Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Christ

  • The Whole Truth

    The Whole Truth

    John 14: 6 Jesus said to him,

    “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

    There’s always something someone does not tell you when you meet them. You buy a house or rent an apartment and they don’t mention that the toilet doesn’t flush right. An acquaintance tells you about their great job, but they fail to mention how they were fired from a previous job. You meet someone who claims to love their kids and discover later how their children have little respect for their own parent. In fact, we encounter hidden truths every day as we discover more and more of the hearts and lives of our loved ones. We are all sinners (and hypocritical to some degree).

    At one time our courts would ask: ‘Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?’ ‘I do,’ was the expected response. Now the ‘I do’ response has no more expectation of truth than the promise of marriage, by rule without God by courts contemptible to the Law and also to truth. *But that controversial topic is for another discussion. Any two may be married by law and easily divorced by their own will without consent or knowledge of the other. *The lawyers are manipulators of justice and challengers to righteousness, as was so often the case in conversations with our Lord, Christ Jesus.

    Jesus Christ made a claim: “I am the only way to the Father.” What does that mean? What does it mean to Christians? What does it mean to faithful Jews, faithful Muslims, faithful Hindus, Buddhists and the like?

    Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God.

    Have you ever truly considered the judgment seat of Christ? Considering that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and eternal life, how do you think these others will do? And how will you fare before the Throne of God’s judgment?

    Guilty? or Innocent?

    What is HIS verdict?

    O, foolish follower – O, rebellious believer – O, obstinate perishing vessel of flesh:

    You have no hope without Christ Jesus. This is the truth.

    God’s Righteous Judgment

    2 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience,not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

    6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

    God’s Judgment and the Law

    12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when,according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

     

    Yes, the Jews have the Law by which to be judged. A few Jews are most righteous (though many are as selfish and ungodly as many of our christian sisters and brothers).

    Matthew 5:17-20

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

    17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

    May God have mercy on those many Jews, many Muslims and many christians who do in practice and by the fruit of their faith have such righteousness as exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

    In fact, why do I pray for these lost ones, even christians?

    Life is not life in our body, as so many feed by the pleasures and comforts of the flesh. Life is life in the spirit. You are the spirit within you, not just the brain and the blood, the neurons and the organs. It is the heart, in the sense of the soul (not the heart of muscle and corpuscle) of with the Bible speaks. It is your heart which is judged and your soul with will suffer.

    You have no need of the further torment of your flesh eternally or the temporal joy of that which is passing.

    Jesus is life to you. Jesus is life to me. He IS the resurrection and the life.

    John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

     

    And a less familiar reminder to christians who have turned from the whole truth of Jesus Christ and those attracted to Him:

    5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

    Judgment Before the Great White Throne

    11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

    Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

    15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

     

    The Revelation of the risen Christ Jesus to the Apostle John speaks of ALL SOULS.

    Christ uncovers the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

    As you stand naked in your sin before the Sinless One, what is your plea?

    Dear Lord, Have mercy on me, a sinner.

  • Respect

    1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father…

    I recently had an unfortunate experience of misunderstanding at a time when I needed encouragement from a brother or sister in the Lord or anyone else.

    If you look closely above my own smile you will see much white hair. 🙂 Yes, in some instances (even if I don’t like to admit to all of my 6+ decades) I am an older man.

    Of course, none of us likes rebuke. As parents we have given many rebukes of improper behavior to our children. As husbands, we have heard proper rebuke from our own wife (and they, from us). IN THE LORD, with His love I would hope.

    Just yesterday I had to rebuke a young man for a wrong attitude toward Christ. He said, “We go to church, etc., as an excuse of calling themselves ‘christians’ like those faithful to Christ Jesus by the truth of the fruit of our lives. My point to him was that “We are the church, etc.” and must live as Christ commands and live by His higher standards for us.

    Paul writes to Timothy of these higher standards for our lives.

    Christians are NOT supposed to look and behave like just anybody. We must be a man like Christ or a woman like Christ in our relationships to others — especially other Christians — our new family and His.

    Take a look at some of these standards for the church, that is: you and me.

    1 Timothy 5

    Instructions for the Church

    Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

    3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

    “Everyone needs compassion, a love that’s never failing…”

    During difficult times I nearly weep at the very hearing of those words.

    Think of all the deserted older men and older women in nursing homes at this time of the year. Their grown children (even christian children) often abandon them in favor of the hustle and bustle and worldly priorities of their own lives. Once, we took care of our aging moms and dads in our own homes as long as we were physically able. We sacrificed and honored our mother and our father all the days of our lives.

