterner, religious or godless – no man shall prevail. Only God Almighty!

    Attacks on God and godlessness will continue until Almighty God has prevailed, as I alluded to in part 1 of this post. Perpetrators of cowardly attacks on working civilians will continue for a time by pawns of misled leaders, frustrated religious zealots and enemies of God with hatred for their own enemies.

    Jesus Christ taught us to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use you.” We had best remember this in these last days.

    How many of us remember (what we claimed we would always remember) the number of deaths on 9/11/2001?

    Deaths by Area of Attack Deaths
    World Trade Center 2,606
    Airlines 246
    Pentagon Building 125
    Hijackers 19
    Total number of people who died in the 9/11 attacks 2,996
    Casualties in the World Trade Center and Surrounding Area Deaths
    Firefighters 343
    Port Authority police officers 37
    Police officers 23
    Paramedics 2

    God testifies to the evil in the hearts of men.

    Genesis 6:5

    The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

    6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

    In the days of Noah  every man and woman on the earth was destroyed? The LORD prevailed with waters upon the earth for 150 days and all but Noah and seven others.

    Though we focus on the eight saved, let us not overlook the deaths of so many evil men and women, perhaps 5-17 billion people  (according to various estimates) on the earth at the time only Noah and his family obeyed Almighty God.

    world populationFor any who believe that God is not sovereign over the beginning and end of days, sovereign over the lives of men and woman, sovereign over life on earth itself; let us remember that God has promised a new heaven and a new earth for those who are victorious in Christ Jesus.

    As in the days of Noah, wars and the actions of evil men and evil women will prevail until that day. Countries and borders will be born and disappear. God will allow men temporary power over those who do not do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

    The Sovereign God Almighty will allow the deaths, destruction and desecration of all that is good and lawful as victims of evil and a refining of righteousness. Even now, we see and dare not ignore the signs.

    In Syria alone (separate of the deaths among refugees of the current conflict in Iraq and those fleeing Pakistan), around 5,000 to 6,000 people were being killed on a monthly basis. Latest figures put the death toll at more than 191,000 over the past three years. Men and boys account for the bulk of the deaths but nearly 18,000 women and more than 2,000 children under the age of nine are also among those killed, he said.

    [On 9/11, one day we recall as a tragic attack, 2,996 deaths.] Now, hundreds of thousands of deaths and the loss of many souls!

    Have you heard of it, or done anything to help, dear believer?

    How blind we remain to the violence of these evil men, who will stand before the Lord in judgement for their souls, rather than reap the reward of heavenly virgins. (For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. – Mark 12:25)

    Yet they would rape the women they capture on earth and hang or behead them for their witness to the Truth of Christ Jesus.

     1 Million + refugees, Muslims and Christians

    Dear believer (in God),

    Our marginal awareness of a far-distant conflict, we may believe has no affect on the body of Christ. Yet in these days of war between religions, hardly a Christian community survives openly in many areas from where refugees have fled.

    Do you not know that some will be converted by the love of Jesus Christ and the generosity of Christians in their time of need?

    The GOD of Abraham was not interested in saving the Jews from Roman occupation of Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Jesus is not of this earth, but a lasting Kingdom of eternal life for your soul.

    Since the beginning of the Church, God has accepted any who believe into our family of God, into the loving fellowship of all believers in Christ Jesus.

    The Gentiles, the Nations, sons of Esau, those who once persecuted the same Christians are welcomed (not forced) into the communion of the Blood of Christ and assurance of eternal life.

    One such former enemy of Christ was Saul of Tarsus (Turkey). He ordered the execution of Stephen, a saint and leader of the church. – Acts 7:58 

    Yet this same Saul, a Roman citizen as well, became an Apostle to the Gentiles. This former enemy of Jesus Christ witnessed to all of the mercy, love and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. – Acts 9

    Rest assured that many unbelievers throughout the world will come to God and Christ Jesus, our Lord. They see the love and forgiveness of Christ demonstrated through the hands of faithful Christians.

    These saints of the church, so concerned for the souls of others, bless friends and forgive foes by the grace of Jesus Christ. These saints of the 21st c. Church declare Christ’s love by our concern for others.

    Saint Paul and Saint Peter and Saint Stephen, along with the other martyrs, would never have had us worship them or any man of the early church above the example of Christ Jesus. Though the compassionate work of Teresa and Joan and Mary have been examples for women of faith, none would have had us revere them above the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

    The true saints of the church are not its Bishops or icons of the past.

    The widow’s mite and pauper’s pence have sustained the needy, while these true saints have withstood in long-suffering as pawns of the powers in true witness of the love of Christ Jesus.

    These, along with you, dear believer, are the saints of the church, equal in every way to those named and Saints unnamed.

