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Tag: Gospel

The Gospel is Good News to all who will humbly accept Jesus and listen to His teaching.

We refer to the four books of the Bible which tell the story of Jesus Christ as the Gospels. These books are named for their authors: Matthew, a Jewish Apostle; Mark, a disciple of the first generation who recorded accounts of Peter and the Twelve; Luke, a gentile Physician and disciple of the first century; and John, one of the Twelve Jewish Apostles chosen by Jesus.

  • Fire of the Living God

    Fire of the Living God

    Exodus 3: 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed… God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

    And he said, “Here I am.”

    5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

    And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

    Numbers 9: 15 On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.

    16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.

    Ezekiel 1:4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.

    Malachi 3:2 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…

    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.

    Matthew 13: And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

    37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

    38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.

    The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.

    The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

    40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

    41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

    He who has ears, let him hear.

     Mark 1:8 KJV I indeed have baptized you with water:

    but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

     

  • for our God is a consuming fire

    for our God is a consuming fire

    Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

    22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant…

    25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.

    For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

    26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

    … thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

    How much reverence and awe do you have for God Almighty?

    Do you, dear believer, sometimes fail to remember in fear and trembling the Power of the risen Lord, Christ Jesus?

    (It is no wonder that Jesus greeted fearful Apostles with the assurance: “Peace.”)

    It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. – Hebrews 10:21

    The Disciples finally realized that Jesus had not established God’s Kingdom in Jerusalem at the time He entered its gates prior to His crucifixion; yet the Apostles knew that Jesus will return on the clouds as Judge of the Heavens and earth!

    Prior to becoming Disciples of Jesus, some were disciples of John the Baptist who had preached:

    Matthew 3:

    10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

    11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

    12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

    If the burning fire of the conquering Christ was prepared by John; if the burning fire of the conquering Jesus was prepared by the Cross; if the Judgment and Kingdom were close at hand; then how much nearer now? You with ears to hear, hear.

    Jesus’ Disciples wanted to know when, but the Lord would not reveal it.  Never-the-less as Jesus rose into the clouds promising His return, the Disciples were filled with awe and reverence for the risen Son of Man.

    Well they knew all of what our Lord Jesus had warned and cautioned:

    John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

    Luke 24:51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

     

     

  • Slow of Heart to Believe

    Slow of Heart to Believe

    Are we slow of heart to believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus?

    In an early encounter with two of His disciples (followers), Jesus, our risen Lord, accuses gently:

    “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken …”

    – Luke 24:25 KJV

    Does this from our Lord resonate in your twenty-first century ears?

    A commentator on what Jesus told these two disciples from the Prophets remarked (certainly tongue-in-cheek) that he could never forgive Cleopas for not telling Luke which passages from the Prophets Jesus used. I, too, could only speculate; but would point us to some scriptures we might resist in our Bible reading. It is with more ‘WARNINGS’ to the churches I would like to direct our reluctant eyes ‘slow of heart to believe.’

    the_seven_churches_of_revelation

    • Ephesus – you have abandoned the love you had at first…
    • Smyrna – Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
    • Pergamum – you have some there who… practice sexual immorality.
    • Thyatira – teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality…
    • Sardis – “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die…
    • Philadelphia – I know that you have but little power… I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
    • Laodicea –  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

    AS WE, would so easily dismiss the cautions of Jesus to the seven churches of Revelation; so, too, the disciples were ‘slow of heart to believe’ all the Prophets had warned God’s disciple nation: Israel (and also Judah).

    NOTE: The following scriptures are King James Version:

    Isaiah 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

    Jeremiah 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

    Hosea 4: Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

    Perhaps, hearing with open ears and seeing scripture with eyes uncovered, you may see in much scripture how the Messiah, the Christ, must suffer and die.

    Hear (even after His resurrection) and consider in closing Psalm 49, thinking of the incarnate life of Jesus.

    Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

    Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

    My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

    I will incline mine ear to a parable…

    They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

    None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

    (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

    That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption…

    But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me…

     

    Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

    And having said this he breathed his last.