Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Jesus

  • Did God really say, Church?

    Did God really say, Church?

    Yes! God said, “CHURCH.”

    Let’s be clear up front. I can assure you through Scripture (the written word of God we call THE BIBLE) that our Creator said, “Church.”

    So that we are on the same page (so to speak) I will get to a written definition of Church shortly. But first — and perhaps more importantly — I have a question to ask YOU.

    WHO is Asking?

    • Why is THIS important?

    • Does the person asking you about “Church“ really want to know what God said?

    • OR

    • Is this question of theirs a veiled dismissal of God
      • AND built on a premise opposed to the Authority of God’s Word?

    Who believes that God created the CHURCH?

    FIRST: Most likely NO ONE has asked you about your “church.”

    If you made a list including one hundred [100] from your neighborhood, work and extended family,

    • HOW MANY would even ASK YOU ANYTHING about CHURCH or GOD or Jesus Christ?

    Perhaps, one? 

    (Not even Christians of our church typically engage each other in conversation about 'church'  beyond the walls of the church building or in our mortal time beyond a single worship service duplicated twice on Sunday.)

    SECONDLY: IF you ever hear a person ask you about your ‘church‘ and Scripture ,

    ASK YOURSELF, “WHO IS ASKING?”

    You probably know several variations of the original QUESTION directly from your Bible.

    וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּֽי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹֽאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּֽן׃

    Bereishit (Genesis) 3:1 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)
    Of course most of us cannot read the original so we must rely on a translation of Scripture (me included)-- but (keep in mind) -- 

NO man or woman can claim truth while they reconstruct Scripture into words they want the Bible to say. 

WORDS have both meaning and intent. Therefore a preacher or teacher of the BIBLE MUST stick to preaching or teaching from a reliable English translation AND NOT SUBSTITUTE your own 'better,' less-offensive words.

The BIG QUESTION of THE DECEIVER goes something like the reconstruction by Satan sketched out (and linked) below.

    Does the preacher of the Word who shepherds your church have the integrity to ALWAYS use the written word of God from the Bible as written?

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com [Your response or question by email is welcome.]

    Questioning and Reconstructing God’s Word

    An example from Genesis 3:

    Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

    And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said,

    Genesis 3:1b NASB95

    ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

    Again, WATCH OUT! Whenever you hear anyone ask, 'has God said...'

    “Church“

    Call it what you like, but different people mean different things when they say, ‘church.’

    This is so even for members or attenders of the very same church. So let’s settle on some standard definitions of our references to ‘the church.’

    ἐκκλησία – ek-klay-see’-ah [feminine noun]

    Strong’s G1577 – ekklēsia [click for complete definition of ‘church’]

    • a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place

    No mention of the ‘church building’ here, although this ‘public place’ could be a building, tent, other home or anywhere two or three ‘citizens’ are gathered together.

    And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; G1577 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

    Gospel of Matthew 16:18 KJV – first use of the word ‘church‘ G1537 ekklēsia in the New Testament

    Christians and unbelievers alike think of CHURCH as an exclusive reference to a building or place where JESUS worshipers gather together as a ‘religious’ routine typically on Sunday only.

    However, a deeper look into how ‘church’ is used in the Bible — Old Testament AND New — will reveal a more significant connection of this ‘gathering of citizens’ to the LORD God.

    Gather me the people together – קָהַל

    The summons or call to worship is from the LORD Himself!

    The first reference to the ‘church’ or gathering in the Greek Septuagint comes from the LORD through Moses. Each assembly of the hebrew people, the citizens called out of Egypt and frequently out of their tents in the wilderness, was called by the LORD GOD.

    The LORD calls out the CHURCH, a chosen company of worshipers of the LORD our God. 

    View a link to these references from the Septuagint in the common Greek of the first century Roman Empire when Israel no longer existed and JESUS taught in Galilee, Samaria and Judea.

    “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

    Deuteronomy 4:10

    “The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly..

