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Tag: Bible

ONLY Scripture – Sola Scriptura

The HOLY BIBLE IS: The written word of God from scripture.

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.

October 8, 2014
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

October 7, 2014
He has put eternity in their hearts
It is no longer a question of God: God IS – and we all know it. Our question and quest for knowledge and power over our own lives and circumstances only asks: will I bow down to the eternal God?

We have knowledge, near complete and inexhaustible. We have Bibles we refuse to read and evidence to which we turn our backs.

God created. God judges. God punishes. God redeems. God forgives. God loves.

And God has sent a Savior and Redeemer to the world in the Person of Christ Jesus.

The decision is in the heart and response of each created being – each man; each woman.
- Will you bow down to God the Father, Eternal Creator of all the world and all mankind?
- Will you receive the love and sacrifice of God the Son in Christ Jesus; who IS and who was and who will return to judge your soul?
- Will you open your heart of stone to God the Holy Spirit, turning from your sin and following the love of Christ’s example?
God has put eternity in your heart. The world knows eternity and God, yet cannot accept the limits of each breath and heartbeat to sustain our soul, our mind, our failing flesh and crumbling bones.

Loved ones

gasp for breath,

wait for the strength

of another heartbeat,

search faulty thoughts for

what was once recalled,

walk tenderly on bones

once thought sturdy

and measure days

till the grave

by mem’ries

and dreams of our past.

LORD GOD,

will I finally remember

eternity of my soul,

saved for your love

by your love,

saved from just punishment

for my many sins,

by your own Sacrifice

of Christ Jesus –

will I remember

the eternity you have placed

in my heart

before the end of the days

you have created

for this failing flesh?

God test us, that we may see that the end of our earthly days will be no different than animals, that in the end our ashes return to ashes and our dust to dust.

Yet only man has a soul made in the Image of God!

And only Christ Jesus lived as a sinless man in the Image of the sinless God of eternity.

By the sacrifice of Jesus only – by the blood of Christ only – by the love and grace of God only do we yet have the choice for repentance from our sins and life eternal for our soul – life eternal without blame in the Presence of the love of God our heavenly Father; Christ Jesus who loved us even to the death and IS eternal for us in the resurrection; of the Holy Spirit who would even now break through the hardness of our heart toward the loving Father and bring our prodigal soul home forever.

You may ask in these passing days of passing seasons, ‘Where have I heard that He has put eternity in my heart?’ How do I know that my soul lives life once and will sleep until the judgment?

It is written in God’s Holy Bible. Have you read it?

Do you read (in these passing seasons of your flesh) God’s intention and purpose for your remaining measured days?

Ecclesiastes 3

NKJV

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die…

9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him.
15 That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past…

17 I said in my heart,

“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.

20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?

Christ Jesus said:

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

John 12:46

Do you yet live in the darkness of your sin? Or does your soul embrace the light of life in Christ Jesus?

To everything there is a season

A time to every purpose under heaven.

A time for repentance

Or a time of judgment,

A time of sin

Or a time of grace,

A time of darkness eternal

Or a time of light.

I pray for your heart and soul to embrace the love and grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.
September 29, 2014