Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: God

  • Who’s House?

    Who’s House?

    I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness. – Psalm 84:10b ESV 

    Is your house a house of your God? Is your home a dwelling place of righteousness? Is your soul filled with the Holy Spirit of God?

    OR

    Do you build by emptiness of faith a house from which you must flee for a soul which cannot hide?

    Psalm 127

    1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

    2 I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
    With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.

    3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
    at a place near your altar,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!

    4 What joy for those who can live in your house,
    always singing your praises.

    Interlude

    5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
    who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
    6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

    7 They will continue to grow stronger,
    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

    8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob.

    Interlude

    9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

    10 A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
    I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

    11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.

    The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.

    12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.

     

     

     

  • The Gospel: Preached by John

    The Gospel: Preached by John

    Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed! – Psalm 84:9

    John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

    16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

    Speak: and your tongue does witness the word of your soul.

    I have a ‘word’ for you: “logos.” 

    John uses Logos for the Person of Jesus as God’s Very Word spoken in the Holy Flesh of Christ Jesus.

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    He was in the beginning with God.

    Jesus IS the ‘I AM‘ in the flesh!

    Exodus 3:13-14 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

    John’s Gospel preaches that God the Father sent God the Son to the people of Israel (and to gentiles of the nations as well). When they ask, “What is his name?” the reply is that of Jesus.

    John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

    The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

    Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

    Acts 2:37

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John:

    … His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

    16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

    17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

    But he laid his right hand on me, saying,

    “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one.

    I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

     

  • Stronger in the LORD

    Stronger in the LORD

    They will continue to grow stronger,
    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

    – Psalm 84:7 NLT

    What made weak followers of Jesus stronger after his resurrection and ascension?

    How is it that the faith of eleven remaining Disciples and a few former followers grew into a boldness in Christ that could not be silenced even by threat of death?

    Acts 2:

    40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

    42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…

    Acts 3: Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour…

    Acts 4:4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

    5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 

    [They are referring to a lame man present healed by a miracle of God.]

    13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

    It is one thing to have been with Jesus. It is quite another to have the power of Jesus with you.

    And for you and me, even now, it is one thing to know about Jesus. It is quite another to have the boldness of the Spirit with you.

    These humble followers of Jesus, weak vessels of flesh who would even deny Jesus as they crucified Him, now seem fitted for the battle; and the battle is the LORD’s.

    “REPENT! and be baptized,” is the battle cry of the believer.

    Turn from your sinful ways and receive the permanent change of the Spirit of God. This is the invitation of the Lord to sinners everywhere and in every time… this mortal time of our sinful flesh and perishing souls.

    It would seem that these Disciples were now well suited in an armor even more threatening to a chosen nation of conquered men.

    A letter to the church at Ephesus from a soon-to-be converted Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul):

    The Whole Armor of God

    Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

    roman in armor14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

    16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

    To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.