    “This is in accordance with everything that you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the LORD my God again, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die!’

    Deuteronomy 9:10; 18:16

    It’s pretty serious business:

    However, the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will wipe him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

    Exodus 32:33-34 NASB20

    — a chosen citizenry created in the image of the LORD against whom they turn (again and again)

    שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃

    “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

    Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4 :: WLC; 6:5 NASB20

    Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.

    Exodus 34:10 NASB20

    — the LAW of the LORD our God (broken again and again)

    “Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.

    Exodus 34:12 NASB20

    — covenant, solemn promise after solemn promise (broken again and again)

    “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.

    Deuteronomy 31:20 NASB20

    AND even in the New Testament

    — an often apostate church continually asking, “DID GOD REALLY SAY?“

    I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

    Paul’s letter to the Church at Galatia 1:6-7 NASB20

    Did Scripture really say..?

    Second Letter of Paul to Timothy

    3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

    YES, God — JESUS — really did say, CHURCH.

    Scripture — spoken by the LORD, written in the Law and the Prophets, preached by the Lord Jesus Christ, taught by the Apostles — Scripture affirms Christ’s Church already built by HIM and in no need of tearing down out of a lack of faith.

    All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [messenger] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

    Why do you ask?

    "Did God really say, Church?" is our first post for a NEW TalkofJESUS.com SERIES, addressing philosophies and questions underlying intentional deconstruction of the 21st Century Church.

    Talk of JESUS . com

    Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel

  • Ezekiel An Unbelievable Scene

    Ezekiel An Unbelievable Scene

    Ezekiel 1:

    the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel

    Ezekiel 1:3a Darby translation
    Context: TIME ~570 years Before Christ; PLACE - Tel-Abib in Babylonia, [later Persia, then Seleucid Empire (Greek) in 21st c. Iraq; PROPHET - yᵊḥezqē'l, captive priest and prophet of Israel taken to Babylon while in his 30's along with his wife and family, the prophets Daniel and Jeremiah (who are in their 50's) and some 10,000 jews.

    Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 1 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

    וַיְהִי בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה בָּרְבִיעִי בַּחֲמִשָּׁה לַחֹדֶשׁ וַאֲנִי בְתֹוךְ־הַגֹּולָה עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָר נִפְתְּחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וָאֶרְאֶה מַרְאֹות אֱלֹהִים׃

    Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 1 :: Septuagint (LXX)

    καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ τριακοστῷ ἔτει ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ μηνὶ πέμπτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς καὶ ἐγὼ ἤμην ἐν μέσῳ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ Χοβαρ καὶ ἠνοίχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί καὶ εἶδον ὁράσεις θεοῦ

    Do you believe this?

    Take a look at this scene Ezekiel describes:

    CLICK to read NASB20 Translation of Ezekiel 1: OR LISTEN to Ezekiel 1 ESV [4’19”]

    • a high wind .. a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it,
    • in the midst of the fire something like gleaming metal
    • And within it there were figures resembling four living beings.
      • they had human form.
      • Each .. had four faces 
        • their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.
        • each had a human face;
        • the four of them had
          • the face of a lion on the right
          • the face of a bull on the left,
          • and.. the face of an eagle.
      • and four wings.
        • their wings touched one another
        • were spread out above; each had two touching another being, 
        • and two covering their bodies.
      • Under their wings on their four sides were human hands.
      • Their legs were straight
      • and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like polished bronze.

    And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

    Ezekiel 1:12 NASB20

    In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

    Ezekiel 1:13 NASB

    This is Ezekiel’s description of just the glorious creatures!

    Do you believe it?

    IF you are a Christian or a Jew — perhaps.

    But IF you are like most other twenty-first century human beings, you probably DO NOT believe such fantastic scenes from the Bible.

    And their actions are even more fantastic!

    14 [ESV] And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

    15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl.

    And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.

    19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.