    Christ Jesus is love, because God is love. In Him is no darkness at all, no hatred, no evil, no territory, no agenda. The mission of Christ is to save sinners – sinners like you and sinners like me; for His grace I am eternally grateful.

    We hardly remember the 3000 souls who perished on just one day: 9/11/2001; yet the war against Christ, the war against freedom continues.

    Pray for the persecuted. Open your eyes, your heart and your purse to those so in need.

    What’s happening in Iraq? What is hidden in Syria?

    Christians and Muslims and others are suffering terribly. Please READ more of this and do something, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

    Iraqi refugees tell their story

    Iraq (MNN) — ISIS continues its offensive across Syria and Iraq, leaving many victims in its wake. The stories of ISIS killing males above 10 years old, the systematic rape of women and girls, and the looting of personal possessions is shocking, even to many Muslims.

    (See the complete interview on the link above.)

    WIFE: The armed men passed by me and behind them were veiled women, wearing red clothes. And, they searched me, took my money and gold. They even searched my daughters. It was our lifesavings. They took all of it. The 450,000 dinars were in my husband’s pocket and they took it. There were six batches of money they took from me and all of the gold. My parents had sold their home. I had hidden THIS money in my house in Mosul. When we were going up from Mosul they threatened us. They took our stuff and detained us along the way, like a checkpoint.

    ANNOUNCER: So, they took all the savings and everything?

    WIFE: Believe me, they stole everything. They said, “Let your Bishops give you money.” They demanded our Bishops initiate a ransom for us. They didn’t let us pay the jizya tax. They threatened us. If you saw the situation of Christians at checkpoints, you would cry. They were bringing more armed men to add more pressure on us.

    MAKRAM: What happened is, we were leaving Mosul. All the Christians were leaving. We went to Hamdaneya, stayed about 13 days, then [we] went to Erbil. From Erbil, we came to the church here, because this is the only place with a Coptic Church. Not just because of the church, but it’s also safer here. It’s safe and the people are good here.

    ANNOUNCER: Isn’t Erbil safe, too?

    MAKRAM: Erbil is dangerous and it’s not like here.

    ANNOUNCER: There were Shiites in Mosul? And, ISIS was killing Shiites?

    MAKRAM: Yes, they knew the Shiites and were killing them, particularly the police. They turned on each other. They turned on Islam. The Muslims despise [the police].

    ANNOUNCER: So, ISIS started out against Shiites and now they’re against Christians and Yazidis?

    MARKAM: Yes, ISIS doesn’t accept equality. They despise them in Mosul.

     There is precedent for the Church in helping the saints (poor) so affected by these persecutions:

     It is in this case directed by the same Apostle to the Gentiles who had first persecuted the church.

    1 Corinthians 16 English Standard Version (ESV)

    The Collection for the Saints
    16 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

    Are you, dear believer, and your church willing to do something individually (and also corporately) now and consistently for those so in need?

    Please pray about this, my fellow saint.

    May we be the generous hands and open heart of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, to these, and to those who witness the love of Christ through us.

    Amen.

     

     

     

     

  • A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    Can you look in the mirror and see your soul?

    Neither can you look upon the Heavens or the earth and see the Holy Spirit.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24

    Acts 1

    3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

    4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

    The Ascension
    6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

    You cannot look into the mirror and see your soul – your spirit. And generally, though not always, you cannot look upon any spirit (for all are not holy) or any angel (even a fallen angel may pose as one not fallen). Angels and spirits and souls are unlike flesh and blood.

    As an image in the mirror is not reflection of your soul, an emotion of human thought is not a separate spirit of holiness.

    The Holy Spirit is much maligned by Christians, misrepresented by false christians and dismissed by non-Christians.

    Genesis 1

    The Creation of the World
    1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

    John 1

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    The Person of Jesus Christ IS the very Word of God! He personally spoke all things – all heavens and earth, all flesh and blood, every soul and all the angels and creatures of the heavens and the earth – into existence.

    “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

    You cannot look in the mirror and see your soul. You can, however, look upon the Word, Christ Jesus, and see the reflection of the Holy Spirit in every way. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, IS the perfect image of the Father. He IS the perfect image of God, the Holy Spirit.

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” –  John 1:49b 

    Jesus Christ suffered and died for your sins and for mine. He IS risen from the grave of hopeless and has redeemed our condemned souls from the just judgement of punishment. He has given our suffering soul and failing flesh not only the resurrection of new life, but the hand of help in the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God – the Person of the help He has promised.

     John 1: 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

    51 And he said to him [Nathanael], “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

    John 3: 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

     Acts 4:

    7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

    31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

     Acts 8:

    14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

    Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

    John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

    23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

    25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

    26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

    1 Thessalonians 1

    … our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers…

    Have you received the Holy Spirit?