    Once, christians honored marriage and would never break up a home for their own ends (let alone continue to call themselves christians); but now christian divorce, hated by God, rebuked by Jesus, and a breaking of our own covenant to God and witnesses “until we are parted by death,” is as prevalent as with those who would never claim Christ as Lord. Our Christian marriages are the very symbol of Christ’s relationship He desires for His bride, the church. [SEE: Ephesians 5: ]

    Ephesians 5: 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

    32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

    33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

    As you, dear Christian brother, dear Christian sister, approach this turning of the year from the passing old to the new, consider the nature of how we are called to have changed by our taking up the cross to follow Jesus Christ, to witness His love in our relationships with others and by our own personal shining example to all others.

    Put On the New Self

    If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

    5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

    7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

    9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator…

    12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

    14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And letthe peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

    And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

    Rules for Christian Households

    18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

    19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

    20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

    21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged…

    23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

    You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

    My dear, beloved family of Christ Jesus,

    We live a new life of sacrifice and obedience to scripture, truthfulness of our word, and witness to our Lord and Savior, who offered Himself as acceptable sacrifice for our many sins. Do not live, dear brother, dear sister, in your over-bearing selfishness of your own flesh. Humble yourselves before our Groom, you His church and His Bride.

    Be Holy, as our Lord is Holy.

    Love one another, as I have loved you.  – John 13:34

  • Emmanuel

    Emmanuel

    YOU need to stop thinking of Jesus as if He were historical, like a dinosaur or a Caesar.  Jesus IS.

    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. – Matthew 1:23 KJV
    Let us turn back a page to a time of anticipation of the Messiah, prior to a time of the silence of God. The last book of the Old Testament – a Prophet looking forward: Malachi.
    Please expand your imagination just a bit to think of us as contemporaries of the Prophet, expecting the Messiah; yet now we know that Jesus was, and IS, and will be: God with us.
    Suppose that I would admonish us, as did the Prophets: what might the Lord have to say to us?
    Why do YOU want to think gently of Jesus as a baby in a manger? Why do YOU want to think briefly of Jesus as YOUR Savior on the Cross? Why do YOU not see the resurrection beyond the manger?

    The church once worshiped the bones of the Apostles as relics of history, but YOU will not find Jesus’ bones in a grave. The bones of the Apostles will dance alongside ours before Ezekiel and the Prophets at the Day of Christ’s coming again!

    In the year of our Lord 2013 we would do well to remember the birth of Christ Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea with sight of His Name Emmanuel – God with us. Jesus IS. Jesus IS God with us now; yet in these last days we would do well to look for our Redeemer to call us unto Him in the place where He IS.

    In the days before John the Baptizer called for the world to prepare the way of the LORD, God’s manifest silence was evident – no Prophet had spoken for centuries. Recalling the close of the Old Testament let us now look to the Book of Malachi, remembering that the Risen Christ Jesus IS and is to come again: God with us.

    Malachi 1

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

    2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?”

    Does Christ our Savior and God our Father not love us? Is the Lord not with us, as He was promised and did promise, and does promise by His Word?

    6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.

    And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? [KJV]

    … O pastors and ministers and reverends and priests who despise and neglect the Name of Christ Jesus: God with us! O you who broadcast YOUR world, recommend YOUR book and ask for the offering that is the Lord’s!

    10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

    Christ IS with us. Surly He looks upon us with great displeasure. He IS King of kings and Lord of lords!

    14b For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

     

    Malachi 2

    If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

     

    7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

    10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 

    Is the church which bears His Name true witness of His love poured out for us on the Cross? Why do you call yourself ‘christian’ and not love one another as Christ Jesus, who IS God with us?

    13 And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.

    14 But you say, “Why does he not?”

    Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?

    And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

    16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

    And dear liberated wife of this 21st century, is the Lord God with us? Is He not witness between you and the husband of your covenant of marriage?

    Are your Godly offspring to be found in the house of the Lord?

    Are you not only one in spirit the husband of your vows, but by your vows also one in spirit with Christ Jesus (whom you claim as your lord)?

    The man or woman who claims Christ and divorces is witness against your covenant with the Lord. You profane the Name of Christ (now calling yourself a single one). I AM Emmanuel: God with you!

    The Messenger of the Lord

    17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking,“Where is the God of justice?”

    (Now we come to the more familiar reference to John the Baptizer; yet remember Emmanuel and His coming on the clouds.)

    Malachi 3

    English Standard Version (ESV)

     “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

     Yes, the Lord IS come. He will return suddenly and seal His new covenant.

    But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

     

    5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

    6 “For I the Lord do not change…

    7b Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

    The Book of Remembrance

    16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

    Malachi 4

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    The Great Day of the Lord

    “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings…

    5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

    Thus ends the Old Testament and the books of the Prophets.

    Christ incarnate was born in a manger.

    Christ died. Christ IS risen. Christ will come again.

    Christ Jesus, Emmanuel: God with us.

    Even so, come Lord Jesus.

    Amen.

    EMMANUEL