    20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

    21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

    22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body.

    24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

    But wait, there’s more; you sceptical (believer?) of the Bible!

    (MORE Scripture to read in the LINK below.)

    Ezekiel’s Vision of Divine Glory

    And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

    Ezekiel 1:25 NASB20

    .. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

    And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

    Ezekiel 1:28b NASB

    Tell the truth (in your comment to this post)

    • Suppose you gave this fantastic detailed description of events to just ten (10) of your closest friends or family?
    • OR imagine that you read the scroll of Ezekiel 1 to a gathering of one hundred (100) citizens of your town?

    • HOW MANY WOULD BELIEVE YOU?

    One, perhaps?

    Even if some cannot believe this Scripture a few may believe you because of your own integrity.

    THAT is the burden of the Prophet — his Word from God will be difficult to receive.

    a caution to Pastors & Prophets

    IF you speak any word NOT from God, claiming that God spoke it, no one with ears to hear should believe what you preach.

    Do you swerve from Scripture to substitute your own visionary words? Good luck convincing your viewers that Ezekiel spoke the very word of the LORD.

    Are you quite selective in how much of the HOLY BIBLE you preach? By all means, let us know how your church responds when you preach that this experience of Ezekiel really happened.

    And IF you are a Pastor unwilling to confirm that all Scripture is ‘God-breathed,’ your gathering will never have ears to hear Ezekiel or even Christ, who revealed a similar vision to the Apostle John.

    The Prediction and Predicament of the Prophet

    “SO WHAT?” say the rulers of this world.

    What IF I do not preach the WORD OF THE LORD as GOD has said it?

    Place Ezekiel into the year of our Lord 2022, or the Lord Christ Jesus into our contemporary ‘evangelical christian‘ church and you will encounter the same predicament.

    God has chosen a faithful remnant to receive his testimony with eyes to see and ears to hear. The others of the multitudes have heard the Word of the LORD through you AND rejected it.

    Ezekiel 2:

    Then He said to me,

    “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have revolted against Me to this very day. So I am sending you to those who are impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the LORD [YHWH] GOD says:

    As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.

    Ezekiel 2:5 NKJV

    7 “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

    Ezekiel 3:

    NLT 3:10b

    “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”

    3:12

    Then the Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the LORD rose from its place, I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me.

    It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.

    Ezekiel 3:13 New Living Translation

    But will Your Hearers have ‘ears to hear?’

    — Ears to hear Scripture spoken by the LORD — ears to hear the Word of the Lord Christ Jesus — eyes to see the same glory of Heaven revealed by Jesus Christ to the Apostle John — ears to hear the scene of heaven as the LORD showed and spoke to the prophet Ezekiel?

  • The Temporal Reign of Queens and Kings

    The Temporal Reign of Queens and Kings

    Today’s Scriptural Rerun from the first of a three-post series in A.D. 2013 only includes one verse, Genesis 1:2a from the King James Version; however I share much about the history of King James, sovereign forefather to the current queen celebrated today, 2 June, in the year of our Lord 2022.

    FYI

    • HRH (Her Royal Highness) Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Mountbatten-Windsor was born in AD 1923 (the same year as my deceased father)
    • Elizabeth became Queen of the realm when her father King George VI died 6 February AD 1952
    • Queen Elizabeth’s coronation took place 2 June in the year of our Lord 1953 in Westminster Abbey
    • The Queen married Philip Mountbatten in 1947 but did not adopt his surname as is usual.
      • Prior to 1917, royals did not have a surname and instead used the name of their father’s “House” for example, Tudor. – source
    • The Queen’s titles include:

    Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

    People may address the Queen as Your Majesty or Your Royal Majesty.

    Careful when equating Jesus to a King or Queen of this temporal earthly realm

    When some quote Scripture, often King James will honored for his English translation of the BIBLE. READ MORE about King James and others connected with the early English Bible below:

    EMPIRE Fallen; Church Divided – Part 1