    Is your soul in communion and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, that ‘in Christ you became an example to all the believers?’

    Look deeply into the mirror, into the heart within the cold glass which longs for the eternal – which would embrace the very love of God in Christ Jesus and the warm life-giving guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    You must be born again.

    Romans 5

     5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

    6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

    Beloved, our God is a personal God – our Lord, Jesus Christ, a personal Savior – our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, a personal guide.

    God’s love for your soul is a personal love by an eternal God and Lord for a personal relationship, His Spirit joined to your soul for life everlasting.

    May the Lord grant you the personal love of His Holy Spirit, the personal forgiveness of your every sin through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the eternal joy and hope of God our Father – a most personal God; beloved son, dear daughter, my brother, my sister.

    Amen.

  • A Personal God – Jesus

    A Personal God – Jesus

    Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. – Isaiah 26:4 ESV

    … and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10b

    “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

    Setting aside for a moment your personal preferences for worshiping God; whether ritualistic routine, overflowing emotion, singing, shouting, standing, sitting, hands held up, heads bowed low, knees on the floor or feet off the ground; on the scriptural presumption that Jesus and God are one, let us examine two things:

    The Person of Jesus and His personal mission for each of us.

    Before Christ became God in Person on this earth as the Son of Man, some worshiped God and some worshiped worship. Some worshiped the Law, some worshiped family and forefathers above the Living God. Though Moses stood in the Presence of the Living God, the people worshiped God only in the fear and emotion of the moment.

    Exodus 20:

    18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

    22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.

    Followers feared Moses only when he reflected the glory of God, yet would not obey the commands given to Moses by the God they feared.

    The Prophets spoke God’s word and demonstrated the truth of God’s refining exhortations. Generation after generation, God’s worshipers assumed a posture of disobedience and self-righteousness; for by their witness they forgot the fear of God. By their witness they failed to please the LORD with the same love and compassion the LORD had shown them from generation to generation.

    The worshipers of God would not listen to Moses. The worshipers of God would not listen to the Prophets.

    Therefore, God intervened in time in the Person of Christ Jesus to redeem a sinful world from the futility of death and the inevitability of judgment.

    Jesus Christ lived in Perfect righteousness on the earth. NO man of any religion on the earth has lived in the righteousness of Christ. Men of every era have lived agendas of purpose for the earthly agendas of man; not the will of God for a Heavenly Kingdom.

    Jesus did not come into the world for worship of holy mothers or ancient fathers. Jesus did not come into the world to win a war by peaceful protest or by sword. Jesus did not come into the world to work miracles to impress or heal men who will die.

    The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…

    1 Timothy 1:15a

    Jesus became the sacrifice to God for the redemption of sin – sins you and I have committed in God’s Holy presence.

    The gospels testify to the glory of Christ Jesus, the Word of His instruction and the Life of His own witness.

    Our God is a Personal God and He IS present in the Person of Jesus Christ.

    By the perfect and sinless example of Jesus Christ we have assurance of forgiveness for our many sins and eternal life for our soul, which does long for the embrace of God through the love of His perfection.

    Fear the God Who IS. Give thanks to the One who has formed your flesh and summons your soul.

    Jesus Christ was witnessed by the Apostles, including Paul who was blinded by His presence. Jesus Christ was witnessed by disciples who believed (as well as those who refused to follow Him).

    The Apostles stood and sat and ate in the presence of the Person of Jesus from day to day and after the resurrection of His crucified body. They are witness to the Person of God in Him.

    And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41

    Acts 9 (excerpt) … and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

    God and Jesus pursue sinners personally – sinners like you and me.

    Jesus taught us how to live as a perfect son (which I am not) and how to approach God as a perfect father (which I am not). We are neither perfect son nor father, perfect daughter nor mother; yet because Christ Jesus has taken our sin from us, He presents us to God the Father as blameless to do the will of our Father and Lord, as He would have done ‘on earth, as it is in Heaven.’

    Our Personal God and Father has sent Himself in His only Son, Christ Jesus, to us; as example for a personal obedience to His will on earth in this day and until the day He has appointed for our finished work, the witness of His love, to complete His purpose for our mortal life.

    In Christ Jesus, our Lord, my soul stands before God and man as witness to hope eternal and witness to eternal life daily.

    In you, our Lord has placed an eternal voice and temporal call to a personal relationship of love to fulfill His purpose for your mortal life on this earth.

    God has something He has sent your soul here to do in the flesh. The Person of God has a mission just for you.

    Will you do it?

    Will you listen to God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord?

    To be continued, God willing